In the 75th year of Indian independence, as we try to unravel the true meaning of freedom, Gandhi Jayanti offers us a chance to look back, introspect and analyse if we have remained true to the ideals of those who fought for our freedom. On October 2, two thought-provoking teleplays, ‘Seven’ and ‘Shobha Yatra’, that examine these questions and the idea of freedom from a wider perspective are set to be showcased on Zee Theatre.
Here's what the teleplays are all about:
‘Seven’
Nitin Shingal directs this Hindi adaptation of Catherine O’Reilly and Tim Churchill's play, ‘The Magnificent Seven.’ Set in an old age home in 1997, the play introduces us to Atmaram (Pawan Maskara), Lakshmi (Beena Banerjee), Daman (Kanwaljeet Singh), Bharti (Shubha Khote), Maqbool (Yusuf Hussain), and Hari (Utkarsh Mazumdar), seven unsung heroes of India's independence, Young at heart, these freedom warriors neglected by their own families find solace in each other's company. When they learn about an invitation to join the celebrations of the 50th year of India's Independence, they decide to defy the rules of their old age home. Watch the play to find out if they are able to escape and fulfil their most cherished wish.
The play stars Jayashankar Tripathi, Neeraj Aneja, Ronjini Chakraborty, Payal Nair, Saloni Grover and Swanandi Tikekar.
'Shobhayatra'
This is the Hindi adaptation of Shafaat Khan’s Marathi classic, ‘Shobhayatra’. Filmed by Attar Singh Saini and directed for stage by Ganesh Yadav, the play revolves around people from various professions who decide to play a iconic leaders like Mahatma Gandhi (Chirag Vohra), Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (Ayaz Khan), Rani Laxmibai (Mansi Multani), Bal Gangadhar Tilak (Anand Alkunte), and Subash Chandra Bose (Nikhil Ratnaparkhi). Ironically, the ‘Shobhayatra’, they want to join during India’s 50th Independence Day celebrations is sponsored by a gangster. The performers also share nothing in common with the leaders they are playing. Will they realise how far they travelled from the values they are supposedly projecting in their roles? Watch the play to find out.