“Taoos Chaman Ki Myna” presented by Gillo Theatre Repertory, Mumbai, at Shri Ram Centre as part of the Bharat Rang Mahotsav this past week offers an exciting, inspiring and moving evening of theatre. An unpretentious production, its narrative unfolds in a seamless manner interspersed with beautifully written lyrics by Nazeer Akbarabadi and Atul Tiwari, set to hauntingly lovely music score by Amod Bhatt. Choreography by Pooja Bhatt imparts the production a magical aura. The crisp dialogue with chaste Urdu at places offers aural delight. The production value is enriched with the subtle and intricate design by M.S. Sathyu, veteran film and theatre personality. The sparsely painted draperies hung upstage are suggestive enough to provide the historical and social backdrop against which the dramatic action takes place.
Adapted from Naiyer Masu’s Urdu short story by Atul Tiwari — who has also directed the play — it brings together highly trained and experienced theatre artists whose insightful artistry is evident. The production cast spell on the audience. “Taoos Chaman Ki Myna” follows the pattern of Dastangoi, exploring the element of ‘what happens next’. The thread of curiosity runs throughout the show. In tune with the genre almost the entire storyline is revealed through flashback.
Set in Lucknow during Nawab Wajid Ali Shah’s reign, the play opens in a prison with three inmates eager to know the reasons for their being behind bars. Kale Khan, one of the prisoners, recounts the circumstances responsible for his imprisonment. He brings vividly alive his past, his family and the benevolent Daroga Nabi Baksh and generous Nawab Wajid Ali Shah. While he recounts his story the menacing presence of the British imperialists looms large. Though Kale Khan, a common man who has lost his young wife, his job and is deeply attached to his darling little daughter Falak Ara, is the catalyst to set off a chain of reactions, it is Falak Ara who is the cynosure of all eyes. She is not only the apple of her father’s eye; she becomes the darling of the audience also. Her character lends the main characters powerful motivation to act.
Unemployed Kale Khan gets a job to look after the royal peacock garden where a huge cage has been installed to accommodate 40 hill mynahs. There is something magically charming about this garden, and the hill mynahs that talk and sing are a great fascination for Nawab Wajid Ali Shah who brings the British officer and his wife to watch these wonder birds. Unaware of the huge cost one has to pay to buy a hill Myna, the innocent Falak wants one for herself too. She insists that her wish must be fulfilled. Unable to see his daughter sad, angry and forlorn, Kale Khan stealthily brings a mynah from the cage and gives it to his daughter. Her happiness knows no bounds and she declares it her sister. For a few days the little one and the bird live happily; they talk, sing and fly all over the town. But, terribly afraid the missing bird will be noticed, Kale Khan takes the bird back to the garden, promising Falak he will bring it back soon.
But the play is not only about the profound love of a poor father for his little girl, it has political and social overtones reflecting political conflict. We meet Wajid Ali Shah, the arrogant British officer who sniggers at Indian culture and his British wife, hard to please. We also watch slices of life from the bazaar and deeds of the heartless moneylenders. Beneath the surface of routine life of the people of Lucknow there runs the undercurrent of revolt against British imperialism.
There is a comic scene created by the British woman, exposing her frivolous and obstinate character. The scene where the nawab pronounces the verdict to punish Kale Khan for his misdemeanour is memorable. Expressing his displeasure, the nawab says Kale did it all for the love of his daughter. He is poor and his daughter needs to be looked after adequately. So he should be given some gold coins. He is guilty and is dismissed from service but he will continue to get his salary. The scene is highly sensitive and charged with intense emotions, revealing the benevolence of the nawab and his humanistic vision. Since the characters are drawn from different social strata, director Tiwari has designed their costumes in different styles, investing them with different gaits while they move. Viance Varma as Falak Ara and Afsana Ahmed as Falak Mynah, the bird Kale brought for his daughter from the garden, create most sensitive, lively and lovable portraits of their characters. Vighnesh Sinkar as Kale Khan, Manoj Kumar Karki as Daroga Nabi Baksh, the kind hearted in-charge of Peacock Garden, Devina Medda as Nawab Wajid Ali Shah (the director has aptly cast a female actor to portray the nawab to portray an art patron and a passionate performer), and Sharvani Deshpande as the wife of Kale Khan and the British woman, give outstanding performances.
