Untold story of a freedom fighter

As part of Bharat Rang Mahotsav – ongoing theatrical extravaganza in Delhi, a play titled 'Nine Miles to Go' will be performed on February 19, 2019. Written by Ujjwal Chattopadhyay and directed by Jayasree Bhattacharya, an hour and 40 minutes long presentation will surely be a treat to watch.

The story revolves around a dramatist who wants to write a play on Baghajatin. He is trying to understand Baghajatin's strategy to fight against 500 British soldiers with only four companions. Was Baghajatin right? The writer appeared to have had an interaction with the soul of Baghajatin who answers all his queries. He explains how Bhagawad Gita and other holy scriptures of our Indian philosophy had defined true leaders. The melodrama begins when the dramatist rewinds the sequences, imagining that the five great fighters have won the battle.

Talking about this particular play, director Jayasree said, "I believe it as my duty and responsibility to cover a few moments of truth related to a charismatic freedom fighter of India. India's Freedom did not come all of a sudden. It was an outcome of great sacrifices of our freedom fighters who selflessly fought against the rulers. As a director, I started researching on the subject quite a while ago and discovered many unknown and interesting (sometimes unpleasant) happenings in the life of Baghajatin. I visited all the places where he had lived, worked and sacrificed his life for the country. The more I travelled, the more I was touched. Knowing Baghajatin is a journey and that I have tried to capture in this play Nine Miles to Go."

It will be presented by Pragya Cultural Centre – a Kolkata based theatre group. It works for social causes, and for differently abled people using theatre as a therapy. The group has been performing a popular play Fight Cancer since 2003. It runs theatre workshops for theatre lovers in the eastern zone. It has won several drama competitions and awards.