June 3 marks the anniversary of thespian and theatre legend Qadir Ali Baig.
Bengaluru :
June 3 marks the anniversary of thespian and theatre legend Qadir Ali Baig. In the ‘old normal’, stalwarts like Habib Tanvir, M S Sathyu, Rohini Hattangady and Shabana Azmi have performed on the occasion. But this year, which marks the 36th anniversary of the veteran theatre person, has his son Mohammad Ali Baig, a Padma Shri recipient himself, doing the different.
A dramatised reading of Alone, a story of a yesteryear movie actress coming to terms with her role in real life during the lockdown, will be ‘staged’ online on Wednesday. “A new theatre spectacle, titled My Father – His Exalted Highness, on the life of the last Nizam of Hyderabad, was scheduled for its London and Russian stagings this year. But owing to the pandemic, both the shows got rescheduled,” says theatre revivalist Baig.
Later this month, their globally-acclaimed plays, Quli: Dilon ka Shahzaada and 1857: Turrebaz Khan, and a collection of 10 short stories, A-Quaint-Essences by the doyen’s daughter-in-law, actress-writer Noor Baig, will be launched. The online tribute would be in the form of Baig reading one of the stories from that collection, titled Alone.
Known for extravagant sets, Baig wasn’t keen on going ahead with an online theatre experience, which would neither be a play, web series or film. “Our historical works don’t fit into the online format and I felt doing so would only be a compromise. Not wanting to lose the charm of our works, we decided to go ahead with a format where the focus is on words, story, accent and storytelling,” he says about the one-man show in English, Hindi and bits of French.
He adds, “Since the premise of Baba’s work was that theatre should transcend boundaries, serving the true spirit of humanity and oneness, reaching out to those who make theatre around the country possible is important in these critical times.”Alone can be viewed on Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Foundation’s YouTube channel and Facebook page on Wednesday at 7.30 pm.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Express News Service / June 03rd, 2020
The theatre artist-turned-actor made his Kollywood debut with ‘Aruvi’ in 2017
As a child, Mohammad Ali Baig used to be terrified of watching his father (theatre veteran Qadir Ali Baig) on stage. “One week he’d play a Mughal emperor, and the next week he’d be a saint. The week after, he’d be a wife-beating drunkard. In a month, he’d play a war veteran on crutches,” recalls Mohammad, “I’d be so scared to venture near the green room.”
Mohammad hero-worships his father so much so that he carries a portrait of him on his person wherever he travels, a custom he follows to this day. A reluctant entrant to the theatre scene, he has since then gone on to win several accolades across the world, and is now considered as the highest-paid theatre actor in the country. He has a Kollywood link as well: after debuting in 2017’s Tamil hit Aruvi, he’s now sharing screen space with actor Vikram in his upcoming film Cobra. Excerpts from a free-wheeling chat with the actor who is in Chennai currently:
What made you join the team of Cobra?
I think it was because of my performance inAruvi that the makers of Cobra approached me. It’s an interesting role — one that I cannot talk much about at the moment. The director (Ajay Gnanamuthu) and I worked a lot on the character’s look and behaviour. What’s most important to me is to internalise a character. I believe actors are performers, and not mimics.
Did Aruvi open the doors of Tamil cinema to you?
What I loved about Shakeel Waqaab, the IPS character I play in the film, was that he couldn’t be defined as a protagonist or antagonist. After the acclaim I got for the role, I did get a lot of offers from some of the biggest production houses in Tamil cinema. Most of them wanted me to be a cop or play the Commissioner. But that was not what I really wanted to be doing. So, I gave them all a pass till Cobra came along.
That an actor-star like Vikram plays the lead might have made your decision easier?
All my shots are with him (Vikram). He’s an extreme sweetheart and a very charming co-star. He’s blessed with not just talent but also abundant energy. That is extremely inspiring and contagious. At 4 am, he would be a bundle of energy. While most of us would be looking forward to pack up, he would be discussing his next shot.
The director is two films old, but you’re an experienced theatre personality. How did the meeting of minds happen?
An actor should always submit to the director; it’s like fluid in a bottle. You cannot come with a set mind to approach a role in a certain way and not be open to ideas. Cinema is a director’s medium.
You’re the youngest Padma Shri in theatre in India. Do filmmakers think about that while casting you?
Sometimes, it does put off people. Filmmakers are unsure about how to handle me. For them, it’s like having a boil on the palm… so they keep away. But people who know me and my work approach me.
Like the makers of upcoming Telugu film, Kalinga, in which you play the lead role?
Ah, yes. In Kalinga, I play a celebrated anthropologist in Kerala who has a tragedy, then takes to alcohol, and shifts base to Hyderabad. There, he loses his daughter, and the film is about the journey of finding her. They had spoken to a few stars earlier, but when they spoke to me, I explained what I thought about the character.
On the first day of shoot, I did what the director asked of me, and afterwards, I requested him to approach the same thing in a different way. The director was floored by that, and we have modelled the entire film based on that characterisation.
With such a rich theatre background, how did you get into films in the first place?
Shyam Benegal brought me into screen acting. He was close to my father — my dad’s first film, Ankur, was directed by him — and I’ve grown up respecting him. One day, he called me and said that he wanted me to play Jinnah in an upcoming project. He wanted an actor who is equally proficient in Hindi, English and Urdu, and who can carry tuxedos and sherwanis with equal ease. We got a whole wardrobe done, but as we were going through the script, he realised that Jinnah, in his project, was already elderly and ailing, and that I was too young to play it.
So, it didn’t happen. But I thought that it was encouraging that the first call I got from the cinema industry was from an ace filmmaker like him, and not from a casting director.
Do you take inspiration from something particular for your varied characters? Some actors say that they observe a real person to play a role…
I differ a bit there. When some actors say that I watched a real-life person to play a character, I think that’s imitating. Personally, I don’t think that’s performing. The only exception to that is when you’re playing a character in people’s memory like Mahatma Gandhi or MGR or Jayalalithaa.
Apart from your theatre productions, you are also doing a web series (Baahubali for Netflix) in which you play a warrior…
He’s not just a warrior, but also a womaniser. I had my doubts about the intimate scenes; there was some discomfort that I had with that. I think that actors have to draw their line of ethics and comfort zone when they choose a role, and be careful about what is, in his mind, a legitimate performing zone.
Of course, it can differ from one actor to another. Fortunately, the makers of Baahubali worked it out to a level of comfort that I was agreeable with.
How smooth has the transition from theatre to other mediums like cinema and OTT platforms been?
Adapting is the key. As an actor, it’s a challenge to adapt to various dynamics. With theatre, there’s strict discipline and regimen. With cinema, it’s more liberal.
For me, it’s a two-fold challenge: not only is the format different, but I’m also getting out of my comfort zone, which is my own production and direction. But I’m having fun, and that’s most important.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Entertainment> Movies / by Srinivasa Ramanajum / February 19th, 2020
Mohammad Ali Baig in a scene from ‘Under an Oak Tree’ in London
Hyderabad :
A play based on a Hyderabadi palace set in the mid-19th century has taken centre stage in London. The play’s premier attracted connoisseurs of theatre and enthusiasts of Hyderabadi history, drama and heritage.
“Under an Oak Tree”, presented by Hyderabadi theatre revivalist Mohammad Ali Baig, is based on the story of a boy born in the 19th century Ahmed Bowla Bagh Palace built by Nizam V Nawab Afzal Jah Bahadur. The play was produced by Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Foundation. The premiere show was sold out one week before the play was staged.
“The hour-long bio-play retraces the protagonist’s journey from the seclusion of a 19th century palace spread over 100 acres with a 100-horse stud farm, to the glitzy world of advertising and ultimately, to the intense spotlight of theatre, getting him one of the highest civilian honours of the country. The play aptly presents the changing political and social scenario in a post-Independence, post-Privy Purse era of the princely state of Berar and Deccan and consequently, the changing times,” Mohammad Ali Baig told TOI.
He said the play beautifully captures the story of a boy growing into adolescence without any friends, where the next neighbour was 5km away. The boy had more ponies than toys to play with. Written by Noor Baig, the play was directed by Mohammad Ali Baig. He also acts in it.
Mohammad Ali Baig has presented his plays earlier in Turkey, US, Canada and UK, taking Hyderabadi heritage to the global spotlight. The play is scheduled for its Indian tour in Bengaluru, Mumbai and other places this month.
“It’s really fulfilling when global audiences, accustomed to the best of world theatre, give an original Hyderabadi flavour such an amazing response with full house attendance,” he said.
According to Rehana Ameer, councillor of the City of London (the first Indian-origin woman of the elite Westminister district), the buzz was such that people from the Edinburgh and Oxford Universities came to London to watch the show. Prof Tariq Muneer, Millennium Fellow at Edinburgh University, also lauded the Hyderabadi play.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Hyderabad News / by Syed Akbar / TNN / April 12th, 2018
REAL ISSUES, GRAND PRESENTATION Mohammad Ali Baig / Photo: P.V. Sivakumar
Hyderabad , TELANGANA :
As Mohammad Ali Baig’s “1857: Turrebaz Khan” opens in Edinburgh Fringe Festival this August, the playwright-director-actor talks about the heroic figure in Deccan history
Already recognised as one of India’s best known theatre personalities and India’s youngest Padma awardee in theatre, playwright-director-actor Mohammad Ali Baig has received multiple national and global honours and awards. This time, beginning August first week, his well-known play, “Quli: Dilon ka Shahzaada”, as well as his new production “1857: Turrebaz Khan” have both been invited to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2016. While “Quli” has already seen several productions across the world, “Turrebaz Khan” will be premiering at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, before travelling to London and then returning to Hyderabad.
