IPTA Mumbai celebrates 65 years

Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA) is the oldest performing arts group in the country. On 25th May 1943 the first All India People's Theatre Conference was held in Mumbai and IPTA was formally established as a 'theatre movement throughout the whole of India, as a means of revitalizing the stage and the traditional arts and making them the expression of our people's struggle for freedom, cultural progress and economic justice'. Since its inception, IPTA has been a vital part of the Indian Theatre Movement and has made unparalleled contributions to theatre across the country and in diverse cultures and languages.

Kaifi Aur Main is a celebration of renowned Urdu poet and film lyricist Kaifi Azmi's life and works seen through the eyes of his wife, noted theatre and film actress, Shaukat Kaifi, brought to life by his daughter Shabana Azmi and son-in-law Javed Akhtar.

Kaifi Aur Main is a theatrical collage based on the reminiscences of Kaifi and Shaukat. Scripted by Javed Akhtar, the narrative traces Kaifi and Shaukat's journey of life from his childhood in Mijwan…their unusual romance culminating in a marriage that lasted 55 years… the Progressive Writer's Movement… Kaifi's social and cultural activism...his path-breaking work as a lyricist in Hindi cinema... his fight against life-threatening illness...and their relentless fight to make Mijwan a place of progress... Kaifi Aur Main is also a celebration of Kaifi Azmi's poetry and his unparalleled contribution to Indian Cinema.

On Sun 25th May 2008, 7pm at Mysore Association, Matunga (E), IPTA Mumbai celebrates 65 years of committed theatre with a special show of kaifi aur main.