Danish Husain as Habib Tanvir
| Picture Credit score: Courtesy: The Hoshruba Repertory
HIS 2023 manufacturing Most important Pal Do Pal Ka Shayar Hoon, primarily based on the life and works of poet-lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi, obtained an amazing response. Even whereas theatre director and actor Danish Husain continued staging it in several cities, he was considering of a topic for his subsequent venture. That was when stage character M.Okay. Raina approached him with the concept of doing a play on the legendary theatre character Habib Tanwir. The outcome was Habibnama, an 85-minute presentation.
Danish, who runs the Hoshruba Repertory, says, “Raina was serving to curate the competition ‘Dekh rahe hain nayan’, hosted just lately by the Kolkata Centre for Creativity to rejoice Habibji’s delivery centenary. Habibnama was premiered there. Since I used to be additionally staging my performs on the Prithvi Theatre in Mumbai, I slotted two reveals on August 31, a day earlier than his a hundred and first delivery anniversary.”
Danish’s had labored with Habib for 5 years, as a part of his famend play Agra Bazar. “As an actor, I had carefully noticed his mannerisms and magnificence of talking. This got here in useful whereas enjoying him in Habibnama, the place I even dressed and smoked a pipe like him. I additionally invited actor Purushottam Bhatt, who labored with Habib’s Naya Theatre for 50 years, to be a part of my new venture. He guided me lots.”
From Habibnama
| Picture Credit score:
Courtesy: The Hoshruba Repertory
Initially, the concept was to jot down the script as if Habib was studying his autobiography. However later, Danish designed it as if he was giving an interview to an unseen journalist. “I additionally launched two characters, performed by Purushottam Bhatt and Mohan Sagar, who would interrupt by arising with songs and acted performances, mainly on the lookout for a job. Via them, we showcased some songs and scenes from Habib’s performs,” says Danish.
Habib has made a pioneering contribution to Urdu and Hindi theatre, and Danish’s intention was to speak about his type, his views on artwork and tradition, his political thought and beliefs. Finest identified for performs reminiscent of Agra Bazar, Charandas Chor, Shatranj Ke Mohre, Ponga Pandit and Gaon Naam Sasural, and Mor Naam Damad, he was recognised for his work with Chattisgarhi tribals. He shaped Naya Theatre In 1959, and likewise popularised the people artwork type Nacha, which has a singular technique of presentation, make-up, costume, jewelry, music and dance. He was additionally identified for creating social consciousness by means of his works.
Born Habib Ahmed Khan on September 1, 1923, in Raipur (earlier in Madhya Pradesh, and now capital of Chattisgarh), he moved to Mumbai after his education and faculty in Nagpur and Aligarh, and started to jot down poems and movie songs. He joined the Progressive Writers’ Affiliation and have become energetic within the Indian Individuals’s Theatre Affiliation (IPTA).
Habib’s love for the stage truly started after watching Vallathol, who based the Kerala Kalamandalam and revived Kathakali. He would confer with him as his first guru. Habib’s first profitable play Agra Bazar was impressed by the 18th century Urdu poet Nazir Akbarabadi. He roped in folks and folks artistes from Delhi, and staged the play in a market. Thus creating a brand new technique of stay efficiency. He travelled to varied elements of Europe, studying about completely different theatre kinds.
Purushottam Bhatt and Mohan Sagar introduced alive scenes from Habib Tanvir’s performs.
| Picture Credit score:
Courtesy: The Hoshruba Repertory
As soon as he returned to India, Habib directed Mitti Ki Gaadi, primarily based on the Sanskrit drama Mrichakatika. He used folks actors from Chattisgarh, and shortly received concerned with theatre and music kinds of that area. His massively profitable Charandas Chor was primarily based on a Rajasthani folks story by Vijaydan Detha. It was tailored to display by Shyam Benegal, with Lalu Ram and Smita Patil within the lead roles. Habib’s play Ponga Pandit, although staged because the Nineteen Sixties, created controversy within the Nineties, as a result of its theme of non secular hypocrisy was seen in a unique gentle by fundamentalists.
In Habibnama, Danish has focussed on the principle elements of the theatre legend’s life. “Apart from his performs, I’ve additionally talked about his rising up years, his publicity to cinema and theatre. I didn’t need my manufacturing to be too anecdotal. I used to be additionally conscious that ardent theatre followers knew his work. However I wished to succeed in out to even these exterior the theatre neighborhood,” says Danish.
Printed – September 27, 2024 05:05 pm IST
