Double dose of laughter had theatre lovers in stiches

It was a double treat for theatre lovers in the city last weekend when the Repertwahr Foundation and the Uttar Pradesh Cultural Department, under a joint venture, staged two renowned comedy plays. The two-day comedy theatrical affair began with Bade Miyaan Deewane, directed by theatre maestro Imran Rasheed, which had everyone in splits. The play revolves around Meer Sahab, an old man played by Imran himself, who falls for a young girl named Suraiya, only to find out she is also the love interest of his son, Tabish.

Amid the chaos, confusion, and non-stop comedy that kept the audience laughing throughout, the character Heera, a courtesan, played by theatre and Bollywood actress Rukhsar Rehman caught everyone’s attention on the stage. The play also featured Imran Rasheed himself, Yasir Khan, Manoj, Barkha Swroop, Aalekh, Rukhsar, Jyoti Kapoor, Gaurav, Dakshita, Varun Kumar and Nishchal, each delivering their comedic timing and energy to keep the audience in fits of laughter.

The second day brought another dose of laughter with the romantic comedy Phir Se Shaadi, this too by Imran. This comedy followed the story of a divorced couple who, realizing they still love each other, want to remarry. The comedy, fun and humour were carried on by an amazing star cast, including Professor Kamaal Khan, played by Imran and his wife Husna, played by Rukhsar.

Speaking about her experience performing in Lucknow, Rukhsar shared, “What I loved was that the audience was extremely responsive. Secondly, it was great to know they were all fluent in Urdu, as the play had many Urdu words and most seemed well-versed in it.” Imran Rasheed, the director of the plays, called Lucknow a city well-versed in theatre.
— Amina Ashraf