Juhi Babbar’s With Love, Aap Ki Saiyaara Ignites Emotions
Ahmedabad Welcomes With Love, Aap Ki Saiyaara, a Moving Tale of Modern Womanhood.
Ahmedabad’s theatre lovers were in for a special treat this weekend as Miraya Creations, in collaboration with Natarani, brings the acclaimed Ekjute production “With Love, Aap Ki Saiyaara” to the city.
To begin with, Ekjute is a well-known theatre group in India, founded in 1981 by Nadira Zaheer Babbar. Over the decades, it has staged works by classic and modern writers, and has built a reputation for blending serious ideas with accessible storytelling. The involvement of Ekjute gives the production a legacy and audience trust behind it.
Written, directed, and performed by Juhi Babbar Soni, the play is a lyrical monologue that beautifully explores modern womanhood with its aspirations, challenges, and triumphs through the character of Saiyaara, intelligent, spirited, and deeply human. The play touches upon love, identity, marriage, and self-respect with both humour and heart.
Juhi Babbar Soni is no newcomer to theatre. She is the daughter of Raj Babbar and Nadira Babbar, names that many in theatre and film know. Her journey in theatre has been marked by creating work that often speaks to women’s lives and relationships. In interviews, she has said that Saiyaara is not a man-hater, but she is honest about pain, expectations, and growth.
During the interaction with Juhiji, she said that the story of With Love, Aap Ki Saiyaara is not based on her own story, is fiction and a little bit related to her life. She went on to say that she does experiment with the scripts and loves to make the changes and work on different styles of scripts.
The show With Love, Aap Ki Saiyaara do not have many heavy props or decorations and uses minimalistic props, and the budget is bare minimum.
With Love, Aap Ki Saiyaara, has been written, directed and acted by Juhiji, and she said that the most difficult part is writing and the most easiest part is acting, because a well-written script is half of the job is done, and based on that, even if you are an average actor, you can perform is well on the written script.
She said that up to 30 to 35 shows, she made some changes in the scripts based on the audience reactions and responses, but now the script has been locked, and we are sticking to the script.
When asked about her next project, Juhiji honestly replied that she is working on “Ek Lamha Jindagi”
In reviews of the play, critics have noted how Juhi switches between characters smoothly, sometimes mimicking others on stage, using her voice and expressions to bring several personalities alive even when mostly alone on stage.
Having completed over 125 shows across India, With Love, Aap Ki Saiyaara has received standing ovations and continues to spark meaningful conversations on gender and empowerment.
By the time it reached 100 shows, it was being called one of the fastest plays to hit that milestone in about 30 months. Audiences in many cities have responded deeply, some coming forward to say “I want my children to see this,” others openly crying, hugging Juhi after performances. In Chandigarh, the show was sold out and drew praise from prominent arts figures.
Critics point out that the play doesn’t shy from difficult topics: divorce, abuse, societal pressure, and how even a modern, educated woman may struggle within expectations. One review describes how Saiyaara endures emotional abuse in her first marriage and how in her second, the husband cannot accept her independence, ending in a triple talaq. The play also plays with breaking the “fourth wall” — addressing the audience directly and making them a part of the story rather than passive watchers.
This Ahmedabad presentation is part of Miraya Creations’ vision of “Bridging Cities Through Stage,” an initiative by founder Milan Shah that has already brought critically acclaimed productions like Same Same But Different and Dhappa to the city.
I couldn’t find much published about Miraya Creations itself, but such a vision, bringing theatre from city to city helps local audiences experience plays they may otherwise never see. It strengthens connections between theatre communities across India.
Meanwhile, a few more things worth noting:
- The venue, Natarani Amphitheatre, is a special space in Ahmedabad. It is called the “greenest amphitheatre of India,” and is part of the Darpana Academy of Performing Arts.
- Its architecture and design are meant to merge nature and performance: the stage is built on sprung wood (to protect dancers’ knees), and there’s a “great wall” that helps block external noise.
- Natarani has been through several phases over decades, evolving from a school of dance into a full performing arts hub—sometimes referred to as Ahmedabad’s cultural nucleus.
- The play has been performed internationally at places like the Nehru Centre, London as part of Ekjute’s outreach. Nehru Centre London During those shows, the play’s language, cultural references, and emotional core were seen as crossing boundaries, making it relatable to diasporic audiences too.
- In past festivals (for example, in Lucknow), the play’s boldness in dealing with patriarchy, the expectations on women, and its humour and critique of “men, marketing, and mores” have attracted notice.
Putting These Together: This show in Ahmedabad offers the city a chance to see a performance that is well-reviewed, emotionally layered, and socially relevant. The collaboration with Natarani and Miraya Creations underlines theatre’s role in connecting cities and hearts.
Also Read:
