Wednesday, June 3, 2015

‘Ek Mulaqaat’ (One Meeting)- with veterans Deepti Naval & Shekhar Suman in Dubai




“Ek Mulaqaat”, is a conversation about love, life and literature and features the veteran actors Shekhar Suman and Deepti Naval. The play has been garnering rave reviews and  running in theaters with sold out seats across India.

 Theatre fans in the UAE can now enjoy the production thanks to Sopritti, the flagship brand of Pritti Nanda – a stalwart of the UAE community, in collaboration with Vertical 101, the events arm of premier communications agency Blue Apple.  The play will run on June 5th and 6th from 8pm onwards at the Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre (DUCTAC), Mall of the Emirates.


 “Ek Mulaqaat”, a Hindi - Urdu play about the intense relationship between celebrated Urdu poet Sahir Ludhianvi and acclaimed Punjabi author Amrita Pritam. In today’s times of frantic messaging and consummation, the relationship between the two stands out as a symbol of dignity and pathos in love. 

The play, directed by Saif Hyder Hasan, is infused with literary references, nazms and poetry of the legendary duo.Saif brings with him wealth of experience having written two books, ten plays and directed many which have been staged to public and critical acclaim. His book ‘One Yesterday’, a compilation of memoirs was published by Rupa & Co in 2004. In 2007, Saif was part of the jury of Classmate Young Author Contest 2006. The panel was headed by Ruskin Bond.






Returning to the theatre after a long illustrious career in television and as a Director is actor Shekhar Suman as Sahir Ludhianvi. He made his debut in the movie Utsav alongside Bollywood bigwigs Shashi Kapoor and Rekha. On television, he was featured in the shows Dekh Bhai Dekh, Reporter, Kabhi Idhar Kabhi Udhar, Wah Janab, Chote Babu, Andaz, Amar Prem 'Aaha', Vilayati Babu, Movers n Shakers, Simply Shekhar and Carry On Shekhar. The last three were primarily modeled on and adapted from The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.






Sharing the stage with Shekhar Suman is actress Deepti Naval as Amrita Pritam. She is an Indian American actress who has worked in over 70 Hindi films. She has most often worked in art-house and independent films, known as parallel cinema in India. She is best known for her acting in films like Chashme Baddoor (1981), Mirch Masala (1985), and more. She has also acted and directed television serials.






“I have long been an admirer of Ludhianvi and Pritam and when I heard of “Ek Mulaqaat”, I had to bring it to Dubai,” said Pritti Nanda, the lady behind sopritti. “Theatre buffs are in for a treat as the play, a soul baring conversation between the two lovers, is symbolic of the sanctity of love.”

“Ek Mulaqaat, has been making waves across India because of the rich writing, creative direction and quality performances,” said Vishal Anand, CEO of Blue Apple and its event arm Vertical 101. “The play, peppered with Ludhianvi’s lyrics and Pritam’s poems will not be a disappointment.”

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