CULTURE AND CIVILISATIONS

PROJECT TWO – MESSAGES FROM THE PAST

CIVILISATION: INDIA

GROUP MEMBERS:

1. NIK AFIQ AMADI

2. AHMAD ASHRAF

3. AHMAD RAZIN

4. CLAUDWIE TAN WAN SIEN

5. BRIDGET TAN SU TING

6. KIM YEIN

7. CHONG YIQI

8. SYED ASWAD

9. SAMAA ISMAEL

10. AMIR AZMI

Research

1. Holi (History of India)

Holi is a spring festival also known as the festival of colours or the festival of

love. It is an ancient Hindu religious festival which has become popular with

non-Hindus in many parts of South Asia, as well as people of other

communities outside Asia.

Holi celebrations start with a Holika bonfire on the night before Holi where

people gather, sing and dance. The next morning is a free-for-all carnival of

colours, where participants play, chase and colour each other with dry powder

and coloured water, with some carrying water guns and coloured water-filled

balloons for their water fight. Anyone and everyone is fair game, friend or

stranger, rich or poor, man or woman, children and elders. The frolic and fight

with colours occurs in the open streets, open parks, outside temples and

buildings. Groups carry drums and musical instruments, go from place to

place, sing and dance. People move and visit family, friends and foes, first

play with colours on each other, laugh and chit-chat, then share Holi

delicacies, food and drinks. Some drinks are intoxicating. For

example, Bhang, an intoxicating ingredient made from cannabis leaves, is

mixed into drinks and sweets and consumed by many. In the evening, after

sobering up, people dress up, visit friends and family.

2. Culture of India

It refers to the intellectual development evolved out of the physical and mental

training acquired in the course of the ages in a country.

The culture of India (or) Indian culture can be best expressed as comprising the following:-

Humanity - The mildness of the Indians has continued till date, despite the aggressiveness of the Muslim conquerors and the reforming zeal of the British, the Portuguese and the Dutch. The Indians are noted for their humanness and calm nature without any harshness in their principles and ideals.

Tolerance - Gandhiji’s satyagraha principle or Ahimsa - freedom without taking a drop of blood, worked wonders and gave credit to India in the international arena. Swami Vivekananda in his famous Chicago Speech on the 11th of September, 1893 spoke of this.

Unity - India is a conglomeration of men and women of various castes and creed. It is a fusion of old traditional values and the modern principles, thus satisfying all the three generations in the present India. The Elite businessman and the common vendor on the road share the same news and worship the same deity .

Secularism - India is a secular coun country as stated in its Constitution. There is freedom of worship throughout the length and breadth of India without any

breeches or violations of any other’s religious beliefs. The Hindus, The Muslims, The Christians, and The Sikhs in times of calamity and during festivities come openly together to share their thoughts despite their religious affinities. The catholicity of the Indian culture can be best understood by the fact that hundreds of Hindus visit the Velankanni shrine or the Nagore Dargah in Tamilnadu.

Closely knit Social system - The Indian Social System is mostly based on the Joint family System, but for some of the recently cropped nuclear families. The families are closely knit with Grandfathers, fathers, sons and grandsons sharing the same spirit, tradition and property.

Cultural Heritage

India’s one billion people have descended from a variety of races. The oldest ones are the Negroid aboriginals called the Adivasis or First settlers. Then there are the Dravidians, The Aryans, the Mongols, The Semites and innumerable inter-mixtures of one with the other.

The great Epic, The Mahabharata and the sacred text, the Bhagavad-Gita teaches the Indians that survival can only be in terms of quality of life. It provides a framework of values to make the Indian culture well- groomed.

Swami Vivekananda (1863- 1902) laid stress on physical development as a prerequisite for spiritual development, which in turn leads to the development of the culture of the country. For the past 1000 years various foreign invasions like that of the Huns, the Kushanas, The Arabs, The Muslims, TheDutch, The French and the British took place. So the Indians were exposed to cultures that were totally alien to them. Several attempts were made by the Indian rulers like the Pallavas, the Chalukyas, the Palas, the Rashtrakutas, the Cholas, and the Vijayanagar Emperors to give the Indians an administration, which was in consonance with the cultural heritage of the country.

Later, religions became an important part in the culture and places of worship became community centers. The innovations in religious thinking brought two popular beliefs in India, namely Buddhism by the Buddha and Jainism by the Saint Mahavir. Then there was a socio-religious shift or orientation in the Indian culture.

Later in the century Westernization of Indian culture began , but it was stemmed by the efforts of Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Dayananda Saraswathi, Swami Vivekananda, Narayana Guru, Maharisi, Aurobindo, etc. Then there took place a Renaissance, that emphasized the need to recognize the country’s own culture while ushering in an age of modernity.

