Adrak Ke Punjey
Encyclopedia
Adrak Ke Punjey is an Indian satirical / dramatic play written by Babban Khan. The play ran from 1965 to 2001, making it the world's longest-running one man show (according to the Guinness Book of World Records). It is written in a mix of Urdu and Dakhni.
(the theatre), paid 35 rupees to print tickets for the show and gave the rest to this mother for "ration".
(also known as Guinness Book of World Records) in 1984, by then the drama had already completed 10 thousand shows. The play has been seen by an estimated 3 crore (30 million) people across 60 countries and in 27 different languages across the globe. The drama has surpassed Agatha Christie
`s The Mousetrap
and Chrousline having around 7-8 thousand shows
The show was played from 22 September 1965 to 11 February 2001.
As ginger has many irregular offshoots, so does Rumsu's (Babban Khan) children in the drama—without any family planning.
area of Hyderabad. Attained wealth, fame and recognition through hard work and commitment and a strong zeal to succeed in life. The man is known to be very humble and lives in ShantiNager area of Hyderabad.
The drama is full of punches in typical Hyderabadi Urdu
.
(2) The sherwani used in the drama is still the same, stitched by his tailor in exchange of two free tickets for the very first show!
Synopsis
The protagonist is Rumsu, a Hyderabadi man with a wife and several children, trying to make ends meet and thus incurring heavy debts, played the author himself. The stage comedy revolves around how Rumsu deals with friends and acquaintances from whom he has borrowed small sums of money to manage his family. Characters in the drama are everyday people:History
Babban Khan is from a middle class family. Although a graduate, he was jobless. He faced heavy challenges to make both ends meet. Oldies in Hyderabad still remember his bad times very fondly "ek piyali chai pe bechara ek lateefa sunata tha bhai" (he used to tell a joke and would accept a cup of tea).One day he scripted Adrak Ke Panje sitting under a lamppost and staged the very first show on 22 September 1965. To meet the theatre and advertisement expenses Khan had to sell his mother's "laccha" (a gold ornament worn by married Indian women) for rupees 275. Out of which he paid 200 rupees to Ravindra BharathiRavindra Bharathi
Ravindra Bharathi is an auditorium located in Hyderabad, India. It was named after the Nobel laureate, Rabindranath Tagore.It is the cultural landmark for the locals, which has big auditorium, besides a gallery and a conference hall....
(the theatre), paid 35 rupees to print tickets for the show and gave the rest to this mother for "ration".
Longest running one-man show
Adrak ke Panje is also the longest running one-man show, entered the Guinness World RecordsGuinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
(also known as Guinness Book of World Records) in 1984, by then the drama had already completed 10 thousand shows. The play has been seen by an estimated 3 crore (30 million) people across 60 countries and in 27 different languages across the globe. The drama has surpassed Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie
Dame Agatha Christie DBE was a British crime writer of novels, short stories, and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best remembered for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections , and her successful West End plays.According to...
`s The Mousetrap
The Mousetrap
The Mousetrap is a murder mystery play by Agatha Christie. The Mousetrap opened in the West End of London in 1952, and has been running continuously since then. It has the longest initial run of any play in history, with over 24,500 performances so far. It is the longest running show of the modern...
and Chrousline having around 7-8 thousand shows
The show was played from 22 September 1965 to 11 February 2001.
Etymology
A careful selection of the name gives the drama real understanding of its script. Adrak means Ginger and Panje means its offshoot.As ginger has many irregular offshoots, so does Rumsu's (Babban Khan) children in the drama—without any family planning.
Early life
Babban Khan's parents refused to name him till he was 10,fearing his death as his brothers and sisters had died earlier out of malnutrition—a result of penury running in the family. He hails from AghapuraAghapura
Aghapura is a neighbourhood in Hyderabad, India. One of the major buildings in the neighbourhood is the 150-year old shrine of the Sufi saint Hazrat Shah Mohammed Hassan Abul Ulai. Aghapura is named after one of his disciples, Agha Muhammed Dawood Abul Ulai....
area of Hyderabad. Attained wealth, fame and recognition through hard work and commitment and a strong zeal to succeed in life. The man is known to be very humble and lives in ShantiNager area of Hyderabad.
Babban Khan Acting Academy
Babban khan now runs acting academy in Hyderabad, India and admits only 8 students per year. He trains them personally and awards them a certificate of acting from Babban Khan's AcademyBy the way
Knowingly or unknowingly babban khan's drama has preserved a part of life existing in Hyderabad in 1960's, with no options to secure a government job educated youth used to wander in search of a livelihood day in day out. The drama clearly portrays characters that were existing in Hyderabad in those days, such as Nawab Saab his house owner, who comes to collect his 8 months rent which is due on Ramsu. While arguing for money, nawab saab boasts of having an unani formula that would earn him a handsome money he calls it KHAMIRA GOUZUBAA a famous tonic for enhancing mental capabilities or Memory. It is very true that people in hyderabad have had such secret formulas for medicines or receipies of biryanis or special dishes that made Hyderabadi kitchen most sought after.The drama is full of punches in typical Hyderabadi Urdu
Hyderabadi Urdu
Hyderabadi Urdu is a dialect of Urdu spoken in the Indian region of Hyderabad State and its diaspora. It is also known as Deccani Urdu from its former name Hyderabad Deccan...
.
The last show
Yes, Adrak Ke Panje is not played anymore. The last show was on 11 February 2001, completing 10,180 shows in a span of 35 years.Snippets
(1) Audience clap for continuously 16 minutes in New York(2) The sherwani used in the drama is still the same, stitched by his tailor in exchange of two free tickets for the very first show!