Karnad's play Tughlaq staged at State Theatre Competition

Shivaji Vidyapeeth's Music and Theatre department recently performed Girish Karnad's play Tughlaq at the State Theatre Competition. The play directed by Jyanesh Mule featured artistes Yuvraj Keluskar as Tughlaq, Gautru Yamkat as Savatra Aai, Saurabh Bendre as Ajijh, Ruturaj Patil as Azam, Onkar Patil as Barni .

Tughlaq, a 13-scene play focusing on the 14th century Turko-Indian ruler is both a historical play as well as a commentary on the contemporary politics of the 1960s. The protagonist, Tughlaq, is portrayed as having great ideas and a grand vision, but his reign was an abject failure. He started his rule with great ideals of a unified India, but his degenerated into anarchy and his kingdom.

Originally written in Kannad, it was first staged in

Urdu

in 1966, as a student production at National School of Drama. Most famously, it was staged at

Purana Qila

,Delhi in 1972. In 1970, it was enacted in English in Mumbai.