Director : Harbux Singh Latta
Writer : Dr. Harcharan Singh
Music : H.M. Singh
Singers : Surinder Shinda, Manpreet Akhtar, Nirmal Sidhu
Prestigious Performances : Parliament House (New Delhi), Hofstra University (New York), Media Theater (Philadelphia), Pacific Auditorium (California), Stampede Park (Calgary), …
SHER-E-PUNJAB is a 2 hours of panoramic spectacle that re-lives the history of Khalsa Raj. 30 carefully selected important events from the illustrious life of the Lion of Punjab are enacted in such a convincing manner that it transports you to that period. Maharaja Ranjit Singh not only changed the course of Indian history by securing the North Western frontier from foreign invaders forever, but also brought back the nation’s pride by bringing back the doors of Som Nath Temple from afghan invaders who had looted them hundreds of years earlier. After seeing this Sight and Sound show every Punjabi will be bend his head in reverence in the honor of the Great Punjabi rightly known as SHER-E-PUNJAB.
In this unique fusion of film, drama and light & sound, the life and glories of Maharaja Ranjit Singh comes alive with the use of ultra-modern technologies. The most delightful part of the show is the flexibility of the medium it has been portrayed in, “the beauty is that the artistes travel from one medium to another i.e. from film to drama or drama to film. It is a rare spectacle for the audience.” The Director of the project Harbux Singh Latta has pioneered the concept of media travelling of characters. Dr. Harcharan Singh, an experienced and seasoned scriptwriter, has penned the script. This father-son team has contributed enormously to Punjabi drama and culture. This team has once again created history by portraying Maharaja Ranjit Singh first time live on stage with the due permission of Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandak Committee. An Amritdhari Sikh artist is enacting the role of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Makeup of poke marks, left by chicken pox, on the face and the special contact lens (milky) in the left eye gives the feeling of real Ranjit Singh. The particular jesters of Maharaja Ranjit Singh like sitting on the throne with one leg up, wiping the left eye with white handkerchief and many others are effortlessly incorporated in his character.
Pammi Latta has designed the costumes of this production. Finding the right kind of fabric, proper colors and above all, getting angrakhas and other traditional costumes stitched is a commendable job. Renowned artistes of the Punjabi Theatre and television industry taking part in the show are Bhupal Singh, Tej Bhan Gandhi, Pammi Latta, Rajiv Mehta, Arjun Singh, Balkar Sidhu, Harjit Kainth, Amrik Teja, Arun Sharma, Arvind Sood, Kuldeep Bhatti, Satpal Singh, Nikki Latta and Harshvir Latta.
SHER-E-PUNJAB’S premier show in North America wass sponsored by Sardarni Kuljeet Kaur Bindra Chair of Sikh Studies and was held at Hofstra University, New York on 6th April 2002. In total 20 shows were performed in North America, in the cities like, Washington, Chicago, Toronto, Calgary, Seattle, San Jose, Fresno, LA, Bakersfield, Durham(NC), Philadelphia, Cleveland, etc.
