The theater lovers of the city were taken to the darbar of Shuja-ud-Daula through an Urdu play ‘Shuja-ud-Daula.’ The play was staged here on Friday at Antrang Hall, Bharat Bhavan.
Directed by Tanveer Ahmed, the play was written 20 years back by Rasheed Anjum. It was wonderfully and splendidly performed by the artists of Reflection Theatre Group, Bhopal.
The play narrates the tale of Nawab of Oudh Shuja-ud-Daula and his relationship with a prostitute Batia Bai. It also somewhere tells the audience about the male dominating society that was prevailed at that time. At that time too women were used as material and even now somewhere the status of the women has not changed.
The play begins with the market scene in the red light area of the kingdom and the play is introduced to the audience by the Charbet. The play is followed with the speech between Shuja-ud-Daula and Batia Bai where Batia Bai expresses her love towards Shuja and asks him to marry her and he refuses.
Shuja-ud-Daula tells Batia Bai that she is no match for him as a wife and leaves.
Batia Bai gets upset. One of the ministers of Shuja-ud-Daula’s court Jafar Askari is also a die heart fan of Batia Bai and tells her that he would give her all the pleasures of life but could not marry her. Seeing this one courtier Umraigar agrees to marry Batia Bai as he loves her. This was not accepted by Shuja-ud-Daula and in anger he passes an order to kill Umraigar and Batia Bai.
Both Umraigar and Batia Bai go in shelter of King Ahmed Khan Bangash and a war is called upon by Shuja-ud-Daula. To call off the war Batia Bai and Umraigar surrender before Nawab Shuja-ud-Daula.
Having simple backdrop and simple costumes the play was impactful through the matured acting skills of the artists. Sensible use of lighting and soothing music in three divisions added more zest in the play.
A mixed language Urdu, Arabic and Persian created an ambiance of royalty in the hall. Director Tanveer Ahmed told The Pioneer, “The only challenge was to direct a cast of 40 artists on stage for the first time with the language blend of Urdu and Persian accent. But it feels wonderful.”