If India’s culture tended to become tolerant, accommodating, open-minded, deeply but not ostensibly spiritual and concerned with the common human welfare, then it is due to the great and relentless efforts of our great ancestors and leaders. Thanks to them our country has achieved a common culture, despite a staggering pluralistic society.

The culture of India is among the world's oldest, reaching back about 5,000 years.

Many sources describe it as "Sa Prathama Sanskrati Vishvavara" — the first and the

supreme culture in the world. India is a very diverse country, and different regions

have their own distinct cultures. Language, religion, food and the arts are just some

of the various aspects of Indian culture. Here is a brief overview of the culture of

India.

Language

India has 28 states and seven territories, and each has at least one official language.

While the national languages are Hindi and English, there are about 22 official

languages and nearly 400 living languages spoken in various parts of the country.

Most of the languages of India belong to two families, Aryan and Dravidian.

Religion

India is identified as the birthplace of Hinduism and Buddhism. A huge majority — 84

percent — of the population identifies as Hindu. There are many variations of

Hinduism, and four predominant sects — Shaiva, Vaishnava, Shakteya and Smarta.

About 13 percent of Indians are Muslim, making it one of the largest Islamic nations

in the world. Christians and Sikhs make up a small percentage of the population, and

there are even fewer Buddhists and Jains.

Food

Indian cuisine boasts Arab, Turkish and European influences. It is known for its large

assortment of dishes and its liberal use of herbs and spices. Cooking styles vary

from region to region.

Wheat, Basmati rice and pulses with chana (Bengal gram) are important staples of

the Indian diet. The food is rich with curries and spices, including ginger, coriander,

cardamom, turmeric, dried hot peppers, and cinnamon, among others. Chutneys —

thick condiments and spreads made from assorted fruits and vegetables such as

tamarind and tomatoes and mint, cilantro and other herbs — are used generously in

Indian cooking.

Many Hindus are vegetarians, but lamb and chicken are common in main dishes for

non-vegetarians.

Much of Indian food is eaten with fingers or bread used as utensils. There is a wide

array of breads served with meals, including naan, a leavened, oven-baked

flatbread, and bhatoora, a fried, fluffy flatbread common in North India and eaten

with chickpea curry.

Architecture

The most well-known example of Indian architecture is the Taj Mahal, built by

Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to honor his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It combines

elements from Islamic, Persian, Ottoman Turkish and Indian architectural styles.

India also has many ancient temples.

Arts

India is well known for its film industry, which is based in Mumbai and is often

referred to as Bollywood. The country began as a major producer of movies in the

1930s. Today the films are known for their elaborate singing and dancing and

Bollywood produces more films per year than Hollywood.

Indian dance has a tradition of more than 2,000 years. The major classical dance

traditions — Bharata Natyam, Kathak, Odissi, Manipuri, Kuchipudi, Mohiniattam and

Kathakali — draw on themes from mythology and literature and have rigid

presentation rules.

Clothing

Indian clothing is closely identified with the colorful silk saris worn by many of the

country’s women. The traditional clothing for men is the dhoti, an unstitched piece of

cloth about 5 yards long that is tied around the waist and legs. Men also wear a

kurta, a loose shirt that is worn about knee-length. For special occasions, men wear

a sherwani, which is a long coat that is buttoned up to the collar and down to the

knees.

Customs and celebrations

The country celebrates Republic Day (Jan. 26), Independence Day (Aug. 15) and

Mahatma Gandhi's Birthday (Oct. 2). There are also a number of Hindu festival that

are celebrated, including Diwali, a five-day festival known as the festival of lights and

marks a time of home-based family celebrations.

Family structure and marriage

A bride during a traditional Hindu wedding ceremony in Punjab.

For generations, India has had a prevailing tradition of the joint family system. It is a

system under which extended members of a family – parents, children, the children's

spouses and their offspring, etc. – live together. Usually, the oldest male member is

the head in the joint Indian family system. He makes all important decisions and

rules, and other family members abide by them.

In a 1966 study, Orenstein and Micklin analysed India's population data and family

structure. Their studies suggest that Indian household sizes had remained similar

over the 1911 to 1951 period. Thereafter, with urbanisation and economic

development, India has witnessed a break up of traditional joint family into more

nuclear-like families. Sinha, in his book, after summarising the numerous sociological

studies done on Indian family, notes that over the last 60 years, the cultural trend in

most parts of India has been an accelerated change from joint family to nuclear

families, much like population trends in other parts of the world. The traditional large

joint family in India, in the 1990s, accounted for a small percent of Indian

households, and on average had lower per capita household income. He finds that

joint family still persists in some areas and in certain conditions, in part due to

cultural traditions and in part due to practical factors. Youth in lower socio-economic

classes are more inclined to spend time with their families than their peers due to

differing ideologies in rural and urban parenting.

