Kharashein by Gulzar - A Play

"Kharaashein" - The bruises and scars from the Riots somehow never heal fully.. there could be illusionary interludes of civil behaviour now and then, to suggest bonhomie. Then again, the riots strike and all the old scars begin to bleed.. Kharashein is a collage of Gulzar's literary creations on stage. The stories are propped on and interwoven with Gulzar's poetry set against the backdrop of riots. 'Hilsa', the first story is about the typical middle-class attitude towards the riots and killings happening just outside the four walls of their home. 'Raavi Paar', the second story reminds us of the chaos and trauma during the Indian partition and a total disaster that befalls a family, while they redeem their motherland. Khauff is about fear and its impact on the psyche of a common man who goes through a journey of anxiety. Khuda-Haafiz is a dramatization of Samaresh Basu's 'Aadaab' that has been adapted by Gulzar. It explores a relationship, which evolves in a dump bin, under the duress of a riot-inflicted situation. These four presentations are interwoven with selections of Gulzar's poetry, some of which has been written specially for this play