Wajid Ali Shah was beyond art, played a role in poetry, thumris: Himanshu Bajpai

“The idea is to take a walk down memory lane and revisit Awadh’s history with the most celebrated Nawab of the city in focus,” says dastango Himanshu Bajpai and Pragya Sharma, who are all set to present a premiere show based on the life and rule of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah.
“Nawab Wajid Ali Shah is still remembered for his musical and poetic compositions as well as his contribution towards the enrichment of Awadh as a seat of art, culture and valour. With a poetic takhallus (penname) Qaisar and Akhtarpiya for his musical compositions, the Nawab wrote over 40 works, including poems, prose and thumris. He nurtured Lucknow gharana’s famous dance form Kathak and promoted classical thumri,” says Bajpai.
Having researched four years, Bajpai wants to bring out the other side of the Awadhi ruler to the fore: “It amazes me that there are many who only see him as a patron of art and as someone who was busy in his own world. Our story will bring out the unseen side of the Nawab mentioning his contribution in the first war of freedom (1857) in a typical way of dastangoi.”
Sharma feels the new generations also need to be made part of our history: “Our rich history needs to be taken to doors, via live performances, films or social media.”
With the first public show of Dastan-e-Jaan-e-Aalam in Lucknow, the duo is set to take the legend to other cities too, including Kolkata and Delhi.