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Maulana
Azad-(An
Urdu Solo by Tom
Alter)
Script
and Direction: Dr. M. SAYEED ALAM
On
Stage – One: Back Stage – Two: Duration- 2.15hrs: |
 |
Buy
Tickets online
Invitation
Events
Registration
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& Transportation
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|
In his foreword to
Maulana Azad’s India Wins freedom, Humayun Kabir mentions the
Maulana as a “wonderful conversationalist”. So is Maulana Azad
of the play Maulana Azad. The
play evolves in the backdrop of Maulana Azad dictating notes to
Humayun Kabir for his book India Wins Freedom. While talking about
the book, which is largely political, Maulana often digresses from
the subject. As a result, he discusses at length an entire gamut of
issues, largely ‘apolitical’ – ranging from White Jasmine Tea
to Tajmahal, Music to
Mecca
and Cigarette to Cheeta Khan.
Maulana’s narrative includes numerous entertaining
anecdotes and memoirs characterizing his personality and life.
Maulana’s personal relations with Gandhi
Nehru, Patel and Jinnah also
come forward for a review in the course of the play.
Maulana Azad is relatively less known as a scholar of
unparalleled caliber. Most of the published material about the
‘apolitical’ side of him is available in Urdu, hence
inaccessible to a majority of the people. The play in its own
way endeavors to somewhat bridge this gap.
|
| Premiered
in December 2002, the play has 60 shows to its credit.
Tom Alter
- A familiar face in Hindi films and Hindi & English theatre, a
veteran master of ceremonies, a sports commentator and writer.
Chameleon-like, Tom Alter dons different caps with ease. This
affable Indian Gora reads, writes and speaks fluent Hindi and Urdu
His long-standing association with theater spreads over many a
classic and modern play including, Larins Saheb, Tughlaq, Arms
and the Man, Waiting for Godot, Maulana Azad, Whatever You Say,
K.L.Saigal, Ghalib, Tri Sanga etc. A Gold Medallist from the
reputed Film and Television Institute of India, he has
acted in over 150 films with Shatranj Ke Khiladi, Junoon, Kranti,
Veer Savarkar, Ram Teri Ganga Maili among his prominent works.
He has also acted in several TV serials, say, Bharat Ek Khoj,
Zaban Sambhal Ke, Junoon, Jugalbandi etc.
Dr. M. Sayeed Alam - 34, is a man of varied interests. He was a
University teacher and a journalist before taking up his passion as
profession in 1996. Ever since, he has written and directed more
than 15 plays to critical acclaim and appreciative audiences. Ghalib in
New Delhi
(Comedy), Maulana Azad, Modern Art 2000 (Comedy),
Dastaan Kahte Kahte (On Begum Akhtar) Phir Teri Raah Guzar…
(K.L. Sehgal) Tumko Chahoon, Big B |
Excerpts From Press Reviews:
MAULANA
AZAD
Tom
got into Maulana’s shoes so easily that the audience felt the
latter’s looming presence all through the play -- The Indian Express
(
Hyderabad
)
Essayed
by an Urdu-speaking Tom Alter, the play is Pierrot’s Troupe’s
casting coup par excellence -- Outlook
There’s
a lot that makes Tom Alter the perfect Maulana….Alam has
crafted a beautiful script, shaping the Maulana as never known before. -
The Asian Age (Mumbai)
The
play, directed by Sayeed Alam, documents the statesman and the
scholar that Maulana Azad was… popular actor and Bollywood star Tom
Alter essays and intense role --
Delhi
times (The Times Of India)
One
of the greatest original plays written in an Indian language – Deccan
Chronicle
Alter’s
was a consummate performance in Maulana Azad. His histrionic skills
enhanced by actor’s facial resemblance to great leader and his
impeccable Urdu accent gleaned a rare standing ovation -- The Statesman
(
Delhi
)
A
golden opportunity to get a peek into the life of a great personality – The
Times of India (
Hyderabad
)
It’s
a dream come true for any actor.
Hyderabad
Times (The Times of
India
)
Those
who know Maulana Abul Kalam Azad will come to know more of his
interesting human details in a 15-scene monologue presentation by veteran
actor Tom Alter -- The Pioneer (
Delhi
)
No
wonder director, scriptwriter Sayeed Alam’s first and only choice
for Maulana’s role was Tom.
