Baaghi Albele by Aadyam Theatre (an Aditya Birla Group Initiative) is a Hindi-Punjabi satirical comedy directed by Atul Kumar that addresses the relevance of art and artists in contemporary times. Adapted from Nicky Whitby’s 1942 film To Be or Not To Be, the play is coming to Delhi for its 6th Season.
Set in Ludhiana, Baaghi Albele is a dystopian play reflecting upon a time when the government passes a decree ordering the execution of artists, burning publications and destroying works of art. In the midst of a chaos of murders and torture, a theatre group attempts to flee. It is with their act of defiance, that they are able to resist a draconian order.
Unwittingly drawn into the plot to prevent the names of dissenters from ending up in the hands of the police, a group of hammy performers from a theatre company directed by a swollen-headed Johny Makhija (Gagan Dev Riar) and his wife Minnie (Ayesha Raza Mishra). The cast also includes Taranjit Kaur, Ujjwal Chopra, Saurabh Nayyar, and Harsh Khurana who as a team spectacularly bring the narrative to life.
The storytelling is dramatic, whimsical and hilarious and all that promises to be a treat. Atul Kumar’s stellar cast of actors and their nimble-footing roles with perfect timing enhances the show what with Stagecraft chipping in with special music effects, imaginative choreography and mock hamming.
“There is no form more powerful than satire; it hits the powers to be and is proof enough that the anarchies are afraid of artists, thinkers, intellectuals and people who can basically make people laugh and, at the same time, make them aware of the issue and also help to realise the troubles of the time,” says director, Atul Kumar. ”There cannot be a better tool than comedy to make people laugh and understand how things happening around them are wrong,” he adds.
Baaghi Albele’s intense plot explores the struggle of artists and intellectuals and the relevance of art and artists. It combines humour and absurdity with a dark reality. The satirical commentary depicts how a theatre troupe flees to England to navigate the challenges posed by a government spy and a corrupt inspector on their home soil.
At Kamani Auditorium, Copernicus Marg; On May 13 at 7.30 pm and on May 14 at 4 pm and 7.30 pm.
