Hamari Adhuri Kahani to regale Pak theatre buffs

Based on the novel All That Could Have Been, which is co-written by <g data-gr-id="163">Suhrita</g> Sengupta and Mahesh Bhatt, Hamari <g data-gr-id="164">Adhuri</g> Kahani is headed to the proscenium arch, landing first in Delhi on August 1 and later, in Karachi. Bhatt’s protege Imran Zahid will be seen reprising Emraan Hashmi’s role as Aarav, a rich and suave hotelier who falls in love with an already married florist, Vasudha. 

The play version of the Bollywood film, Hamari <g data-gr-id="162">Adhuri</g> Kahani is not Mahesh Bhatt’s first script to be staged in Pakistan. Earlier in April, Daddy was put up as part of NAPA’s International Theatre Festival and was highly appreciated.

The veteran filmmaker has once again managed to bring out the two elements on digging his own troubled past.

“Yes, Hamari <g data-gr-id="169">Adhuri</g> Kahani is sourced from my own lived life,” said Mahesh <g data-gr-id="170">bhatt</g>. He added that, “It has the heartbeat of my mother, who lived a difficult, solitary life as her husband, whom she loved so intensely, was conspicuous by his absence. He was simply unavailable for her.” The story, according to him, is written from the perspective of this young single mother and how she deals with the world.

Woman power is a major concern for the <g data-gr-id="168">ace</g> director of Hamari <g data-gr-id="167">Adhuri</g> Kahani which is a triangle drama, but the core issue is, whether a woman should take up the role of Sita, or wake up the Radha in her. This story is important because India finds itself at the crossroads today, with the pull of tradition and the endeavour to break free of conventional bondages both existing simultaneously. 

This story negotiates the cultural roadblocks and barricades that stand in the path of Indian women’s self-emancipation. Bhatt, however, agrees that Hamari <g data-gr-id="172">Adhuri</g> Kahani follows the overriding trend seen through all his movies that is, the steady transformation of his female protagonist from being initially vulnerable and shaky, to managing to ‘breakaway’ by the end of the story and this breakaway comes through her own efforts. “She finds her voice through her own struggles,” 

he says.

 Bhatt concedes that his women characters are strong because he had always seen his mother as the most powerful person someone who dared to live life on her own terms. “She had organic evolution.” This, in a way, explains why Bhatt felt most at ease with women who, like his mother, were solitary in nature. The book takes the readers, places closer to a single woman's journey in modern India in a different manner.

Zahid says, “Bhatt <g data-gr-id="173">sahab</g> feels I will do justice to the lead character because I have earlier played the characters pulled from autobiographical real-life situations, such as in the stage adaptations of Arth and Daddy or The Last Salute.” Happy <g data-gr-id="174">Ranajit</g>, an NSD graduate, who is also a prestigious award winning actor and director, is directing the play. Pakistani <g data-gr-id="175">sufi</g> rock band Raeth with hits like Bhula Do and <g data-gr-id="176">Waada</g> has also been roped in for this play marking their foray in theatre. Recently , <g data-gr-id="177">Wajhi</g> Farooqi  the lead singer of the band has recorded the song Lamha Tera Mera along with playback singer Palak <g data-gr-id="178">Mucchall</g>.

 “This project will be special for us as it’s an opportunity to modify Indo-Pak relations, as this play will be taking place in Lahore as well. I'm excited to work in theater since it will be the first time where I will be working with Bhatt Sahab,” says <g data-gr-id="166">Wajhi</g> Farooqui the lead vocalist.