Naatak presents SULTANA DAKU

Sep 6-28 2025

www.naatak.org

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The moon is looking to upgrade its law enforcement and they reach out to the friendly Indian government who sends its most accomplished officer, Inspector Matadeen. Will Matadeen improve the lunar police efficiency?

Performed by Vineet Mishra

Background Music: Meditative Mind 

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Subscribe to Naatak Radio on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Jio Saavn or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also listen to our library of over 100 episodes on our website at naatak.org/naatakradio/

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A light-hearted narrative written by Malti Joshi and performed by Priyanka Nimkar talks about a girl and her mother. The mother is in search of prospects for her daughter. The daughter is very choosy. But one day she meets someone special.
Listen to the full episode to know what happens after?

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Subscribe to Naatak Radio on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Jio Saavn or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also listen to our library of over 100 episodes on our website at naatak.org/naatakradio/

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Apni Apni Bimari by Harishankar Parsai masterfully explores the nuanced landscape of human suffering through the lens of satire. This story unveils the peculiar and often ironic hierarchies of problems people face in life—from those who lament their financial hardships over taxes while living comfortably, to those who struggle for basic needs, and the inescapable burden of small-scale troubles that seem monumental to those bearing them. Parsai's storytelling highlights the relativity of pain and how one’s perspective shapes their sense of struggle. Join us as we delve into this comedic yet poignant narrative that examines how people cling to their unique "illnesses" while yearning for greater struggles that symbolize status and privilege. The result is an insightful, relatable portrayal that sparks both laughter and reflection on the human condition.

Performed by Vikas Dhurka

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Subscribe to Naatak Radio on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Jio Saavn or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also listen to our library of over 100 episodes on our website at naatak.org/naatakradio/

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This beautiful narrative written by Fahim Azmi ji and performed by Priyanka Nimkar talks about a village separated due to certain events.
Listen to the full episode to know, will the distance create differences or will actually bring the people closer than ever.

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Subscribe to Naatak Radio on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Jio Saavn or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also listen to our library of over 100 episodes on our website at naatak.org/naatakradio/

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Presenting the much awaited soundtrack of Naatak's 110th production: Vrindavan!

These songs are recorded live during VRINDAVAN's staging in September 2024. VRINDAVAN is a grand musical, juxtaposing the colorful love of Radha and Krishna with the stark existence of Vrindavan widows, told through humor and wit, the bhajans of Meera Bai and the grace of classical Kathak. Inspired by a real life incident.

Play Credits:
Written and Directed by Sujit Saraf
Original lyrics by Sujit Saraf
Producer and Dance Choreographed by Soumya Agastya
Composer and music director, Nachiketa Yakkundi


Artists:
   Vocals:   Nachiketa Yakkundi, Amit Shenoy,  Ritesh Nayak, 
                   Anitha Dixit, Poonam Yakkundi, Richa Pareek
    Organ:   Anand Karve
    Tabla:     Ajay Sundar Raj
    Flute:     Arjun Bharadwaj
    Guitar:   Ritesh Nayak

Support the show

Subscribe to Naatak Radio on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Jio Saavn or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also listen to our library of over 100 episodes on our website at naatak.org/naatakradio/

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This beautiful narrative written by Anju Sharma and performed by Priyanka Nimkar talks about Naina and Anurag. 
Takes a trip down memory lane, specially to that 'Chhat Wala Kamra' which witnessed the their relationship.  This writer portrays the heartbeat of old relationships, the changes brought about by time.

Part 1 :

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/63GcM90ebslBnSl3EqSccY?si=0tg59DQXRCeQ7OnJtiFuVw

Apple Podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chhat-wala-kamra-aur-ishq-wala-love-part-1-by-anju-sharma/id1505134555?i=1000671010806

Support the show

Subscribe to Naatak Radio on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Jio Saavn or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also listen to our library of over 100 episodes on our website at naatak.org/naatakradio/

Love the show? Consider supporting the show here.

This beautiful narrative written by Anju Sharma and performed by Priyanka Nimkar talks about Naina and Anurag. 
Takes a trip down memory lane, specially to that 'Chhat Wala Kamra' which witnessed the their relationship.  This writer portrays the heartbeat of old relationships, the changes brought about by time.

Support the show

Subscribe to Naatak Radio on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Jio Saavn or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also listen to our library of over 100 episodes on our website at naatak.org/naatakradio/

Love the show? Consider supporting the show here.

This beautiful narrative written by Anju Mehta and performed by Priyanka Nimkar takes us through the emotional journey of leaving behind not just a house, but an entire life filled with memories. 
When the protagonist’s family prepares for a new chapter, the heart lingers, tethered to the home they once knew. 

This episode expresses the quiet strength we find in nature when everything else seems to be changing. 

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Chasing excellence requires discipline. How can one be a free bird then? 

In Ghungroos on a Jaipur foot, written and performed by Savitha Samu, we hear a girl's predicament when her impressionable mind gets pulled in different directions when she starts excelling in her passion. Does she dance to the tune of those around her or does she dance only to the beat of her Ghungroos? 

Support the show

Subscribe to Naatak Radio on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Jio Saavn or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also listen to our library of over 100 episodes on our website at naatak.org/naatakradio/

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This week on Naatak Radio presenting a symbolic and satirical short story by Asghar Wajahat. In a tale probably belonging in the Panchtantra style of story-telling, but reminiscent of The Animal Farm, we hear of a jungle where animals willingly enter a lion's open mouth. Why are they doing this? And what happens when someone tries to question this system forms the basis of this short story.

What's really impressive in this story is how a really powerful message is delivered in <5 minutes. Do you find yourself entering the lion's mouth without questioning? Please let us know in your comments.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Syed Asghar Wajahat, popularly known as Asghar Wajahat (Hindi: असग़र वजाहत) (born 5 July 1946), is a Hindi scholar, fiction writer, novelist, playwright, an independent documentary filmmaker and a television scriptwriter, who is most known for his work, 'Saat Aasmaan' and his acclaimed play, 'Jis Lahore Nai Dekhya, O Jamyai Nai', based on the story of an old Punjabi Hindu woman who gets left behind in Lahore, after the Partition of India, and then refuses to leave.

He has published five collections of short stories, six collections of plays and street plays, and four novels.

NAATAK's Jis Lahore Nai Dekhya on YouTube 

Support the show

Subscribe to Naatak Radio on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Jio Saavn or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also listen to our library of over 100 episodes on our website at naatak.org/naatakradio/

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Presenting the next song from Naatak's VRINDAVAN, our 110th production. In Naee Jaaoon, presented as a Meera Bhajan, a widow pleads to not be asked to leave Vrindavan as she wants to devote herself to her one and only true love. 

About the Play
In 2014, Bollywood’s dream girl Hema Malini became Member of Parliament from Mathura. When visiting a widow-home in Vrindavan, she suggested that Vrindavan widows should remain in Bengal instead of coming to over-crowded Vrindavan. The uproar that followed involved many actors – NGOs, the BJP, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and Hema Malini.

This incident provides the inspiration for Vrindavan, City of Widows, in which 12 feisty widows live in raucous celebration until a Bollywood actress arrives to disrupt their lives. Vrindavan is a grand musical, juxtaposing the colorful love of Radha and Krishna with the stark existence of Vrindavan widows, and told through humor and wit, the songs of Meera Bai and the gyrations of Bollywood songs. The play features spectacular sets, costumes and lights, along with live music by Nachiketa Yakkundi and his team.

A news item on the incident that became the genesis of this play: http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/widows-from-bengal-bihar-stay-there-why-crowd-vrindavan-hema-malini-667204

Subscribe to Naatak Radio on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Jio Saavn or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also listen to our library of over 100 episodes on our website at naatak.org/naatakradio/

Love the show? Consider supporting the show here.

Support the show

Subscribe to Naatak Radio on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Jio Saavn or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also listen to our library of over 100 episodes on our website at naatak.org/naatakradio/

Love the show? Consider supporting the show here.

This week on Naatak Radio, Anshu Johri's ALMAARI. A touching tale of an inanimate piece of furniture that brings memories alive!

Background music: Sparsh Johri.

ALMAARI is written by Anshu Johri and is a story from her recent collection of stories: Adrishya Kinara. Adrishya Kinara is available on Amazon Kindle, Audible, and Applebooks. 

Support the show

Subscribe to Naatak Radio on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Jio Saavn or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also listen to our library of over 100 episodes on our website at naatak.org/naatakradio/

Love the show? Consider supporting the show here.

Presenting the next song from Naatak's VRINDAVAN, our 110th production. In Ranaji Mharo Mard Maryo, presented as a Meera bhajan, we hear the widows talking about only wanting to live in Vrindavan and devote themselves to Krishna now that they've lost their husband.

About the Play
In 2014, Bollywood’s dream girl Hema Malini became Member of Parliament from Mathura. When visiting a widow-home in Vrindavan, she suggested that Vrindavan widows should remain in Bengal instead of coming to over-crowded Vrindavan. The uproar that followed involved many actors – NGOs, the BJP, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and Hema Malini.

This incident provides the inspiration for Vrindavan, City of Widows, in which 12 feisty widows live in raucous celebration until a Bollywood actress arrives to disrupt their lives. Vrindavan is a grand musical, juxtaposing the colorful love of Radha and Krishna with the stark existence of Vrindavan widows, and told through humor and wit, the songs of Meera Bai and the gyrations of Bollywood songs. The play features spectacular sets, costumes and lights, along with live music by Nachiketa Yakkundi and his team.

A news item on the incident that became the genesis of this play: http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/widows-from-bengal-bihar-stay-there-why-crowd-vrindavan-hema-malini-667204

Support the Show.

Support the show

Subscribe to Naatak Radio on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Jio Saavn or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also listen to our library of over 100 episodes on our website at naatak.org/naatakradio/

Love the show? Consider supporting the show here.

Presenting the next song from Naatak's VRINDAVAN, our 110th production. In Saat Janam ke Phere, we hear a typical Bollywood song that could have featured in any of the movies featuring the actors that the widows talk about.

About the Play
In 2014, Bollywood’s dream girl Hema Malini became Member of Parliament from Mathura. When visiting a widow-home in Vrindavan, she suggested that Vrindavan widows should remain in Bengal instead of coming to over-crowded Vrindavan. The uproar that followed involved many actors – NGOs, the BJP, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and Hema Malini.

