Naseeruddin Shah and family arrive in Dhaka

The thespian family is touring Bangladesh for the first time to act in a play titled, Ismat Apa Ke Naam staged by Naseeruddin’s troupe Motley. The play will be staged at Hall 4 of Bashundhara International Convention City on April 21 at 6pm. Presented by City Bank, Blues Communications is organising the production which aims to be satirical, rich in humour, wit and intelligence, and also carries a message. It will be performed in front of a Bangladeshi audience for the first time. The staging is a tribute to Ismat Chughtai, a famous writer who is popularly known as one of the most influential writers of Urdu literature and for her outspoken and revolutionary style of writing. Three touching stories of Chughtai titled, “Chui Mui,” “Gharwali” and “Mughal Bacha” will be performed by the actors. The stories revolve around women and their struggles to survive in a predominantly patriarchal society. The play is distinctive because it is based on a mono-act theatre form, where the actors jump freely and effortlessly from narration to characterisation and vice versa. In the play, Naseeruddin’s daughter, Heeba Shah, narrates the first story, “Chui Mui.” Ratna Pathak narrates “Mughal Bacha” in a personal and interesting manner and Naseeruddin Shah narrates the final story “Gharwali” himself. Vishal Bhardwaj has scored the music for the production.