“Till we change the system, not much can be changed,” shares director Salim Arif, who took a cue from this thought and decided to bring forth the wrongdoings of the political class and the existing state of governance in the country by treading the comic line, with his play, Taj Mahal Ka Udghatan. The satirical production is a sequel to the famous play, Taj Mahal Ka Tender.

Salim Arif (seated, centre) watches as Rahul Vohra (purple kurta), Amit Behl (seated, in black T-shirt) and Bakul Thakkar (seated, in white shirt) rehearse a scene

“Taj Mahal Ka Tender is about 20 years old. Since then, society has undergone several changes in terms of issues and attitudes and the way people react to socio-political affairs. Taj Mahal Ka Udghatan is a hilarious take on the contemporary society. It is an interesting exploration of a ruler who is facing anti-incumbency and needs to fight it with a big project to mobilise a stagnant economy and public opinion,” reveals Arif.