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181-member play to be performed in Mumbai

An ongoing play at Kamgar Maidan, Elphinstone promises to be like no other.

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Actors perform in a play based on Sai Baba’s life organised by Sai Creative Vision on Saturday. Titled ‘Sabka Malik Ek’, the play was staged at Kamgar Maidan in Parel (East)
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An ongoing play at Kamgar Maidan, Elphinstone promises to be like no other. With a cast comprising of a whopping 181 actors, Sabka Malik Ek, a predominantly-Hindi play that looks to spread the message of Sai Baba, is enacted on a 6,000 sq. ft. moving stage. The play, first staged in 2010, is being performed in Mumbai for the first time.

The actors, most of who are from Nagpur, belong to various professions and coordinate their leaves to perform together on stage. "Our members are fewer now. There was a time the cast numbered 250 too," informed Devendra Dodke, writer and co-producer of Sabka Malik Ek.

The group – 40 of whom are women and 12 are children – practice either before or after work hours. "We rehearse together only on the day before the performance," said Prakash Deva, a retired actor who is playing the role of a collector. Other actors include septuagenarian Madhu Joshi – who essays a villainous character – and those as young as nine years of age.

"The idea was to have people of all age groups, because Sai Baba always had them around," said Someshwar Balpande, producer and director of the play. "In fact it was because of kids that Diwali was celebrated at Dwarkamayi," said Anil Palkar, who plays the lead role of Sai Baba.

Coordination may seem like a Herculean task, but 30-year-old teacher Varsha Mankar says its more like a gathering. "We are all Sai bhakts, and coordination and travelling has never been a problem. In fact everyone looks forward to outstation performances as it is like a huge family outing."

Having a huge 'family' like this has often meant that trips are not restricted to plays alone. "We try to visit a garden or some other place if possible," said nine-year-old Sejal Balpande. That may or may not be possible this time around, but nothing, says Madhu Joshi, pleases them more than "submitting to Sai Baba's feet."

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