Holy Smoke

The 90-minute play begins with a scene between Gandhi and Jinnah discussing Partition. It traces a jumble of incidents from 1947 and the dynamic new India with all its contradictions. In one of the conversations between Nehru and Gandhi about the need to take up arms against the British,Ahluwalia says he is making a subtle reference to the Mumbai terror attacks. “How would Gandhi react to terrorism today? What would be his solution?” questions Ahluwalia,who plays Nehru in the play. “I think he would have been able to handle it without violence,” adds Ahluwalia. The cast of 90 Minutes… are all members of Holy Cow,who are mostly Indians settled in Britain. Formed in late 2007,this play is Holy Cow’s fourth production. Previously,they have adapted Girish Karnad’s play Naga Mandala,based on Indian folktales,and Benny Nayarambalam’s Radhakrishnan. “Our group basically explores stories from Indian culture,which are presented to a foreign audience with a fresh perspective. The Fringe gave us that platform,” says Ahluwalia,whose next script is about the Mumbai terror attacks.