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Recalling the life & times of Wajid Ali Shah
Dastango duo Himanshu Bajpai and Pragya Sharma highlighted how the last ruler of Awadh patronised art and culture and how his interest and training helped art and culture flourish during his times
Lucknow: Celebrating the legacy of the last king of Awadh, Wajid Ali Shah, a programme Dil-e-Nazuk was organized in a city hotel by Rumi Foundation on Saturday. Dastango duo Himanshu Bajpai and Pragya Sharma tried busting several myths associated with the last ruler of Awadh.
They highlighted the story of Wajid Ali Shah from his birth till he left the city to fight for his rights, as he considered the letters of annexation sent to him by the colonial government illegal.
The duo also cited how he patronised art and culture. “Wajid Ali Shah was a lover of art and culture since his early childhood. As a kid when he used to cry, he would only be pacified when a servant played an instrument and sang a ragini. He was a disciple of famous artistes like Pyarekhan and Thakur Prasad,” said Bajpai.
Sharma elaborated how his interest and training helped art and culture flourish during his times. “He was good at shayari and was also the first Urdu drama writer as he had written a play ‘Kissa Radha Kanhaiya Ka’ about 10 years before Agha Hasan Amanat’s ‘Inder Sabha’, generally considered the first Urdu play,” said Sharma.
