Taj: Monument of love or guilt?

GURGAON: The grease paint is on and the stage is set for the Millennium City to be dazzled by critically acclaimed Shah Jahan-o-Mumtaz, an Urdu-Hindi play to be staged for the first time in the city at Epicentre on June 29. The play has been staged nine times so far.
The production, mounted by Pierrot's Troupe, delves into one of the world's most fascinating love stories, punctuated with humour, history and histrionics.It is a departure from the usual love theme - the story of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan's devotion and affection for his favourite wife Mumtaz, whose untimely death paved the way for the Taj Mahal. Rather, it questions the very motive behind the Taj. What is it, a symbol of love, grief or guilt?
Written by Dilip Hiro and directed by M Sayeed Alam, the play features Niti Phool as Mumtaz and Alam as Shah Jahan. Other actors include Harish Chhabra (Jahangir), Anju Chhabra (Noor Jahan), Vijay Gupta, Jaskiran Chopra, Ratan Bhatia, Mohammad Sona, Wamiq Zia, Yashpal Malik, Tanay Tarney and Charu Sharma.
Shah Jahan-o-Mumtaz does not limit itself to the conventional love story between the two protagonists. The play
but reviews their relationship against the backdrop of a war of succession and the pivotal role Mumtaz played in Shah Jahan's accession to the throne.
The play also suggests that at one point of time, she aspires to become the sovereign herself which leads Shah Jahan to rein in his beloved's ambitions. "Love and affection give way to power and intrigue. When Mumtaz dies, the event catapults Shah Jahan into grief as well as guilt. Hence the Taj is not just a symbol of love, it's a symbol of guilt as well in the play," says M Sayeed Alam, the director, who also plays Shah Jahan in the play.The play also looks at Mumtaz not just as a beautiful and dutiful wife or a better chess player, but a far-sighted political thinker, an astute strategist, a schemer and the woman behind, as well as, ahead of her man.
It's the first time that the play is being staged in Gurgaon and Alam has great expectations from it. "The Gurgaon audience is generous in giving standing ovations to a good performance," says Alam.
Earlier on Saturday the Pierrot's Troupe staged Ghalib in New Delhi - a rip-roaring Hindi comedy on the erstwhile Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib and his return to his beloved 'Dehli' in 2013 (which is now called Delhi) to enjoy his posthumous name and fame.
In this 362nd production of the play, Ghalib is shocked to discover that country is divided into India, Pakistan and Bangladesh and no one recognizes him. What follows is a socio-political satire in the context of post-independent India.