Theatre
Siddiqui has seen success in the theatre field as well. From serving IPTA as a National Vice President, he later contributed in the origin and functioning of the Marathi IPTA as well, and has been associated with it as a national member.
His play 'Tumhari Amrita, based on A R Gurney's classic American play Love Letters, with only two actors (Shabana Azmi and Farooq Shaikh) reading out letters to each other, became a critical success. Since its debut in 1993, the play has been performed all over the world, including a special performance at the United Nations, the first Indian play to do so.
This was followed by Saalgirah, starring actress Kirron Kher, a play dealing with the complexity of divorce in modern urban life.
Siddiqui has successfully ventured into various domains, from Bertolt Brecht to more contemporary themes in his adaptations. He has adapted Bertolt Brecht's play Puntilla and several of his other works. His play Andhe Choohe based on Agatha Christie's Mousetrap, is one of the world's longest running dramas. In the words of critic Vijay Nair, "Javed Siddiqi’s lines are as poignant as ever. They leap out of the letters as little gems. At times they plead with the incoherence of hurts long stifled. At times they flare up like little flames scorching the audience. At times they sooth like fresh raindrops after a scorching summer. But at all times they have a life of their own and make their presence felt like an invisible third character on stage." His play 1857: Ek Safarnama set in Indian Rebellion of 1857 was also stage at Purana Qila, Delhi ramparts by Nadira Babbar and National School of Drama Repertory company, in 2008.
Over the years he has written numerous plays, including Hamesha, Begum Jaan, Aap Ki Soniya and Kacche Lamhe.
Read more about this topic: Javed Siddiqui
Famous quotes containing the word theatre:
“Compare ... the cinema with theatre. Both are dramatic arts. Theatre brings actors before a public and every night during the season they re-enact the same drama. Deep in the nature of theatre is a sense of ritual. The cinema, by contrast, transports its audience individually, singly, out of the theatre towards the unknown.”
—John Berger (b. 1926)
“To save the theatre, the theatre must be destroyed, the actors and actresses must all die of the plague. They poison the air, they make art impossible. It is not drama that they play, but pieces for the theatre. We should return to the Greeks, play in the open air: the drama dies of stalls and boxes and evening dress, and people who come to digest their dinner.”
—Eleonora Duse (1858–1924)
“... the theatre demanded of its members stamina, good digestion, the ability to adjust, and a strong sense of humor. There was no discomfort an actor didn’t learn to endure. To survive, we had to be horses and we were.”
—Helen Hayes (1900–1993)