When the biggest legends of Urdu verse gather on stage, you know you are in for good poetry. That is what Pierrot’s Troupe’s latest presentation lal Qila Ka Aakhri Mushaera brings. Iknoor Kaur saw the play and spoke to Tom Alter about his role and passion for the language
Recreating the magic of Urdu on stage, Dr M Sayeed Alam’s lal Qile ka Aakhari Mushaera was a treat for Urdu lovers. With drama in the middle of the mushaira, the play was graced with masterpieces by Mirza Ghalib, Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar, Ustad Zauq, Hakeem Momin Khan Momin, Agha Jaan Aish, Mustafah Khan Sheftah, Daagh Dehlavi and others.It recalls the last mushaira held at Delhi’s Red Fort during the mid-1800s.
The poetic congregation, was held during the reign of the Mughal Emperor and the poet, Bahadur Shah Zafar. The shaayaris dished out were praiseworthy and creatively witty. But this was no ordinary mushaera. Each word was handpicked and well placed, adding to the flow of the play.
Usually shaayaris tend to go over the heads of those not well-versed with Urdu.The enchanting atmosphere and chemistry between participants was sufficient to keep everyone gripped for one and a half hours. Playing Emperor Zafar, Tom Alter exclaimed, “A very important part in any play’s success, is its interaction with the audience. If it is willing to put in the effort to listen, understand and feel the poetry, the jugalbandhi is very nice.”In addition, he said that Alam’s theatre never takes its audience for granted.
Instead, it asks them to be part of the play.He also told us how this emerged in the mind of Dr Alam, “We did a play on Mirza Ghalib, which had a mushaira, but much shorter. From that, Alam took the gist and elaborated the concept into this lovely play. Zafar’s role is small, but he expanded on it and made something intricate.”
Known for performances in Urdu, Alter has been a part of the Pierrot’s Troupe for a long time.Describing his love for the language, he said, “I have been in love with Urdu ever since I was a child. Twelve years ago, Alam came to me with the script of Maulana Azad.“I’ve done eight to nine plays since. Not all in Urdu. Some were in Hindustani. Doing these plays wasn’t something planned. It happened on its own.”
With the delivery of exceptional Urdu through the play, Tom believes this language will never die.“It is part of our culture. Just like Hindi and Sanskrit, Urdu belongs to the soul of India,” he said.
He added, “A lot of hard work goes into this. Thinking, feeling the character, reading up on them. But most importantly, it is the feeling and hard work. I don’t read up too much for Alam’s plays because his scripts are fantastic.” He added that he previously played Zafar in Babur ki Aulad, which depicted him in Rangoonand was inspired by Salman Khurshid’s idea.
This play had a minimalist set. Alter told us, “We do plays without sets. Alam’s are simple. I’ve personally done a few with elaborate sets. Decades back too, plays were done without sets.
“I think acting and connecting with the audience is more important.”He continued, “I think some classics do need a set, but it is the director’s prerogative. Theatre gives a platform to experiment and it is cheap.” Talking about recent projects, Tom said he is shooting for a serial in Mussoorie with Dr Alam. “It is based on poetry by Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Ghalib, Kabir, Zauq and Momin.”
He will also perform outside Pierrot’s Troupe, with an adaptation of the Hindu epics, Mahabharata and Ramayana on June 29 at Epicentre in Gurgaon.Pierrot’s Troupe will perform Ghalib in New Delhi on June 26 and will open their new play, The Undoing on July 21. Both at Sri Ram Centre, Mandi House.