In light of the recent furore in Bombay over the Jaya Bacchan remarks, here is a nice piece on Adi Marzban and the parsi nataks of yore. Of what utility is the fundamental right of free speech if in reality there is no freedom after speech? The same disturbing trend is discernible in the furious… Continue reading A regrettable concession to fanaticism
Category: Theater
And Then They Came To India: Dance Theatre
Histories and memories always had the best stories to tell. Stories that were inspirations and eye-openers, stories made of realities and half-truths. And stories that could unfurl in movements and melodies. Such a story, it is, of the Parsi community in India and danseuse Mallika Sarabhai lost no time in unearthing the potential for a… Continue reading And Then They Came To India: Dance Theatre
Bollywood’s Best Bawas
Perhaps one of the most tolerant and accommodating communities in India, Parsis have often been at the receiving end of humour. And if there’s someone who has cashed in maximum moolah by adding a Parsi flavour to their products, it’s undoubtedly Bollywood. Over the years, we have seen innumerable bawas making us laugh from behind… Continue reading Bollywood’s Best Bawas
Of Parsi and modern Hindi theatre
PATNA: When it comes to setting standards in theatre, every Bihari Hindi theatre artist or director invokes the lessons learnt at the National School of Drama (NSD), New Delhi. Ironically, contemporary practitioners of Bihari theatre have reservations about NSD performing plays based on Parsi theatre tradition. Why and how has it happened? “To say the… Continue reading Of Parsi and modern Hindi theatre
“Memoirs of Zarir” in Tehran
Iranian director and actor Qotbeddin Sadeqi plans to stage “The Memoirs of Zarir” at the Chaharsu Hall of Tehran’s City Theater Complex in the near future. His troupe, consisting of Mikaiil Shahrestani, Amir-Yal Arjomand, Ashkan Jenabi, and several other artists, is currently rehearsing the play, which is written by Sadeqi and based on an ancient… Continue reading “Memoirs of Zarir” in Tehran
Parsi theatre academy to come up in Surat
To breathe a new life into Parsi theatre in the state, the first ever Parsi theatre academy in the country will start functioning soon in Surat. The academy is expected to play a crucial role in promoting theatre activities, specifically among schoolchildren. The brain behind the academy, Yezdi Karanjia — who has been staging Parsi… Continue reading Parsi theatre academy to come up in Surat
Kayhan Irani: Artivist with a cause
Kayhan Irani’s play, ‘We’ve Come Undone,’ has been playing to audiences around the nation since 2003. From Harlem to the streets of Baghdad, all the world’s a stage for actress, playwright and “artivist” Kayhan Irani — literally. The dreamy-eyed 28-year-old New Yorker of Indian descent has been involved in dozens of plays and artistic actions… Continue reading Kayhan Irani: Artivist with a cause
