Salim Arif

Kiran Karmarkar & Lubna Salim

in

Javed Siddiqi’s

Hum-Suffer

Designed and Directed by Salim Arif

Javed Siddiqi’s play Hum-Suffer is about an erstwhile couple at crossroads, meeting each other over a period of several years.

When Sonal (Lubna Salim) and Sameer (Kiran Karmarkar) decide to divorce after fifteen years of marriage, they do so with an understanding that life can be started afresh, taking a turn at a crossroad and going separate ways. What seemed an amicable solution leaves a few issues unresolved- While Sameer moves on with his quest of solace, an emotionally fragile Sonal finds herself tangled in a web of isolation and despair. The intricacy of human emotions and the delicate threads that hold a family together keep pulling them to each other and apart.

Poignant, Romantic and frequently funny, their lives follow a bittersweet journey of marriage, divorce and missed opportunities. The play is as much about love, as it is about urban alienation, family and relationships.

Voice over - Hana Masood, Faraaz Salim & Farida Siddiqi

Publicity - Kajal Ads

Posters & Exhibition - Arun Kumar

Backstage Help - Umang Prajapati

Lights operated by - Jayesh Dhumasia

Music operated by - Shah Faisal

Associate in Set Design - Arun Kumar

Set Execution - Jaysukh Ravrani

Costumes - Sushil Bhatia of Cambridge Apparells

Stage Manager - Shah Faisal

We are grateful to Gulzar Saab for rendering some of his poems especially for this play.

Written by Javed Siddiqi

Produced by Lubna Salim

Designed & Directed by Salim Arif

An Essay Communications presentation

Kiran Karmarkar : Widely known as Om Agarwal in the path breaking Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki, India’s longest running daily television serial with more than 1000 episodes, Thodi Si Zameen Thoda Aasman and Ghar Ek Sapna, Kiran portrays the challenging role of Sameer in this play. An actor of substance, he has earlier been on Marathi stage in plays like Kimaya Ghar and P.L.Deshpande’s Sunder Mee Honar,besides our very popular play Kachche Lamhe.

Lubna Salim : Now a very popular face as Leela bhabhi in Baa, Bahoo aur Baby serial on television besides several Advertising films, Lubna is an accomplished actress, essaying a wide range of roles on stage from a very young age in plays like Hori, Lok Katha, Aakhri Sawal & Bakri, She graduated as a major actor of substance with plays like Aazar Ka Khwab, Atmakatha, Mera Kuch Saamaan, Shyam Rang, Kharaashein, Biwi-o-Biwi, Collaborators, Peele Patton Ka Ban Kachche Lamhe and Lakeerein. Lubna Salim is remembered for her roles on television in Bharat Ek Khoj, Kadam, Daaman and much acclaimed as Jijamata in Chatrapati Shivaji. She has recently done Madhur Bhandarkar’s Heroine episode for Sony Television.

0ff Stage

Javed Siddiqi-

Satyajit Ray’s Shatranj Ke Khilari to Chakra, Darr, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Raja Hindustani, Pardes, Taal, Mammo, Fiza, Zubeida, Tehzeeb , Koi Mil Gaya and Dil Mange Mor have established him as the writer for all seasons, covering the entire spectrum of Hindi Cinema ,fitting perfectly into films of differing subjects and temperaments for the last three decades. Colloquial and crisp, his dialogue has always been noteworthy for being pithy, witty and power- packed. Tumhari Amrita, Hamesha, Saalgirah, Shyam Rang, Begum Jaan Raat,Kachche Lamhe and Hum-Suffer are some of his play scripts to leave an indelible mark on stage in India and abroad. He is credited with writing a sequel in Hindustani theatre for the first time in Aapki Soniya.

