JOIN USSolo act to mesmerise theatre lovers
Keeping up its tradition of bringing for audiences something different and unusual ICCR this time is featuring Kabeer - a musical mono act play by Shekhar Sen on July 2 at Azad Bhawan.
Kabeer, the musical mono act play depicts the life and times of the great reformist, poet and philosopher Kabeer. This legendary saint challenged deep-rooted social evils ailing the society 600 years ago.
With 45 song sequences, this two-hour long play will unfold the making of this revolutionary social reformer who was discovered floating in a pond, on his day of birth, by a Muslim couple Neeru and Nima. He grew up in Kashi (Varanasi) amidst temples and mosques, only to discover deeply entrenched superstitions propagated by religious leaders and priests.
The play reflects influences of great saints like Guru Ramanand, Raidas and Sheikh Fareedon.
The mono act also has an enactment of Kabeer’s marriage with Loyee, his meeting with Sikandar Shah Lodhi and other incidences underlines Shekhar’s sterling performance.
Sung in a rich voice and supported by melodious music, Kabeer’s poems are appropriately woven in the play. The audience will rediscover Kabeer’s message of love and peace and religious harmony, a message that binds us together.
Kabeer has been conceived, written, composed, directed and acted by Shekhar Sen – a renowned singer and music director credited with more than 1000 live performances and a 188 recorded cassettes and CDs.
Kabeer has not only been a grand success in India including Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Surat, Kolkata, Indore, Ujjain, Varanasi, Lucknow, but worldwide also including London, Antwerp, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Dallas, Boston, Phoenix, San Antonio, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Detroit, Dayton, Houston, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Singapore and Suriname.
Shekhar has taken Kabeer even to smaller places like Ayodhya, Kopa Gunj, Maunath bhanjan, Salempur, Devaria, Basti, Gajipur, Azamgarh, Kushi Nagar, Magahar, Balia, Balia, Mirzapur, Jaunpur, Rauzagaon, etc. Kabeer has also been performed at the Lok Sabha in 2005.
Shekhar Sen has proved himself as a talented singer, music composer, lyricist and actor. Born and brought up in a Bengali family of Raipur Chhattisgarh, he was fortunate to learn music from his parents late Dr. Arun Kumar Sen and late Dr. Aneeta Sen renowned classical singers of the Gwalior Gharana and musicologists.
Shekhar established himself as a singer with a different style by singing compositions of medieval poets like Raskhan, Raheem, Lalitkishori, Bhooshan Bihari and many more. He has also composed music for TV serials like Shiv Mahapuran, Geeta Rahasya and Dhadkan, and has given playback in Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan.