Patiala News: The fifth evening of the Patiala Heritage Festival-2026, organized by the District Administration in collaboration with the Tourism and Cultural Affairs Department Punjab, featured the impactful staging of the play 1675, written by Dr. Amarjit Grewal and directed by the renowned Kewal Dhaliwal at the Harpal Tiwana Kala Kendra. The play successfully connected the audience with a powerful dialogue that travelled from the historical events of 1675 to the futuristic age of artificial intelligence. Chief Guest Chairman Punjab Mandi Board, Harchand Singh Barsat praised the performance, stating that such presentations dedicated to the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji are highly commendable for connecting people with their invaluable heritage. He added that heritage festivals organized under the leadership of Bhagwant Singh Mann contribute significantly to advancing the vision of a vibrant Punjab. Barsat emphasized that the year 1675 was not merely a date in history but a cosmic moment in the evolution of human consciousness, marked by Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji’s supreme sacrifice for humanity and the continuation of the tradition of universal welfare.
Additional Deputy Commissioner (G) Simarpreet Kaur expressed that under the leadership of Varjit Walia, the stage artists delivered a remarkable performance that bridged a conversation from the past to the future AI age. She thanked Director Kewal Dhaliwal and all artists for their impactful contribution. The event was coordinated by Nodal Officer Naman Markan and his team, with special support from Ravinder Sharma of the North Zone Cultural Centre. Patiala residents were invited to participate enthusiastically in the remaining festival programs. On this occasion, Director Dhaliwal, Pran Sabharwal and other dignitaries were honored.
The play 1675, presented by the team of Manch-Rangmanch, artistically portrayed a journey from the tortures of Chandni Chowk in 1675 to a technologically transformed world of 2026 filled with artificial intelligence and laboratories. The emotional depth and intensity of the performance left the audience deeply moved. The lighting was designed by Harmeet Singh Bhullar, with singing by Kushagar Kalia, music by Harinder Sohal, screen design by Shivam, photography by Swaranjit Swai, and production coordination by Emmanuel Singh. The cast featured Sajan Kohinoor, Vishu Sharma, Harpreet Singh, Harshita, Gurleen, Dr. Atma Singh Gill, Yuvnish Sharma, Robinjit Singh, Vikas Joshi, Akashdeep Singh, Kabir, Inderjit, Sukhman Singh, Nitin Kapoor, Nishan Singh and Jaswant Singh.
The play juxtaposed historical instruments such as the Saw (Ara), Karaha (frying pan) and Logar (cotton) with modern elements like servers, code and algorithms, revealing that despite existing in different eras, both times confront humanity with the same question: will it choose fear or love? The sacrificial voice of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji echoed through the digital lives of characters Seema and Eden, while the bravery of Bhai Matidas illuminated quantum codes. As a result, 1675 emerged not merely as a play but as a cosmic mirror offering a timeless message to follow the path of love shown by Guru Sahib.
Nodal Officer Naman Markan thanked everyone for their support. The audience warmly appreciated the play as well as the cultural programs planned by the District Administration, expressing gratitude to the Punjab Government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann for the successful celebration of Patiala’s heritage. A large audience, including Satish Chandra and Manpal Tiwana, was present on the occasion.
