16th August: Then and Now

• The play begins in the turbulent days before Partition, when the Muslim League’s call for Direct Action in demand of a separate nation for Muslims led to the country’s tragic division along religious lines. In Noakhali (then East Pakistan, now Bangladesh), the violence found a notorious face in Golam Sarwar Hossain. This dark history forms the starting point of the drama.
• In the second half, the narrative moves beyond Partition into the present, exploring the ongoing political, social, and religious crises of today’s India. Through the intense conversation between Maharaj and Hakim Saheb, 16th August: Then and Now reflects on the haunting continuities of the past within our present reality.