The Dreams of Tipu Sultan

To be honest, I went in to Jagriti Theatre with a lot of reservations about the play. True that it has won awards and was performed across the globe... True that it was written by the eminent Girish Karnad and directed by the talented Mrs. Arundhati Raja. It is still a period play and a period play could be very tedious to watch.


There were a bunch of us theatre enthusiasts who got together at the venue from different parts of the city beating the traffic and the impending rains to witness this slice from history, thanks to the persistent coaxing of our dear Rihan. After a short delay of around 10 minutes the lights went out and there was an expectant silence all around and we waited...

From that moment on I have not taken my eyes off the stage except to stretch my aching limbs or my tired back. The stage was set with the minimal of props but the lights created an ambience of splendour and royalty which took us all back to the hey days of the Tiger of Mysore. Just as the title speaks, the play revolves around the dreams of the Sultan. Tipu kept a secret journal of his dreams hidden under his pillow which was retrieved after his death only to be passed on to the unappreciative hands of the English later on.

The whole play is narrated through the eyes of an endearing Indian court historian, played by Jagadish Raja and a matter-of-fact British Oriental scholar, portrayed by Sanjay Iyer.

You hear Tipu and you think battles and bloodshed. You watch this play and you would go back home with a smile. Such is the warmth and elegance that the character brings out and leaves you with. Tipu is bared to his core and we see him as he is. Underneath the tough veneer of a ruthless warrior we also see the patriotic soul who tries his best to convince his neighbours about the insanity of letting a stranger take over hoardes of wealth and in turn colonise their own motherland. He fails in his mission and dies at the hands of the English, betrayed by his own people who he held in utmost faith.

I would like to mention the few scenes which refuse to leave me: The disclosing of the hostage plan to the young Princes by the Honourable Gulam Nabi Khan stirs emotions even amongst the toughest. The announcement of the same to the noble men of his country by the Sultan and his loss of control over his emotions at the mention of the hostage clause in the treaty between him and the English is beautifully portrayed. The human angle to his personality endears the Sultan to us all the more. Abhijeet Shetty has done a brilliant job at depicting the essence of this warrior so much so that he took a while to come out of his character even after we met him backstage :) There are a whole lot of others who deserve special mention but this space would be too short for that. I would still not want to miss out on Poornaiya (played by Harish Sheshadri) and Richard Wellesley (played by Roy Sinai) and Hussain Ali Kirmani (played by Jagdish Raja). The crowd sat raptured, totally enarmoured through the play and there weren't even flashes from cell phones in silent mode.

There were a lot of unknowns which were revealed to me in the course of this play and I would name them as the biggest take aways. This, along with the feeling of warmth and awe which I still carry within as I write this. To know that Tipu was so well read and totally abreast with the latest of innovations and technology and lines of business all across the globe was something which left me open mouthed. Today, with technology just a tap away, i still find it difficult to keep up with the most basic of facts. He was a born businessman who never forgot that business with anyone should never impenetrate borders and boundaries. So strong was his personality that nothing and no one could persuade him to trade his freedom, no matter how tempting the offer sounded. He saw through it all and stood his ground which made the formidable enemy to the English. Today, to me, Tipu Sultan is more than just a brave warrior who held on to his country with all that he had and fought to keep it safe with all his might. He is also a normal human being who was a devout husband, a loving father and a duty bound efficient king who kept his land and his people above everything else, including his own family.