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The different moods of tradition

The 26th edition of Urdu Drama Festival is on in the Capital. Delhi Government’s Department of Art, Culture & Languages in association with the Urdu Academy has organised this event to pay a tribute to the two Indian Literary legends – Khwaja Ahmed Abbas and Qudsia Zaidi. The six-day event presents plays written by or for the two great writers whose centenary year is being celebrated across the country.

Khwaja Ahmed Abbas went on to become a leading journalist and an eminent script writer in the Bollywood of Nehruvian years, while and Begum Qudsia Zaidi is renowned for her pioneering role in establishing the Hindustani Theatre in Delhi.

The festival was inaugurated S S Yadav, Secretary, Art, Culture & Languages, and Government of Delhi at the Sri Ram Centre Auditorium. The first three days of the festival will be dedicated to the plays of or on Abbas while the last three days will see the staging of plays scripted by Zaidi.

The festival opened with the staging of Khayalat Ka Saudagar- Abbas, a play based on the life of Khwaja Ahmed Abbas, written and directed by Zakia Zaheer and presented by the Khwaja Ahmed Abbas Memorial Trust Theatre Group.

The second day of the festival, 14 October, saw staging of the play Angrezi Ki Galtiyion Se Bhara Ek Khat, written by Khwaja Ahmed Abbas, directed by M Sayeed Alam, and performed by Pierrot’s Troupe Drama Group.

Abbas Ke Do Rang, directed by Amitabh Srivastava and performed by the Three Arts Club will be staged on Wednesday (15 October).

16 October will feature Jaan Har, a play written by Begum Qudsia Zaidi and directed by Sheikh Khairuddin will be performed by the Living Theatre Group, while the fifth day (Friday) will see the staging of Qudsia’s Khalid ki Khala, directed by Chander Shekhar Sharma and performed by Mask Players Art Group.

The festival will end with Qudsia’s play Dhoban ko Kapre Diye, directed by Danish Iqbal and presented by the Social Pride Welfare Society.

When: On till 18 October Where: Sri Ram Centre

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