This incident provides the inspiration for Vrindavan, City of Widows, in which 12 feisty widows live in raucous celebration until a Bollywood actress arrives to disrupt their lives. Vrindavan is a grand musical, juxtaposing the colorful love of Radha and Krishna with the stark existence of Vrindavan widows, and told through humor and wit, the songs of Meera Bai and the gyrations of Bollywood songs. The play features spectacular sets, costumes and lights, along with live music by Nachiketa Yakkundi and his team.

A news item on the incident that became the genesis of this play: http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/widows-from-bengal-bihar-stay-there-why-crowd-vrindavan-hema-malini-667204

Support the show

Subscribe to Naatak Radio on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Jio Saavn or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also listen to our library of over 100 episodes on our website at naatak.org/naatakradio/

Love the show? Consider supporting the show here.

Presenting the next song from Naatak's VRINDAVAN, our 110th production. In Bindraban Mhaaro the widows are proclaiming that Vrindavan is now where they belong. 

About the Play
In 2014, Bollywood’s dream girl Hema Malini became Member of Parliament from Mathura. When visiting a widow-home in Vrindavan, she suggested that Vrindavan widows should remain in Bengal instead of coming to over-crowded Vrindavan. The uproar that followed involved many actors – NGOs, the BJP, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and Hema Malini.

This incident provides the inspiration for Vrindavan, City of Widows, in which 12 feisty widows live in raucous celebration until a Bollywood actress arrives to disrupt their lives. Vrindavan is a grand musical, juxtaposing the colorful love of Radha and Krishna with the stark existence of Vrindavan widows, and told through humor and wit, the songs of Meera Bai and the gyrations of Bollywood songs. The play features spectacular sets, costumes and lights, along with live music by Nachiketa Yakkundiand his team.

A news item on the incident that became the genesis of this play: http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/widows-from-bengal-bihar-stay-there-why-crowd-vrindavan-hema-malini-667204

Support the show

Subscribe to Naatak Radio on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Jio Saavn or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also listen to our library of over 100 episodes on our website at naatak.org/naatakradio/

Love the show? Consider supporting the show here.

Naatak Radio is back! And we are back with a classic from one of India's most prominent short story writer Ruskin Bond. This also happens to be our 100th episode!! Here's to many more. 

A Face in the Dark is a tale of Mr. Oliver, a school teacher in Simla, and his rather strange encounter on his walk back to town via the forest.

Performed by Vikas Dhurka. 

Support the show

Subscribe to Naatak Radio on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Jio Saavn or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also listen to our library of over 100 episodes on our website at naatak.org/naatakradio/

Love the show? Consider supporting the show here.

Presenting the first song from Naatak's VRINDAVAN, our 110th production. In Saavan Beetyo the Vrindavan widows are preparing for Janmashtami.

About the Play
In 2014, Bollywood’s dream girl Hema Malini became Member of Parliament from Mathura. When visiting a widow-home in Vrindavan, she suggested that Vrindavan widows should remain in Bengal instead of coming to over-crowded Vrindavan. The uproar that followed involved many actors – NGOs, the BJP, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and Hema Malini.

This incident provides the inspiration for Vrindavan, City of Widows, in which 12 feisty widows live in raucous celebration until a Bollywood actress arrives to disrupt their lives. Vrindavan is a grand musical, juxtaposing the colorful love of Radha and Krishna with the stark existence of Vrindavan widows, and told through humor and wit, the songs of Meera Bai and the gyrations of Bollywood songs. The play features spectacular sets, costumes and lights, along with live music by Nachiketa Yakkundi and his team.

A news item on the incident that became the genesis of this play: http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/widows-from-bengal-bihar-stay-there-why-crowd-vrindavan-hema-malini-667204

Support the show

Subscribe to Naatak Radio on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Jio Saavn or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also listen to our library of over 100 episodes on our website at naatak.org/naatakradio/

Love the show? Consider supporting the show here.

Presenting songs from Naatak's VRINDAVAN.

About the Play
In 2014, Bollywood’s dream girl Hema Malini became Member of Parliament from Mathura. When visiting a widow-home in Vrindavan, she suggested that Vrindavan widows should remain in Bengal instead of coming to over-crowded Vrindavan. The uproar that followed involved many actors – NGOs, the BJP, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and Hema Malini.

This incident provides the inspiration for Vrindavan, City of Widows, in which 12 feisty widows live in raucous celebration until a Bollywood actress arrives to disrupt their lives. Vrindavan is a grand musical, juxtaposing the colorful love of Radha and Krishna with the stark existence of Vrindavan widows, and told through humor and wit, the songs of Meera Bai and the gyrations of Bollywood songs. The play features spectacular sets, costumes and lights, along with live music by Nachiketa Yakkundi and his team.

A news item on the incident that became the genesis of this play: http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/widows-from-bengal-bihar-stay-there-why-crowd-vrindavan-hema-malini-667204

Support the show

Subscribe to Naatak Radio on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Jio Saavn or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also listen to our library of over 100 episodes on our website at naatak.org/naatakradio/

Love the show? Consider supporting the show here.

Bombay Talkies - A Musical (Sep 2023)
written and directed by Sujit Saraf

Music from Bollywood (1935 to 1975)
Music direction :  Nachiketa Yakkundi

Vocalists:
   Nachiketa Yakkundi,  Amit Shenoy, Ritesh Nayak
   Anitha Dixit, Poulomi Sarkar, Manisha Ram
   Shreya Dixit, Surya Saraf, Rohit Upamaka

Harmonium:  Surya Saraf
Flute: Arjun Bharadwaj
Guitar: Ritesh Nayak
Tabla: Ajay Sundar Raj
Percussion (Dholak, Djimbe, Bongos):  Kunal Mamidpalliwar
Tambourine, Cabasa:  Poulomi Sarkar
    

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Lyrics :  Wajid Ali Shah, Nawab of Awadh, 1847 to 1856


Vocals - Prathamesh Kamat, Ritesh Nayak

Adapted for  Shatranj ke Khiladi 
Naatak's 104th production
June9 - Jun18, 2023

Written by Munshi Premchand
Adaptation: Ritwik Verma and Anush Moorthy
Directed by Anush Moorthy
Produced by Dhananjay Motwani

https://www.naatak.org/2023-shatranj/

Support the show

Subscribe to Naatak Radio on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Jio Saavn or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also listen to our library of over 100 episodes on our website at naatak.org/naatakradio/

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Music Composition - Anitha Dixit
Lyrics :  Wajid Ali Shah, Nawab of Awadh, 1847 to 1856

Vocals - Anitha Dixit
Bansuri (flute) - Arjun Bharadwaj
Tabla - Hemanth Hariharan

Original sound track from Shatranj ke Khiladi 
Naatak's 104th production
June9 - Jun18, 2023

Written by Munshi Premchand
Adaptation: Ritwik Verma and Anush Moorthy
Directed by Anush Moorthy
Produced by Dhananjay Motwani

https://www.naatak.org/2023-shatranj/

Support the show

Subscribe to Naatak Radio on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Jio Saavn or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also listen to our library of over 100 episodes on our website at naatak.org/naatakradio/

Love the show? Consider supporting the show here.

Music Composition and Vocals - Anitha Dixit
Lyrics : Ritwik Verma

Original sound track from Shatranj ke Khiladi 
Naatak's 104th production
June9 - Jun18, 2023

Written by Munshi Premchand
Adaptation: Ritwik Verma and Anush Moorthy
Directed by Anush Moorthy
Produced by Dhananjay Motwani

https://www.naatak.org/2023-shatranj/

Support the show

Subscribe to Naatak Radio on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Jio Saavn or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also listen to our library of over 100 episodes on our website at naatak.org/naatakradio/

Love the show? Consider supporting the show here.

Music composer: Nachiketa Yakkundi

Vocalists: Nachiketa Yakkundi, Anitha Dixit, Amit Shenoy, Savitha Gayathri, Ambhranee Yakkundi, Surya Saraf, Tanmayi Rao

Instrumentalists: Ajay Sundar Raj (tabla), Prasanna Rajan (flute), Ambhranee Yakkundi and Tanmayi Rao (harmonium)

This song is part of Ramayan - the grand musical
Naatak's 100th production
Sep 4 - 25 2022
Based on the Ramcharitmanas by Tulsidas
Stage adaptation and Direction:  Sujit Saraf
Producer and dance director: Soumya Agastya
Music director: Nachiketa Yakkundi

Support the show

Subscribe to Naatak Radio on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Jio Saavn or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also listen to our library of over 100 episodes on our website at naatak.org/naatakradio/

Love the show? Consider supporting the show here.

Music composer: Nachiketa Yakkundi

Vocalists: Nachiketa Yakkundi, Anitha Dixit, Amit Shenoy, Savitha Gayathri, Ambhranee Yakkundi, Surya Saraf, Tanmayi Rao

Instrumentalists: Ajay Sundar Raj (tabla), Prasanna Rajan (flute), Ambhranee Yakkundi and Tanmayi Rao (harmonium)

This song is part of Ramayan - the grand musical
Naatak's 100th production
Sep 4 - 25 2022
Based on the Ramcharitmanas by Tulsidas
Stage adaptation and Direction:  Sujit Saraf
Producer and dance director: Soumya Agastya
Music director: Nachiketa Yakkundi

Support the show

Subscribe to Naatak Radio on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Jio Saavn or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also listen to our library of over 100 episodes on our website at naatak.org/naatakradio/

Love the show? Consider supporting the show here.

Music composer: Nachiketa Yakkundi

Vocalists: Nachiketa Yakkundi, Anitha Dixit, Amit Shenoy, Savitha Gayathri, Ambhranee Yakkundi, Surya Saraf, Tanmayi Rao

Instrumentalists: Ajay Sundar Raj (tabla), Prasanna Rajan (flute), Ambhranee Yakkundi and Tanmayi Rao (harmonium)

This song is part of Ramayan - the grand musical
Naatak's 100th production
Sep 4 - 25 2022
Based on the Ramcharitmanas by Tulsidas
Stage adaptation and Direction:  Sujit Saraf
Producer and dance director: Soumya Agastya
Music director: Nachiketa Yakkundi

Support the show

Subscribe to Naatak Radio on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Jio Saavn or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also listen to our library of over 100 episodes on our website at naatak.org/naatakradio/

Love the show? Consider supporting the show here.

