Javed Akhtar, Shabana Azmi coming to Dhaka

Blues Communications, the premier cultural event organisers of the country, are bringing eminent Indian poet-lyricist-screenwriter Javed Akhtar, prominent actress Shabana Azmi and Ghazal singer Jaswinder Singh together for special theatrical production, “Kaifi Aur Main” (Kaifi and I”) this month in Dhaka.

The production chronicles the life of Kaifi Azmi, the Indian Urdu poet credited with bringing Urdu literature to Indian cinema. It is adapted from his wife Shaukat Azmi's memoir “Yaad Ki Rehguzar” and excerpts of interviews of Kaifi Azmi, and is directed by Ramesh Talwar. Their daughter Shabana Azmi and her husband Javed Akhtar take the centre-stage in the largely recitation and conversation-based production interspersed with songs (written by Kaifi Azmi) including familiar film tunes like “Tum Jo Mil Gaye Ho”, “Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo”, and “Tum Itna Jo Muskura Rahe Ho” sung by Jaswinder Singh.

“Kaifi Aur Main” is the second of such initiatives by Blues Communications to bring eminent thespians of the region with acclaimed theatrical pieces, the first of which was last April when Naseeruddin Shah, his wife Ratna Pathak Shah and daughter Heeba Shah brought to life “Ismat Apa Ke Naam”, a stage adaptation of three short stories by another eminent Urdu author, Ismat Chughtai.

The production, which has been staged so far across the world including the USA, Canada, UK, UAE, Singapore and Oman, will come to the Dhaka audience on October 25 at the Krishibid Institute Auditorium. Ticket details will soon be released by the organisers.