Gunamukha: Namaz of a
Dying Empire

SCENE 1

(The stage is dark. The sounds of coughing and groaning punctuate the silence. Gradually, the lights begin to rise, revealing a figure struggling to sit up—Nadir Shah. Facing him, Razvi, the chief of his army, stands alongside several soldiers, waiting with disciplined patience. As the stage becomes fully illuminated, Nadir Shah speaks: ‘Razvi, are you done with it?’; ‘Not yet, Your Majesty,’ Razvi responds, resuming the interrogation.)

Razvi: (Raising his voice) Iqbal!
(Iqbal steps forward, visibly nervous.)
You know why you’re here, don’t you?

Iqbal: To share my joys and woes, sir.

Razvi: Let’s cut to the chase, Iqbal. How much have you lent on credit, including the interest?
(Iqbal stammers as he is caught off guard. Razvi, without looking at him, continues.)
You’ve lent two hundred gold coins on credit, at an interest rate of twenty per month. You neither understand the people of this land nor the basics of your own trade. You’re a disgrace to Islam.

Iqbal: Please, sir, forgive me.

Razvi: Salim! Umar! Farooq!
(One by one, they step forward, looking uneasy.)
Gamblers, the lot of you! Always betting and wasting time!
(Turning to Nadir) Your Majesty, it was no easy task tracing and bringing them to court.

Nadir: Where is Nazir? Bring him here immediately.

Razvi: Nazir!
(Nazir steps forward, standing at attention.)

Nadir: Where is your girl?
(A young woman steps forward, standing coyly at a distance.)

Nadir: (Addressing her) What is your name?
(She remains silent, looking down.)

Nadir: (He has fixed his gaze on her; Razvi tries to coax her to speak, but she remains quiet.)

Nazir! (Smiling) You’ve caught quite a prize. Of all our soldiers, only you seem to have captured a girl who never speaks. Impressive! Now, tell me, where did you find this silent one?

Sabina: (Suddenly) My name’s Sabina!

Nadir: Oh Nazir, there goes the credit I just gave you!
(Turning to Sabina) And how do you find our boy?

Sabina: (Gathering her thoughts...) He’s... okay. Actually, good. When he sees me...

Nadir: Oh, for heaven’s sake! Once the lock is open, the tongue starts wagging. Enough!
We don’t have time for your chatter.
(Soldiers firmly escort her out.)

Nadir: What a splitting headache I’ve got! Razvi, why did you bring all these rogues here?

Razvi: Salim, Iqbal, Nazir... listen carefully. Since this morning, we’ve summoned and investigated many of our soldiers. Iqbal is involved in dubious credit dealings; Salim, Umar, and Farooq are deep into gambling; and Sharif (Sharif steps forward) has buried himself in astrology! Hundreds of others are looting, pillaging, and ransacking. The once highly disciplined army of Persia is now squandering its valour in the bazaars, brothels, and gambling dens of Hindustan. In just three months, you have all lost sight of your homes, lands, and everything that matters. I want answers to two questions: first, why are we still here even after completing our task? Second, are you ready to pack up and leave the moment we say so? What do you say, Salim?

Salim: We’re ready to do whatever you say, sir.

Nadir: Ready to do whatever we say, or (holding up a wine-pot) whatever this says? Or (holding up a gambling sheet) whatever this dictates? Farooq, come here.

Farooq: (Stepping forward) Yes, Your Majesty?

Nadir: What did that astrologer, Sharma, tell you? (Farooq pauses...) Speak up, why are you silent?

Farooq: He was spot on about all my details, Your Majesty!
About my father, mother, lands...

Nadir: (Smiling) How did he manage that?

Farooq: It’s truly amazing, Your Majesty! I’m completely baffled!

Nadir: Everything baffles an idiot like you! Can’t you see, he gathers information by wandering around the tents of fools like you? You’ll never understand these things. Enough of this. Now, all of you consult each other and give me an answer to Razvi’s question.
(They murmur among themselves. Their conversation is heard in bits and pieces. There is a hubbub. Nadir stands up and starts speaking.)

Nadir: You can’t find an answer. Listen to me, you idiots, listen to me: after coming to Hindustan, even our small queries assume the proportions of great rivers and mountains, and finally, like icebergs, melt away to nothing. Here, the bogus becomes bonafide, and the bona fide, bogus.
(As he coughs, his face contorts with pain.)
Razvi, you mentioned a boy who turned wayward later. Why don’t you tell them about him?

Razvi: You mean Suleman Tanvir?

Nadir: Yes; I believe I’ve seen him. He used to cook for you, didn’t he?

Razvi: Yes, that same fellow. Loyal, but a coward. He was so afraid of the dark that he never ventured out at night. One day, when I went with you to inspect a battalion stationed in Delhi’s Urdu Bazaar, Tanvir went hunting with a couple of local boys. When he returned that evening, he was completely transformed; a newfound manliness had taken over him. I inquired about it. Apparently, during the hunt, these local boys treated him with utmost respect; they knelt before him for every small thing and praised even his novice hunting skills. Overnight, Tanvir turned from a coward into a hero.

Nadir: How is he now?

Razvi: After that incident, I couldn’t keep him in the kitchen anymore. So, I made him a bodyguard, and soon, he became an active soldier in our army. After we conquered Delhi and were punishing the guilty, he went berserk and slaughtered many.

Nadir: Be careful, he might get out of your control.

Razvi: He’s already out of control, Sir. Just the other day, I had to give him an ample bashing, just to bring him to his senses. Reports say he’s drinking excessively, has become a lecher, and soldiers tell me he slits the throats of innocent people just to test how sharp his sword is!

Nadir: The more I hear about Tanvir, the more bewildered I become. The chaos and mystery of this land baffle me! Just the other day, I expressed a desire to see a local cat. When I asked the king to send me one, I was stunned by what he had sent! Instead of a cat, he sent me a girl. I wasn’t offended because he probably thought a great emperor like Nadir Shah couldn’t ask for a mere cat. In this country, when you ask for a cat, they send you a girl; when you want oil, they send you wine.
(Bursting into laughter)
The absurdity doesn’t end there. They fix marriages with a thousand blatant lies, praise the king to his face, and plot against him behind his back. I don’t know how to understand these people. Forget these things; now I can’t even decide whether to stay here or return to Persia. I feel like I’m caught in the middle of a tremor; look how my whole body is shaking...

Excerpted with permission from “Gunamukha: Namaz of a Dying Empire”, written by
P. Lankesh and translated from Kannada by H. S. Komalesha, Yoda Press, 2026.