Mar 29 2025 to Mar 29 2025 7 p.m.

Price: Rs 350 Book/Buy

Where

Courtyard Koota

Ground floor, Good Earth Tarana Good Earth Malhar, near Rajarajeswari medical college Kambipura, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560074

Event Description

"The captivating tale of a uniquely gifted scientist.”

– Sheldon Glashow, Nobel Laureate (Physics), 1979.

 
“Well researched and authentic, yet witty and entertaining.  Nilanjan Choudhury brings to life the tragedy of a Muslim Sisyphus, Abdus Salam, who tried – but failed – to bring science back into Islam.” 

– Pervez Hoodbhoy, UNESCO Kalinga Prize winner

“Brilliantly captures the angst of one of the towering figures of modern physics, who also happens to be from our subcontinent. It speaks with wit and verve not only of Salam's science, but also of the individual persona and of the scientist grappling with his ideals and role in an imperfect world." 

– Rajesh Gopakumar, Director, International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS-TIFR)

 
Synopsis:

In the autumn of 1979, Abdus Salam became the first Muslim to win the Nobel Prize in Physics. He was awarded the prize for his path breaking work in unifying two of the four fundamental forces of nature viz. the electromagnetic and the weak nuclear forces. This culminated in the Standard Model, a theory which represents mankind's deepest understanding of the world in which he lives. It is a work of profound beauty and power and has been experimentally verified countless times to an accuracy akin to measuring the height of Mount Everest to within a hair's breadth.

A devout Muslim, Abdus Salam had repeatedly emphasized the crucial role that Islam had played in the shaping of his science, his life and his vision. A vision that was inspired by the surahs of the Quran which spoke of a deep fundamental unity amongst all things and all peoples. A vision that he realized not only through his seminal contribution to the unification of natural forces but also through his creation of the International Centre of Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste, Italy.  Like Samarkand of yore, the ICTP today has become a world centre for learning and knowledge, a welcoming home for scientists from all over the world, including from the poorest countries in Asia and Africa, and a precious gift of the freedom and resources that the West takes for granted.

Yet this grand unifier of forces and people, lies in a humble grave in the town of Rabwah in Pakistan. The man who identified himself as a faithful servant of Allah has been vilified as a heretic. His faith has been erased from the epitaph on his tombstone, just as his name itself has been removed from the school textbooks in the land of his birth - all for the crime of being born an Ahmadiyya, a sect of Islam that has been ostracized and persecuted by the orthodox theocracy of his country, because of their un-Islamic belief in "false prophets".

 "The Trial of Abdus Salam" explores the tragedy and the triumph, the wit and the wisdom and the life and times of this giant from the Indian subcontinent, who lies buried next door, isolated and unacknowledged in the land of his birth.

About the Cast:

Harish Seshadri (Actor) 

Close to 20 years of experience in the media industry, from acting to directing, Harish has done it all. A successful career in the TV industry from being an Actor, Producer to Content Manager for regional Kannada TV channels. Has a strong and holistic understanding of the content space having started his media journey in theatre and later progressing to Television & then to Films. Harish has gained his knowledge on the job while working with some of the finest actors & technicians in the Kannada Industry.

Krishna Hebbale (Actor)

Krishna is a multifaceted Indian artist who excels in theatre and cinema. He is an actor, director, writer, and mentor to aspiring artists. With over 200 stage productions since 1995, he’s a prominent figure in the Bangalore theatre scene. His film career boasts notable roles in Lucia (2013), U Turn , ACT 1978 , 19.20.21 , and his most recent release, MAX. Beyond his artistic pursuits, Hebbale is an academician who has developed a Theatre course for Jyoti Nivas College and served as a jury member at the International Film Festival of India.

Nilanjan P. Choudhury (Writer & Director)

Nilanjan is a novelist, theatre-maker and science communicator. His most recent novel is Song of the Golden Sparrow – a fictional retelling of the history of free India. His previous novel Shillong Times is a coming- of-age story set against the ethnic conflict in Shillong in the 1980s. It has been widely praised as a significant contribution to North-east literature and was nominated for the Sahitya Akademi Award (2023) . His debut novel, a mythological thriller entitled Bali and the Ocean of Milk, was a best-seller. His subsequent writings include The Case of the Secretive Sister, a contemporary detective caper set in Bangalore and two critically acclaimed plays on science history—The Square Root of a Sonnet and The Trial of Abdus Salam, which have had over 100 stage performances across multiple cities in India, UK and USA.  Nilanjan studied at IIM, Ahmedabad, and IIT, Kanpur and hopes that this will not be held against him. He grew up in Shillong and now lives in Bangalore with his family.

Age - 15+