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Scripted and directed by Dr M Sayeed Alam,the play has on stage four Ghalibs,depicting the master poet’s childhood,youth,middle and old age. “It goes without saying that I play the part of the older Ghalib,as I don’t have to try too hard to look and act old,and my director didn’t have to spend a bomb on make-up to make me look the age,” says Tom,who has been playing the role for more than three years now and travelling with the play all over the country.

Alter credits Dr Alam for the play’s success,sensitivity,depth and reach. “He’s a brilliant playwright,who infuses so much life and emotions into the script that it’s easy for the actor to perform. Alam writes simply but with great passion,bringing alive the pain and pathos of Ghalib,his intriguing personality,his extraordinary life,with humour,satire,poetry and love,” he says. Music and poetry are of course,the core of the production,with Ghalib’s ghazals,recited,sung and performed in dance form. “During the course of the play we depict two mushairas too,” Alter adds.

Ghalib’s personal life,his relationship with his wife,staff,lady love,deranged brother,his rivalry with Zauq—all of it is brought alive as the 70-year-old Ghalib narrates his memoirs to his first biographer Maulana Altaf Hussein Hali. In the years that Pierrot’s Troupe has staged the play,there have been changes in his performance,Alter says. “I have been a part of the theatre company’s biographical dramas like Maulana Azad,KL Saigal,Begum Akhtar and Ghalib. Alam’s troupe withstands the various constraints,for he always does ticketed shows,” Alter says,adding that theatre’s foundation can be strong only if the culture of buying tickets to see theatre is established. Bhopal and Mumbai,adds the actor,are two cities where theatre thrives as people here are always willing to spend money to watch theatre. “Patrons are indispensable for theatre and ticketed shows are vital,” Alter signs off.

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