Though he lived nearly 300 years ago, the verses of Bulleh Shah are as relevant today. And paying a tribute to the foremost Punjabi mystic poet is Bullha, a play presented by the Ajoka Theatre Group from Pakistan, which was performed in the Capital earlier this week. "He was a powerful advocate of love, compassion and peace," says Shahid Nadeem, who has written the play directed by his wife Madeeha Gauhar, "and his poetry is very bold in the rejection of fundamentalism and religious exploitation. Those were chaotic times, as is the present, not just in Pakistan but the entire region."

Interestingly, the play choreographed by Uzra Butt (who along with sister Zohra Sehgal acted in Ajoka's Aik Thee Nani) was much appreciated in Iran as well, when it was presented there last year. "Iran has this image of being a country ruled by the clergy, who wouldn't appreciate a play that talked about a direct relationship between man and God, without the interference of the middlemen," says Nadeem, who is one of the original members of the small group of activists who had set up Ajoka in 1983.

"Those were trying times in our country," says Gauhar, "art and culture were looked down upon. I remember that we had used my mother's garden for our first performance, Badal Sircar's Juloos. Now, of course, things are much better and more liberal."Presenting their productions in India is especially significant for Gauhar, as her mother is from Gujarat, and she has been a regular visitor to India, hung around Mandi House and seen many plays that were staged at the Sri Ram Centre.Ajoka's next production, in collaboration with Sanjeev Bhargava's Seher, is Dara Shikoh, on the life and times of Shah Jehan's eldest son. "We are exploring the question as to what would India's history have been had Dara become the king instead of Aurangzeb," says Nadeem. "Aurangzeb was known to be a fanatic, who had allegedly banned the arts from his kingdom, whereas Dara was a Sufi. We want to reiterate the fact that Islam is not only about fanaticism but tolerance as well. The Sufi tradition is very relevant in our times." Like all of Ajoka's previous productions, this one will also be eagerly awaited here.