Music Composition: Anitha Dixit
Lyrics: Vikram Ramanarayanan
Tabla: Ajay Sundar Raj
Harmonium: Surya Saraf
Vocals: Anitha Dixit, Ritwik Verma, Prathamesh Kamat, Sujit Saraf, Ritesh Nayak, Savitha Gayathri, Surya Saraf, Vikram Ramanarayanan

This song is a part of The 6th Pillar - Naatak's 99th Production, 
Written andDirected by Vikram Ramanarayanan
July23-Aug7, 2022
https://www.naatak.org/2022-thesixthpillar/

Daastaan-e-Chhataa-Satoon (The Tale of The Sixth Pillar)

Saraab-e-jannat mein masroof they hum      So engrossed in the mirage of paradise were we
Qazi ki nazar se posheeda har qadam              At every step invisible to the powers that be
Khoon ki qurbani to de chuke hum/qasam    Bonds of blood we did sacrifice as well
Ab pahuch gaye dehleez-e-jahannum              Now here we stand at the gates of hell

Sahraa banaa sahaaraa, iska nahi tha gam     
     The desert turned refuge, dismayed we were not
Par qafas-e-khanjar mein taaze huay zakham
     But that cage of daggers reopened wounds we'd forgot
Kahaan libaas - tameez ke shaukeen, besharam?
     Where once we were fashionable, dignified, clean
Ab dekhne-sunne ki mehaz ban gaye misaal hum
      Now we remain but an example, to be heard and seen

Tehreer-e-taqdeer se haare mohtaram         The writ of fate has dealt a fatal blow
Dard-e-duhaai ab huaa madham                       Our painful pleas now drowning out, slow
Gardish-e-wajood mein fanaa beraqam        This existential struggle has us destroyed, bereft
Khwaaish-e-khaaliq se qissa mukhtatam     And now ending this story is all that's left.

Support the show

Subscribe to Naatak Radio on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Jio Saavn or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also listen to our library of over 100 episodes on our website at naatak.org/naatakradio/

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Music composition and vocals: Anitha Dixit, Ritesh Nayak
Guitar: Bidan Sinha
Tabla: Ajay Sundar Raj
Lyrics: by Ritwik Verma

This song is part of Hayavadan - the grand musical
Naatak's 98th production
Jun 12-25 2022
Written by Girish Karnad
Directed by Harish Agastya
https://www.naatak.org/2022-hayavadan/

Support the show

Subscribe to Naatak Radio on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Jio Saavn or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also listen to our library of over 100 episodes on our website at naatak.org/naatakradio/

Love the show? Consider supporting the show here.

Music composition and vocals: Anitha Dixit, Ritesh Nayak
Guitar: Bidan Sinha
Tabla: Ajay Sundar Raj
Lyrics: by Ritwik Verma

This song is part of Hayavadan - the grand musical
Naatak's 98th production
Jun 12-25 2022
Written by Girish Karnad
Directed by Harish Agastya
https://www.naatak.org/2022-hayavadan/

Support the show

Subscribe to Naatak Radio on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Jio Saavn or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also listen to our library of over 100 episodes on our website at naatak.org/naatakradio/

Love the show? Consider supporting the show here.

Music composition and vocals: Anitha Dixit
Harmonium: Bidan Sinha
Tabla: Ajay Sundar Raj
Lyrics: by Ritwik Verma

This song is part of Hayavadan - the grand musical
Naatak's 98th production
Jun 12-25 2022
Written by Girish Karnad
Directed by Harish Agastya
https://www.naatak.org/2022-hayavadan/

Support the show

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Music composition and vocals: Anitha Dixit
Guitar: Bidan Sinha
Tabla: Ajay Sundar Raj
Lyrics: by Ritwik Verma

This song is part of Hayavadan - the grand musical
Naatak's 98th production
Jun 12-25 2022
Written by Girish Karnad
Directed by Harish Agastya
https://www.naatak.org/2022-hayavadan/

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Music composition and vocals: Anitha Dixit
Guitar: Bidan Sinha
Tabla: Ajay Sundar Raj
Lyrics: by Ritwik Verma

This song is part of Hayavadan - the grand musical
Naatak's 98th production
Jun 12-25 2022
Written by Girish Karnad
Directed by Harish Agastya
https://www.naatak.org/2022-hayavadan/

Support the show

Subscribe to Naatak Radio on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Jio Saavn or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also listen to our library of over 100 episodes on our website at naatak.org/naatakradio/

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This week on the #NaatakRadio #Podcast presenting वडिलांचे मुलीस पत्र, a Marathi poem by Sanjeevani Bokil, performed by Monica Dani. 

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Presenting songs from Naatak’s  GRAND MUSICAL, BUDDHA! 

Naatak’s annual musical is set in the sixth century BCE and written entirely in rhyme. The Shakya prince Siddharth leaves his father’s palace, attains enlightenment under a peepal tree to become Buddha, roams the kingdoms of Magadh and Kaushal to persuade the world, and alters the course of human history. The play features an ensemble cast, live music and dance. 

With a giant mural for a set, colorful costumes and imaginative props, the play is a visual treat, and a unique outdoor experience in the shade of lush maple and oak trees.

Playwright and Director: Sujit Saraf
Music Director: Nachiketa Yakkundi
Vocalists, Organ, and Tabla: Anitha Dixit, Amit Shenoy, Vinata Karra, Anand Karve, Ajay Sundar Raj

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Subscribe to Naatak Radio on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Jio Saavn or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also listen to our library of over 100 episodes on our website at naatak.org/naatakradio/

Love the show? Consider supporting the show here.

Presenting songs from Naatak’s  GRAND MUSICAL, BUDDHA! 

Naatak’s annual musical is set in the sixth century BCE and written entirely in rhyme. The Shakya prince Siddharth leaves his father’s palace, attains enlightenment under a peepal tree to become Buddha, roams the kingdoms of Magadh and Kaushal to persuade the world, and alters the course of human history. The play features an ensemble cast, live music and dance. 

With a giant mural for a set, colorful costumes and imaginative props, the play is a visual treat, and a unique outdoor experience in the shade of lush maple and oak trees.

Playwright and Director: Sujit Saraf
Music Director: Nachiketa Yakkundi
Vocalists, Organ, and Tabla: Anitha Dixit, Amit Shenoy, Vinata Karra, Anand Karve, Ajay Sundar Raj

Support the show

Subscribe to Naatak Radio on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Jio Saavn or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also listen to our library of over 100 episodes on our website at naatak.org/naatakradio/

Love the show? Consider supporting the show here.

Presenting songs from Naatak’s  GRAND MUSICAL, BUDDHA! 

Naatak’s annual musical is set in the sixth century BCE and written entirely in rhyme. The Shakya prince Siddharth leaves his father’s palace, attains enlightenment under a peepal tree to become Buddha, roams the kingdoms of Magadh and Kaushal to persuade the world, and alters the course of human history. The play features an ensemble cast, live music and dance. 

With a giant mural for a set, colorful costumes and imaginative props, the play is a visual treat, and a unique outdoor experience in the shade of lush maple and oak trees.

Playwright and Director: Sujit Saraf
Music Director: Nachiketa Yakkundi
Vocalists, Organ, and Tabla: Anitha Dixit, Amit Shenoy, Vinata Karra, Anand Karve, Ajay Sundar Raj

Support the show

Subscribe to Naatak Radio on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Jio Saavn or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also listen to our library of over 100 episodes on our website at naatak.org/naatakradio/

Love the show? Consider supporting the show here.

Presenting songs from Naatak’s  GRAND MUSICAL, BUDDHA! 

Naatak’s annual musical is set in the sixth century BCE and written entirely in rhyme. The Shakya prince Siddharth leaves his father’s palace, attains enlightenment under a peepal tree to become Buddha, roams the kingdoms of Magadh and Kaushal to persuade the world, and alters the course of human history. The play features an ensemble cast, live music and dance. 

With a giant mural for a set, colorful costumes and imaginative props, the play is a visual treat, and a unique outdoor experience in the shade of lush maple and oak trees.

Playwright and Director: Sujit Saraf
Music Director: Nachiketa Yakkundi
Vocalists, Organ, and Tabla: Anitha Dixit, Amit Shenoy, Vinata Karra, Anand Karve, Ajay Sundar Raj

Support the show

Subscribe to Naatak Radio on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Jio Saavn or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also listen to our library of over 100 episodes on our website at naatak.org/naatakradio/

Love the show? Consider supporting the show here.

18th August 2021 is India's most famous lyricist, poet, writer, screenwriter, and director's Gulzar's 87th birthday. To celebrate Gulzar saab's legacy, Naatak Radio presents SUNSET BOULEVARD, from his story collection Raavi Paar. 

About the story:
An unexpected visitor to her mansion gives hope to a lonely movie actress past her prime. 

Performed by: Sareeka Malhotra

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This week, we present one of the most acclaimed American playwright Alice Gerstenberg's famous one-act play: He Said and She Said, adapted for an Indian setting. Isha invites two friends, Mrs. Puri and Dhani, to dine with her and her husband Lakshya. However, upon arriving, Mrs. Puri has a piece of gossip for Isha about Dhani that threatens to ruin the night and to end friendships.

As in Alice Gerstenberg's other plots, the hallmark of He Said and She Said is the clever word play is used so that characters rarely finish their thoughts or say exactly what they mean, making other characters assume the worst and relate a version of the story more twisted than the last. 

Directed by: Poulomi Sarkar
Performed by:
Isha: Preeti Bhat
Lakshya: Harshavardhana
Mrs. Puri: Sayantanee Dutta
Dhani: Khushboo Kalyani

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This week on the #NaatakRadio #Podcast presenting the last play of the Saadat Hasan Manto series of Aao radio plays, Aao Akhbaar Padhein. Kishore and Lajwanti debate about the current affairs in the newspaper and Narayan has to join in to prevent an all out war from breaking out. 

Performed by: 
Kishore: AZ Xedi
Lajwanti: Pooja Sabharwal
Narayan: Anush Moorthy

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Sahitya Akademi Award winner Gopinath Mohanty is one of Odisha's most prominent writers. This week, we present one of his most famous short stories, The Somersault, in English. Jaga Palei becomes the pride of Odisha by defeating Ramlawan Pande of Bihar in the All-India Wrestling Competition, however success hasn't come easy for him. Will he continue to be the pride of the people of Odisha or will the next fight bright him back to where it all started. Somersault, in short is chronology of outcomes in a person’s life, which also includes how he is perceived at different junctures!

