Lucknow: Imagine William Shakespeare and Mirza Ghalib scrolling through social media, laughing at memes about themselves, debating viral trends and offering witty takes on current events in India. Shakespeare wonders whether “to meme or not to meme” is the question of the age, while Ghalib smiles at how his couplets have become Instagram captions and WhatsApp status updates.It is this playful meeting of two literary giants that came alive at Kala Srot Art Gallery on Saturday as ‘Fun with Uncle Shakespeare and Chacha Ghalib’ brought together 16th-century English drama and 19th-century Mughal poetry in a one-of-a-kind theatrical act. The exchange in the bilingual play was in Shakespearean English and Ghalibian Urdu, befitting the matchless wit of both literary greats.The interactive session imagined the two icons as old friends exchanging humour, philosophy and observations on modern life. Audiences watched as Shakespeare’s timeless characters met Ghalib’s lyrical wit, creating conversations that felt surprisingly relevant in an era of reels, hashtags and memes. The performance blended theatre, poetry and satire, showing that the questions of love, ambition, identity and human folly remain unchanged across centuries.“We wanted to bring Shakespeare and Ghalib out of textbooks and into everyday conversations. If they were alive today, they would probably enjoy poking fun at our social media habits while reminding us that human nature has changed very little,” said Sudhanshu Mani, creator of the concept.Shakespearean scholar, Carlyle McFarland, who portrayed Uncle Shakespeare, said the production encouraged audiences to see classic literature with fresh eyes. Playwright who authored the work, Dr. Sudhanshu Mani, a retired railway engineer known for leading India’s Vande Bharat train project, essayed the role of Mirza Ghalib.“The idea was not to put historical figures on a pedestal but to show them as relatable personalities who could laugh with us, question us and perhaps even become part of today’s online culture,” he said.Dignitaries such as Kathak veteran, Kumkum Dhar, professor of eminence, Lucknow University, Nishi Pandey, theatre and voiceover artist, Rupali Chandra, culture buff, Ajay Jain were also present on the occasion.
