Work In Progress Labs

Kabira Khada Bazaar Mein

Kabir’s message of love and unity is vitally important in the current discordant times and we felt it was important to revive the music of M.K. Raina’s seminal play ‘Kabira Khada Bazaar Mein’, not just as an archive but in a new vibrant format that can reach out to new audiences.

This show offers a reinterpretation of the play’s music while preserving its fundamental aesthetics. The arrangement and instrumentation have been updated to align with contemporary sensibilities, collaborating with some of the finest musicians and theater professionals in Delhi. Titled ‘Kabira Khada Bazaar Mein – a Rock Opera,’ the show debuted to widespread acclaim at the Mahindra Kabira Festival 2021. Subsequently, it garnered success with multiple performances, including two sold-out shows at the Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre, and a successful tour of Bangalore, among other cities.

Concept

‘Kabira Khada Bazaar Mein’, an iconic play written by the renowned author Bhishem Sahni, is a fictionalised account of the life of Kabir Das, the 14th century saint poet and explores his philosophy while critiquing societal issues like communalism and the caste system.

The play was brought to life by noted theatre director, actor and cultural activist M.K. Raina in 1982. The performance was so successful that it ran for over a decade. One of the most striking things about this performance was how the poetry of Kabir was brought to life by the brilliant music composed by the Late Panchanan Pathak. Through meticulous research, M.K. Raina incorporated many rare verses of Kabir (and Raidas), many of which had not been sung before.

M.K. Raina and Baan G (Dastaan LIVE) came together to reinterpret the visionary music of the play resulting in the creation of ‘Kabira Khada Bazaar Mein – a RocK Opera’

Benares

Interspersing Kabir’s verses with textural soundscapes, musical performance, surreal lighting design, immersive art direction, and evocative visuals is something that we are hoping will immerse the audience deeper into the world of Kabir.

IHC

Kabir has been one of those few poets whose writings are universal and his ideas around politics, spirituality, and shared-human values are something that is much needed in the current times – more so to help us heal and build an equitable society.

SAHMAT

Kabir’s spirituality emerges from a philosophy of constant questioning. His message of love and unity, beyond dogma is vital in our polarised world.

Thinking back to 1981, when we premiered ‘Kabira Khada Bazaar Mein’ on stage at the Triveni Kala Sangam, I had never imagined that it would create history and its effect would be felt nationally. We performed this play for 10 years, up to 1992 when communal harmony in the country vitiated and the relevance of the play became ever more important. We revived the play after 30 years to celebrate the centenary of Bhishem Sahni, the great author. 
After every show, wherever in the country we were performing it, people used to ask for its musical cassetted, something we had never imagined. This play has travelled to all parts of  the country, to every major theater festival in India and from elite performance spaces to mass open air public performances often seeing audiences of 20000-30,000 people.
The music of the play used to be an instant hit and at many performances the audience used to sing along with the actors. Kabr’s message of love beyond caste, class and religion touched the hearts of people giving steam to the performances year after year.
Panchanan Pathak, my teacher at NSD, agreed to compose the music of the play. He was a well-known folk music composer and authority on folk music in India. The idea was not to create catchy tunes that would be inserted into the play ad hoc. The performance was created by seeing the music and the text of the play not as separate entities but as parts of a cohesive whole.
The performance text was created keeping in mind the dramatic structure of the text and the musical structure of Kabir’s verses where both together would reflect the political, social and religious conflicts of Kabir’s life.
I had heard from friends that Bhishem Sahni, the doyen of Hindi short stories, had written a play based on the life and message of Kabir. I knew the depths of Bhishemji’s humanism through his writing and had even seen a performance of his first play ‘Haanush’. I was very eager to find a way to get my hands on the Kabir script.
I didn’t know him personally at that time. I had heard the verses of Kabir sung by Kumar Gandharva in the famous Triveni album. I must have heard that album a thousand times and really loved the music. I had also heard the folk singers from Madhya Pradesh who sang Kabir in their own vernacular forms, giving them a specific earthiness. I knew that in India music was inextricably linked to Kabir’s poetry.
I finally managed to read the script and my initial reaction was very mixed. The play had the biographical details of Kabir woven together with many tender and human perspectives. It was also revolutionary in content – challenging the rigid caste system and religious division in our society. It questioned the very concept of reaching the ‘Almighty’ through rituals and orthodox practices.
I finally managed to read the script and my initial reaction was very mixed. The play had the biographical details of Kabir woven together with many tender and human perspectives. It was also revolutionary in content – challenging the rigid caste system and religious division in our society. It questioned the very concept of reaching the ‘Almighty’ through rituals and orthodox practices.
Surprisingly, the script hardly had any of Kabir’s poems. The ideas were conveyed solely in the form of dialogue and arguments. When I asked Bhishemji why he had excluded the poetry and music associated with Kabir, he replied “Yaar aata hi nahin” (“I don’t know how my friend”). I realised at that point that it was not because he was against music and songs as part of the play. I asked him for permission to stage his play and he agreed readily.
– M.K Raina
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