Arranged marriage

For centuries, arranged marriages have been the tradition in Indian society. Even

today, the majority of Indians have their marriages planned by their parents and

other respected family-members. In the past, the age of marriage was young. The

average age of marriage for women in India has increased to 21 years, according to

2011 Census of India. In 2009, about 7% of women got married before the age of 18.

In most marriages the bride's family provide a dowry to the bridegroom. Traditionally,

the dowry was considered a woman's share of the family wealth, since a daughter

had no legal claim on her natal family's real estate. It also typically included portable

valuables such as jewellery and household goods that a bride could control

throughout her life. Historically, in most families the inheritance of family estates

passed down the male line. Since 1956, Indian laws treat males and females as

equal in matters of inheritance without a legal will. Indians are increasingly using a

legal will for inheritance and property succession, with about 20 percent using a legal

will by 2004.

In India, the divorce rate is low — 1% compared with about 40% in the United

States. These statistics do not reflect a complete picture, though. There is a dearth

of scientific surveys or studies on Indian marriages where the perspectives of both

husbands and wives were solicited in-depth. Sample surveys suggest the issues with

marriages in India are similar to trends observed elsewhere in the world. The divorce

rates are rising in India. Urban divorce rates are much higher. Women initiate about

80 percent of divorces in India

"Opinion is divided over what the phenomenon means: for traditionalists the rising numbers portend the breakdown of society while, for some modernists, they speak of a healthy new empowerment for women."

Recent studies suggest that Indian culture is trending away from traditional arranged

marriages. Banerjee et al. surveyed 41,554 households across 33 states and union

territories in India in 2005. They find that the marriage trends in India are similar to

trends observed over last 40 years in China, Japan and other nations.[37] The study

found that fewer marriages are purely arranged without consent and that the majority

of surveyed Indian marriages are arranged with consent. The percentage of self-

arranged marriages (called love marriages in India) were also increasing, particularly

in the urban parts of India. A 2014 article reported that the proportion of “love

marriages” has soared in India in the most recent decade, still some 70% of unions

are arranged.

Wedding rituals

Weddings are festive occasions in India with extensive decorations, colors, music,

dance, costumes and rituals that depend on the religion of the bride and the groom,

as well as their preferences. The nation celebrates about 10 million weddings per

year, of which over 80% areHindu weddings.

While there are many festival-related rituals in Hinduism, vivaha (wedding) is the

most extensive personal ritual an adult Hindu undertakes in his or her life. Typical

Hindu families spend significant effort and financial resources to prepare and

celebrate weddings. The rituals and process of a Hindu wedding vary depending on

region of India, local adaptations, resources of the family and preferences of the

bride and the groom. Nevertheless, there are a few key rituals common in Hindu

weddings - Kanyadaan, Panigrahana, and Saptapadi; these are respectively, gifting

away of daughter by the father, voluntarily holding hand near the fire to signify

impending union, and taking seven steps before fire with each step including a set of

mutual vows. After the seventh step and vows of Saptapadi, the couple is legally

husband and wife. Sikhs get married through a ceremony called Anand Karaj. The

couple walk around the holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib four times. Indian Muslims

celebrate a traditional Islamic wedding following customs similar to those practiced in

the Middle East. The rituals include Nikah, payment of financial dower

called Mahr by the groom to the bride, signing of marriage contract, and a

reception.[45] IndianChristian weddings follow customs similar to those practiced in

the Christian countries in the West.

Greetings

Namaste (Hindi), Juhar/Namaskar in Odia, Namaskar, Swagatam

(Marathi) or Namaskara (Kannada)

or Namaskaram (Telugu, Malayalam),Vanakkam (Tamil),Nomoshkaar (Bengali), No

moskar (Assamese) is a common spoken greeting or salutation when people meet or

a form of farewell when they depart. Namaskar is considered a slightly more formal

version than Namaste but both express deep respect. It is commonly used in India

and Nepal by Hindus, Jains and Buddhists, and many continue to use this outside

the (Indian subcontinent). In Indian and Nepali culture, the word is spoken at the

beginning of written or verbal communication. However, the same hands folded

gesture may be made wordlessly, or said without the folded hand gesture. The word

is derived from Sanskrit (namah): to bow, reverential salutation, and respect, and

(te): "to you". Taken literally, it means "I bow to you".[46] In Hinduism it means "I bow

to the divine in you."[47][48] In most Indian families, younger men and women are

taught to seek the blessing of their elders by reverentially bowing to their elders. This

custom is known as Pranāma.

