HOW Crossing to Talikota landed in his lap, is a story that Arjun Sajnani has repeated often. But, it begs to be retold, at least for the Mumbai reader.
The play, which will be staged for the first time in the city, at the National Centre for the Performing Arts next month, is the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, u00ad nanapith, Sahitya Academy awardee ( thereu2019s a longer list) Girish Karnadu2019s last play.
u201c It was a great piece of luck for me. I run a restaurant called Sunnyu2019s and Girish and his wife [ Saraswathy Ganapathy] were my neighbours.
Girish and I had a long association of three- four shows. One afternoon in u00ad uly . u000b f . , while having lunch here, he told me that he wanted me to read his new play. Itu2019s always an honour when a living playwright and someone as great as him offers a new script,u201d says Sajnani, known for productions like Tughlaq, Fire and Rain, and Bali.
He admits to being bowled over by the second act. u201c But the first was so immense in scope that I couldnu2019t get around it and took around four months [ to get a grip on]. Then, Shama Zaidi [ scriptwriter, costume designer and art director], who is known to Girish and me because we did Tughlaq togetheru2014 said, u2018 donu2019t be an a''. u00ad ust tell Girish you are doing the play and do itu2019.u201d The play is based on the legendary battle fought in f . u00a4 . between the Vijayanagara Empire, led by Aliya Rama Raya, and an alliance of the Deccan sultanates centres GITANJALI CHANDRASEKHARAN
