Mirza Sahiban’s love story seen anew

Theatre has long served as a medium to challenge the status quo, provoke thought and invite audiences to actively engage in social commentary — not as passive observers, but as conscious participants. Punjabi theatre, especially in the post-Independence era, has predominantly been a tool for social reform, protest and awareness. Its purpose extends beyond mere entertainment; it seeks to educate and awaken.

Punjabi folk theatre forms have been breaking the walls, engaging audience with direct and often unsubtle engagement, much like the Brechtian theatre. Bertolt Brecht, the celebrated German playwright, director and theorist, developed a revolutionary concept of theatre known as Epic Theatre, challenged the traditional theatre conventions and made audiences think critically about society, rather than passively consuming entertainment.

Bringing these Brechtian principles into their latest Punjabi production, Mirza Sahiban, based on the story by eminent Punjabi playwright Balwant Gargi, city-based Dastak Theatre’s Rajender Singh and Amitaa Sharma are set to showcase their work at Kala Bhavan, Chandigarh, on September 27.

Gargi, who has been an influential literary figure in modern Punjabi literature, focuses intensely on human desires, overlapping with social commentary and exposing the underbelly of society. Using the famed folklore of Mirza Sahiban, which is considered a tragic love story, Rajender and his team attempts to challenge the popular narrative.

“The idea is don’t just feel it, think. The story of Mirza Sahiban is one that has been repetitively told, with themes of love, betrayal and social taboos. We wanted to reinvent its narrative using Brechtian theory that asks the audience to detach from those themes, emotions and view the story through a realist lens. Why was Sahiban blamed for Mirza’s death when he was fully aware of the consequences and ready to face them? What if she hadn’t broken his arrows to help her brothers? Could both of them have died anyway if things were done differently?” asks Rajender.

Both Rajender and Amitaa are graduates of the National School of Drama and have previously produced acclaimed works inspired by literary greats like Saadat Hasan Manto and Brecht. This time, they are mentoring a group of artistes from Rajasthan, Bihar, Punjab and Delhi to bring Mirza Sahiban to life.

Throughout the play’s central plotline of Mirza Sahiban, the performers break character to interact with the audience as themselves. “This is done to constantly remind the audience that what they’re watching is a fictional story,” says Rajender. “The idea is to show them a stylised version of the story, but also to alienate them from the characters and only carry the weight of the underlying message,” he adds.

Like their mentor, the artistes too have immersed themselves in absorbing this unique presentation of Mirza Sahiban. “Mirza Sahiban, being a love story, is mostly considered a tragedy. Instead, it’s a celebration. Where love is beyond any logic or reasoning. But, why is Sahiban blamed for Mirza’s death? Both loved and both died knowing their fate. It was a revelation as an actor to jump in and out of characters on stage,” shares an artiste.

Similarly, Surbhi Dev, an artiste from Bihar, shared how working on Mirza Sahiban was an immersive experience. “I will be speaking Punjabi for the first time, playing a Punjabi character. It has helped me understand the cultural dynamics and social structures of that era in Punjab.”

The play also weaves in Sultan Bahu’s kafiyas and traditional folk music as integral elements of its storytelling, enhancing its emotive depth.