Alap never stopped dreaming like a musician, even after Covid dealt him a rude awakening and forced him out of the art form into conventional jobs. “I had to quit composing and arranging during Covid. One of the reasons was that artists did not get much help and were left to fend for themselves. It was only a year ago, when Kshitij Kulkarni, an executive producer with Marathi films, reignited the fire in me that I returned to working with music again. It was a happy occasion as I am doing what I enjoy and experimenting freely,” says Alap, whose work is one of the highlights of the Hindustani musical play, Noor Manzil. The play, presented by Jashn-e-Uns, will be staged at Bharat Natya Mandir on July 6, 8.30 pm. Named after the house where the main protagonists live, Noor Manzil also marks a comeback for the director-producer of the play, Kulkarni. “I was an active participant of theatre competitions in college, such as Purushottam Karandak and Firodia Karandak. Then, films and TV shows began to dominate my time though theatre remained my first love. After many years, I have returned to the stage,” says Kulkarni. His wife, the classical singer Bhagyashree Kulkarni, is performing in Noor Manzil. Kulkarni's forte has been to tell stories that highlight family values and strong relationships. Written by Vaidehi Sancheti, the plot of Noor Manzil unfolds around an autobiographical book that has been written by Prof Kabir Sharma. Despite penning the work, Sharma does not want it to be published or made public. His partner of many decades, Dr Zubeida Ansari, however, is convinced that the book should be published. The duo met in Delhi and came to Mumbai, from where, after a period of struggle, they moved to Pune to lead a retired life. “Why one partner wants the book to be published and another does not is where the twist in the tale lies,” says Kulkarni. Another couple enters their story to add to the emotional layers. Noor Manzil has created a form of storytelling that includes dramatic reading, poetry, live music and live dances, technology and elaborate costumes. The radio, the quintessential companion for people in an earlier era, has an important role in the play. The pace of events in the two-and-a-half-hour play is fast to fit the short attention spans of the modern audience. The genesis of Noor Manzil was in art and literary events that Kulkarni and a group of friends used to organise to showcase the beauty of Indian languages. “Though I am a typical Marathi, I have a deep love for Urdu and Hindi,” says Kulkarni. Noor Manzil uses the dialect of North India in which the English language, Urdu and Hindi mix fluently. “Most importantly, I hope that the play drives home the message that relationships can be tough but, with love, a couple can spend their lives together. I see that a lot of young people do not want to commit as there is a lack of trust. The story of the retired couple shows that we need to take the first step with love,” says Kulkarni.