Other greetings include "Jai Jagannath" in Oriya Language, "Ami

Aschi" (in Bengali),"Jai Shri Krishna", "Ram Ram", and Sat Shri Akal(Punjabi, used

by followers of Sikhism), Jai Jinendra, a common greeting used across the Jain

community, "Jai Bhim" used by Buddhist Converts in Maharashtra after B. R.

Ambedkar and "Nama Shivaya", "Jai ambe", "Jai Sri Ram" etc.

These traditional forms of greeting may be absent in the world of business and in

India's urban environment. The handshake is another common form of greeting

between men and men and also between women and women. Men should greet

Indian women with a slight nod unless the woman offers her hand for a short shake.

Sati

Sati (Devanagari: सती, the feminine of sat "true"; also named suttee)[3] refers to

a funeral ritual within some Asian communities in which a

recently widowed woman immolates herself, typically on the husband's funeral pyre.

Mention of the practice can be dated back to 4th century BCE. While evidence of

practice only appears from the 5th - 9th centuries CE. Practice is considered to have

been originated within the warrior aristocracy on the Indian subcontinent, gradually

gaining in popularity from the 10th century CE to other groups and becoming

generally sanctioned/recommended by the doctrines around the 12th century CE.

With the military expansions outside of Indian subcontinent, the practice has been

attested to have been practiced in a number of localities in Southeast Asia, such as

at Indonesia.

The practice was outlawed by the British Raj in 1829 within their own territories in

India (the collected statistics from their own regions suggesting an estimated of 500–

600 instances of sati per year), followed up by laws in the same directions by the

authorities in theprincely states of India in the ensuing decades, with a general ban

for the whole of India issued by Queen Victoria in 1861. In Nepal, satiwas not

banned until 1920. The Indian Sati Prevention Act from 1987 further criminalizing

any type of aiding, abetting, and even the glorifying of sati practice.

3. Movies that incorporate arranged marriage

i) Hum Aapke Hain Koun

Hum Aapke Hain Koun made people fall in love with arranged marriages.

The festive pre-wedding celebrations, the enormous enjoyment during the

wedding and the heart touching moments post-wedding stole hearts all

over the country. Best of all was the beautiful portrayal of the little innocent

moments of mischief that are always an integral part of Indian arranged

weddings.

ii) Dhadkan

Dhadkan, starring Shilpa Shetty, Akshay Kumar and Suneil Shetty is

another film where love happens after marriage. On the insistence of her

father, Shilpa is tied in a holy matrimony with Akshay. Gradually, the love

between the married couple gets so powerful that it rejects Suneil Shetty,

who comes back with a vengeance and a heavy bank balance to win his

love back. To be with her husband whom Shilpa respects more than she

loves, she happily sacrifices the lavish lifestyle and riches. The movie is a

great saga of how mutual understanding, trust and respect for each other

in a marriage can go way beyond love.

iii) Main, Meri Patni Aur Who

A movie that makes you laugh, go awwwww, cry and sigh, Main, Meri

Patni Aur Woh shows how the most unlikeliest of couples can get married,

respect each other and build a secure life. Rajpal Yadav (5’3”) weds

Rituparna Sengupta (5’7’) in a typical arranged marriage. He has a wife he

needs to look up to. The movie is all about the insecurities and

misunderstandings that emerge when two mismatched people marry.

However, marriage emerges stronger than anything else.

iv) Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam went on to become a

cult hit. The movie shows that an arranged marriage can go on to become

so strong that it can overpower anything. This story truly depicts that

desire may rule the heart, but it is true love that lights up the soul. It can

make love bloom between two completely opposite people too.

v) Vivaah

A reluctant Shahid Kapoor gets engaged to a shy Amrita Rao, and they fall

in love amidst a horde of family members. The movie is special because it

shows the beauty of strong family ties in India. Sooraj Barjatya has done a

great job of portraying the journey between engagement and marriage in

his movie Vivaah.

vi) Namastey London

Namastey London is a depiction of how an arranged marriage can cut

across cultures, geographies and lifestyles to emerge triumphant in a

modern world setting. Katrina is tricked into wedding Akshay in a typical

Indian arranged style, while her heart is in London. The pure relationship

that gradually develops between the couple after wedding, although she

refuses to consummate it, is a brilliant portrayal of Indian values and

ethics. And a true celebration of arranged marriages.

