<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The stage lights rose slowly, revealing <strong>Ahmed Tobasi</strong> standing alone, yet carrying with him the weight of an entire homeland. <strong>And Here I Am</strong>, performed for the first time in India, unfolded as a deeply moving journey through childhood, survival and resistance in conflict-torn Palestine.</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">When Ahmed Tobasi steps onto the stage, he did not just perform, he bears witness. This one-man play, written by <strong>Hassan Abdulrazzak,&nbsp;</strong>produced in India by <strong>Artists On The Frontline</strong>&nbsp;and based on Tobasi&rsquo;s own life, blends humour, tragedy, fantasy and raw honesty in equal measure. Tobasi shifts effortlessly between characters and emotions, bringing to life the streets of Jenin, the claustrophobic reality of imprisonment and the fragile hopes of a community living under constant threat.<br><br></span>
<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The performance took place at Ahmedabad&rsquo;s beloved <strong>Natarani Theatre</strong>. The intimate, open-air amphitheatre that has long been the city&rsquo;s beating heart for daring, hand-picked art. Known for curating rare and powerful voices from across the world, Natarani once again lived up to its reputation by bringing Ahmed Tobasi and And Here I Am to an spellbound Ahmedabad audience.</span></div>
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<h3><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">A Performance That Balances Humour and Harsh Reality</span></h3>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Tobasi&rsquo;s storytelling stands out for its disarming humour. Even as he recounts raids, imprisonment and the painful disruptions of conflict, he finds moments of wit and irony that reveal the resilience of the human spirit.</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The audience laughs, then suddenly goes quiet, as the truth behind each joke settles in. It&rsquo;s a reminder that for people living in war zones, laughter is not escape but endurance.</span></div>
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<h3><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Theatre as a Weapon of Truth</span></h3>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">A central theme of the play is Tobasi&rsquo;s transformation: from a young man drawn into armed confrontation to an artist who discovers that theatre can be a more powerful form of resistance.</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The performance becomes a testament to the idea that storytelling can do what guns cannot. Heal, humanise and ignite understanding.</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">His narrative makes one thing unmistakably clear: violence does not end wars; voices do.</span></div>
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<h3><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">A Humbling Personal Encounter</span></h3>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">After the show, I had the rare opportunity to interview Ahmed Tobasi, and it was a deeply humbling experience. Despite everything he has lived through, he carries immense warmth and openness.</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">What struck me most was his perception of India. He admitted that, like many around the world, he initially knew India only through news headlines and Bollywood films. But his visit changed that entirely.</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">He spoke about being pleasantly surprised by the diversity, the hospitality, the conversations, the curiosity of the audience and the depth of cultural exchange.</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Hearing him say that India is &ldquo;so much more than what they show on the news&rdquo; felt like an honest appreciation and a reminder of how art builds bridges where politics often builds walls.</span></div>
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<h3><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">A Story That Stays After the Stage Goes Dark</span></h3>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">And Here I Am leaves its audience with far more than admiration for a brilliant performance. It leaves them with questions about conflict, identity, resilience and the transformative power of art.</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Tobasi&rsquo;s journey is proof that even in places scarred by war, hope grows in unexpected spaces. Sometimes in theatre halls. Sometimes in a story. Sometimes in a single human being willing to speak his truth.</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">This is not just a play.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">It is testimony.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">It is resistance.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">It is a reminder that humanity survives even when the world tries to erase it.</span></div>

Ahmed Tobasi Brings Palestine’s Heart to India

One-man Palestinian testimony blends humour, pain and hope in an India debut

Ahmed Tobasi Brings Palestine’s Heart to India

One-man Palestinian testimony blends humour, pain and hope in an India debut

November 16, 2025 | 21:06 IST