Gopinath Mohanty (1914–1991), winner of the Jnanpith award, and the first winner of the National Sahitya Akademi Award in 1955 - for his novel, Amrutara Santana - was a prolific Odia writer of the mid-twentieth century. Satya Prakash Mohanty, Professor of English, Cornell University says: "In my opinion, Gopinath Mohanty is the most important Indian novelist in the second half of the twentieth century."

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This week on Naatak Radio, presenting Mridula Sinha's heart touching short story: BENAAM RISHTA. Chitra takes up Shaligram's invitation for his daughter's wedding knowing fully well that this time her special bond with him from years ago will have to be made public. 

Performed by: Vaishali Koli

Maithili Wedding Song:
शुभे शुभ के लगनवा || Maithili Vivah Geet || Shubhe Shubh Ke Laganva || Nitu Pathak
एल्बम - Vivah geet
गायक - Nitu Pathak
निर्माता- Krishan Kumar Choudhary

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This week on Naatak Radio, presenting Rashid Jahan's Dilli Ki Sair.  A forerunner among a cohort of young, female, Urdu short story writers in the 1930s and 40s, Rashid Jahan - doctor and a political activist, is credited with freeing the tongues and pens of several generations of writers that followed, including the great Ismat Chugtai who considers Rashid Jahan as a literary mentor.  “She spoilt me because she was very bold and used to speak all sorts of things openly and loudly, and I just wanted to copy her,” Chughtai would later write.

Dilli Ki Sair is one Rashid Jahan's most famous short stories. It is the story of the incidents that happened with a woman who came from Faridabad to Delhi for a trip with her husband. When she goes back to Faridabad, she narrates them to her friends, and the incidents are so interesting that she's asked to narrate them every time her friends gather at their house. 

Performed by: Namita Chaubal

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This week on Naatak Radio, presenting "Chitra ka Shirshak" or "The painting's title" by Yashpal. Jayraj, a famous landscape painter, wants to paint human beings and is full of hope when his friend's wife visits him. But things don't quite turn out the way he expected. The author beautifully weaves the two stories together with the final reveal of what the title of the painting ends up being.

Performed by: Anup Kumar Singh

Yashpal (3 December 1903 – 26 December 1976) was a Hindi-language author, who is sometimes considered to be in the same league as Premchand. A political commentator and a socialist, he wrote in a range of genres, including essays, novels and short stories, as well as a play, two travel books and an autobiography. He won the Hindi-language Sahitya Akademi Award for his novel, Meri Teri Uski Baat in 1976 and was also a recipient of the Padma Bhushan.

Yashpal's writings form an extension to his earlier life as a revolutionary in the cause of the Indian independence movement.

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Ishwar Petlikar’s short story in Gujarati, “Lohini Sagai” (‘Ties of Blood’) is a moving account of the relationship between Mangu, a young girl with mental retardation and speech impairment and her mother, Amratkaki, and the latter’s extraordinary love for her daughter. Mangu is dependent on her mother for all her daily activities. Amratkaki prays for a ‘cure for Mangu’s condition’, tries all manner of traditional healing systems and dreams of getting her daughter married at some time in the future. The villagers and Amratkaki’s other children insist that Mangu be moved to a ‘hospital’ for people with mental disabilities for her own good. Amratkaki resists this for a long time but eventually gives way and leaves Mangu in the institution. However, acute anxiety and anguish gnaw at her heart. In the end, Amratkakiis consumed with grief and guilt at ‘abandoning’ her helpless daughter and loses her own sanity. 

Performed by: Nikunj Shah

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A classic Premchand short story about the virtues of honesty. 

Performed by: Rajiv Nema
Background Music: Yellowmuzic

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"Here We Are" is a short story by American writer Dorothy Parker, first published in Cosmopolitan Magazine on March 31, 1931. The story, written almost entirely as dialogue, describes a tense scene between a newly married couple traveling by train to New York City for the first night of their honeymoon.

Performed by: Kamala Subramaniam & Varun Dua
Directed by: Kamala Subramaniam

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Presenting in our series of Manto's radio plays, Aao Bahas Karein. In "Aao Bahas Karein", Lajwanti challenges Kishore and Narayan for a debate. Will they hold the fort, retort or abort? Sunny Moza returns as Kishore, Shravanti Yadav debuts as Lajwanti, and Anush Moorthy returns as Narayan. Directed by Vikas Dhurka 

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This week on Naatak Radio, presenting George Bernard Shaw's classic "How He Lied to Her Husband" in Hindi. 

A married woman and her lover get into a pickle with her husband and then get out of it.

Performed by:
Snehal Pachigar,
Ekta Brahmakshatri, 
Sanju Pancholi

Adapted by:
Paresh Vyas and Vikas Dhurka

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On the occasion of Eid-al-Fitr, we present one of the most famous stories on this glorious festival: Munshi Premchand's Idgaah. 

Idgaah tells the story of a four-year-old orphan named Hamid who lives with his grandmother Amina. On the joyous occasion of Eid, Hamid is full of spirits and is excited to go to market to buy toys like his friends. But an unusual thought causes him to buy something else. Will his grandmother appreciate his unique gift? 

Performed by: Rajeesh Tripathi.

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When talking about the all-time classic short stories, H. H. Munro's "The Open Window" finds itself in almost everyone's list. A classic story of a missing husband, a nervous visitor, the husband's niece who has her secrets, and a living room window that has remained open ever since the husband's disappearance, Open Window excels in its brevity and impact, something the short story medium is designed to do. 

Performed by: Anoushka Dave, Ritwik Verma, Pooja Sabharwal, and Vikas Dhurka

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When talking about the all-time classic short stories, H. H. Munro's "The Open Window" finds itself in almost everyone's list. A classic story of a missing husband, a nervous visitor, the husband's niece who has her secrets, and a living room window that has remained open ever since the husband's disappearance, Open Window excels in its brevity and impact, something the short story medium is designed to do. 

Performed by: Vikas Dhurka

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This week on Naatak Radio, Amritlal Nagar's famous short story Dharmsankat. Rai Bahadur Giriraj Krishna, a man of great wealth and prestige, passes away and wants his wife to be the heir of his assets. But he has some very specific conditions.

Performed by: Rajiv Nema

About the Author:
Amritlal Nagar (17 August 1916 – 23 February 1990) was one of the prominent Hindi writers of the twentieth century.

He started off as an author and journalist, but moved on to be an active writer in the Indian film industry for 7 years. He worked as a drama producer in All India Radio between December 1953 and May 1956. At this point he realised that a regular job would always be a hindrance to his literary life, so he devoted himself to freelance writing.

Often cited as the true literary heir of Premchand, Amritlal Nagar created his own independent and unique identity as a littérateur and is counted as one of the most important and multi-faceted creative writers of Indian literature. In the words of famous critic, Dr. Ram Bilas Sharma,"Undoubtedly, Amritlal Nagar will be remembered as an important novelist. For me, he is a very major sculptor of fiction. He has revealed the power of both standard Hindi, as well as the non-standard Hindi of the ordinary" 

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Continuing our series of hilarious radio play written by Saadat Hasan Manto, Kishore persuades Lajwanti to steal what he thinks is his friend Narayan's parcel. 

Performed by:
Kishore: Vikas Dhurka
Lajwanti: Pooja Sabharwal
Narayan: Anush Moorthy
Mrs. Narayan and Durga: Anjali Kirloskar

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"Post Office" is a short story written by Indian writer Dhumketu. It was first published in 1923, and is considered Dhumketu's most famous and frequently anthologized short story. The story is about a father's affection for his daughter, and the apathetic bureaucracy of the local post office. It is notable for its description, narrative, and dialogues.

Performed by: Kartic Bhargav

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"Post Office" is a Gujarati short story written by Indian writer Dhumketu. It was first published in 1923, and is considered Dhumketu's most famous and frequently anthologized short story. The story is about a father's affection for his daughter, and the apathetic bureaucracy of the local post office. It is notable for its description, narrative, and dialogues.

Performed by: Maunic Dharia

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"Torch Bechnewale" is a short story written by one of India's most famous satirist, Harishankar Parsai. It talks about the fundamental sales strategy humans deployed ever since they first walked the planet: To Sell on Fear. Today's society has taken this to a new extreme, the scarier the narrative, the better the results.

Two friends make a pact to try out their luck for 5 years by going in different directions. When they meet again, they're both in the same business of selling flashlights. They're just working for different companies!

Harishankar Parsai (22 August 1922 – 10 August 1995) was a Hindi writer. He was a noted satirist and humorist of modern Hindi literature and is known for his simple and direct style. He wrote vyangya (satire).

He was born in Jamani village near Itarsi in Hoshangabad district, Madhya Pradesh. He completed his M.A. in Hindi from R.T.M. Nagpur University. After pursuing writing along with his service for some time, he quit his job and took writing as a full-time career. He settled in Jabalpur (M.P) and started a literature magazine called Vasudha. Despite it being highly praised, he had to stop the magazine after the publication suffered economic losses.

Parsai died on 15 August 1995 in Jabalpur. According to The Hindu, by the time of his death, Parsai had revolutionized the art of satire writing in Hindi.

He won Sahitya Akademi Award in 1982, for his satire, "Viklaang Shraddha Ka Daur" 'विकलांग श्रद्धा का दौर'

• Hari Shankar Parsai used to give answers of readers in a column "POOCHHIYE PARSAI SE" in a Hindi News paper DESHBANDHU published from Raipur and Jabalpur.
• A collection of 21 selected stories translated into English by C. M. Naim was published in 1994: Inspector Matadeen on the Moon (Manas Books, Chennai). It was reprinted in 2003 by Katha Press, New Delhi. Several stories and essays are also part of the school curriculum in Central Board of Secondary Education and available in NCERT books.

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"The Yellow Wallpaper" is a short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. It is regarded as an important early work of American feminist literature for its illustration of the attitudes towards mental and physical health of women in the 19th century.

Narrated in the first person, the story is a collection of journal entries written by a woman whose physician husband (John) has rented an old mansion for the summer. Forgoing other rooms in the house, the couple moves into the upstairs nursery. As a form of treatment, the unnamed woman is forbidden from working or writing, and is encouraged to eat well and get plenty of air, so she can recuperate from what he calls a "temporary nervous depression – a slight hysterical tendency", a diagnosis common to women during that period.

