-
Title
-
Vilayat Mahal
-
Description
-
Vilayat Mahal is a Naatak original play inspired by the real-life story of a woman who claimed royal lineage as the descendant of Wajid Ali Shah, the last nawab of Oudh. Set in 1970s India, the narrative follows her arrival in a public railway waiting room and her assertion of identity, status, and historical legitimacy in the face of skepticism and bureaucracy. Blending historical reference with theatrical invention, the play unfolds as a tragicomedy that examines questions of power, displacement, and recognition. Through its portrayal of a self-fashioned royal household negotiating modern state structures, the production reflects on postcolonial identity and the persistence of memory and myth within South Asian histories.
-
Date
-
2025
-
Photographer
-
Kyle Adler Photography
-
Producer
-
Vikas Dhurka
-
Director
-
Anush Moorthy
-
Playwright
-
Anush Moorthy
-
Location
-
Cubberley Theater, Palo Alto, California
-
Production Location
-
NAATAK
-
Subject
-
NAATAK
-
Identifier
-
N13
Vilayat Mahal