When you think of doomed love, Romeo and Juliet typically comes to mind. But the all-consuming love story of Laila and Majnun predates William Shakespeare’s work. Passed down through oral storytelling traditions and anecdotes in Arabic culture, the plot was developed and written by Nezami Ganjawi, the 12th-century Persian poet. The story of Laila and Majnun’s love went on to inspire retellings and references in Persian, Arabic, Turkish and Hindi literature as well as films and art. Nabhya Theatre Group’s Dastaan-e-Laila, directed by its founder and theatrewala Vishaal Vashishtha, and co-directed by Sanjeev Pundir, is a modern and comical retelling of the classic love story set in the 21st century. While the writer of this version is unknown, Vashishtha shares that he first performed the play in 2017 in Delhi, and since then the plot has undergone updates and improvisations for a post-pandemic world. He says, “We want to ensure that people who spend this hour with us find an escape into another world of humour, love and plot twists. We want everyone to leave with a smile.”