Performed by: Deepa Karnad

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We have all made the mistake of passing judgement a little too quickly. In the world where most things are grey, let's not judge it by a simple black or white. The story's narrator, simply called "Masterji" in the story makes a similar personality judgement error until one of his students comes to him with a request that changes his entire outlook. 

Beautifully written by Sapna Manglik, this is a delightful tale of how we can possibly cure some of the evils of the society by simply turning a switch in our heads. 

Performed by Rajiv Nema
Music: Tabla + Hang Drum   Yoga Background Music @432 Hz

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A woman's train journey to meet her fiancé, becomes an interrogation session with a highly inquisitive co-passenger.  

Written by Varsha Thakur, this delightful story captures the emotions of a long distance train journey and often the highly smart and inquisitive nature of the co-passengers whom you often end up sharing your personal information with, whether you like it or not. But its all done in good faith and often is what keeps the social fabric alive and well. 

Written by Varsha Thakur
Performed by Avnika Agarwal

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This week on Naatak Radio, we present one of Shekhar Joshi's famous short story, Dajyu. A boy from the mountains takes liking to a stranger in a cafe, when he asks him about his village, and considers him his Dajyu or big brother. Does the stranger reciprocate?

Performed by Vikas Dhurka

About the author:
Shekhar Joshi (born 10 September, 1932) is a Hindi author, who is also known for his insight into the culture, traditions and lifestyles of people of Uttarakhand. With Shailesh Matiyani, he created a composite image of ethos of Kumaon. His best-known works are Dajyu (Big Brother) and Kosi Ka Ghatwar (The Miller of Kosi). Along with Sumitranandan Pant, he is considered to be the most influential writer of Uttarakhand.

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This week on Naatak Radio, we present one of Shekhar Joshi's famous short story, Dajyu. A boy from the mountains takes liking to a stranger in a cafe, when he asks him about his village, and considers him his Dajyu or big brother. Does the stranger reciprocate?

Performed by Vikas Dhurka

About the author:
Shekhar Joshi (born 10 September, 1932) is a Hindi author, who is also known for his insight into the culture, traditions and lifestyles of people of Uttarakhand. With Shailesh Matiyani, he created a composite image of ethos of Kumaon. His best-known works are Dajyu (Big Brother) and Kosi Ka Ghatwar (The Miller of Kosi). Along with Sumitranandan Pant, he is considered to be the most influential writer of Uttarakhand.

Support the show

Subscribe to Naatak Radio on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Jio Saavn or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also listen to our library of over 100 episodes on our website at naatak.org/naatakradio/

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Presenting the next play: Aao Khat Suno in the hilarious series of radio plays by Saadat Hasan Manto. Lajwanti doesn't allow Kishore to read through a letter by Narayan until the letter writer himself makes an appearance. 

Performers:
Kishore: Sunny Moza
Lajwanti: Sonia Saini
Narayan: Vikas Dhurka

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This weeks marks the 31st death anniversary of Shri Amritlal Nagar, one of the most prominent Hindi writers, often called the true literary heir of Premchand. Gorakhdhandha, that literally translates to a labyrinth, is one of his most famous short stories. It is a tale of a lower middle class married guy named Satish. Satish has been looking for a job for the last two years and is now fighting for every last penny. Things don't look favorable for him, but he doesn't give up hope. Creative and imaginative, he comes up with several ideas to get himself and his family out of the lower middle class hardships.

Written in 1939 by the late Shri Amritlal Nagar, Gorakhdhandha is as much a commentary on the Indian middle class today, as it is a lesson in continuing your dreams of carving your own path.
 
Performed by Vikas Dhurka
Music: "Indian Flute Meditation Music", by Meditative Mind

About the author:
Amritlal Nagar (17 August 1916 – 23 February 1990) was one of the prominent Hindi writers of the twentieth century.

He started off as an author and journalist, but moved on to be an active writer in the Indian film industry for 7 years. He worked as a drama producer in All India Radio between December 1953 and May 1956. At this point he realized that a regular job would always be a hindrance to his literary life, so he devoted himself to freelance writing.

Amritlal Nagar created his own independent and unique identity as a littérateur and is counted as one of the most important and multi-faceted creative writers of Indian literature. Amritlal Nagar's real genius lay in the art of developing a range of characters in his stories and novels. Commenting on his distinctive ability to operationalize a story at many levels in complex and multi-dimensional ways.

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2020 will forever be remembered as the year when the world was under the spell of a deadly virus. The unsung heroes of the year were the first responders, the medical professionals who dealt with the human casualty first hand. पीले डैफोडिल (Yellow Daffodils) is a story written by Anshu Johri of 3 such professionals, in what became the epicenter of the pandemic, New York! 

Written and Performed by: Anshu Johri
Live music in the background: Sparsh Johri

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In this edition of the series of hilarious radio plays written by Saadat Hasan Manto, a thief robs Kishore and Lajwanti and then himself makes an appearance to explain the act leaving their friend Narayan more than just speechless. Aao Khoj Lagayein! 

Kishore: Sunny Moza
Lajwanti: Sonia Saini
Narayan: Vikas Dhurka
"Mulakati": Mustafa Khan

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According to the Times of India: 15-25% of all pregnancies end in a miscarriage. Loss of pregnancy is physically traumatising as well as emotionally paralysing. There are millions of unspoken stories of loss but no one wants to start the dialogue and very few want to hear them. This week on Naatak Radio, we present one such story: DEAD. Written and performed by Abha Agarwal of the blog Abalicious, this 21-year old from Hyderabad, India, has written a powerful short story that talks about what a woman goes through during a miscarriage. 

A WORD OF CAUTION: The story goes into graphic details of a miscarriage. 

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Presenting songs from Naatak's 46th production and its very first grand musical: AMAVASYA. 

About the Play:
The princess Amavasya is devastatingly beautiful: black as night. Or she is so hideous that a glimpse of her milky-white face sends the victim into a three-day slumber. No one knows, because she is hidden behind a mask. What will her people see on the day she uncovers her face? Performed with music, dance, spectacular sets and costumes, AMAVASYA is an entertaining and humorous fairy-tale for grown-ups – both dark-skinned and light-skinned ones. 

The play, performed in 2014 was a Knight Foundation Grant winner. It featured a unique combination of theater, music and dance – theater by NAATAK, live music composed and performed by Nachiketa Yakkundi and group, and original dance choreographed by Rasika Kumar and performed by Abhinaya Dance Company.

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क्या तंत्र जन की रक्षा के लिए है या जन तंत्र की सेवा के लिए?

A Democratic Republic, India celebrates its 72nd Republic on 26th January 2021. Naatak Radio celebrates this occasion with this fascinating story by Rajendra Tyagi: Adhoora Sawal Janatantra Ka. The question of whether the system (तंत्र) is serving the public (जन) or the public serving the system plagues all republics and democracies alike. 

Munnalal is at the crossroads of Rajpath and Janpath in New Delhi and has a fundamental question: does Rajpath cross Janpath or Janpath cross Rajpath? And while figuring this question out, he comes across a more fundamental question about the existence and purpose of a Democratic Republic.

Written by: Rajendra Tyagi
Performed by: Vikas Dhurka

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This week on Naatak Radio we present a chilling tale from the partition: Gurmukh Singh Ki Vasiyat by Saadat Hasan Manto. 

A muslim family is trapped in their own house as the city around them burns. Will the friendships formed with the community come to their rescue?

Performed by Sunny Moza
Background Music:
"Riots of 2020 over The Joker Theme" by Squicx
"Tense Ambient Background Music" by Argsound Background Music
"Tense Cinematic Instrumental Ambient Music" by Argsound Music
"D&D Ambience, Angry Crowd, People Yelling, Guards, Noise, Tension, Riot" by Michael Ghelfi
"House Fire Burning Sound Effect" 
"Riots" by A R Rahman from the movie Bombay 

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This week on Naatak Radio presenting Mahendra Bhishm's TANG NAZAR. 

The legend goes that when Lord Rama was sent to the forest, his entire kingdom followed him. He told them, "Men and Women, please wipe your tears away and go back." They left, but a group of people stayed behind, at the edge of the forest because they were neither men nor women. 

The "Kinnars" or "Hijras", who include the transgender and intersex people, have a special place in the society. They dance at weddings or come uninvited to give blessings, but are also one of the most most abused in the society. Tang Nazar is one such story written as a first person narrative. She returns to her village after 20 long years, thinking things might have changed for the better, but some things just never change. 

Performed by Anitha Dixit. 
Background Music: "INNER SOUL, Main Artist: Spiritual Fitness Music, Contained in the album: Yoga and Meditation World Grooves Vol.1 - Yoga Fitness Chillout Lounge Collection"

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Presenting Saadat Hasan Manto's radio play: Aao Radio Sunein. Lajwanti and Kishore are at each other over what radio station to tune into, until Narayan steps to save the day. 

Performers: Sunny Moza, Monica Singh, Mustafa Khan, Vikas Dhurka

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This week on Naatak Radio, a short story “The Cub” by Lois Dykeman Kleihauer, describing the changing relationship between a boy and his father. The young boy grows up admiring his father’s physical strength and the two wrestle and playfight throughout his childhood. Although at first the father always wins, the day comes when things change. 

Adapted and performed by Kartic Bhargav
Music: "Better Days", "November", "Slow Motion", "Tomorrow" by Bensound.com
Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/BensoundMusic

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Presenting a delightful tale from one of the most prolific feminist writers of the 20th century - Padma Shri Ismat Chughtai: FIRDAUS (meaning: paradise).

Written in her classic first person narrative, Firdaus is about Saleema who is needlessly beaten by her husband and confides in Ismat "appa" about it often, until one day things change. Written with a healthy dose of humor and a tongue-in-cheek self reflection, one that Ismat Chughtai mastered in, Firdaus a feminist response to the age-old justification of domestic abuse centered around the question of where a woman's "paradise" really is. 

Performed by Monica Mehta Chitkara
Music: "Tabla + Hang Drum" by "Meditative Mind"

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Ismat Chughtai (21 August 1915 – 24 October 1991) was an Indian Urdu novelist, short story writer, and filmmaker. Beginning in the 1930s, she wrote extensively on themes including female sexuality and femininity, middle-class gentility, and class conflict, often from a Marxist perspective. With a style characterized by literary realism, Chughtai established herself as a significant voice in the Urdu literature of the twentieth century, and in 1976 was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India.

