New play Akbar Birbal is about plebeian humor applied to royal family
Feb 13, 2025
Once upon a time, there was a new play called "Akbar Birbal." It mixed funny stories with royal characters like Emperor Akbar, his wife Jodha, and their son Salim. The play was set in modern times but still kept some old traditions.
The play had lots of jokes and silly puns, some made people giggle, while others were just okay. The writer and director, Paritosh Painter, has made many comedies before. But some people felt that the humor wasn’t as great this time. The play lasted about two and a half hours, and some parts felt a bit too long.
Akbar and Salim liked to tease each other, and Jodha and Akbar did too! There was a new twist where Akbar liked Anarkali, but there wasn't much more to that story. Some funny words were used, like "Instagram," which is a word for sharing photos. But many stories from the play didn’t stand out.
The best part was the actors! Ali Asgar, who played Akbar, was fantastic and showed lots of different feelings. Delnaaz Irani played Jodha really well, too! Nyrraa Bannerjee danced nicely as Anarkali. The music was okay, but it didn’t make everyone want to dance.
The character Birbal didn’t get much attention, which was a bit disappointing. There were also some funny moments from other actors, like Harshall Kamat, who played a common person and an invader.
In the end, while some parts of the play were great, others could use a little more fun. The people who love comedies might enjoy it, but sometimes it felt a bit tired. With a little refresh, maybe they can make the next show even better!