Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Foundation@ 20: Here’s Mohammad Ali Baig reflecting on journey, challenges, road ahead

Hyderabad: Two decades, countless standing ovations. Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Foundation, under Mohammad Ali Baig’s vision, didn’t just revive theatre in Hyderabad; it rewrote its cultural story.

In a city known for its heritage, cuisine, and cultural symphonies, theatre had quietly slipped into the shadows - until Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Foundation brought it roaring back to life. As the Foundation celebrates 20 years of landmark performances, immersive heritage storytelling, and global recognition, its founder, Padma Shri Mohammad Ali Baig, reflects on the journey, challenges, and what lies ahead.

From staging plays in historical monuments to receiving standing ovations across continents, Syed Khaled Shahbaaz explores how Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Foundation rekindled a city's love for live performances.

NM: Looking back at 20 years, what was the defining moment that sparked the need to revive theatre in Hyderabad? How do you think the Foundation has changed the theatre landscape of Hyderabad?

Mohammad Ali Baig: It wasn’t one moment - it was a growing silence in Hyderabad’s cultural heartbeat that I couldn’t ignore. I felt the absence of serious, heritage-rooted theatre and knew it had to be revived. Today, Hyderabadis take pride in theatre again. We’ve made it aspirational and consistent, performing regularly and not just during our annual festivals. As regular audiences and fans say, we’ve become an institution that has reshaped the city’s cultural identity. Am glad that it gave impetus to, inspired, and motivated several festivals, groups, and venues in town in the past decade and a half.

NM: How has your father Qadir Ali Baig’s legacy shaped your vision for the Foundation over the years?

Mohammad Ali Baig: He was a titan of theatre in the 1970s and 80s. My aim wasn’t just to preserve his memory - it was to continue his ethos of meaningful, engaging, and resonant storytelling. His work laid the foundation - I’ve just built on it with my mother’s support, and of course, the Foundation’s dedicated team members.

NM: What were the earliest challenges you faced while reintroducing theatre to the city?

Mohammad Ali Baig: The biggest challenge was audience apathy and a lack of an ecosystem for theatre. People and supporters saw theatre as either amateur or irrelevant. Convincing both the audience and collaborators that we could create world-class productions rooted in our culture was an uphill task. Heritage venues helped us draw people in, and the quality kept them coming back. Lack of availability of technical equipment and know-how was a challenge too.

NM: In your opinion, what has been the most transformative production staged by the Foundation and why?

Mohammad Ali Baig: 'Taramati - the Legend of an Artiste' at the Taramati Baradari and 'Quli: Dilon ka Shahzaada' at Golconda Fort. Both captured the fabled romance of Hyderabad’s founding, had poetic Urdu, live Qawwali, song and dance sequences, stunning sets and costumes, and global appeal. But emotionally, 'Resham ki Dor', which was originally written by Baba as a radio play and was one of the very first teleplays on the then black and white television. I turned it into a spectacle on stage using stuntmen for live war scenes, kalbeliya dancers, and manganiyar singers from Mewar to recreate the Mewar kingdom of Rani Karmavati.

NM: What does it mean to you when global audiences respond to stories rooted in Hyderabad’s culture and history?

Mohammad Ali Baig : It reaffirms that our local stories have universal emotions. Whether in France, the UK, USA, Canada, Turkey, Dubai or Singapore, audiences connected with themes of love, loss, heritage, and identity. It means that the work you are presenting on the global stage is connecting with all kinds of audiences. And to be felicitated by foreign governments for it - well, that’s overwhelming and humbling.

NM: You’ve brought some of the biggest names in Indian cinema and theatre to your stage. What do such collaborations bring to your productions?

Mohammad Ali Baig: Credibility, experience, and a shared passion for quality. Actors like Farooque Shaikh, Mohan Agashe, Anupam Kher, Lillette Dubey, Shabana Azmi, Kabir Bedi, Arif Zakaria, Suhasini Maniratnam, Juhi Babbar, Vani Ganapathy, and others brought experience and dedication. M.S. Sathyu consistently created magic with his lighting and design. Karthik Illaiyaraja and Rahul Sharma with their melody. These collaborations inspire younger actors and raise the bar for professional theatre. Our regular repertory actors, whom I inherited from Baba's and my brother's plays, like Rashmi Seth, Vijay Prasad, and S A Majeed, lent a huge dimension to my productions. Later entrants Madhu Swaminath and Noor Baig brought in the contemporary appeal.