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This week on Naatak Radio we present, Rabindranath Tagore's KABULIWALA in 3 languages, Hindi, Bengali, and English. 

Kabuliwala is a Bengali short story written by Rabindranath Tagore in 1892. The story is of a merchant from Kabul, who comes to Calcutta (present day Kolkata), India each year for selling dry-fruits and while living in India he becomes friends with a five-year-old girl Mini from a middle-class aristocratic family. The main theme of this story is the deep love that fathers have for their children. In the story we encounter three examples of this deep emotional connect —the author and his daughter Mini; the Kabuliwala and his own daughter in Afghanistan; and the Kabuliwala and Mini. In this story Kabuliwala comes to India every year to sell dry-fruits and to meet this girl named Mini.

This particular episode is in Bengali. The Hindi and English versions of the story are in the  episodes before and after this particular episode. 

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This week on Naatak Radio we present, Rabindranath Tagore's KABULIWALA in 3 languages, Hindi, Bengali, and English. 

Kabuliwala is a Bengali short story written by Rabindranath Tagore in 1892. The story is of a merchant from Kabul, who comes to Calcutta (present day Kolkata), India each year for selling dry-fruits and while living in India he becomes friends with a five-year-old girl Mini from a middle-class aristocratic family. The main theme of this story is the deep love that fathers have for their children. In the story we encounter three examples of this deep emotional connect —the author and his daughter Mini; the Kabuliwala and his own daughter in Afghanistan; and the Kabuliwala and Mini. In this story Kabuliwala comes to India every year to sell dry-fruits and to meet this girl named Mini.

This particular episode is in English. The Bengali and Hindi versions of the story are in the previous 2 episodes. 

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Love the show? Consider supporting the show here.

This week on Naatak Radio we present, Rabindranath Tagore's KABULIWALA in 3 languages, Hindi, Bengali, and English. 

Kabuliwala is a Bengali short story written by Rabindranath Tagore in 1892. The story is of a merchant from Kabul, who comes to Calcutta (present day Kolkata), India each year for selling dry-fruits and while living in India he becomes friends with a five-year-old girl Mini from a middle-class aristocratic family. The main theme of this story is the deep love that fathers have for their children. In the story we encounter three examples of this deep emotional connect —the author and his daughter Mini; the Kabuliwala and his own daughter in Afghanistan; and the Kabuliwala and Mini. In this story Kabuliwala comes to India every year to sell dry-fruits and to meet this girl named Mini.

This particular episode is in Hindi. The Bengali and English versions of the story are in subsequent episodes. 

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Today we celebrate Dr. Annapurnand Verma who passed away 58 years ago today (4th December, 1962) at the young age of 67. We present one of his most famous stories: AKBARI LOTA. Lala Jhaulal is in a real pickle. He has committed to give a large sum of money to his wife and to make matters worse, has accidentally injured an English tourist. Will he be able to wriggle out of this situation?

Dr. Annapurnanand Verma is considered one of the foremost poets, novelists, and story writers in Hindi literature. His style of writing, filled with a distinctly unique sense of humor, often draws a parallel to Mark Twain and Woodhouse. Even though he is widely recognized by his contemporary giants of Hindi literature today, for many known unknown reasons this versatile author was almost forgotten in the literary world. Dr. Sapana Singh of Varanasi is credited  to re-establish this almost forgotten humorist in Hindi literature by doing marvelously inspiring research in Hindi literature.

Written by: Annapurnanand Verma
Performed by: Dr. Sharvari Dixit
Music:
Hung Drum + Tabla by Meditative Mind
Solo Tabla Magic by Bickram Ghosh from darbarmusic

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One slip. One Mistake. One mess-up. That's all you get. One fault can change the whole course of life. So, think before you act. The Kapoor family suffers the consequences of one such action. 

This Thanksgiving weekend, thank the ones you love!

Written and Directed by: Ritvik Agastya
Starring: Havish Ravipati, Kamala Subramaniam, Natasha Nema, and Kanishk Pandey

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Presenting Anton Chekov's "THE MARRIAGE PROPOSAL" in Marwari.

A marriage proposal leads to a hilarious quarrel about land and cattle.

Artists: Devu Heda, Sonal Kabra (Maloo), Prashant Maloo
Director: Manish Sabu
Translator: Prashant Bharati Maloo
Adaptation: Pratiksha Rao-Vaidya

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On this Diwali day of 2020, we mark the start of season 2 of Naatak Radio with a beautiful short story on the theme of Diwali: SANKALP. 

Shreya wants to celebrate her first Diwali in their new home just as she remembers from her childhood. But all is not well in the household, and she needs to muster the strength to kill the darkness within, this Diwali. Can she succeed?

Written by: Bhawna Saxena
Performed by: Vikas Dhurka

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From the Naatak Radio archives, presenting two beautiful poems by the gifted Anjana Surin. Recorded in conversation with Shubhla Bhatia Jotwani, the two poems were first aired on Radio Zindagi 1170AM in the Bay Area in 2017! 

The first poem is called RADIO SONG describing the wonders of Radio, bringing back the cherished childhood nostalgia. 

The second poem is called SAWAL JAWAB, a moving poem about the author's interactions with her dad. 

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"The Monkey's Paw" is a supernatural short story by author W. W. Jacobs, first published in England in the collection The Lady of the Barge in 1902. In the story, three wishes are granted to the owner of The Monkey's Paw, but the wishes come with an enormous price for interfering with fate.  It has been adapted many times in other media, including plays, films, TV series, operas, stories and comics, as early as 1903 and as recently as 2019. Naatak Radio's Monkey's Paw is based in Lansing, Michigan and the recipients of the paw are the Kuriens. 

Adapted and performed by Kartic Bhargav and sound design by Navi Viswanathan. 

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‘This is Going to Hurt Just a Little Bit’ by Ogden Nash is a humorous poem filled with exaggerations, puns and metaphors. It is a hilarious description of the whole experience of sitting in a dental chair which causes the poet great agony. Students all across India learn this poem in school. 

Ritwik Verma was one such student and this poem left a mark on him. Fast forward a few years, and Ritwik Verma put pen to paper and created a Hindi Version of this poem: अल्पकालिक पीड़ा

This translation was first presented in the poetry event Bauchar: अनुवाद का संवाद held on Sep 26, 2020 at 8PM. 

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Chief ki Daawat is one of the legendary writer Bhishm Sahni's most famous stories.

A humble Indian official invites his chief, an American, to his house for dinner. The low-ranked official believes that if his boss is impressed by his hospitality, he would surely grant him the long due promotion. The man and his wife turn the house upside down to make it spic and span for the party. But, according to them the man's elderly, illiterate, and unkempt mother is an eyesore. Will they be successful in hiding his mother from the party or will the two worlds clash?

Performed by Anpuam Dhyani
Music: Rimani, Sparks, Viverti, Libera from "1 Hour of the Most Beautiful Emotional Orchestral Music" by Mattia Cupelli

Bhisham Sahni (8 August 1915 – 11 July 2003) was an Indian writer, playwright in Hindi and an actor, most famous for his novel and television screenplay Tamas ("Darkness, Ignorance"), a powerful and passionate account of the Partition of India. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan for literature in 1998, and Sahitya Akademi Fellowship in 2002. He was the younger brother of the noted Hindi film actor, Balraj Sahni.

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Lajwanti convinces her husband Kishore and his friend Narayan to spin a web of lies together with her. Will they get entangled or manage to escape? Presenting the 4th in the series of hilarious radio plays written by Saadat Hasan Manto.

In 1940, when Manto left Lahore for New Delhi to take up the position of staff artist at All India Radio in New Delhi, he stopped en route at Amritsar where he wrote the preface for Aao, his first anthology of short humorous plays. Written over a span of five months, these plays “raise a variety of social and political issues” and ridicule those who “unthinkingly adopt Western culture.”

Cast
Kishore: Sunny Moza
Lajwanti and Jamila: Sonia Saini
Narayan: Vikas Dhurka

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On Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary year, Naatak Radio presents the music recorded live during the performance of Naatak's grand musical GANDHI.

The play captured the arc of Gandhi’s life and times, from his ‘experiments with truth’ in London to his campaigns in South Africa, to the civil disobedience movement he led against the British in India and was presented with live music and dance, including tunes familiar from Gandhi’s life and the Indian independence movement – वैष्णव जन, रघुपति राघव राजा राम, ऐकला चौलो रे – as well as original music and choreography.

Written and Directed by: Sujit Saraf
Watch the play on YouTube. 

Music composed by Nachiketa Yakkundi
Vocalists: Nachiketa Yakkundi, Anupama Chandratreya, Tejaswini Narayanan, Shouvik Neogi, Shirshanka Das
Harmonium:  Dilip Acharya  
Tabla: Ajay Sundar Raj
Flute: Niranjan Page

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Three men starving on a life raft, in the middle of the sea, employ a hilariously logical application of bureaucratic procedures to determine which of them is to become dinner for the other two.

Actors: Surender Singh, Rohit Dube, Snehal Pachigar, and Rajiv Nema
Adapted and Directed by: Surender Singh

About the playwright
Sławomir Mrożek, (born June 29, 1930, Borzęcin, Poland—died August 15, 2013, Nice, France), Polish playwright and satirist noted for his subtle parody and stylized language. As one of the leading European satiric writers of the last half of the 20th century, Mrożek exposed many of the nonsensical events of modern times. Bordering on the absurd with its combination of humour, wit, and the grotesque, his work transgressed political and economic systems, revealing both their universality and their sillier aspects.

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Presenting Lucille Fletcher’s THE HITCHHIKER, directed by Kartic Bhargav and featuring Kartic Bhargav along with Edward Keyani, Shelly Perrier Smith. Sound mixing and remastering by Navi Viswanathan. NOTE: For the most optimal experience, we recommend using headphones for this episode.

A typical cross country becomes anything but with a mysterious hitchhiker!

A a radio play written by Lucille Fletcher, the Hitchhiker was first presented on the November 17, 1941, broadcast of The Orson Welles Show on CBS Radio, featuring a score written and conducted by Bernard Herrmann. Welles performed The Hitch-Hiker four times on radio, and the play was adapted for an episode of The Twilight Zone.