Clothes (Inspiration)

Props (Inspiration)

4. Movies that inspired our play

Moulin Rouge! is a 2001 Academy Award-winning Australian

American romantic drama musical movie directed by Baz Luhrmann. It

stars Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor. The movie is set in Paris, France in

1899-1900. It tells the story of a young British writer called Christian, who falls in

love with an actress called Satine, the leading lady of the famous nightclub,

the Moulin Rouge.

The main cast arrive and improvise the plot of the show on the spot: a beautiful

Indian courtesan has her kingdom invaded by an "evil maharaja". She sets out to

seduce him to save her kingdom, but accidentally seduces and then falls in love

with a penniless sitar player. The two must hide their love and avoid the

maharaja, though it is implied that one of them may die at the end of the story. (It

is soon realized that the theme of their play foreshadows what happens in the

movie's plot.) The Duke agrees to support the show. But, he quickly shows that

he is a violently jealous man who will shut down the Moulin Rouge if he does not

get Satine to himself.

By now, the Duke has realized Satine's tricks, and tells Zidler that, if the

"maharaja" does not get his "courtesan", he will have the "penniless sitar player"

killed. Nonetheless, Zidler must inform Satine of her final condition before she

agrees to give up on the escape plan. She goes to Christian and lies to him,

convincing him that her love was an act in the hopes that this will make him want

to leave Paris and therefore save his life.

Summary of Research (How We Adapted it in Our Story)

Holi is an ancient festival of India and was originally known as 'Holika'. The festivals

finds a detailed description in early religious works such as Jaimini's Purvamimamsa-

Sutras and Kathaka-Grhya-Sutras. Historians also believe that Holi was celebrated

by all Aryans but more so in the Eastern part of India.

It is said that Holi existed several centuries before Christ. However, the meaning of

the festival is believed to have changed over the years. Earlier it was a special rite

performed by married women for the happiness and well-being of their families and

the full moon (Raka) was worshipped.

Adaptation in Play

In this play,it shows how the Holi Festival came about/ the history of the Holi

Festival. Holika is actually King Hiranyakashipu’s sister, both of them planned

together to kill the King’s son, Prahlad. Holika tricked Prahlad into sitting in a bonfire

but then Holika’s protective cloak flew onto Prahlad and killing her instead.

Moulin Rouge! is a 2001 Academy Award-winning Australian

American romantic drama musical movie directed by Baz Luhrmann. It stars Nicole

Kidman and Ewan McGregor. The movie is set in Paris, France in 1899-1900. It tells

the story of a young British writer called Christian, who falls in love with

an actress called Satine, the leading lady of the famous nightclub, the Moulin Rouge.

The main cast arrive and improvise the plot of the show on the spot: a beautiful

Indian courtesan has her kingdom invaded by an "evil maharaja". She sets out to

seduce him to save her kingdom, but accidentally seduces and then falls in love with

a penniless sitar player. The two must hide their love and avoid the maharaja,

though it is implied that one of them may die at the end of the story. (It is soon

realized that the theme of their play foreshadows what happens in the movie's plot.)

The Duke agrees to support the show. But, he quickly shows that he is a violently

jealous man who will shut down the Moulin Rouge if he does not get Satine to

himself.

By now, the Duke has realized Satine's tricks, and tells Zidler that, if the "maharaja"

does not get his "courtesan", he will have the "penniless sitar player" killed.

Nonetheless, Zidler must inform Satine of her final condition before she agrees to

give up on the escape plan. She goes to Christian and lies to him, convincing him

that her love was an act in the hopes that this will make him want to leave Paris and

therefore save his life.

Adaptation in Play

We use the storyline and some aspects of the plot as inspiration for this particular

sketch. It bears close similarities by having an evil maharaja engaged in a love

triangle with a sitar player and a girl.

Sati (the feminine of sat "true"; also named suttee) refers to a funeral ritual within

some Asian communities in which a recently widowed woman immolates herself,

typically on the husband's funeral pyre.

The practice was outlawed by the British Raj in 1829 within their own territories in

India (the collected statistics from their own regions suggesting an estimated of 500–

600 instances of sati per year), followed up by laws in the same directions by the

authorities in the princely states of India in the ensuing decades, with a general ban

for the whole of India issued by Queen Victoria in 1861. In Nepal, sati was not

banned until 1920. The Indian Sati Prevention Act from 1987 further criminalizing

any type of aiding, abetting, and even the glorifying of sati practice.

Adaptation in Play

Pudigami’s husband died from an assassination assign by Emperor Fariz. The

culture in the play follows this Sati ritual and burning Pudigami to death.

