‘Hamidabai Ki Kothi’ is now available for Telugu and Kannada audience

In the streaming era, powerful, multilingual content is forging genuine deep connections with a diverse audience across all barriers. In the same spirit, Zee Theatre has translated Marathi playwright Anil Barwe's celebrated play, 'Hamidabai Ki Kothi,' into Telugu. The play directed by theatre legend Vijaya Mehta narrates the tale of Hamidabai, a resilient artist from the declining Kothi tradition who is struggling to shield her musical legacy from the corrupting influence of popular film music and commercial considerations. In the bargain, the matriarch of the decrepit kothi ends up paying a price she had not anticipated.

The intriguing question of whether the South Indian audience will easily connect with such a premise, gets an affirmative answer from seasoned actor Himani Shivpuri, who portrays the titular role in the teleplay. “Hamidabai staunchly preserves her traditions amid the growing popularity of film songs and recorded music over baithaks. She cherishes the authenticity of live performances, even if not everyone shares her view. The premise of the teleplay will easily connect with South-Indian audiences too as they have a rich repository of classical art forms that they continue to preserve,” says Himani.

The play also epitomises the excellence of Marathi theatre and Himani adds, Though written in 1978, this play is relevant, even in the digital age. Hamidabai's belief that genuine artists are undervalued is deeply moving. Some artists compromise their art for popularity or money but she does not. The struggle of an artist, I feel, is the same in any era. The story is also about her daughter's search for love which everyone can connect with,” added Himani.

Himani, the National School of Drama alumnus who began her television career with classics like 'Phir Wohi Talaash and 'Yatra' in the eighties, has garnered great appreciation for her roles in films like 'Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda' and blockbuster hits like 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge', 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai', 'Hum Aapke Hain Kaun...!', 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham', and more. Despite her success in cinema, her profound connection with theatre however remains unbroken.

She says that Hamidabai is a dream role for an actor and says, “Vijaya Mehta memorably portrayed Hamidabai on stage and in a television film and to be directed by her was the honour of a lifetime. I've worked with a lot of national and international theatre directors but it was just wonderful working with her.

The teleplay also stars Rasika Dugal, Amruta Subhash, Ganesh Yadav, Jitendra Jaiswal, Manuj Sharma, Rahul Kumar, and Sandesh Kulkarni. Tune in to Airtel Theatre, Dish TV Rangmanch Active, and D2H Rangmanch Active on December 17 to watch the play in Telugu.