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Munshi Premchand is one of the foremost Hindi writers of the 20th century. A novel writer, story writer and dramatist, he has been referred to as the "Upanyas Samrat" ("Emperor among Novelists") by writers. And Kafan, published in 1936, is thought to be the author's best, blackest, and most powerful short story. 

Set in an Indian village, the milieu of Premchand's best works, on a dark, chilly winter night, it is the story of a father, Ghisu, and his son, Madhav, who sit at the door of their hut roasting potatoes stolen from a neighbor's field. Budhiya, Madhav's young wife of one year, is inside groaning in childbirth. Neither man responds to her moans. In fact, Madhav is annoyed. His father urges him to look in on the girl, but he asks, "If she's going to die why doesn't she get it over with? What can I do by looking?"

Narrated by: Vineet Mishra

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When it comes to stories about the Indo-Pak partition of 1947, one stands out almost instantly, Toba Tek Singh by Saadat Hasan Manto.

A powerful satire on the relationship between India and Pakistan, Toba Tek Singh presents a unique view of the lunacy of the times from the point of view of the lunatics of the Lahore asylum. The story is set two or three years after the 1947 partition, when the governments of India and Pakistan decided to exchange some Muslim, Sikh and Hindu lunatics. The central character of the story is Bishan Singh, a Sikh inmate of an asylum in Lahore, who is from the town of Toba Tek Singh. As part of the exchange, Bishan Singh is sent under police escort to India, but upon being told that his hometown Toba Tek Singh is in Pakistan, he refuses to go.

A film by Ketan Mehta starring Pankaj Kapur in the titular role was released in 2018. In 2017, Naatak also staged a grand musical based on the story. 

Read and edited by: Ritwik Verma

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This week's bonus episode features a tribute to the king of Mushairas and one of the most impactful poets from the recent times, Rahat Indori. This is the original tribute as aired in Akashvani Ahmedabad composed and read by Paresh Vyas in Gujarati. 

Listen to Episode 26 for the tribute in Hindi by Rajiv Nema.

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The world of poetry lost an absolute gem of an artist on Aug 11, 2020. Rahat Indori, the undisputed king of "Mushairas", a poetic symposium where poets have the freedom to express themselves freely, passed away due to Covid-19. 

Naatak Radio's episode this week is a humble tribute to this legend, who transformed the world of poetry with his creations that were simple, but packed a knock-out punch. Based on Paresh Vyas's tribute broadcasted in Akashvani Ahmedabad, in this episode of Naatak Radio Rajiv Nema Indori pays the tribute in Hindi while also sharing some of his fond memories meeting Rahat sahab. Interspersed with some of Rahat Indori's famous creations, we hope to recreate a small Mushaira, right here on Radio!

Narrated by: Rajiv Nema
Based on content created by Paresh Vyas in Gujarati

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Aug 21, 2020 was Padma Shri Ismat Chughtai's 125th birth anniversary. One of India's most prominent authors, Ismat Chughtai has written countless stories, novels, and even films, but none more controversial at its release in 1942 and popular after than LIHAAF.

Written as a first person narrative, Lihaaf is a 'terrifying' memory of the narrator from her childhood. Lihaaf is a landmark portrayal of an insulated life of a neglected wife as seen from a little girl's eyes. Chughtai was inspired to write the story upon hearing of the rumored affair of a begum and her masseuse in Aligarh, the story chronicles the sexual awakening of Begum Jan following her unhappy marriage with a nawab.

The cleverly portrayed reference to homosexuality in the story got Chugthai summoned by the Lahore High Court to defend herself against the charges of "obscenity". She was exonerated but detested the media coverage of the whole incident, which in her view weighted heavily upon her subsequent work; "Lihaaf brought me so much notoriety that I got sick of life. It became the proverbial stick to beat me with and whatever I wrote afterwards got crushed under its weight."

According to her memoir, Chughtai made her peace with the whole fiasco, having met the woman who had inspired Begum Jan a few years after the publication of Lihaaf. She felt greatly rewarded when the begum told her that Lihaaf had "changed her life and it is because of her story now she was blessed with a child".

Narrator: Sareeka Malhotra
Editing and mixing by: Anitha Dixit
Some of the music composed by: Sandeep Khurana

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"At the stroke of the midnight hour" on 15th August 1947, British India was divided into two independent and self-governing countries of India and Pakistan. As the two countries awoke to "life and freedom" nearly 15 million people found themselves displaced as the states of Punjab and Bengal were partitioned strictly on the basis of religion. Among the many stories written on the partition, like "Amritsar Aa Gaya Hai" featured in Episode 23, Saadat Hasan Manto's Toba Tek Singh is considered one of the most poignant. Naatak staged its musical based on this story in 2017. In this episode we present songs from this musical.

The songs open "Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata"a five-stanza hymn in Bengali, composed and scored by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore in 1911. The National Anthem of India has been adapted from the first stanza of this hymn.

The track "Joint Anthems" while situational - it appears in the musical when the inhabitants of the mental hospital, the subject of the story, are indoctrinated into their respective countries - presents a unique never before heard version of the anthems sung together.

The songs also feature "Taraana-e-Pakistan", the national anthem of Pakistan, "Aadha hi chahiye" (We want only half) a song about the partition and many others.
Music Director: Nachiketa Yakkundi, RSV School of Music
Vocalists: Nachiketa Yakkundi, Sharvari Dixit, Anitha Dixit, Anindita Mukherjee, Amit Shenoy
Tabla: Ashish Tare and Ajay Sundar Raj
Harmonium: Himanshu Koshe
Dholak: Kashyap Parab

Written and Directed by Sujit Saraf

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In August, 1947, when the British finally left it after 300 years of subjugation, the Indian subcontinent was divided into two independent nations purely based on religion, India and Pakistan. This abrupt partition, and the hastily drawn borders, sometimes running across people's compounds, led to one of the greatest migrations in human history. Nearly 15 million people comprising of Muslims trekking to Pakistan from India and Hindus and Sikhs heading in the opposite direction were displaced overnight. Millions never made it. The railway link between the two countries was a key medium, and was also witness to horrors beyond human comprehension.

Bhisham Sahni, a prominent writer and playwright and winner of the Padma Bhushan for literature, was known for composing many passionate and powerful accounts of these times in his stories and novels. The most famous of them all: Tamas!

Not far behind is his short story Amritsar Aa Gaya Hai that we're presenting in this brand new episode. It is a brilliant portrayal of how people are dehumanized by mass frenzy to a level that they are reduced to either limp helplessness or unreasoning rage. It portrays how, with the crossing of man-made borders, human nature could itself mutate, with the victim becoming an aggressor and the aggressor a victim. Alongside Saadat Hassan Manto's Toba Tek Singh, Amritsar... merits a place of honor in the literature of India's troubled Partition.

This episode is released on 8/8/2020, which marks the 105th birthday of this great writer.

Narrator: Manish Sabu
Music and Background Sound Credit:
Various train sounds, other objects, and "Riots" by A. R. Rahman. 

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Covid-19 has spared no one. Among the hardest hit are the elderly who live in a state of constant fear. Many, especially in India, would have seen and survived the horrors of the 1947 partition, and could not have imagined reliving the panic and chaos. Anant Yatra (A never ending journey) by Rekha Rajvanshi is a story of one such individual.

Shri Jitendra Nath, is forced to cut short his trip to Australia, one that he makes often to visit his son and grandkids as Covid-19 in Feb'2020. The journey from Australia back to his daughter's in India takes him down the memory lane and into a complex labyrinth of thoughts and makes the journey an Anant Yatra.

Written by: Rekha Rajvanshi
Narrated by: Anitha Dixit
 

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Presenting the second in our series of Microfiction short stories, Mannaton Ke Dhaage, by Trilochana Kaur.

The village's beloved Babool tree was suffering due to the customs held dear by the people until the chief comes up with a clever solution.

Narrator: Vikas Dhurka
Background score: "Indian Tabla + Hangdrum Music" by Meditative Mind
Story source: 1 May 2020 issue of the Abhivyakti monthly publication. 

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Microfiction is an art of telling a story in as few words as possible. In today's limited word-count driven short attention spans, Microfiction presents a unique challenge to writers. Tell the same hard-hitting tales, but with fewer words. And then, reduce some more.

Presenting, Naatak Radio's first microfiction piece, Aasman Ka Sitara, by Savitha Samu. The most sacred place for a kid, their thoughts while looking up at the star filled sky, should always stay that way. But does it?

Background Song: "Mary Had a Little Lamb" on piano by Toms Mucenieks

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Shattered by the discovery that her husband is leaving her, a devoted housewife retaliates, gathering the pieces rather cleverly. Based on “Lamb to the Slaughter”, a short story by Roald Dahl, and adapted and directed by Mahesh Umasankar, Bali Ka Bakra was also presented by Naatak in Mela, 2016.

Voice Actors:
Savitha Samu, Anush Moorthy, Dilip Ratnam, Swagato Basumallick and Palak Joshi

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There is an undisputed law of lazy Sundays. The moment you relax, is the moment you lose the Sunday. Presenting Aao Baat To Suno, the third play in Saadat Hasan Manto's radio play series Aao. On a lazy Sunday, Kishore volunteers to run a small errand for Lajwanti who's feeling under the weather, and the neighborhood piles on.

Cast:
Kishore: Harish Sunderam Agastya
Lajwanti: Sumrah Jan
Padosan: Smita Khole
Narayan: Abhay Paranjapé
Kishore's Dad: Adnan Siddiqui
Gopal, Voice over, Khusku (the parrot):

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Songs from Naatak's Grand Musical: Mahabharat staged in 2018.

It is said that every story that can possibly be told has been told in the Mahabharat. In 2018, Naatak presented this greatest epic ever written with live music and dance, and setting it in an undefined era that could be modern, ancient or anywhere in between. This was Naatak’s largest production in 25 years. There were as many as 50 people on stage, weaving theater, dance and music into an intricate presentation.

The album is broken in two parts as the music tempo changes pre war and during. 

Songs and play written by: Sujit Saraf
Songs composed by: Nachiketa Yakkundi and team

THE MUSIC TEAM
Vocalists: Nachiketa Yakkundi, Anupama Chandratreya, Tejaswini Narayanan
Organ: Anand Karve
Tabla: Ajay Sundar Raj
Flue: Niranjan Page

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Songs from Naatak's Grand Musical: Mahabharat staged in 2018.