1ST PLAY - LOVE TRIAGONADS

Summary:

This is a story of a love triangle between a cruel emperor, a sitar player and a rich

beautiful maiden. The beginning introduces the cruel emperor’s infatuation towards a

maiden he sees often frolicking around the city compounds from the windows of his

room. Progressing towards the middle is a build up of events that led to a tension

between the emperor and the sitar player. The sitar player dies and gets reborn and

saves the damsel in distress.

2ND ACT NARRATIVE

SCENE 1

(love triangle scene)

Once, there lived an Emperor of a Faraway Land in India, a lady of high status,

bearing leagues of wealth in land and gold, and a lone sitar player with intricate

dexterity of a silkworm, their names, Emperor Fariz, Pudigami and Ajmed. Little did

they know of the intertwined fate they share, a vicious love triangle of envy, hatred

and revenge.

SCENE 2

All day, Emperor Fariz sits on the sill of his window, wondering about his coming

encounter with the beautiful lady

(zoom in to kings room, who is clearly in love, turns to consultant)

Emperor: Canai, come here. (approaches) Would you do your emperor a favour?

Please?

Consultant: Yes, my king?

Emperor: Spare the slaves to be whipped today. Set them back in their cages.

(nods) Oh, and one more thing.

Consultant: What brings you in such high spirits, my dear king?

Emperor: Her.

Consultant: The lioness?

Emperor: Of course not! The golden brown maiden right there (points). Oh how

much I’ve revelled in her beauty from afar, not close enough to get to know you, yet

not far enough to ignore such a marvel.

Consultant: Ah my king, in love I see. That is the daughter of the late merchant of the

southern spices, the largest in all of india. She is said to be the prettiest of the

southern lands. A fine lady she is indeed, most suitable for a benevolent king.

Emperor: Get me to her will you?

Consultant: Anything for you, my lord.

SCENE 3

But meanwhile, in her disguise, she decides to take her usual strolls around the

slums. Just then, she hears a beautiful sound. The sound draws her closer.

(two lovebirds meet, coy from the girl, a stern calm from the man)

Ajmed: (thousand apologies)(swings slippers into the distance)

Pudigami: Its okay, were you the source of the beautiful melody from atop the cliffs

Ajmed: T-the, the sitar? Y-Yes, it is me. My lady, forgive me for asking but, what is a

lady like you doing near a peasant such as myself?

Pudigami: You poor thing. Where I am from, we don’t judge people by monetary

status. You seem like a fine young gentleman.

Ajmed: You don’t have to be too kind, people might hear you.

Pudigami: It does not matter what the people may think, let them think whatever they

wish. I do not believe in that wretched caste system. Please, continue. Let me sing

with you.

And together they sat and sang like lovebirds, under the moonlight.

So long, until the peace was stirred by curious onlooking middle-class villagers, for in

this kingdom, Ajmed was one of the untouchables. The lowest of the low. A pariah.

And what is a lady of such high status doing with such a person? Bribery? Drugs? Or

something even more sinister?

(growing crowd unleashes slews of insults and threats)

(shoos Ajmed)

In the midst of the ruckus, Lady Dheepan, the town bitch, spies the scandalous

events

SCENE 4

And like every story, there’s a tragic unfolding of events. Lady Dheepan, tells of the

involvement between two souls of separate worlds.

Lady Dheepan: Let me in! Let me in! I need to see the King’s Hand!

Consultant: What is the matter?

Lady Dheepan: (mumbles incoherently in indian)

Consultant: (nods)

SCENE 5

With all the info, Consultant Canai races to the Emperors Lair to tell of the affair.

Emperor: (shows discontempt, rages, throws capati away) GET ME THE LADY.

THIS INSTANT.

Consultant: Yes, right this instant, my king. (rushes out and comes back a second

later with lady in arms)

Emperor: MARRY ME.

Lady: NO.

Emperor: I AM YOUR RULER. MARRY ME.

Lady: (spits) NO. (runs)

SCENE 6

Trailing off into the side skirts of the slums, a love scene unfolds between the two.

(breaks into indian song and dance, pariahs join in)

(indian mumbling, what’s this guy saying)

(consultant spies)

Off the consultant went as quick as both his feet could carry him, rushing by his

kings side.

SCENE 7

(consultant races to the kings side)

Consultant: mumblemumble

Emperor: Married!?

Consultant: mumblemumble

Emperor: It has to be done. The nerve of those peasants.

And with a not-so-heavy heart, the Emperor summons the royal assassin into doing

the dirty work for him.

(assassin comes in, rolling hopping jumping sprinting, kneels)

‘Kill the sitar player,’ he said. ‘Kill Ajmed.'

(assassin nod, jumps out the window)

SCENE 8

Pudigami: I’ll be at the store for 5 minutes okay. I’ll get the snacks and condoms for

tonight.

