Two Brothers, Bhisham and Balraj Sahni: Some Experiences in the IPTA

I have been told that in my early childhood I spent more time lying on a charpai behind the stage than in a regular bed, and that anybody who passed by covered me with whatever was at hand – shawls, sweaters, sheets, curtains… I lay buried under a mountain of clothes till the end of the performance, thanks to my well-wishers – actors, singers and stage-hands. There were times when I woke up and walked on to the stage, and the actors, unflustered, improvised a dialogue and I would effortlessly become part of the play that was being staged by the IPTA. My father, Bhisham Sahni, was the director, frequently enacting one or more roles. Other artistes included my mother, uncle, aunts and cousins, in short, our family – a happy boisterous one with hardly any possessions or even a roof above their heads, penniless refugees in a divided land.