Why I played
Amrita...

Says Lavlin Thdani

Amrita Pritam, as writer Danish Iqbal puts it, ‘embodies the essence of the fabled, innate Sufism of Punjab as her thoughts and poetics, her creativity and intensity emanate from a perpetual state of love. Amrita’s voice echoes the Pan Sufi idiom of the lost and forgotten Punjab of Undivided India.’ Playing Amrita on stage was a big challenge for Lavlin. But her performance is simply superb. How could Lavlin depict such a character with ease and comfort? Amrita once referred to Lavlin as her “soul-mate”, though she was much younger than the legendary poetess, movelist and short-story writer who lived life on her own terms defying all social taboos.

Lavlin has made Amrita come alive on stage as she was in real life with ‘exquisite looks, a pure heart and a purer soul’ The powerful play has used the poetry of painter Imroj and Sahir Ludhianavi – the two persons who were part of Amrita’s daring and unorthodox life “to contextualize her story.” Charming Lavlin, who is a poet and a film-maker in her own right, has beautifully recaptured the sensitivities and pangs of love of Amrita belonging the nostalgic Punjab of yesteryears. A very powerful play. An equally powerful portrayal of the legendary Amrita by Lavlin.
More than a year ago, Mr KK Kohli, the producer of the play, approached me to play Amrita. As a film maker, I am always running short of time and to make a commitment to play the most extraordinary woman of our times and that too on stage where there are no retakes, meant total dedication to the project in broader terms. It meant virtual absentia from my office, from writing, shoots and edits. It meant seeing my family as and when and it also meant zero social activism and bye-bye to socializing. And before I could say NO, my inner voice got connected to AMRITAJI’s and I said YES. To top it all, the play was to be directed by M.S. Sathyu, the legendary director. I was thrilled for I have worked as the leading lady in two of Sathyu’s films namely, Bara and Sookha that fetched us the National Award.

Amritaji and I shared a unique relationship that only two women, notwithstanding the difference of about 4 decades could. She lived in my neighbourhood. As a young person of about twenty odd, I would often hop across to her artistically done up home and for that I give full credit to her life partner of 40 years, Imrozji, a painter by profession and choice. Their home at K 25 Hauz Khas Enclave had a unique serenity, harmony and an elevated quality of life that displayed itself unwittingly in all the objects from paintings to books to furniture and colours...vibrant and subtle all at once. It was a home of two individuals in love. It carried the aroma of tea served ever so often to the guests. And cigarettes that Amritaji delicately smoked mingled with the fragrance of flowers she lovingly received, from Imrozji every single day.

A woman cared for becomes a total woman. She was complete. And I strongly feel that to get a life partner like Imroz, you have to be an Amrita first. Not many women can become Amrita. Love too has to be earned.

I would run up the stairs to their abode on the first floor...literally dash to Amritaji’s room located to the right and as always find her reclining on the bed and writing or taking a nap or interviewing people for her magazine Nagmani or listening to some unusual story from someone at lunch time. I found her in the kitchen happily making chapattis while imrozji would be hanging around helping with dishes and cooking. Many a time, now that I look back, I had the good fortune of sharing a simple delicious meal with them. Dessert was always fruit carefully picked up by Imrozji, washed and neatly arranged in a colourful bowl on the dining table. The air in their most vividly at night to fill the pages of her writings.

Worth A Film

Lavlin has made Amrita Pritam come to life yet again. It was an unbelievable performance by her in a play on Amrita’s love life. Lavlin’s sensitive portrayal brought tears to my eyes. It truly was sublime. It’s worth a film. Absolutely for Indians and even for Pakistanis to immortalize a legend from this part of india who had strong emotional connection with Pakistan as well. The movie is a must with Lavlin playing the lead role of Amrita. We all must come together to see the talented Lavlin do it. It will be an award winning creative historical legendary film.

Kiran Bedi
Amritaji would often narrate her dreams to me... listen to my verses and give respect to my somewhat philosophical approach to life. She acknowledged my sensitivity and admired the nerve that came with it. On many an occasion, we would indulge in spontaneous jugalbandi.

Sitting on her bed, I would pen down a poem and ask her to respond. She would become like me, a youngster, and with same enthusiasm and involvement, never taking me lightly, would respond to my poems...and creativity kept rediscovering itself through this unique form of communication.

Amritaji, on my 1st book release, had declared publically that I was a poet of rare sensitivity and had much to offer to the world. Later even called me her soul-mate...a rare tribute coming from a Gyanpeeth awardee and the recipient of Padma Vibhusahan but more importantly, from a woman of great substance and courage who could live life on her own terms.

To me, she was many personas wrapped in the finest tapestry of spiritual silk woven by nature for its deserving child. Primarily she was a poet and a writer of great feeling and depth. She was a woman in love and an affectionate mother figure in my life. I liked the freshness with which she lived. I admired her unpretentious, simple ways and her long drawn struggle to survive and nurture a precious seed of finest flowering that she had carefully sown in the soil of her pain and longing. She was madly in love with the great lyricist, Sahir Ludhyanavi, for almost 20 years who remained a friend but did not opt to become her life companion.

Finally Imroz, years younger to her, walked into her life when she was around forty and Amrita firmly anchored herself in his matchless love.

Capturing A Bygone Era
Amrita is not a play but a tribute to creative persons like Amrita Pritam and her life companions. It is a different kind of theatrical experience and experiment. Most of the words spoken or recited on stage are their own. These words have been arranged in a certain pattern by Danish Iqbal and the actors give life to them. We have tried to capture the ambience of a bygone era and the boldness with which these people lived defying all social taboos. Experience theatre in a different format.
Director M.S. Sathyu
Rest is a rare story of companionship; many of us were lucky enough to witness and draw inspiration from.

A woman of dignity, she carried her suffering with grace. Sensitive to my pain, she absorbed it with the ease of a sponge. I could completely relate to her with or without words. Her voice would undergo a transformation as the notes of a piano from intense to very soft as though she wanted to protect my pain from getting hurt again. Often she would enter my inner world through my unsuspecting unlatched backdoor only to help me heal through tender touch of her soothing words. Our souls were connected and still are. So could have I ever said no when approached to play Amrita? Why me?

Arif Mohammed Khan

A Very Powerful Portrayal Lavlin, I had told Gautam Bhai there in the auditorium itself, that it was the greatest Indian performance that I have ever seen. Your acting, your expressions, your delivery of dialogues, your manners and movements created a strong feeling as if we were watching the real Amrita Ji, on stage. Your powerful portrayal of Amrita Ji whose life was a wonderful mix of love, nostalgia, wit and an iron will was so perfect that my eyes welled up with tears more than once. It was a delectable feast for eyes and mind both. ALLAH KARE ZORE ADAA AUR ZYADA

With best wishes Arif Mohammed Khan
Some famous Bollywood actresses wanted to play this challenging role as conveyed by the producer to me and yet Kohli zeroed down on me...totally clueless about my long association with Amritaji. I knew then that the message had come from her. Could not have been otherwise.