Mohammad Khezeli (Nooran) of Kian Art Group is bubbling with enthusiasm. At Plaza hotel in Paryatak Bhavan in Begumpet, the musician-cum-theatre personality pauses for a minute to explain the joy of being in Hyderabad. “It is like meeting an old friend,” he enthuses. “I have been to Delhi many times but when I come to Hyderabad, I feel like I have come back to my country. I hear people speaking Telugu; I do not understand but it sounds melodious to me. When we were passing through Mehidipatnam, the images of Madhapur, Begumpet, Hitech city... came to mind.”
An Iranian, Nooran lived in Hyderabad for three years between 2010 and 2013 when he was studying at University of Hyderabad. Kian Art group consists of 25 people from Iran and Turkey but only three members could make it to the city. Besides a theatre performance staged as part of NSD’s theatre festival, a Persian music performance was also held at Lamakaan.
Influence of Rumi
Most of the songs by the art group are based on Rumi poems. “My grandfather was a Sufi singer and because of that all of us have been influenced by Rumi. Many think Rumi’s poems are about the love which we see between a man and woman. But it is not like that. It is about love which transcends, beyond our imagination and also it is the love between us and God,” he shares. Nooran is not only influenced by Rumi but also respects him. “His message is not based on any colour, religion or language. Many philosophers followed his concept,” he shares and observes that Rumi philosophy is especially relevant during modern times. “Unfortunately we see a lot of unrest taking place not only in India but all around the world. We have issues about religion, colour and language and politicians try to abuse and take advantage of it.”
Kian, which means a ‘crown’ was formed by Nooran in 2003 along with his choreographer-dancer wife Sanaz Taj. The group has participated in different festivals and he credits his wife for being a pillar of support. Although most of their plays are non-verbal, music is one of the major elements. Nooran, who is doing his Ph.D, composes music and also writes scripts for theatre productions.
On cinema
Nooran hails Iranian cinema and believes it was one of the tools used by filmmakers to spread positivity. “After war, there was drought in Iran and even basic things like food, clothes and shelter were big problems. Most of the artistes decided to encourage people through their writings, cinema or through compositions and show that they can do without money. It was also to let people know that life goes on and that although they couldn’t enjoy life, they wanted the next generation to be hopeful and believe in life.” We ask him about a small role he had played in a Telugu movie. He recalls the stint with a laugh: “My friend called and said, “Trivikram is looking for a guitar player who looks like a gypsy. The shooting was in Hyderabad Central and it was a fight scene. In the scene, I play the guitar and Pawan Kalyan walks past me. The drummer throws a stick, Pawan Kalyan catches it to hit the bad guy.”
