Kaifi Aur Main is a celebration of renowned Urdu poet and film lyricist Kaifi Azmi's life and works seen through the eyes of his wife, noted theatre and film actress, Shaukat Kaifi, brought to life by his daughter Shabana Azmi and son-in-law Javed Akhtar. It is a theatrical collage of some of the most memorable moments from Kaifi and Shaukat's lives. The early years growing up in his village Mijwan...their unusual romance culminating in a marriage that lasted 55 years. ...life in Bombay in the '50s...Kaifi's work with mill workers... his social and cultural activism...his path-breaking work as a lyricist in Hindi cinema... his fight against life-threatening illness...his relentless fight to make his village a place of progress... In their inimitable style, Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar take us through a very personal journey and share moments that will be cherished for many a lifetime. The sensitive and touching narrative written by Javed Akhtar is based on Shaukat Kaifi's book of memoirs Yaad Ki Rehguzar as well as on Kaifi Azmi's interviews and writings. The narrative is interspersed with renditions of Kaifi's poems and songs by the young singer Jaswinder Singh. Kaifi Aur Main is a tribute to Kaifi Azmi, his poetry, work, life and most of all his unending courage.

Starring: Shaban Azmi, Javed Akhtar
Date: November 10, 2006
Time: 8:00 pm
Place: Collins Center for Performing Arts, Andover, MA

The performance has already received rave reviews in India (http://kaifiaurmain.com).

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