A physical dance work based on Chandradhar Sharma Guleri's 1915 short story 'Usne Kaha Tha', The Troth is a poignant story of love, loss and sacrifice against the backdrop of the horror and conflict of World War I. Akademi, the UK’s leading producer of South Asian dance, is marking the centenaries of World War I, Indian cinema and the first Hindi short story, with The Troth: a project that reveals
the contribution, sacrifice and human cost of Indian soldiers to the allied war effort. Part of the UK-India Year of Culture and the Reimagine India programme (Arts Council England / British Council), this ambitious international project will be devised in the UK and India, touring both countries during January to March 2018. The Troth, based on a 1915 short story Usne Kaha Tha by Chandradhar Sharma Guleri, is the story of Sardar Lehna Singh’s sacrifice of keeping his secret promise to an unrequited love while mid-conflict in the horror of trenches of Belgium. The Troth is a live, evening-length production for proscenium theatres which unfolds the poignant narrative through interplay between dance, music and moving image. Stylistically inspired by silent film, The Troth will be a powerful, narrative-driven work that engages directly and emotionally with a broad audience. Supported by: Arts Council England, British Council, UK/India Year of Culture 2017, Indian Council for Cultural Relations, The Nehru Centre, Watermans Arts Centre, Cockayne Foundation and The London Community Foundation.
