The premiere of Sai – The Musical, presented by Ashvin Gidwani of AGP World at the Jamshed Bhabha Theatre, National Center for Performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai, was nothing short of divine. The theatre was packed to the rafters, the air charged with a quiet, spiritual energy, and the audience was visibly moved by the spectacle on stage.

Timed to coincide with Shirdi Sai Baba’s Maha Samadhi anniversary (October 15, which was Dusshera in that year, 1918), the two-hour Hindi musical offered a soulful experience, blending devotion, music and storytelling. The production, featuring 15 original tracks, including one recorded by Kailash Kher, an ensemble of over 30 performers, and spectacular stagecraft, transported the audience into Sai’s world.

The evening saw the presence of actor Salman Khan’s family—stepmother and actor Helen, mother and producer Salma Khan, sister and producer Alvira Agnihotri and her husband, actor-filmmaker Atul Agnihotri, who came together with many others to experience the spiritual journey brought alive through the musical.

Legendary actress Helen said, “I used to visit Sai Baba’s temple near Nashik years ago, and this show brings back those memories for me. It’s a pleasure and an honor to be here, and with humility I thank the organizers for inviting me. I did not anticipate something so spectacular, so warm, and so heart-touching. I thoroughly enjoyed it… the artists are fantastic, and the dancers—both the boys and the girls, are absolutely brilliant.”

In the interval, Atul Agnihotri added, “I think the show is brilliant and the dedication and the belief in every performer is so lovely and mesmerizing to watch. I’m really looking forward to the second half and it’s lovely how they’ve put the narrative into the storytelling. Sai Baba’s lessons have been illustrated so beautifully. We are fifteen of us here today and we are all worshippers. I have visited Shirdi Sai many, many times… we have all been touched by his teachings and his miracles.”

Sai Baba’s devotees span Hindus, Muslims, Parsis, Jains, Sikhs and Christians and his philosophy was always “Sabka malik ek (All religions lead to one God)”. This has been best exemplified by Salman Khan’s family which comprise of Hindus and the Christian, Helen, as much as Muslims.

As Salim Khan, Salman’s father and husband to Helen and Salma put it to me once, “Today, of the hundred people on our payroll, like my driver and gardener, only three are Muslims!” The Khans celebrate Hindu festivals like Ganesh Festival, Dusshera and Diwali with the same fervor as Eid and Christmas.

Sai – The Musical is inspired by Sai Satcharitra and features veteran actor Pankaj Berry as Sai Baba. The other cast includes Akshay Datta, Bhumika Mane, Puneet Mishra and Saberi Bhattacharya, with choreography by Devendra Singh, movement direction by Bhavna Pani, music by Anik Sharma and an international technical team led by Michael Inglis.

Following its Mumbai premiere, the production will travel to Delhi later this year, continuing its journey of faith and devotion.

Sai Baba, the saint from Shirdi, has been the subject of multiple films down the decades, along with a web series as well. The most successful film on him has been Shirdi Ke Sai Baba in 1977, in which Sudhir Dalvi played the title-role. The film was written and presented by Manoj Kumar who also made his debut as a lyricist. Dalvi also played the saint in Shirdi Sai Baba. 

Sai Baba Ki Mahima, Malik Ek, the TV serial, Sai Baba, the web series Sabka Sai and the Telugu movie, Sri Shirdi Saibaba Mahathyam have been among the many screen presentations made on Sai Baba.

Apart from this, hit songs on Sai Baba have been heard in other films like Amar Akbar Anthony (Shirdiwale Sai Baba) and Ab Kya Hoga (Soone se jeevan ki). 

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