Two years since its premiere and having gained worldwide accolade, renowned theatre group Qadir Ali Baig Foundation is bringing back their play, Spaces, to the city this weekend. Inspired by a short story of the same name written by theatre personality Noor Baig, the play has been adapted, designed and directed by Padma Shri recipient Mohammad Ali Baig, son of theatre artist Qadir Ali Baig.
After its premiere at the magnificent Chowmahalla Palace in 2015, the play travelled to some of the most prestigious theatre fests including GOH Festival (Chicago), Kagithane Theatre (Istanbul) and India Habitat Centre’s Theatre Festival (Delhi). “The audience in all these countries related to the characters. So we wanted to present it to more people back in Hyderabad,” says playwright Noor Baig, who also essays the protagonist’s role.
Similar to other plays by the theatre foundation, this poignant story too deals with inevitable questions about sense of belonging to one’s home and family. The plot chronicles the journey of Aziza, a passionate artist who lives with her loving but pragmatic mother in their ancestral haveli. Engaged to a Chicago-based IT professional fiancé Javed, Aziza comes into conflict with everyone around her when the question of selling her ancestral house comes up. Her commitment to her home bearing the memories of her late father lead her to the brink of a difficult choice, which forms the rest of the story.
With a three-layered set comprising Aziza’s studio space in the backyard of a multi-column haveli, Spaces traverses various emotions of being connected to intimate relationship of a mother and daughter and an almost-splitting engagement. “This time, the challenge is to recreate the grandiose haveli, like the backyard of Chowmahalla Palace, in a ballroom and our art department is working on an amazing design”, informs Mohammad Ali Baig, who is the man behind the set, lights and sound design. The play also features the city’s veteran actors including Vijay Prasad, SA Majeed, Shailaja Reddy and Madhu Swaminath.
At The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace. On September 1, 7.30 pm.