Theatre director Feroz Abbas returns to capital with 'Raunaq & Jassi'

After successfully adapting K Asif's cult classic "Mughal-e-Azam" for a Broadway style musical in 2016, theatre and film director Feroz Abbas Khan is now returning to the capital with another musical, titled "Raunaq & Jassi".

The play, inspired by William Shakespeare's romantic classic "Romeo & Juliet", will be staged at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on February 28. It will be presented in collaboration with Delhi-based NGO, Population Foundation of India, which completes its golden jubilee this year.

"'Raunaq & Jassi' is not just a celebration of love, but a musical that is relevant to the times we live in. In times of hatred, love must speak out. It puts its faith in love and I am sure it will resonate with audiences both young and old, through Delhi and North India which forms the heart of the musical," Khan, director of the play, said.

Set in Punjab, the land of eternal love stories, according to him, audience will instantly connect with play's "soulful music, songs, dances and the words that will linger on, long after it is over".

The cast, headlined by Neha Sargam, Omkar Patil and Sonal Jha, among others, will also see the coming together of an award-winning team with costumes by ace designer Manish Malhotra, choreography by Mayuri Upadhyay, music by Piyush Kanojia, lighting design by David Lander from Broadway, projection design by John Narun, and set design by Fali Unwalla.

"Population Foundation of India uses entertainment education to challenge regressive social norms. Throughout our partnership, Feroz Abbas Khan has always succeeded in crafting content with impactful messaging. Jassi's feminist stand in a patriarchal set-up amplifies and reiterates our work with young people on gender empowerment," Poonam Muttreja, Executive Director, Population Foundation of India, said.

Earlier, the foundation had collaborated with Khan for its trans-media edutainment show "Main Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon" (MKBKSH) or I, A Woman, Can Achieve Anything, which recently completed its third season on the national broadcaster, Doordarshan and has had a cumulative viewership of over 200 million.