Details

The main events of the story revolve around a fairly rich Muslim family which consists of Begam, the mother, her two grown up sons Amjad and Arshad along with Sabiha, the young beautiful bride and a maid servant Asghari. The family has an ancestral business in Mumbai, looked after by the youngest son Arshad. Amjad meets with an accident when he is on his honeymoon trip with Sabiha to Mahabuleshwer, a hilly resort away from Mumbai. The couple survive but Amjad unfortunately loses his legs and becomes sexually impotent. This unexpected tragedy plays havoc among all the members of the family. The moral fibre of the Muslim tradition starts breaking. The newly wed Sabiha suffers from the agony of frustration as her husband is unable to fulfil his conjugal obligations. Amjad who by nature is a poet and philosopher looks at his tragedy as an abysmal injustice which humans often suffer at the hands of the unknown forces. He struggles hard to come to grips with his tragic reality. He feels a sadistic relief when Asghari who is head over heels in love with Amjad brings to his notice that Sabiha and Arshad are often seen physically closer to each other. Their love affair is a severe blow to the traditional dignity and moral stability of the family. Begam when she comes to know about this scandalous rumour tries to put her foot down, but finds herself unable to turn the tide. At the end their love takes such an unexpected and dramatic turn that everyone is shocked to death by its outcome. Performed in Urdu. Age 16+

Cast/Performers

Adnan Kapadia, Deepali, Nabeel Akhter, Pretigaya Haran, Bambi Ahluwalia, Dr D Vyas

Creatives/Company

Author: S H Manto
Company: IPTA
Adapted by: Rifat Shamin
Director: Rifat Shamin