Young directors give a fresh take on Saadat Hasan Manto’s Thanda Gosht and Ismat Chughtai’s lihaaf
A fusion of two of the most controversial stories by noted writers Saadat Hasan Manto and Ismat Chughtai, who were friends in real life and facing judicial scrutiny at the same time for their seminal works, were honoured together by HND Pictures.
HND Pictures presented Do Badan, a theatrical fusion of Thanda Gosht by Saadat Hasan Manto and lihaaf by Ismat Chughtai, recently. It was a phenomenal representation of the world of poetry and storytelling that has actually paved a way for us to understand what it is to be in a world where every relation consists of two bodies and whatever that is beyond it.
This was an experiment by Ankur Srivastava and Kanupriya Aggarwal, the directors of the show. This fusion of the two stories sent a chill down the spine of the audience.
The directors, who are in their 30s, had a story about the young generation that was a refreshing gust of wind in the Delhi theatre circle. The play represented a perspective that shows the stories in a new way but with old values.
The audience was stunned and shaken with the performances. We know Saadat Hasan Manto, Saahir ludhianvi, Ismat Chughtai and Amrita Pritam but the way Do Badan showed their stories, it proved that they were indeed the legends of literature.
The live music by Sardariyaan band livened up the performance and Aggarwal’s storytelling was paced and balanced. Actors Vijay Kapoor and Harshpal Singh were well received by the crowd but Anjali Negi stole the show.
The spokesperson and Head of Operations, HND Pictures, Prakhar Garg, stated that the new and upcoming talent has an urge to create a new language for films and theatre.