Gulzar-

The well known leading writer, director, lyricist -poet in films and also Urdu literature is a household name. Known as an artiste of touching sensitivity, his films like Mere Apne, Parichay Koshish, Aandhi, Mausam ,Angoor, Ijaazat&Maachis, have left an indelible mark on movie going masses. His television serial Mirza Ghalib is acknowledged as a definitive biographical sketch of Ghalib. From Mora Gora Ang Laie Ley to Kajrare- Kajrare, and recent Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, his contribution to film songs has been consistent and unique. He has given us songs to hum on all occasions even in his non film music albums like Dil Padosi Hai, Marasim and Vaada. He has been awarded Padma Bhushan by the Government of India besides several National and Filmfare Awards for Films, Songs, Scripts and Dialogue. He was awarded an Oscar for his song in Slumdog Millianire.A notable littérateur of Urdu and also Hindi language, he has the rare distinction of receiving the coveted Sahitya Akademi Award for his collection of stories titled Raavi-Paar. A compulsive poet, he has recorded some of his poems exclusively for Hum Suffer.

Salim Arif-

An illustrious alumnus of National School of Drama, New Delhi, he has several production oriented workshops to his credit in a number of places in India. He was awarded a fellowship to work on the subject of Interaction between Traditional and contemporary Indian theatre with reference to the works of Habib Tanvir, B.V.Karanth, Ratan Thiyam and K.N.Panikker.

His critically acclaimed play Aap Ki Soniya has been performed extensively in India and abroad. His path breaking Kharaashein and Ghalibnaama were showcased by Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan at Lincoln Center, NY in 2004.

Currently working as Head of the Production Design Department at the Whistling Woods, Mumbai, he is also on the visiting faculty of several prestigious institutions including National School of Drama, New Delhi, Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, National Institute of Fashion Technology,Mumbai, National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, BNA, Lucknow , and Rajasthan University Department of Drama, Jaipur .

He was commissioned by Encyclopaedia Britannica (India) to do an appraisal on Costumes in Hindi Cinema titled The Essence and Fabric for Encyclopaedia of Hindi Cinema published in 2003. He has been a Theatre Critic for Mid-Day, New Delhi, wrote articles and reviews for Free Press Journal in Mumbai on Theatre and films and is currently a regular contributor to Hardnews, a magazine published from New Delhi since 2003.

An associate director in movies like Gulzar’s Maachis, Hu Tu Tu and Khalid Mohammed’s Fiza, his important films as a designer are Ketan Mehta’s Sardar Patel,Gulzar’s Maachis & Hu-Tu-Tu , Govind Nihalani’s Takshak, Anil Sharma’s Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo and Mani Ratnam’s Guru and tele-serials like Shyam Benegal’s Bharat Ek Khoj,Gulzar’s Mirza Ghalib,Dr.Chandraprakash Dwedi’s Chanakya and Nirja Guleri’s Chandrakanta . His serials as director on television include Daaman and Saath Saath besides several episodes for Rishtey segment. Some important plays designed by him are Ismat Apa Ke Naam, Shyam Rang, Mrigtrishna, Jisne Lahore Nahin Vekhya and Madhyamvyayoga.

Innovative in approach , exploring new contents for staging, his Taj Mahal Ka Tender, Kaifi Saab, Ghalibnaama, Kharaashein,Peele Patton Ka Ban,Dil Chahta Hai ,Aapki Soniya, Shyam Rang ,Agar aur Magar,Bayaane Ghalib,Rakt Kalyan,Lakeerein,Kachche Lamhe and recent HumSuffer has made him one of the most exciting and popular director on Hindi Stage in India.

Essay Communications-Essay Communications is a forum for theatre and other allied arts in Mumbai. Led by Salim Arif, the group has actors like Farooque Shaikh,Sonali Bendre,Vaishali Thakkar, Lubna Salim, Seema, Atul Kulkarni,Yashpal Sharma,Harsh Chhaya,Kiran Karmarkar,Anoop Soni and singers like Bhupinder-Mitaali, Talat Aziz, Jaswinder Singh amongst others perform in various productions so far. Ghalibnaama, a concert comprising of the letters and poems of Mirza Ghalib, Kharaashein-the scars from riots, a collage on stage of Gulzar’s writings on communal harmony, Lakeerein another show on Gulzar’s writings on Indo-Pak. Peele Patton Ka Ban a collection of three monologues and Javed Siddiqi’s Aapki Soniya , Kachche Lamhe and Hum-Suffer are productions which gave this group a distinct identity as a platform for meaningful artistic presentations

Contact us at essaycommunications@gmail.com