Mahesh Bhatt has an open letter for ex-US president George W Bush. Three aspiring directors want to take the Shah Rukh Khan route. Over this weekend and the next, two plays with interesting, realistic premises will give Mumbai's audiences much to look forward to
A still from Mahesh Bhattu00c3u0083u00c2u00a2u00c3u0082u00c2u0080u00c3u0082u00c2u0099s Hindi play, The Last Salute
The Last Salute: 'My letter talks about the power-hungry US President'
"What is happening in Brussels today, as we speak, is the aftershock to what Bush did in Iraq in 2003. They opened a can of worms and the world is still suffering because of it," said an angry Mahesh Bhatt over the phone lines, when we called the film director on his stage debut. Bhatt's play, The Last Salute is based on Iraqi journalist Muntadhar Al-Zaidi's book, The Last Salute to President Bush and narrates the series of events that led to the scribe hurling shoes at former US president George W Bush.
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Also read: Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt's life to premiere on stage in Mumbai
A still from Mahesh Bhatt’s Hindi play, The Last Salute
The play looks at events of the Gulf crisis and the US intervention. "To me, the action of Muntadhar stands alongside the actions of Gandhi, Tolstoy, Martin Luther King Junior and many lesser known courageous dissenters, who raised their voice against colonialism, tyranny, oppression and injustice. The world media has been shamefully negligent in reporting the effect of the so-called 'just' war on the civilian population of Iraq. The blood bath was not reported at all. The incident of shoe throwing made the world aware of the situation in Iraq and that coverage of this had been restricted by the American governement," says Bhatt.
The play begins with Bhatt reading out a letter he wrote to the White House in 2002. "I was invited by a senator friend to attend a breakfast prayer meeting in Washington DC. Being aware of the hypocrisy of American politics, I declined. Today that decision seems appropriate...
... My letter talks about the power-hungry US President who planned the cold-blooded attacks on Baghdad. I read the letter out in the play to set the tone and for the audience to get a glimpse of the events they witness in the play," shares Bhatt.
A still from the Last Salute
The 80-minute play, with a cast of 85 actors, is scripted by Rajesh Kumar and directed by the veteran theatre director and activist Arvind Gaur. "It is an universal topic and the idea of theatre is not just to entertain.
It is a powerful medium and should be used to create awareness amongst people and encourage debate and dialogue or at least, present a point of view and make people think," asserts Gaur. The music of the play, composed by Dr Sangeeta Gaur, includes various genres but the songs are based on a theme of patriotism.
Mahesh Bhatt at Rajghat
"Muntadhar Al-Zaidi is a man of peace. He became a victim of the tyranny of Saddam Hussain and George W Bush. He is one of those few individuals who had the courage to stare unflinchingly into the eyes of death when he hurled his shoe at Bush. People like stories where the common man stands up to tyranny.
To me, the defining image of courage of the last century was the solitary Chinese man standing defiantly against the oppressive row of tanks in Tiananmen Square. And now, in the 21st century, it is the image of Muntadhar Al-Zaidi, hurling a shoe at President Bush," concludes Bhatt.
On March 27, 7.30 pm
At Rangsharda Auditorium , Bandra (W)
Call 26401919
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