‘Rumi: Unveil the Sun‘ returned to the Delhi stage after nearly two decades. Directed by Rajesh Nirmal, the re-staging of the 2007 production at NCUI Auditorium, Siri Institutional Area, leaned into storytelling, which allowed the philosophical core of Rumi’s journey to take precedence.The play traces the transformative bond between 13th-century Sufi poet Jalaluddin Rumi and his spiritual guide Shamsuddin Tabrizi – the encounter that cracked Rumi open and gave rise to some of the most enduring mystical poetry ever written. Written by Mohini Kent Noon and co-written by Amrit Kent, it is now directed by Rajesh Nirmal.“The interesting thing is that they didn’t have a video of the previous performances,” Nirmal said, adding, “At first, I thought not having a video was a minus point for me, but then I got excited.” That absence becomes central to his process. He said, “For me, everything was just stories, emotional arcs and characters. Everything was fictional to me because I had no evidence of what had been done before.” Preeti Agarwal Mehta as Kira Khatun and Oroon Das, reprising the role of Rumi in a scene from the play.Nirmal’s reading of the text is shaped by parallels he draws with Bhakti traditions. “I found a lot of similarities between Rumi and Kabir,” he notes, adding that their social philosophies, perspectives on love and the broader idea of God are very similar. This influence surfaces in the play’s treatment of faith as an internal search. “The bigger philosophy, that you have your own God and that love is very important, really excites me,” he added.Oroon Das, reprising the role of Rumi, carries the play’s emotional weight. His arc, from the “king of scholars” burdened by inner emptiness to a man undone and remade by love, is convincing precisely because he never oversells it. Ashhar Haque’s Shams Tabrizi is all coiled energy and provocation, a presence that destabilises the system and people’s school of thought. The chemistry between the two is what the play hinges on.The production’s standout performance, however, belongs to Preeti Agarwal Mehta as Kira Khatun. In a narrative that is, by design, dominated by the Rumi-Shams dynamic, Mehta carves out space for a portrayal of remarkable emotional precision. Kira Khatun occupies a difficult position – as a helpless wife who is seeing her family fall apart, but is in a position to do nothing about it. Mehta’s performance brings to light the often overlooked perspective of the people who are left behind to hold on to pieces, while the protagonist is in a pursuit of their own path. The play traces the transformative bond between the 13th-century Sufi poet Jalaluddin Rumi and his spiritual guide Shamsuddin TabriziNirmal is also conscious of how contemporary audiences engage with cultural representation. “In our country, certain communities or religions are often seen through a stereotypical lens,” he says. The production deliberately resists this. “Our target was to ensure the philosophy, the story and the emotional arc were delivered to the audience so they wouldn’t get stuck on the outer presentation.” The costumes and staging reflect this choice, avoiding predictable imagery in favour of a more neutral aesthetic.Story continues below this adNoon traces her own engagement with Rumi back to her student days in London. “My very close friend in college was Persian. She introduced me to Rumi. She used to read in Persian and then she’d help me buy the best English translations,” she recalls. That early exposure plays an important role in helping keep the balance of cultural specificity with universality. “I think Rumi is arguably the greatest Sufi or mystical poet ever,” she says, underscoring the ambition behind bringing his work to the stage.At the heart of the production is a simple but persistent idea. Quoting Rumi, Noon says, “Love is my religion, every heart is my temple.” © The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:theatre