Excerpts from an interview:
Tell us about your new play, “1857: Turrebaz Khan”, and its central character?
Turrebaz Khan was a heroic figure in Deccan history, known for his valour and courage. There is a slang in Hyderabad folklore, a positive one — “Turram Khan”. When you call someone that, you are calling him heroic. That comes from Turrebaz Khan’s name. He was a revolutionary figure freedom fighter, who revolted against the ruling design of the 4th Nizam of Hyderabad and the British. He attacked the British residency, which now houses the women’s college in Koti in Hyderabad, to free his comrade who was detained on charges of treachery without a fair trial by the British. He was caught and detained, but even the jail he was put in couldn’t hold him. After a year, he escaped, and then was caught in the forest of an area called Toopran, near Hyderabad. The man who caught him, Qurban Ali Baig, was the talukdar there. Turrebaz Khan was kept in captivity, then shot, and then his body was hanged in the centre of the city to prevent further rebellion. That is his story.
When you read about 1857, places like Delhi, Meerut, Lucknow, Jhansi and Mysore, all of them are mentioned, but Hyderabad isn’t. This is because the Nizams were allies of the British, and there was no reason to fight. But with Turrebaz Khan, there came a brief period when Hyderabad joined the struggle, the uprising.
Does the play follow Turrebaz Khan’s life?
No, the structure of the play is very interesting actually. It follows the last one hour of his life in captivity, and that one hour is also the duration of the play. It shows the difference between the man who has been captured, and his captor, Ali Baig. They are both sons of the same soil, are of the same colour, but they stand on opposite sides. Ali Baig has allied with the British. He is a man who is privileged in more ways than one, and he has no problem with who his allies are — Indians, British, French. His life is about his own family and prosperity. From his point of view, Turrebaz is “naïve”, and immature. For Turrebaz, Ali Baig has a self-serving agenda.
How does the play deal with this clear difference between the two men?
There are two people, one placating the system, another one going against it in the name of his motherland. Neither one is shown as the villain. Both are victims of their situation.
The play is about discrimination and about oppression, two issues that are relevant anywhere in the world. It can be discrimination of blacks and whites, of haves and have nots, east and west. The play brings both sides of the story out by bringing out both characters. There is very interesting wordplay between the two, philosophical debates which explore different sides of the story. At one point, Ali Baig says to Turrebaz that you talk about leaving your home to fight for your motherland, but what about your own mother at home? What about your aging father, who needs you? Before you, there have been so many others who tried to revolt against the British empire, and look what happened to them.
To this, Turrebaz replies that his motherland is more important to him than his mother; that if he is killed, the world will remember him. No one will remember Qurban Ali Baig.
There are many such debates and wordplay between the two characters and the play is an intense drama. I’ve used live percussion— marfa, dhol, etc.— to complement the dialogues.
The research must have been challenging. Do you supplement it with a lot of fiction?
A lot of research went into this play. It is definitely a challenge, because you can’t fictionalise plays like these too much. You have to pay due respect and maintain sanctity, when you portray these historical figures, since there is no one around to correct the errors. Forget political correctness, you have a responsibility of not putting them in a light that is not morally and ethically right. You can’t sit in judgement. For this play, we have picked the aspects of the story that are relevant to today’s global scenario, since it has to make sense to lot of audience everywhere.
My wife, Noor, who is also my co-playwright, has done most of the research, and a lot of it is also based on research by authorities who have written on Turrebaz.
You spoke about the need to make your play’s relevance to audience across the world. Tell us about the responses you get from these audience? How do you see them connecting to your work?
If you take “Quli”, which is the legendary love story on which Hyderabad is supposed to be founded, or “Spaces”, which is about the thought of sticking to your home and heritage, and about traditionalism versus modernism; both could be about people and lives anywhere in the world. We don’t stick to judgement; we don’t say who is right and who is wrong. Our purpose is to bring out an issue, and let the audience decide their own views.
I’ve taken these plays to English, Turkish, Romanian, Bosnian, Iranian, American audiences, to name a few. “Spaces” moves them to tears; many of them come backstage to me and tell me that this is their story. “Quli” too, sees the audience connecting to it. When they are moved, it moves me as a playwright; it shows me that the kind of theatre I believe in is working, that despite the barrier of language and context, people can connect with these plays. I hope that “1857: Turrebaz Khan” will do that same.
Your productions, held in forts and ruins, are known for usually being larger than life. How difficult is it to travel with these productions?
The earlier plays that I mounted were really huge and I was stuck with own vision of them, so we couldn’t travel. But since the last few plays, like “Spaces”, “Quli” and now “Turrebaz”, I’m still mounting them on a big scale, but I’ve tried to make them production sensible. I keep the portability in mind, so that now we are travelling light, but the end result is still grand. Of course, adapting a play I stage in forts and ruins to a festival setting is difficult, but so far, we have managed to do it successfully.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by Swati Daftuar / July 29th, 2016