Ajmed: Okay bebi. Come back safe and quick ya bebi?

Pudigami: See you hiok

(Ajmed plays music on his guitar)

Why. Why did it have to end this way

(assassin jumps out from behind tree and kills Ajmed, slicing his jugular vein and

pulling out the remaining mass of oesophagus)

(lies down in a pool of blood)

(pudigami comes back)

Pudigami: What ?! (breaks down into song and tears)

Meanwhile, the Emperor and his consultant and a few other villagers just happened

to pass by the crime scene.

(gasps, crowd mumbles)

It was during this time in India that a law so heartless was applicable in this situation.

Emperor: Isn’t it stated that by pariah law, the wife of a deceased husband should be

burned on the pyre? (evil smile)

(Pudigami shocked)

Crowd: Burn the lady! Burn the wife! BURN HER

SCENE 9

(ties pudigami to pyre)

Crowd: BURN HER BURNNNN

(pours gasoline, lights wick, proceeds to throw)

(Ajmed reborn)

Ajmed: HOLD IT RIGHT THERE

Crowd: It’s Ajmed! He’s alive! He’s pure! He’s a reborn! All hail the indian rebirth!

Emperor: (gasps) But.. How!? HOW!?

(crowd basks in Ajmed’s glory)

Ajmed: I challenge you. To a Sitar Off!

For those of you who are wondering, a Sitar Off is the purest form of judgement. The

blessed will always win. The one’s in god’s favour shall emerge as victor. All the time

60% of the time.

SITAR HERO

The emperor dies a slow death. Sad and hurt all together he crawls back into his

mothers womb. The End

2ND PLAY – HOLIKA

Summary:

Holika is about the history behind the festival of colours, about how it became to be

in a mythological sense. Introducing a sinister father and his abusive relationship

towards his saintly son, Prahlad, the sequencing of scenes unfolds to the father

taking drastic steps into killing his faggot son for denying him as God. His sister tries

killing him but Prahlad is saved by Vishnu. Vishnu and Hiranya engages in an epic

fight. Hiranya dies.

Narration text:

Once, there lived a King. King Hiranyakashipu. He ruled a small kingdom as the

successor to his father, but he had desires and plans of his own. He dreamt of world

domination.

Scene 1:

(scene unfolds, King Hiranya upon his pedestal, reaching the highest form of

meditation)

Paka, or the highest form of enlightenment achieved only through deep meditation,

enabling the being to reach a higher level of understanding.

King Hiranya was among the enlightened,

having waited silent fortnights upon fortnights for the sake of self-realisation.

And what would be a devotion to the higher beings without a prize,

a boon by the gods, granting him 5 wishes.

Vishnu: State me your 5 wishes, all as you please.

King Hiranya: (5 wishes that made him invincible)

Vishnu: Granted.

(sparks)

King Hiranya: OH SHIT IS THIS HOW POWER FEELS LIKE? My kingdom damn

well be proud of me.

FAST FORWARD 2 YEARS

SCENE 2:

King Hiranya rules earth and is evil to all living organisms*

In 3 whole years he conquered the word, but he let power consume him. He let the

darkness take over

(Introducing king hiranya sitting on a throne)

King Hiranya: YOU MUST ALL OBEY ME YOU INCOMPETENT PEASANTS. I AM

GOD.

(whips peasants on their hands and knees)

(Screaming heard in the far background)(Proceeds to kick a slave)

Slave: Well f*ck you too

SCENE 3

And then there’s Prahlad, his only son, and a great devotee to the one true god

Vishnu. Vishnu was praying but is then interrupted by his father

(Is introduced to the audience while he is on his knees praying to his god vishnu, in

his room)

Prahlad: (mumbles while praying)oh vishnu please bless my fatha with a kinder

heart. He is a good man but-

King Hiranya: But what ha? Go. (kicks his son) Go pray to your vishnu god. He is

nothing without his followers. (grabs son by the collar of his shirt and looks deep into

his eyes) I am your god now.

Prahlad: (shits himself and trembles, gathers courage) NO. Vishnu is the one and

true God. Without his grant you are nothing.

King Hiranya: As you wish, but my dear son (strokes prahlads head) I will let you live

but you will live the rest of your life in misery for denying me. (Laughs in an evil

manner and walks away)

Prahlad: -but he has yet to learn that power isn’t everything. He has yet to learn to

net let power get the best of him. I need papa back.

SCENE 4

King Hiranya kept his word and subjected his son, his own flesh and blood to

torturous methods in breaking the faith he grew to love. How would you feel to get

whipped by the very caretakers that nurtured and loved you under strict orders by

your father?

