How Crossing to Talikota landed in his lap, is a story that Arjun Sajnani has repeated often. But, it begs to be retold, at least for the Mumbai reader. The play, which will be staged for the first time in the city, at the National Centre for the Performing Arts next month, is the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, Jnanapith, Sahitya Academy awardee (there's a longer list) Girish Karnad's last play.

"It was a great piece of luck for me. I run a restaurant called Sunny's and Girish and his wife [Saraswathy Ganapathy] were my neighbours. Girish and I had a long association of three-four shows. One afternoon in July 2018, while having lunch here, he told me that he wanted me to read his new play. It's always an honour when a living playwright and someone as great as him offers a new script," says Sajnani, known for productions like Tughlaq, Fire and Rain, and Bali.