A Hyderabad play on what happens when NRI sons don’t call ageing parents in India often enough

In Sunset Sunrise, Hyderabad’s renowned theatre artist Mohammad Ali Baig plays Kunal, a typical NRI whose life follows the trajectory of ambitious families who send their children abroad.

Rashmi Seth in a scene from the play Sunset-Sunrise | Qadir Ali Baig Foundation, Mohd Ilyas

Hyderabad: The unspoken tensions between Indian parents and their children are hardly surprising. Family aspirations often push younger generations toward becoming achievers, which can impact interpersonal relationships. Strained familial bonds often avalanche into emotional rollercoasters—and that was the central theme of Sunset Sunrise, a play directed by Hyderabad’s renowned theatre artist Mohammad Ali Baig and written by playwright Noor Baig.

Staged on 5 April in the city, the play marked 20 years of the Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Foundation. On the occasion, Baig and veteran actor Rashmi Seth delivered an interesting performance at the historic 17th-century Taramati Baradari.

In Sunset Sunrise, Baig plays Kunal, a typical NRI whose life follows the trajectory of many ambitious families who send their children abroad in search of a better life. His mother, portrayed by Seth, opens the play with a monologue that dives into her growing sense of emotional distance from her son.

From learning how to write emails to using WhatsApp, Kunal’s mother laments that her son is rarely available for the heart-to-heart conversations she yearns for. “We can have so many conversations, we don’t have to be limited to EMIs and all that..okay beta, call when you are free,” she says, recalling how distant he has become over the years.

Mohammad Ali Baig as Kunal in a scene from the play | Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Foundation, Mohd Ilyas

The play certainly tugged at heartstrings, and likely reminded many in the audience of their own parents and the tensions they may face. In Kunal’s case, he is a busy man living far from home, frequently missing his mother’s calls, and constantly justifying that he only wants to succeed.

Mohammad Ali Baig in Sunset Sunrise play | Photo: Yunus Lasania | ThePrint

Not a typical family drama

At first glance, Sunset Sunrise can easily fool someone into thinking it is a typical family, the kind that ensues whenever difficult conversations with parents are avoided. Baig’s portrayal leads viewers to expect just that—that the story will end with him deeply disappointing his mother and father.

Mohammad Ali Baig in a scene from the play | Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Foundation, Mohd Ilyas

But as the plot nears its end, after several delays and exchanges between mother and son, Kunal finally makes that call. There were no fireworks. Instead, what followed was far more surprising: he tells his mother that he won’t be able to make his annual Diwali trip home.

During the call, he says, “And mom, I called…to tell you… that I too wanted to talk to you. I feel so guilty that we can’t be there for you and papa when you need us the most. Sometimes I don’t sleep at night thinking about that. This is what you wanted from me, right? To make it big here. Right from school, mom. I have heard what you say and what you haven’t been saying….”

Mohammad Ali Baig and Rashmi Seth in Sunset Sunrise play at Hyderabad’s Taramati Baradari | Photo: Yunus Lasania | ThePrint

At this point, Baig’s character is expecting his mother to break down, or perhaps be angry. But surprise—none of that happens.

Instead, his mother has a revelation of her own. “Beta, I wanted to call you not to catch up or chat. But now I can give you news that cannot wait. The news is that I had pitched for a startup—and it got approved. They have called me to a bootcamp for women like me to sell homemade goods. Mamata Emporium is now going to be a tech-based platform. I don’t have any expectations from you. It’s not a sunset but the sunrise of my life.”

Far from being disappointed, the mother stuns the viewers. The play’s unexpected turn was well worth the wait.

(Edited by Prashant)