Eminent theatre personality, producer-director-writer Nadira Zaheer Babbar will be seen in a new play after a long gap of seven years. All these years, Nadira was acting only in her old home productions - ‘Begum Jaan’ and ‘Sandhya Chhaya’.

Nadira says that there was no role fit for her in the new plays that Ekjute - Nadira’s theatre group - produced in the last seven years.

So, how did she find herself in the new play ‘Sach… Juta… Namak’? “When we were in the process of bringing out this play I thought that I must definitely be a part of it because it is a compilation of short stories penned by my mother, (Urdu writer Razia Sajjad Zaheer),” says Nadira, adding, “When it was decided to include ‘Namak’ in the play, I was waiting for Hanif (Patni, the director) to ask me if I would play Safiya’s role. When he did, I readily agreed.” 
   
‘Namak’ is the story about a woman who crosses the Indian border to meet her brothers in Pakistan after 20 years. Nadira adds, “I had read this story several times since the time my mother had written it. I have a deep-rooted sensitivity towards it and feel the pain that Safiya has gone through. I thought that if I try at portraying her character, I will do a good job.”

So, what does she expect from this play in terms of response from the audience? Says Nadira, “This play underlines the importance of language and literature. Today, nobody pays attention to language. Good language is extinct. Someone speaking in good Hindi is looked down upon for not knowing English probably. It is a pity.”

Ekjute is also actively involved in pushing young talent in theatre. “It is immensely satisfying to see young talent grow. We select candidates from the bi-annual workshops that we hold and roll them into our productions,” dhr informs. 
Nadira is hopeful that the theatre movement that they have stirred will be appreciated.

“Every theatre has a story to tell. I don’t believe in absurd theatre. I feel my audience is not ready for that. People are coming back to theatre. One just needs to be passionate and dedicated. The hare doesn’t sustain itself in the long run.”