Mahesh Dattani's new play pays tribute to Urdu poet Sara Shagufta's struggles, reflected in her letters to Amrita Pritam
Mahesh Dattani's new play pays tribute to Urdu poet Sara Shagufta's struggles, reflected in her letters to Amrita Pritam
For quite some time now, playwright and director Mahesh Dattani has been planning to open a new play on World Theatre Day. With his latest directorial venture, Sara, he plans to bring together the city's theatrewalas at the premiere show. The theatre fraternity is looking forward to the play as it depicts a slice of literary history from the subcontinent. 
The play, written in Hindustani, takes a peek into the life of Sara Shagufta a controversial Urdu poet from Pakistan, through the letters she wrote to the Delhi-based Punjabi poet Amrita Pritam. In these letters, Sara expressed her innermost yearnings and creative outpourings. Dattani believes it's important to hear Sara's voice because it emerged from a deeply conservative society of the '70s and early '80s. "When Shahid (the playwright) read out the script to me I was struck by Sara's personal story.
The challenges she faced are in line with what many women writers and poets have faced in the previous century," says Dattani. He points out that it was very courageous of Sara to speak about her plight in spite of fighting depression and a failed marriage.
The award-winning playwright thinks its fitting that play, which holds significance for both literature and womanhood, opens a day after World Theatre Day and in a month that celebrates World Women's Day.
On: March 28, 7.30 pm
At: Manik Sabhagriha, Bandra Reclamation, Bandra (W).
Call: 65713771.
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