Munshi Premchnad’s classic story ‘Shatranj ke Khiladi’ was brilliantly staged at Antarang Hall, Bhavan Bhavan auditorium here on Wednesday.
Directed by Dinesh Nair, the play was performed to pay a tribute to the legendary writer Munshi Premchand.
Director of the Dinesh Nair said that the story of the play by Munshi Premchand is centered on the game chess. The story depicts decadent royalty of Central North India.
It is set around the life of the last independently ruling Nawab (noble) Wajid Ali Shah and concludes with the British annexation of the Nawab's kingdom of Awadh in 1856. The two main characters are the aristocrats Mirza Sajjad Ali and Mir Raushan Ali who are deeply immersed into playing chess.
Their desire for the game destroys the competency of the characters, and makes them irresponsible in their duties towards their families and society. They derive immense pleasure in developing chess strategies and ignore the real life invasion by the British. Their city Lucknow falls to British attackers as they are busy playing a game of
chess. Nawab Wajid Ali Shah of Lucknow and Awadh, the central character of the play was keenly interested in music, hence the Kathak dance and Thumri was also used in the drama.