Hyderabad's cultural maven, late Begum Razia Baig honored with glittering performances

HYDERABAD: Eminent theatre artistes from across the country paid glorious homage to Hyderabad's cultural maven Begum Razia Baig who passed away recently. The country’s arts luminaries and Hyderabad’s arts lovers descended in droves to pay an emotional tribute to the Hyderabadi theatre and cultural icon and made their way to the city to showcase the feeling of loss in the best way they know – through performing arts.

What followed was a touching and elegant evening of the arts at Radisson Blu Plaza in Banjara Hills. The evening began with a heartfelt speech by playwright-actor Noor Baig who spoke of the Begum with fond candour and leaving behind a message about life being about “all of us just walking each other home”.

Veteran actress Rashmi Seth delivered a powerful excerpt from the Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Foundation’s period play ‘Sawaaneh Hayat’, followed by a tearful speech about expecting to see Begum Baig in the audience saying that her presence was like a comforting, cool shade.

Mohan Agashe, Mita Vasisht and Mohammad Ali Baig at the Rememberance Show

Renowned danseuse Vani Ganapathy from Bengaluru presented a moving Subramania Bharathi poem about a mother and child, first reading it and then expressing it through Bharatnatyam. Dr. Mohan Agashe from Pune played a recording of the famous Marathi song from the classic play about a mother and her son and then spoke touchingly about the psychological perspective of motherhood being the only true blood relation.

Agashe said, “Maa or Aai is the first word we utter when in pain". Thespian Mita Vashist performed and spoke eloquently. Her Kashmiri enunciation and philosophical messages were powerful. Actress-singer Ila Arun did a reading from her play ‘Peer Ghani’ in her inimitable style, concluding with a mother revealing that she always called her son bad names because she didn’t want the evil eye to fall upon him.

Moving addresses were made by editor-in-chief of Siasat daily Amer Ali Khan, former Police Commissioner and CM's advisor A.K. Khan, former Tourism and Culture Minister Dr. J. Geetha Reddy and finally by son Mohammad Ali Baig who also did an evocative reading of revered Urdu poet Ali Sardar Jaffrey’s nazn ‘Gehwaara’.

Begum Razia Baig’s presence permeated the surroundings, creating a gentle camaraderie and feeling of the united spirit of theatre.