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A poignant play about the magic of friendship is set to light up the stage next Thursday.
Bahrain-based production house Khwabgaah: House of Dreams is putting on a Hindi performance of Shambu aur Mani (Shambu and Mani) on January 16 at 7pm at Al Mahd Day Boarding School in Saar.
“Shambhu aur Mani is a Hindi play inspired by a script by Manav Kaul,” Khwabgaah founder and the play’s director Anupam Ramesh Kinger told GulfWeekly.
“It is a heartwarming story celebrating the magic of friendship.
“Set in an assisted living home, it portrays the journey of two elderly men from different walks of life who build a profound bond while helping each other confront and offload the emotional baggage of their past.”
The 75-minute long production is a rollercoaster of emotions, featuring a talented cast and crew from the Indian diaspora in Bahrain, with an original music score by Indian banker and bard Chiradeep Ghosh.
Blending humour with a critique of societal attitudes towards the elderly, the play centres on two eponymous characters with very different personalities who come to form a deep friendship.
Arun Nagendra plays Shambhu and Sandeep Singh portrays Mani, with supporting roles played by Saptarishi Bhowmick, Bhagirathi Pania, Dr Gurpreet Kaur and Prashant Kumar.
“It has eight small acts,” Anupam explained.
“We have tried to recreate the small town ambience through the props, lights and music, and the script requires just basic costumes and extensive lights.
“This play is timeless, which is something that fascinated me.
“It could be contemporary or set in the 1990s - the events are like leaves in the river of time. They just float.”
The music for the performance has been composed by Chiradeep, an investment banker who loves to ‘transition from the world of PowerPoints and spreadsheets to the vibrant realm of music composition.’
The self-taught pianist and guitarist has been passionately blending diverse musical genres for over a decade, including composing original music for plays and short films.
Beyond composing, he thrives on sharing his love for music by hosting engaging musical quizzes and events.
“The script of this play gave me a very strong emotional message,” Anupam added.
“It works at a deeper level, taking you through the emotions of pain and camaraderie.
“The two old men and the pain that they experience was very real to me.”
It will be staged at Al Mahd’s 400-capacity auditorium, and entry, while free, requires prior registration.
Doors will open at 6pm.
The guest of honour will be Royal Humanitarian Foundation secretary-general Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa bin Mohammed Al Khalifa and the chief guest will be Indian Ambassador Vinod K Jacob.
Khwabgaah was established in 2018 and has become a platform for Indian diaspora artists residing in Bahrain. They have previously put on performances at Bapco Club in Awali and the Cultural Hall in Manama, attracting audiences of up to 680 people.
To register for tickets, scan the QR code.
