​Mughal Play Night

A Mughal Night stage series is heading to Dubai this October with two Urdu-language plays, including one penned by noted laureate and former External Affairs Minister of India, Salman Khurshid.

The writer-politician’s thought-provoking satire ‘Sons of Babur’ will be staged on October 12, along with another popular comedy, ‘Ghalib in New Delhi’. Both shows will be presented by the Indian theatre group, Pierrot Troupe, best known for its slapstick productions that play with history and literature as their mainstay. Led by playwright, actor and director M. Sayeed Alam, described as "a pioneer of unconventional and fresh theatre in India", the night promises an entertaining and informative take on the period, with 'Sons of Babur' and 'Ghalib in New Delhi'.

‘Sons of Babur', described as a 'serious satire' is written by politician and author Salman Khursheed and translated into Urdu by Farooqui is directed by Alam. The two-hour play is largely about Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal emperor, languishing in exile in Rangoon. It travels back to the present, in which an ardent admirer of Zafar and a student of history, Rudranath Mitra, is seeking a grant to visit Zafar’s grave in Myanmar (Burma) for his research work. He has a supernatural experience, in which he meets Zafar in person. From there, the play swings between fantasy and reality, past and present, fact and fiction, logic and emotion. In response to Rudranath’s quest and explicit admiration, he is taken on a guided tour by Zafar through various milestone events of the Mughal era. They effortlessly slide into the world of Babur, Humayun, Akbar, Jahangir, Shahjahan and Aurangzeb, all seen directing the course of medieval India.


Meanwhile, 'Ghalib in New Delhi' is a comedy focuses on legendary Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib, his imaginary revisit to modern Delhi, and his struggles to re-establish his identity in changed times. It has been performed 400 times in two decades, and is India's longest running play.