The Indian Express (
Hyderabad
)
Pin drop silence prevailed in Nehru Memorial hall as Maulana Azad
was brought alive on stage by versatile actor, theater personality, sports
journalist and commentator Tom Alter
-- The Maharashtra Herald (Pune)
The
audiences simply loved the play … Pierrot’s Troupe
(director Sayeed Alam, Niti Phool, Sanjay Gupta and Vijay) got a
well deserved standing ovation, not to mention the special cheering for Tom
Alter -- Hindu (Hyderabad)
Impossible
to perform, one might say. Indeed, if one does not have someone with the
skills and experience of Tom Alter--- Garhwal Post (Dehradun)
Tom’s
perfect
Urdu diction and unmatched charisma made him an obvious choice for the
role of Maulana Azad – Dehradun
Times (The Times of India)
Something like this has not been presented before -- Today (
Delhi
)
Through
this play, Sayeed intends to largely explore the ‘apolitical’
character of Maulana Azad --
First
City
(
Delhi
)
Maulana
Azad, a new
play by Sayeed Alam, is about the lesser-known aspects of the
architect of Modern India – Metro plus (The Hindu-Delhi)
Tom
Alter is Maualna
Azad personified on stage -- Inquilaab (Urdu, Mumbai)
Maulana
Azad was an
effort comprising Tom’s brilliant acting, Alam’s able
direction and Vijay’s well-designed lighting -- Amar Ujala
(Hindi, Dehradun)
These
entertaining stories show up another side of this well-loved leader. Mid
Day (Mumbai)
The
play beautifully captures the patriot’s personality --- Indian
Express (Mumbai)
While
Alter has portrayed several gora aadmi roles in Bollywood, few
know that this son of American missionaries can read, write and speak Urdu
perfectly – The Times Of India (Pune)
Tom
Alter as Maulana Azad is amazingly different from Tom Alter
as the “foreigner” of Indian cinema
-- Rashtriya Sahara (Hindi,
Delhi
)
The
play is the first ever full-length presentation on Maulana Azad’s
life, times and scholarship -- Delhi Diary
Don’t
miss this theatrical brush with history – The Indian Express (
Delhi
)
Over
the past two-and-a-half years, Alter has been a part of this
monologue presentation
and
enjoys every part of it – The Indian Express (Pune)
The production is most innovative and must be
taken to places - The Hindu (
Delhi
)
The
solo show was a powerful trip down the lanes of history – Sahara Time
(
Delhi
)
Through
out the play, Tom Alter’s acting was exemplary – Dainik
Jagran (
Delhi
)
It
was an era re visited, largely due to Tom Alter’s class
performance and Sayeed Alam’s
brilliant writing and direction.
-- Dainik Bhaskar (
Bikaner
)
It
sure seemed to have enchanted the gathering –
Delhi
Times- The Times of
India
Tom
Alter is truly
outstanding in the play – Time Out (Mumbai)
Kudos
to Tom Alter and writer director Dr M. Sayeed Alam for
showing what it takes to present a solo performance – SaharaTime (Delhi)
Couched
in wonderful language, Tom Alter’s cerebral enactment of Azad
didn’t depend on any extraneous stage effects - Outlook
And what a performance Tom Alter gave using minimum props and just
his body and voice as instruments of communication. He bestowed spirit to
the script vividly animating the life and times of the freedom fighter
Azad, who twinkled as a bright star in a galaxy studded with brilliant
lights - Asian Affairs
A
very well researched and equally well performed play – Raj Express
(
Bhopal
)
The play offers a view of history missing in most official
narratives of the Freedom Movement – The Hindu (
Bangalore
)
It’s a must see, must watch production
-- The Times of India (
Bangalore
)
The play is an eye opening treatise on the life and times
of a leader-scholar of a very high calibre – Rajasthan
Patrika (
Bikaner
)
Maulana
Azad peeps into tricky
issues
DR M Sayeed Alam’s
‘Maulana Azad’,
staged at Bharat Bhavan on Thursday as a part of the Adi Vidrohi Drama
Festival, is a revelation of the sorts in a way that it brings various
untold points of the freedom movement to the forefront in a very
refreshing manner, that were otherwise hidden on account of the fact that
many of us chose to observe the struggle from the Gandhian and the
Nehruvian point of view. The Hindustan Times—(
Bhopal
)
For a
generation that has only seen images of Azad
during Independence day celebrations on television, Alter fleshes
him out as a man with passion, patriotism and a high level of commitment
to the country. – The Hindu (
Bangalore
)
History
seems to be the flavor of this week. The play – Maulana Azad
– is an interesting depiction of his life. Watch it for the love of
history! Bindaas Daily.com
Tom
slips in the role of Maulana Azad so well that the play has been hailed as
one of the best
solo shows in recent years – Times of India (
Delhi
)
The
play competently handles politics and history – Time out (
Delhi
)
In a stupendous performance, Alter
led the spectators through a roughly 150-minute history lesson that
covered key persons and crucial subjects such as Gandhi, Nehru,
Vallabhbhai Patel and the Partition. The monologue was peppered with some
amazing couplets. --UNI
Tom
Alter fits the bill of Maulana
Azad with his
acquired knowledge of chaste Urdu. Tom
has portrayed the Maulana's deep knowledge and diction of the Urdu
language. Besides, he says he had to learn smoking cigarettes as the Maulana
used to do. Tom
had never smoked a cigarette in his life. --- SmasHits
A
play on Maulana
Azad has been
staged in
Delhi
, previously, but this time it comes back after having been dubbed as
“the most brilliant solo performance in recent years”, spread over 50
shows all over the country – zeenews.com
Alter
gave a bravura solo performance as Maulana Abul Kalam Azad in another
Sayeed Alam play called Maulana Azad – Telegraph
(Kolkata)
The
play’s brilliance rests as much on Mr. Alter’s talent as on Mr.
Alam’s script ---
inagardencalledlife.com
(Chennai)
This
epic evening came to an end after two and a half hours of lucid text heard
in rapt attention and the audience hung on to every word that Tom
said in perfect Talaffus --- Indian
Express (Chennai)
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