NM: Can you share a memorable backstage or off-stage moment that deeply impacted you?

Mohammad Ali Baig: During one of our earlier shows at Taramati Baradari, a local carpenter-turned-stagehand stood frozen during a curtain call. He whispered, “I never imagined I’d be part of something this grand.” That moment reminded me of the impact theatre has - not just on audiences, but everyone involved. Another instance was when a very senior theatre person who even taught at a University came to my first show and commented that "this is not theatre, it's an event. Never saw a thousand people crowding to enter the venue".

NM: How do you select stories for your productions - what makes a narrative ‘stage-worthy’ for you?

Mohammad Ali Baig : I place myself in the audience's seat and evaluate whether someone of my age and profile will sit through the performance in these times.The story must resonate emotionally and be culturally-rooted. It should have visual and lyrical potential - where history meets humanity. If I can visualize the first 10 minutes on stage and feel something, I know it’s stage-worthy to captivate an audience.

NM: 'Sunset Sunrise' was staged as part of the 20-year celebration. What does that play mean to you personally?

Mohammad Ali Baig : It was written by Noor and is the last play produced by Ammi, before she passed away last year. It’s about the emotional disconnect between successful NRIs and their ageing parents back home - a story many can relate to. Playing the son opposite the hugely inspiring actress Rashmi Seth was like living the story, the versatile Vijay Prasad completes the power-house triangle.

NM: How do you see your late mother Razia Baig’s influence reflected in the Foundation’s journey, especially through the new “Remembering Razia Baig” series?

Mohammad Ali Baig : She was the invisible pillar of our journey. Organizing, producing, managing - all with such grace, dignity and quiet power. The 'Remembering Razia Baig' series is our tribute to her strength and her belief in the power of art to heal and connect.

NM: Your father Qadir Ali Baig’s productions in the ’70s and ’80s were known for their scale and grandeur. How has that influenced your own aesthetic choices on stage?

Mohammad Ali Baig: He believed in larger-than-life storytelling on stage - opulent sets, magnificent costumes, a large cast, massive crowds - and yet, the emotion was always intimate. While I work with modern techniques and more minimalism today, that instinct for scale and grandeur, topped with touching content, is in my DNA. It’s what makes our productions meaningful and emotionally resonant.

NM: You were awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India. Has that recognition influenced your work or responsibilities as a theatre revivalist?

Mohammad Ali Baig: It was an honour, but more than a milestone, it was Hyderabad’s theatre and its first family that was recognized on a national level. It added a sense of responsibility - to keep raising the bar, to not rest on legacy, but to continue crafting work that’s worthy of that trust and spotlight.

NM: A Padma award, three national and five international honours, a postal cover released, an invitation to Oxford University ... unprecedented accolades for an Indian theatre repertory. How do you feel?

Mohammad Ali Baig: Well, I thank the Almighty for all of it. For someone who never wanted to be in theatre to get all this recognition, I owe it to the seeds Qadir Ali Baig sahab had sown. Feels like we are on our way to fulfilling his dream of making Hyderabad a theatre-vibrant city on par with any other in the world.

NM: What excites you about the next chapter for the Foundation? Any upcoming themes or stories we can look forward to?

Mohammad Ali Baig: More collaborations, new stories, and deeper connections with younger audiences. We're also looking to expand our international footprint. Themes of meaningful theatre, culture and identity, and legacy will continue to shape our narratives. My prime concern and effort in maintaining the decorum, dignity, and prestige of the theatre and everyone connected with it remains refuelled.

NM: You have also forayed into movies with three Tamil blockbusters and an OTT series trending at the global top-10.

Mohammad Ali Baig: That again is a compliment to the theatre because they wanted an intense theatre actor for those roles. I enjoyed doing it and working under someone else's megaphone.

NM: What would you say to young theatre-makers or cultural entrepreneurs who want to build something meaningful today?

Mohammad Ali Baig : Consistency is the key, with the requisite devotion. Respect your audience and produce with honesty. Don’t follow trends - build your own.

NM: Is there anything you would like to add?

Mohammad Ali Baig : This journey has been a shared one - with not just every actor, technician, stage craftsmen associated with us from across the country, but our sponsors who believed in us and my approach to theatre. So also our audience and fans, the state Government, its various departments especially Tourism Corporation and patrons who made it possible for me to create an ecosystem in a city like ours.