Dhanpat Rai may sound like any other ordinary name but is actually a real name of Munshi Premchand. Premchand born in 1880 is considered a writer of modern hindi-urdu literature of the early twentieth century. A teacher, publisher, editor who supported Bal Gangadhar Tilak’s ideology during indian independence movement and later was influenced by Mahatma Gandhi’s non-cooperation movement against British. His writings depicted realism, rationalism, patriotism and he often wrote topics related to corruption, social hypocrisy, child widow, prostitution, feudal system, poverty, colonialism and India’s freedom movement. He wrote 315 (published) stories and Cricket Match was his last published story in 1938 after his death.
Mujeeb Khan, a well known name in hindi theatre circle have been around for more than four decades. Believed to be a ghost writer for one of the very famous writer-character actors (famous for his negative and comic roles in hindi movies), got interested in Munshi Premchand’s work and has turned all his stories into one-act plays.
Initially Khan thought of doing only 2-3 stories but got hooked to the literary intelligence of Premchand and decided to stage all stories. He started out in 2005 and after ten years he still is presenting Premchand to the audiences by staging 311 stories so far. Some names being, Diksha, Hoil ki Chutti, Kaayar, Naag Pooja, Abhaagan, Jaadu, Ilzaam, Bade Ghar ki Beti, Ghar Jamai, Apni Karni, Bhoot, Nayi Biwi. July being birth month of Premchand, a festival ‘Prem Ustav’ has been ongoing at Sathye college auditorium, wherein 135 stories are being enacted in 10 days.
In fact, Mujeeb Khan’s name appears in Limca book of records for continuously staging of plays on one writer, he aspires to be featured in Guinness Book Of World Records and is working hard on it. For that he will stage Premchand’s stories for 24 hours, non-stop, wherein he may have to use more than 100 actors.
Prem Ustav is at present going on till 8th August 2015 at Sathye College Auditorium between 4pm till 10 pm.