Dubai: Indian playwright’s Hindi classic set to play in July

Popular Indian litterateur and playwright, Dr. Surendra Verma is bringing his highly acclaimed Hindi play titled Surya Ki Antim Kiran Se Surya Ki Pehli Kiran Tak to Dubai. Directed by Shanker Ramachandran, the play will take place on July 1, 2, 3, at Zabeel Ladies Club, Oud Metha from 7pm onwards.

Using powerful literary language and symbols, Verma brings to surface the trials and tribulations that lie hidden beneath human relationships, exposing the struggles of human condition, chained by ‘culture’ and ‘tradition’. The playwright provokes thought and action to break these chains and explore new possibilities.

The play, set in ancient India’s Malla kingdom, transcends temporal and spatial borders, and addresses universal dilemmas. An heirless, ‘physically and biologically-unfit’ King and a ‘healthy’ Queen are expected to follow the ‘tradition’ and ‘rules’ of ‘Niyoga’. ‘Niyoga’ ordains that the Queen should accept a surrogate husband for a night, attempting to conceive and deliver a child, and a possible heir to the throne. Confronted with this reality, the King, Queen, advisors, and the stranger-surrogate – the various stakeholders in the context, all go through emotional upheavals – and in the process raise questions that are left unanswered, provoking thought and resolution in the minds of the audience.

• UAE