Prahlad: (praying position while getting whipped)

and are thrown into a cobra pit

(slaves are shown thrown into pit of cobras along with Prahlad just because)

Prahlad: (Prays calmly to Vishnu for protection)

With the great power of vishnu, the cobras ignore Prahlad as if he was made of

stone

(all cobras gather around him however does not get attacked by them, them remain

very still around him as he prays)

King Hiranya: you gotta be f*cking kidding me. WOI VISHNU QUIT IT LA PUNDEH

(walks away)

SCENE 5

As you all have noticed, the king was a persistent man. His attempt at killing off his

own son had failed one too many times. However, with the help of his sister they try

once more....

Holika: Good to have finally met you after your blessings, Hiranyakashipu. How has

my little brother been doing (rubs head slaps around face and tummy)

King Hiranya: STOP. (brushes sister off) King. Call me King Hiranya.

Holika: Have you gotten full of yourself? Remember that without the boon you are

nothing.

King Hiranya: Enough small talk. I need you to do me a small favour.

Holika: Yes?

King Hiranya: Kill Prahlad.

Holika: Your son?

King Hiranya: Yes.

Holika: What’s in it for me?

King Hiranya: Four frigates worth of weight in gold

SCENE 6

Overnight, she forged a plan, gathered a couple of logs, her protective cloak and her

invisible spray

(Holika prepares bonfire underneath the bench and drapes herself in a protective

cloak, spray both with invisible spray)

Without further ado, she sits down and puts on the most deceiving smile.

Holikha: Prahlad! Prahlad! Where is that damn boy.

Prahlad: Yes! Coming! Yes, aunty!

Holika: How is my precious little nephew!? I haven’t seen you in so long omg so big

already ah.

Prahlad: Lol all is fine I guess (fake smile, shrugs)

Holikha: Come boy. Sit. Sit down. Let’s catch up on things shall we.

Prahlad: Hold on let me get you a some tea.

Holika: NO ITS OKAY JUST SIT, I mean.. Sure. I’d love some tea

Prahlad: (comes back w some tea) Oops lol. I forgot the water oh well

Holika: Settle down now.

Prahlad: (settles down) Gee it sure is a wee bit warm out here.

(fire roars and grows/embers fly everywhere)

(cloak flies off)

Holikha: WTF MY CLOAK (screams as she burns) YOU SHIT

Prahlad: omg aunty you try to burn me also nobody loves me (sobs)

SCENE 7

*Vishnu appears and prahlad is in great awe*

Prahlad: Oh my balls. Are you god? You look so much like the paintings on my wall

lah.

Vishnu: Dear child, I am however you choose to see me.

Prahlad: Even as a man with lady boobs OH MY GOD

Vishnu: pls I am just here to kill your daddy. He’s been a very naughty boy.

Prahlad: Slay him? Is there any other way?

Vishnu: Well I can have him for a butler or someone to shine my shoes for me that’s

not so befitting for a king isn’t it?

Prahlad: Whatever has to be done god.

Vishnu: K ciao

SCENE 8

-narrator puts on a fancy british accent and reads a poem -

All stories endWith a few twistsAnd a few bends With a chapatior twoWith a quarrel

between king hiranya And vishnu

(King hiranya and vishnu beat the shit out of each other)

Vishnu: Where’s your god now!

King Hiranya: (panting and bleeding on the floor rolling in pain) WAT

Vishnu: Lol too late

SCENE 9

Villager: And to commemorate the death of Holika and his evil Brother, the prevailing

of good over evil, here we have the bonfire of Holika. A bonfire to burn to signify the

coming of spring, thus the Festival of Colours. Tonight, we dance and sing. Come

sunrise we drink, feast and throw coloured shit at anyone or anything who looks

human Thank You

Actual Photographs of Costumes

References

1. http://www.indianmirror.com/culture/cul1.html

2. http://www.holifestival.org/history-of-holi.html

3. http://www.bollywoodshaadis.com/articles/6-bollywood-movies-that-celebrated-

arranged-marriages-1810/page/6

4. http://fanraro.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5

fb8d27136e95/a/s/assassin_s_creed_ezio_sword.jpg

5. http://www.livescience.com/28634-indian-culture.html

6. http://www.culturalindia.net/

7. http://www.everyculture.com/Ge-It/India.html

8. http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/india-country-

profile.html

9. http://www.incredibleindia.org/en/travel-discover-india/discover-india/history

10. http://www.historyindia.org/

11. http://www.mapsofindia.com/history/

12. http://www.visualart.me/work/135

13. http://noveltyofsilver.com/wedding/catalog/brass-white-metal-m-8.html