MAIN RAHI MASOOM, a solo performance enacted by Vinay Varma and directed by Prof. Bhaskar Shewalkar is a biographical sketch of the famous Hindi and Urdu writer, the Late Dr. Rahi Masoom Raza. This performance is first of its kind on Rahi.

This 70-minute poignant monologue shows how Rahi detested communal and vote-bank politics, and how he fought against the divisive forces in the country through his writings. He was a strong nationalist first and a Muslim next. He also staunchly opposed pseudo-secularism. Sample this: “main ek Hindustani musalman hoon aur iske siva meri aur koee pehchaan naheen hai” or “vatan mazhab nahin jo badla ja sake”. He was upfront against the fundamentalists on both sides of the divide. He was brutally honest regarding politics of hatred, and felt that the interest of communal elements among both Hindus and Muslims lies in keeping the two communities aloof from each other and to create distrust among them”…sampradaaikta(communalism) ka koee dharm nain hota” or “zahid-e-tang nazar ne mujhe kaafir jaana aur kaafir ye samajhta hai ki musalman hoon main……”

The monologue ends with Rahi’s rare nazm Vaseeyat.