Play staged on life, teachings of Bulleh Shah
Amritsar, March 1
A series of plays being staged for the students by the Drama Club of Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) opened with the Punjabi play ‘Bullah’ written by Shahid Nadeem and directed by Kewal Dhaliwal. The play, staged by the team of Manch-Rangmanch Amritsar, presented the life story of the great 18th century Sufi poet Baba Bulleh Shah.
Dr Sunil Kumar, in-charge, GNDU Drama Club, said that the play centred on significant events in the life of Baba Bulleh Shah, including how he raised his voice against social injustice, evil and oppression and stood with the people. “Baba Bulleh Shah’s poetry, loud and clear, speaks against the hypocrisy of that time, against the religious fanaticism and remains relevant over the years. The establishment of the time, scared of Baba Bulleh Shah, throws him out of the city of Kasur, but all the people of the city of Kasur gradually continue to follow the path shown by him and it highlights how the right voice will always find ears,” he said.
Keeping the essence of Bulleh Shah’s poetry alive through music, the soulful compositions of the play were done by Kushagar Kalia, Harshita and Satnam Singh. Eminent theatre person Kewal Dhaliwal brought the character to life by playing the role of Anayat Shah, Murshid of Bulleh Shah. His artistry and nuanced narrative did justice to Shahid Nadeem’s original play, while the adaptation remained true to the scenario in Punjab and Punjabiyat.
