Stage Ensemble Theater Unit (SETU) presented the play titled Shah Jahan on September 27, 28 and 29, 2013 at the historic Belmont Town Hall Theater in Belmont, MA. The play was directed by Subrata Das. Amazing sets and gorgeous costumes made this a play to remember. 

Shah Jahan (Anurag Jain) had 14 children with his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal (Paramita Sen), who died while giving birth to their youngest daughter Gauhar Begum. Over the years, Shah Jahan chose to groom the oldest son Dara (Ravi Nimmagadda), a loving husband and devoted son, to be future king. Dara was avowedly secular and philosophical with much respect for all religions, mastering both the Quran and the Upanishads equally. His brother Suja (Abhishek Nagrath) was sent to rule Bengal in the East, Murad (Rishi Naik) - Gujrar in the West and Aurangzeb (Sridhar Pola) - Southern India. The other brothers did not accept this situation and became rebellious.

Jayanti Bandopadhyay, co-founder of SETU ensemble, plays the role of the emperor's oldest daughter Jahanara, who takes the place of the first lady of the empire as per the wish of her dying mother. Over the next three and a half  hours, the story reached the climax where prince Auragazeb ultimately usurps power and imprisons his father and other family members  and then feels guilty of his actions.

The cast featured 37 artists and dancers with another 40 members making up the crew. The performance, stage settings and costumes were brilliant.

SETU means 'bridge' in several Indian languages. Its mission is to build bridges between Indian and Western cultures through the medium of theater. Past plays performed by the group include Mahabharata and Karna-Kunti-Sambad last year.

|