As the first dialogue resonated on stage, the entire auditorium fell silent, and then began the story of sacrifice and dedication that changed history. The production of “Hind Di Chadar” presented the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur so powerfully that the audience’s emotions deepened with each scene.
The Baisakhi Festival, organized jointly by the North Central Zone Cultural Centre, Ministry of Culture, Government of India, and the Chandigarh Sangeet Natak Academy (Cultural Affairs Department, Chandigarh), kicked off with a grand opening at the Centre’s auditorium on Wednesday. The program was inaugurated by lighting the lamp by chief guest Prof. Harsh Kumar (former Head of Department, Ancient History, Allahabad University), Centre Director Sudesh Sharma, senior theatre personality Abhilash Narayan, and programme advisor Kalpana Sahay. On the first day of the festival, the play “Hind Di Chadar” was staged. This presentation was given by Impact Arts. The play was written by Ravinder Singh Sodhi and directed by renowned theatre personality and film actor Baninderjit Singh Banni. The play is based on the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur.
The play depicts how Guru Tegh Bahadur sacrificed his life to protect Hinduism. When Kashmiri Pandits, distressed by Aurangzeb’s atrocities and pressure to convert, appealed to Guru Tegh Bahadur for help, he stood by them wholeheartedly and courageously, confronting Aurangzeb. The play begins with the story of Makhan Shah, a devotee of the Guru, who wanders in search of Guruji’s darshan, while some hypocrites take advantage of this. Later, he finally gets a glimpse of Guruji. The play also depicts how Hindu Pandits were being tortured and forcibly converted to Islam. A Nawab, a devotee of Guruji, advises the Pandits to seek refuge with him. Subsequently, the Kashmiri Pandits write a letter to Aurangzeb, mentioning Guru Tegh Bahadur. Further dialogue between Aurangzeb and the Qazi reveals the internal conflict, but the Qazi ultimately resolves it.
The events that follow lead to the martyrdom of Guruji’s followers. Guru Tegh Bahadur is given a day’s respite, and the next day he is martyred. Meanwhile, a strong storm blows through Guruji’s devotees, who respectfully carry his head and torso to safety. Finally, a Mughal soldier realizes his mistake and exposes the truth, blaming the Qazi. The play concludes with everyone paying respectful respects.
In the play, Rajat Sachdeva, Pushpinder Bagga, Rinku Jain, Sumit, Amritpal Singh, Didar Verma, Charanjit Singh, Sharan Bagania, Jatin Sachdeva, Shivam Sharma, Kamaldeep Kaur, Pardeep Singh Dhillon, Kulwinder Kaur, Ravitej Singh Brar, Bharat Inder Singh, and Navtaran Singh captivated the audience with their excellent performances. The program was hosted by Mr. Manmohan Singh “Tanha.”
