Naseeruddin Shah to portray Salman Rushdie in theatre adaptation of Knife

Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah is set to take the stage as author Salman Rushdie in 27 Seconds, a bold theatrical adaptation of the writer's 2024 memoir, Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder. Produced by Motley Productions, the production explores the terrifying 27-second knife attack at New York’s Chautauqua Institution in August 2022 that almost claimed Salman’s life and left him permanently blind in his right eye.

Naseeruddin Shah plays Salman Rushdie in new play

“I have been an admirer of Naseer’s for a very long time. I’m delighted he has taken on this project,” Salman revealed, expressing warm support for the dramatisation.

Dramaturged by Kaushik Sen and Naseer, the production has been co-directed by Arghya Lahiri alongside the veteran actor. Arghya noted that securing the adaptation rights came with one central condition: “The only caveat was that the script had to have words from his book. So, everything that anybody says in this play is directly from the text.” Following script completion, Naseer refined the text before actor Ratna Pathak Shah vetted the draft.

Rather than offering a simple dramatic reenactment, Naseer insists the performance is rooted in theatrical realism. The narrative charts the author's internal struggles, his creative resilience and his powerful bond with his wife, poet-novelist Rachel Eliza Griffiths, who is played by Malaika Choudhury. The cast also features Sahir Mehta and Vijay Tilani alternating as the assailant, supported by an ensemble portraying multiple roles with fluid, blackout-free transitions.

Reflecting on the deeper layers of the narrative, Arghya described it as an unexpected exploration of the creative process, censorship and love. Echoing this spirit, Salman shared: “It’s a story about overcoming violence through love and art and in the end, I hope it’s actually uplifting for audiences.”

27 Seconds will premiere at Mumbai’s Prithvi Theatre Festival on 2 and 3 November, offering audiences a moving testament to survival, free expression and artistic devotion.

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