A Blind Old Woman’s Dream (“Anhi Mai Da Sufna) is inspired by some true stories of the generation dislocated and tormented by the devastating events during the Partition of 1947. It is a story of shattered dreams and traumatic nightmares but also of the resilience of the human spirit. Mai Janki is old, weak and blind but cannot forget her native village now in Pakistan. She is determined to visit her Prem Nagar regardless of the closure of the IndoPak borders and visa problems. She is so adamant that her family finds an ingenious way of fulfilling Mai Janki’s dream. And then there is Ustad Rangoo, Rangsaaz (the dyer) of Rang Mahal who refused to leave his beloved Lahore but now wants to attend his granddaughter’s wedding in Amritsar. He cannot travel to India but there is no restriction on his dreams of reuniting with his family. The dreams and the real or imagined journeys of the blind woman and the old rangsaaz are the basis of “Anhi Mai Da Sufna”.
The play celebrates the undying human spirit and the story is told in an entertaining style, interwoven with inspiring songs. The play has been written by Ajoka’s Shahid Nadeem and directed by Usha Ganguli of Rangakarmee, Kolkata, a veteran and award-winning Indian director.