Traversing seven decades through engaging anecdotes that chronicle time, relationships and culture, BANDISH 20-20000Hz, is a story of two singers, one a nautanki singer and the other a baithak (classical) singer. Both performers relive their glory days and have witty anecdotes to share. Anecdotes of escapes from kings’ palaces, slapping British officers, getting kidnapped by the local rangeeley zamindars, refuting lovelorn Nawabs and getting duped by charming and conniving men in the name of love and marriage. Each anecdote is accompanied by a musical and a dance number, and is an exploration into time and seeing things with a revived and perhaps revised perspective.
The play has a good mix of music ranging from Nautanki and Baithak to a lively Bombay ditty that dates back to the time of the Raj. This Manglacharan was written in English during the British times, in respect of Queen Elizabeth. Although it is hilarious, it still remains a firm piece of musical and cultural history.