Since 1975, when the film Ankur was released and Shabana Azmi's performance was termed spell-binding; the actress has always held a special place in my heart. Added to that the fact that we both share the same hometown --- Hyderabad.

 So when I first heard of Kaifi Aur Main it was for me synonymous with Shabana though the character of Main is her mother Shaukat; Kaifi being her father, the late renowned poet and lyricist Kaifi Azmi.The character of Kaifi is played by Shabana's husband Javed Akhtar and Shabana herself narrates her Mothers' views on her life before, during and after her marriage to Kaifi Azmi. The play gives us an insight of the political and social circumstances of post partition India, the hurdles Shaukat had to overcome to marry the man she loved regardless of his social and economic standing and also the hardships she undergoes once in Bombay living the austere, Spartan life with the 'Comrades'.

 The play is wonderfully directed by Ramesh Talwar and is reminiscent of 'Tumhari Amrita' another of Shabana's former plays where only two characters seated at a table and chair conduct the whole proceedings; no movement whatsoever. But this lack of action is more than compensated by powerful words; narrated beautifully in the inimitable styles of both Shabana and Javed who render their pieces with dramatic or emotional implications. Throughout the play they remain fundamentally story tellers. Indeed, Shabana sustained and developed the love story of her parents with collections of tiny vignettes, with style and perfection. Stunning executed with the brilliance of such stalwart artists it was a performance to cherish and for many artists to emulate.

 Being a poet and lyricist Kaifi Azmi's life story would have been incomplete had we not heard his poems and songs. The play is interspersed with songs of Kaifi both private and filmy and the young, talented singer Jaswinder Singh does full justice to the voice of the late Mohammad Rafi with the correct nuances and 'Ada' in whose voice the originals was sung. Pitted against stalwarts like Shabana and Javed, Jaswinder more than ably held his own forte and had me completely bowled over.

 The two held the stage for two hours with marvelous rendition and superb theatre.There was something surreal about the performance that evening. The journey of the love of Shaukat and Kaifi Azmi and the soulful melodious voice of Jaswant Singh held the audience so rapt that we collectively were enthralled. A masterly performance, at once witty, poetic and engaging.

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