“At the age of 38, Rumi, who was a staunch rationalist and had earned the honorific of Maulana, met Shams Tabrizi. Rumi and Tabrizi could not have been more apart. Where Rumi was a rationalist, Tabrizi was a ‘malang fakeer’—a devoted mystic who spoke in verses. But after their paths crossed, Rumi changed completely and became a mystic himself,” says Chitale.

After two years of wonderful friendship, Tabrizi passed on. Rumi was beside himself with grief. During this period of mourning, he realised that even though he was wounded by sorrow, the teachings left behind by his dear friend and spiritual instructor, which he still carried within himself, were helping him overcome his pain. And in that moment, Rumi wrote, “Where there is pain, is where the cure lies.”

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“What we see on Instagram today is but a variation of the original, an interpretation down the ages. But neither the original nor any interpretation would make as much as sense as it would if it were taken in the context of the incident when it was written,” says Chitale, whose stage name is Afraad. It is the plural of the Urdu word fard, meaning person or individual, and Chitale adopted it because he believes there are many persons residing within him.

Performing has always been a passion for Chitale, who won the National Film Award for Best Child Actor for his role in the 2004 Marathi film Shwaas. He also played roles in several Hindi films before finding his true calling on stage, while steering clear of a slew of offers in movies he found too cliched. The turning point came when he fell in love with Farsi poetry in 2018. This led him down the Rumi rabbit-hole and was the genesis of Rumi Hai. Chitale’s next performance is on July 15 in Thane.

“I attended a lot of performances by others on Rumi to see what he means to each of them, and discovered my own understanding of him. Rumi Hai is a journey through his life and his writing, both of which were interconnected,” says Chitale.

What: Rumi Hai
When: Saturday, July 15, 7 PM
Where: Bustling Brew Café, Thane
Price: Rs 400
To book: bookmyshow.com