Actor Saurabh Shukla performs Barff for 250th time, makes Bareilly debut

BAREILLY: On a frigid winter night in the shadow of the Himalayas, a lone doctor arrives in a snow‑blanketed hamlet—only to discover that truth is as fractured and elusive as the drifting ice. This is the world of Barff, a taut Hindi thriller that lit up the stage of Prabhave Auditorium in Bareilly, brought to life by acclaimed Bollywood actor and playwright Saurabh Shukla. Performed for the 250th time, the play marked Shukla’s first-ever performance in Bareilly. Set in conflict-ridden Kashmir, Barff unfolds over a single, chilling night and explores themes of grief, belief, and emotional isolation. The stage setting, complete with simulated snowfall and dim, atmospheric lighting, transformed the auditorium into the surreal, snow-laden valleys of Kashmir, fully immersing the audience in the story’s quiet intensity. Speaking to TOI after the performance, Shukla said, “The first performance of Barff was in 2015, and over time it’s become very close to my heart. This play uses gentle humor and emotional depth to keep the audience connected to the characters and the message.” He added, “This was my first time performing in Bareilly, and the response was overwhelming. The light humor in the narrative allows the message to come through in a way that keeps people engaged.” Shukla also reflected on the origins of the play. “The story began with the theme of isolation, and my initial instinct was to set it in Maharashtra. But as the narrative evolved, the sense of solitude I was aiming for didn’t quite resonate in that environment. It lacked the depth of disconnect I wanted to explore.” It was during a visit to Kashmir for a film shoot that he found the perfect setting. “The landscape was breathtaking, the people were warm and generous—but beneath that surface, there was an ever-present tension. It felt like calm constantly teetering on the edge of chaos. That feeling stayed with me. It made me reimagine the story with Kashmir at its core—its culture, its atmosphere, its contradictions. That shift gave the story the weight and emotional urgency it had been missing.” The play features Shukla in the role of Dr Siddhant Kaul, who travels to a remote village to treat a child. He is accompanied by Sunil Palwal, who plays Gulaam Rasool, a local cab driver, and Aanchal Chauhan, who portrays Nafisa, a woman desperate to save her child. As the night unfolds, Kaul discovers that the situation is far more complex—and unsettling—than it first appeared. The play blurs the boundary between reality and illusion, inviting the audience to question what is true, and what is merely believed. Barff concludes not with clear answers, but with emotional resonance, and the performance in Bareilly ended with a standing ovation.