India, Aug. 31 -- Two plays, Umrao Jaan and Begum, were staged in the state capital recently. Both plays were directed by Yusuf Khan and Wamiq Khan. "Both Umrao Jaan, based on Mirza Hadi Ruswa's novel Umrao Jaan Ada, and Begum, based on the 1857 warrior Begum Hazrat Mahal, are the soul of Awadh's culture. The endeavour is to promote the history, culture, and literature of the city through the perfor-ming arts," says Wamiq Khan. Written by S.N. Lal, the play Umrao Jaan featured actor Prabhati Pandey, who essayed the title role. She impressed the audience with her classical dance performance, Urdu diction, and acting, in a role that was immortalised by actor Rekha in Muzaffar Ali's film. Begum was written by Wamiq Khan, who also played the role of Lord Colin Campbell. Actor Tanishka Sharma played the titular role, while Animesh Srivastav played King Wajid Ali Shah. They were supported by Prabhati, Hafeez and Adarsh....