It is said that every story that can possibly be told has been told in the Mahabharat. In 2018, Naatak presented this greatest epic ever written with live music and dance, and setting it in an undefined era that could be modern, ancient or anywhere in between. This was Naatak’s largest production in 25 years. There were as many as 50 people on stage, weaving theater, dance and music into an intricate presentation.

The album is broken in two parts as the music tempo changes pre war and during. 

Songs and play written by: Sujit Saraf
Songs composed by: Nachiketa Yakkundi and team

THE MUSIC TEAM
Vocalists: Nachiketa Yakkundi, Anupama Chandratreya, Tejaswini Narayanan
Organ: Anand Karve
Tabla: Ajay Sundar Raj
Flue: Niranjan Page

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Why is the Ace, a faceless card considered the most supreme? Why are there only 3 female cards in the whole suite? Kishore is clearly up to something. Can Lajwanti get him to reveal his secrets through a game of cards? Does Narayan's entry change anything?

Presenting Aao Taash Kheien (Come, let's play cards), the second in a series of short plays written by Saadat Hasan Manto called Aao. Each play presents a delightful banter between the husband Kishore, the wife Lajwanti, and their friend Narayan. Light-hearted and animated in nature, these lesser knows plays represent the writer in a different light.

Voice actors:
Kishore: Harish Agastya
Lajwanti: Sumrah Jan
Narayan: Abhay Pranajape

Direction: Vikas Dhurka
Presenter: Naatak

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Saadat Hasan Manto was a colonial Indian and Pakistani writer, playwright and author born in Ludhiana, India. Writing mainly in Urdu, he produced 22 collections of short stories, a novel, five series of radio plays, three collections of essays and two collections of personal sketches. His best short stories are held in high esteem by writers and critics. Manto was known to write about the hard truths of society that no one dared to talk about. He is best known for his stories about the partition of India, which he opposed, immediately following independence in 1947.

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Presenting the first in a series of short plays written by Saadat Hasan Manto. While working as a writer for the Urdu service of All India Radio, Manto wrote these short plays in Mumbai specifically for radio and the collection was published in 1940. Each play presents a delightful banter between the husband Kishore, the wife Lajwanti, and their friend Narayan. Light-hearted and animated in nature, these lesser knows plays represent the writer in a different light.

Aao Kahani Likhen (Come, let's write a story) is mentioned in the All India Radio progress report as one of the most successful production of the series. Lajwanti challenges Kishore to write a story and what starts off as fiction quickly becomes an unraveling of secrets in their relationship until Narayan comes in with a twist and a surprise ending to the tale. 

Voice actors:
Kishore: Ausaf Masud
Lajwanti: Sumrah Jan
Narayan: Abhay Pranajape

Direction: Vikas Dhurka
Presenter: Naatak

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Saadat Hasan Manto was a colonial Indian and Pakistani writer, playwright and author born in Ludhiana, India. Writing mainly in Urdu, he produced 22 collections of short stories, a novel, five series of radio plays, three collections of essays and two collections of personal sketches. His best short stories are held in high esteem by writers and critics. Manto was known to write about the hard truths of society that no one dared to talk about. He is best known for his stories about the partition of India, which he opposed, immediately following independence in 1947.

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Nearly 300-million (30 crore) people in India live at or below the poverty line and the 2020 pandemic is expected to throw many more in deep penury. This story, written by eminent story writer, Gnanpeeth (2009), Vyas Samman (2009), and Sahitya Akademi Award (2007) winner, Amarkant presents a tale of such a family. It presents the real life struggles of many and uses a narrative that is both poignant and heart-rending. Siddheshwari Devi distributes a very limited quantity of food amongst her retrenched husband and unemployed children so that nobody feels half-fed, but when nothing but half a roti is left for her, she cries silently. The ending of this story is extremely touching. 

Narrated by: Savitha Samu and Vikas Dhurka
Presented by: Naatak

About the author:
Born in 1925 in Baliya, UP, Amarkant is at the top among the most prominent storytellers of India. The beauty of Amarkant's writing lies in its simplicity, which the critic Pranaya Krishna described as “the most difficult pursuit”. Amarkant goes deep into the sociology as well as the psychology of his characters without any cathartic drama and turns them into authentic representatives of our social margins. Amarkant is best known for his short stories although he also published six novels. He started writing in a period when the Nai Kahani (New Story) movement was heralding a big thematic and structural shift, and almost overshadowed the tradition of Premchand which used to be the mainstream fiction in Hindi. This movement focussed more on urban settings, individual characteristics, man-woman relationships, and so on, in place of people in villages and small towns. The scene was dominated by authors such as Mohan Rakesh, Kamaleshwar and Rajendra Yadav, aggressive advocates of the movement as a new metaphor for and of modern society.

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A satire on the modern Indian urbanized society, Bholaram Ka Jeev, starts with a unique premise: Great confusion has ensued in Yamraj's offices in heaven. The soul of the story's protagonist, Bholaram a government servant, has gone missing. This causes Yamraj to issue a search warrant for Bholaram and deploy Narad to investigate. Narad visits Bholaram's family in disguise and finds that they are in a desperate need for his pension money, which they never received even after 5-years of him retiring from the job. Narad decides to help but is met with government bureaucracies at various levels. Does he finally mange to track down Bholaram's जीव (soul)? Can even death not bring peace to once's soul in today's urbanized and materialistic society? Listen on to find out.

Performed by: Anitha Dixit
Presented by: Naatak

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Harishankar Parsai (1924- 1995) is an acclaimed Hindi writer. He is known for his humorist and direct style of writing. He was born in Jamnia village near Itarsi in Hoshangabad district, Madhya Pradesh. He completed his M.A. in English from R.T.M. Nagpur University. In 1982 he won Sahitya Akademi award for his work titled ViklaangShraddhakadaur.

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What happens when California decides to secede from the United States? This is the premise of this brand new play by Rithvik Agastya. Crossover tracks the journey of two couples living in the newly formed "Republic of California" and "Michigan, United States" over a span of 10 years. Are they happy with their choices or are they ready to Crossover?

Actors: Amar Chokshi, Mona Deshpande, Kartic Bhargav, Prapti Oswal
Written and Directed by: Rithvik Agastya
Presented by: Naatak

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The second episode this week to celebrate the International Tea day. "Chai Anthem" from Naatak's Mr. India.

ABOUT THE PLAY
A half-blind, bumbling tea-seller in Delhi rises to become Prime Minister of India in this hilarious and hard-hitting satire on Indian democracy. Based on the 2007 novel The Peacock Throne, acclaimed by Time and The Guardian, the play is a grand farce, starting with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots that followed the assassination of Indira Gandhi, and ending with the election that threw up a hung parliament in 1989. Tucked amidst these momentous events is the tale of a humble and foolish tea-seller, whose rise to power is the bittersweet story of India itself. The play features spectacular sets, costumes and lights, along with live music by Nachiketa Yakkundi and his team, and dance by Niharika Mohanty, Deepa Mahadevan, Madhuri Kishore and their team. The whole play rhymes.

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Thursday, May 21, was International Tea Day. To celebrate we present not one but two episodes this week on Naatak Radio. First is a short story - Raawat Tea Stall, by Varsha Thakur. We all have our favorite hidden gems in our favorite vacation spots. A tea stall, a restaurant, a coffee shop, a book store, etc. Arup tries to retrace his path to the best chai he ever had during his previous Badrinath trip. Did the tea stall manage to survive the winds of change? Is the tea stall a place or is it its people?

Written by: Varsha Thakur
Narrated by: Mayuresh Gokhale

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Written by Gulzar, Seema is a poignant and touching tale about love and longing, and has appeared in many of his short story collections. “Seema” revolves around three individuals, theatre director Sudhir, his actor wife Seema, and their mutual friend TK. Seema’s and Sudhir’s life appears picture perfect, but appearances are often deceptive in the world of showbiz. The story was eventually made into the movie Libaas in 1988. Incidentally the movie was never widely released and has only had two public screenings, one in 1992 and the other in 2014 in the 23rd and 45th International Film Festival of India. 

Narrator: Sareeka Malhotra
Presenter: Naatak

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A poignant short tale by Siyaramsharan Gupt shows the innocence of a small child dealing with an unexpected loss.

Narrated by: Anitha Dixit

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A couple in their thirties has completed ten years of marriage. One late afternoon, the wife tells the husband that she is pregnant but the child is not his. The husband meanwhile has secrets of his own. Numerous intricate confessions are revealed in the plethora of twists and turns of the tale. A classic comedy of a couple taken by their desires.

Based on "The Problem" by A. R. Gurney
Adapted in Hindi and Directed by: Sareeka Malhotra
Cast: Sareeka Malhotra and Amit U Sharma
Staged in Naatak's 51st production, Mela 2015 in Punjabi as ਮਾਮਲਾ ਗੜਬੜ ਹੈ

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Having recently moved to a new house, a seemingly well-to-do family is visited by a supposedly petty thief whose, arrival throws their lives into confusion. 

Written by: Narendra Kohli
Directed by: Monica Mehta Chitkara
Cast: Deepal Pandya, Ashok Vijay, Manasi Raje Deshmukh and

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Ek Saste Jahaaj Ka Sapna is a comical take on the life of a common man and his vision towards society. The story revolves around Genda Singh who dreams of owning a new affordable airplane designed in Latvia. Will he be able to turn his dream into a reality?

Actors: Yaduvir Singh, Surender Singh, Shreya Bhattacharji and Avadhoot Bhambare

Directed by Vikas Dhurka

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Two non-Bengali speaking friends go to watch a movie and get the crux of the film all wrong. Sharad Joshi's hilarious hindi satire narrated and directed by Rajiv Nema. 

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Ande Ke Chilke : A tale set in the 1960s, about a  strict vegetarian household where even eggs are a taboo. The daughter-in-law of the house however, was brave enough to break the rules for herself, her husband, and her brother in law. Will the matriarch of the house discover these nefarious activities happening right under her nose? Or will the family members succeed in keeping and cooking it all under the table? 

Written by: Mohan Rakesh
Director: Anjali Bhide
Cast: Chaitanya Godsay, Anjali Bhide, Bhavna Mathur, Aniruddha Bhide, Shubhla Bhatia Jotwani, and Rajiv Nema

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