Sultana Daku · South Asians in Silicon Valley · SJSU Digital Exhibits on Omeka S

Title: Sultana Daku
Description: Sultana Daku is a Naatak original musical based on the historical figure of Sultana Daku, a notorious bandit active in North India in the early twentieth century. Adapted from The Confession of Sultana Daku, the play traces his rise to notoriety through raids, evasion, and eventual capture by British colonial authorities in 1924. Blending historical narrative with theatrical spectacle, the production incorporates live music, dance, and elements of swang performance to evoke the cultural landscape of 1920s India. Through its portrayal of outlaw heroism and colonial policing, the play engages questions of resistance, myth-making, and popular memory within South Asian storytelling traditions.
Date: 2025
Photographer: Kyle Adler Photography
Producer: Soumya Agastya
Director: Sujit Saraf
Playwright: Sujit Saraf
Location: Cubberley Theater, Palo Alto, California
Production Location: NAATAK
Subject: NAATAK
Identifier: N15