The 26-year reign of Mohammad Bin Tughlaq was both fascinating and tragic. He devised many new and innovative schemes, but they were not well-thought-out. Serious mistakes were also made in implementing the plans, leading to the failure of most of them, and ultimately, their abandonment. He was an intelligent and visionary ruler, ahead of his time, but he failed to communicate his plans effectively to the people.

He wanted to establish Muslim rule over all of India, but his ministers and the common people could not get through his plans. His hasty and harsh decisions widened the gap between the ruler and the ruled. The king became disillusioned, and the people confused. Gradually, this confusion turned into anger and rebellion. Although he understood the duties of a ruler, he failed to calculate the thoughts and feelings of his people. This very weakness turned into the main reason for the failure of his reign.

Writer

Girish Karnad was a renowned writer, playwright, and actor in Indian literature, theatre, and cinema. He was born on May 19, 1938, in Matheran, Maharashtra. He received his education in India and England and pursued higher studies at Oxford University. Karnad is considered a leading figure in modern Indian theatre. His plays deeply intertwine history, folklore, and contemporary social issues.

His famous plays include ‘Tughlaq’, ‘Hayavadana’, ‘Nagamandala’, and ‘Yayati’. Through these plays, he presented themes of power, morality, identity, and human struggles in a simple yet powerful manner. Girish Karnad also acted in and directed films.

He received numerous awards for his contributions to literature and arts, including the Jnanpith Award, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri. He passed away on June 10, 2019, but his literature and ideas continue to inspire people to till date.

Director

Mahendra Singh Panwar is a graduate of the National School of Drama, New Delhi. Previously, he completed his M.A. from Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University and obtained a diploma in folk dance and folk music. He also earned the ‘Sangeet Prabhakar’ degree in singing from Prayag Sangeet Samiti, Allahabad. After obtaining his postgraduate degree from the National School of Drama, he worked as an artiste in the NSD repertory company.

Mahendra is an experienced actor and renowned theatre director. He has played significant roles in plays such as Abhigyan Shakuntalam, Richard III, and Peer Gynt. His lead role in Feroz Abbas Khan’s acclaimed play Raunaq and Jassi received international recognition. He has worked with several renowned directors and has participated in over 500 theatrical productions. He is also active in web series and films and currently works as the Assistant Director of the Folk Art and Culture Performance Centre at H.N.B. Garhwal Central University, Uttarakhand.

Director’s Note

This play was prepared in 55 days in 2023 with the M.A. students of the Folk Art and Culture Performance Centre at Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Central University. Performing this play is challenging in every aspect, be it direction or acting. As a director, I believe that the play’s narrative, whatever it may be, must reach the audience exactly as the author intended. To achieve this, I extensively utilized my training at the National School of Drama, creating the play with the students through 146 improvisations, which was a truly wonderful and rewarding experience. The actors faced several challenges in truthfully portraying their characters, but they tackled almost every challenge effectively, and I believe all the actors were able to understand their respective roles, which allowed the play’s narrative to deeply resonate with the audience. To be honest, directing this play has instilled in me an indomitable courage to take on larger theatrical productions. Since this is the initial stage of my directing career, there may undoubtedly be many shortcomings on my part, but these shortcomings have been compensated for by all the actors in this play.

Group

The Centre for Folk Arts and Culture Performance was established in 2007 at Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal Central University. The center offers classes for M. A. in Theatre, and diplomas in Folk Music and Folk Dance. The objective of the center is to promote the culture of the Himalayan region.

To date, 183 students have completed their M.A. in Theatre. Many of these students have been selected for the National School of Drama, some have cleared the Ph.D.0 and NET examinations, and one student has also received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. 158 students have received diplomas in Folk Music and Folk Dance.

The center’s students have staged several famous plays such as Tughlaq, Nar-Nari, and Waiting for Godot. The center presented the folk theatre ‘Ramman’ at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, and the form has been declared a World Heritage by UNESCO. The center has invited everal renowned folk artistes and award-winning directors  to train the students.

Students from international educational institutions such as Marburg University in Germany and the University of Oslo have also moved to the center for studies.