Delhi stage play brings Balraj Sahni’s legacy to life

The life and legacy of legendary actor Balraj Sahni came alive on stage recently through Meri Filmi Yatra, a musical storytelling production written and directed by actor and playwright Sohaila Kapur. The play was staged on June 14 at Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre, and followed Sahni's personal and professional journey through narration, memories, archival references and songs from his films.

The legacy of Balraj Sahni was brought to life on stage in Delhi

Featuring actors Nidhikant Pandey and Burhan Qureshi, along with singer Devanand Jha, the production celebrates one of Indian cinema's most respected actors while also exploring the struggles, doubts and determination that shaped his career. The show is produced by Anuradha Dhar of Three Arts Club in collaboration with Katyayani Theatre Productions.

Kapur says the idea for the production came from a long-standing admiration for Sahni, and stories she had heard about him from people close to the actor, including some instances from his son, actor Parikshit Sahni, who was married to Kapur's late cousin, Aruna Kapur Sahni. 

Her interest in the subject grew after she and her team did a “dramatised reading” of Parikshit’s autobiography (Strange Encounters: Adventures of a Curious Life).

“I thought it would be a good idea to have a show about a showman. Then I read Balraj Sahni's autobiography (Meri Filmi Atmakatha), in Hindi. It read like a screenplay," she told.

The man and the legend

Born in Rawalpindi in pre-partition India, Sahni was among the most respected actors of post-Independence Indian cinema. Known for his naturalistic performances, he was associated with the Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA) and starred in acclaimed films such as Do Bigha Zamin (1953), Kabuliwala (1961), Waqt (1965), and Garam Hawa (1974). The younger brother of noted writer Bhisham Sahni, he was also a prolific writer who penned travelogues and an autobiography. His contribution to cinema was recognised with the Padma Shri in 1969, while Do Bigha Zamin became only the second Indian film to win an award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1953.

Researching a screen legend 

Kapur wrote the script in English, which was then "transcreated" by Pandey, a long-time collaborator. Pandey serves as the narrator and also portrays Balraj Sahni, while Qureshi takes on 21 different characters connected to the actor's life.

The research and writing process took about a month. During this period, Kapur spoke with Parikshit and her cousin Ketan Anand, son of filmmaker Chetan Anand, who had worked closely with Sahni and was his friend.

"I bounced bits of the script, where I wanted clarifications, off Parikshit," she says.

One of the aspects that surprised Kapur most during her research was discovering the actor's early struggles with filmmaking.

"His feeling of utter frustration while facing the camera in the early part of his film career came as a surprise as he is known to be one of the greatest actors of the Indian screen," she said.

According to Kapur, those struggles are what make Sahni's story so compelling. "His initial arrogance, his struggle and the humility that the profession and his political beliefs later bestowed on him — all that made him the Balraj Sahni we know and love.

Music plays a key role in bringing those moments to life. Singer Devanand Jha, whom Kapur describes as the team’s “discovery", has been associated with the production from its inception. The songs were selected by Pandey.

A new stage format

The creative team has developed a format they call a "stage documentary", which blends live performance, narration, music and multimedia elements. The format was first introduced with Anand Hi Anand — a production on the three Anand brothers: Chetan Anand, Dev Anand, and  Vijay Anand — in December 2024.

"Our format is unique in that it combines a multimedia storytelling style," Kapur said. "The audience finds it very immersive."

According to her, the chemistry between the performers has also contributed to the popularity of these productions. After several musical biographies, audiences have come to associate Pandey and Jha as a successful on-stage pair.

Kapur and her team have previously created productions on celebrated actor Dharmendra, playback singer Talat Mahmood, and “the mothers of Hindi cinema” — Durga Khote, Leela Mishra, and Lalita Pawar — who, as Kapur noted, "transitioned into mother roles after playing lead characters." 

This article is written by Pankil Jhajhria