Hyd thespian’s empty-nest play touches a chord with Kol audience
Times of India | 23 December 2025
Kolkata: An elderly man approached Hyderabad-based actor-director Mohammad Ali Baig after ‘Sunset...Sunrise' was staged at the 7th National Drama Festival, organised by Urdu Academy. Having recently returned to Kolkata after an extended stay abroad, the senior citizen was profoundly moved by the Urdu play's exploration of the empty-nest syndrome, a sentiment not unique to him.
The theme of the play, enacted by Baig, Rashmi Seth and Vijay Prasad, resonated with many in the audience at ICCR on Monday. The older generation was reminded of their children, now living abroad, while the younger audience, living away from their parents, felt compelled to reach out to their families at the end of the play.
According to Baig, organizing any language theatre festival is tough, given the perceived stigma attached to vernacular theatre. "English theatre is ‘fashionable' in India. Hindi theatre is considered national. People wrongly think Urdu is related to Muslims alone. But Muslims in Kerala, Karnataka and Assam don't speak Urdu. My non-Muslim friends in Hyderabad subscribe to Urdu newspapers," he said.
Getting spontaneous reactions to his Urdu play was rewarding. Baig said theatre needed to adapt stories to contemporary contexts to maintain relevance and connection with audiences. It is equally important not to use theatre as a stepping stone to enter films, he said. "When you come to theatre, pursue it with conviction. If you want to go directly to screen, take cinema acting training, which is completely different from theatre training. Some of the most revered actors are pretty pathetic on screen and vice versa. Only a few, including Balraj Sahni, Smita Patil and Shreeram Lagoo, excelled on both formats," he said.
Contemporary theatre, he said, should offer intellectually stimulating and entertaining content, without resorting to pandering. "Theater and film have undergone transformations, especially in the past decade with the rise of OTT platforms and the pandemic. To engage the newer generation, a fresh approach to writing is essential," Baig added. That's what ‘Sunset...Sunrise', penned by Noor Baig, does. It explores the dynamics between parents and children without judgment, avoids blaming children and highlights a matriarch's empowering choice.