BOSTON–A new bilingual musical production, Heer – The Awakening of Love, will premiere this season, introducing audiences to Waris Shah’s iconic Punjabi epic Heer through a blend of theatre, music and dance. The play will be performed at SAAThFest on November 23 in Watertown and again on December 7 in Wellesley, MA.
The production draws from the 18th-century poet Waris Shah’s definitive retelling of the tragic love story of Heer and Ranjha. Shah’s version, long considered the canonical Qissa—or fable—of Punjab, is known for its poetic language and its layered treatment of themes such as class, caste, patriarchy and social hierarchy. The play presents several verses from Heer in their original Punjabi, while the actors perform English translations designed to reflect the rhythm and tone of the source material.
Heer – The Awakening of Love is written by playwright and author Sarbpreet Singh, based on his English translation of Waris Shah’s 600-plus-verse epic. This staging represents the first part of a three-part project, with subsequent installments currently in development. The production also features original musical compositions by Singh and choreography by Pranita Deshpande and Juhi Chaudhari, incorporating both classical and folk dance traditions from the Indian subcontinent.
In an exclusive video interview with INDIA New England News, Singh talks about the upcoming play, the 18th-century poet Waris Shah and the Sikh literature. To watch the full interview, please click here, or on the image below.
Musical selections include verses from Waris Shah set to traditional ragas, as well as compositions inspired by Punjabi folk and Sikh liturgical texts. The 75-minute performance is structured as both narrative theatre and musical commentary, offering audiences an accessible introduction to one of Punjab’s most influential works of literature.
About the Playwright
Sarbpreet Singh is a Boston-based writer, podcaster and commentator, known for works including The Story of the Sikhs 1469–1708, The Camel Merchant of Philadelphia, The Sufi’s Nightingale, and Night of the Restless Spirits. Singh began his career in technology, holding roles at GE, Lucent Technologies, AT&T Bell Labs and Flextronics before turning to writing full time in 2017.
Raised in Sikkim and fluent in Punjabi and Nepali, Singh’s early experiences shaped his interest in literature, performance and storytelling. His extensive body of work spans fiction, non-fiction, theatre and music. He is also the creator of The Story of the Sikhs podcast, which has listeners in more than 90 countries.
Singh has written and produced several stage productions, including Kultar’s Mime, which toured six countries, and Jujhar Cheema, an adaptation of Julius Caesar set in Punjab. In 2024, he presented a stage adaptation of The Sufi’s Nightingale in Boston, which will return to the Strand Theater in 2026.
Performance Information
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November 23 – SAAThFest, Mosesian Center for the Arts, Watertown, MA
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December 7 – Special Performance, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA
Tickets for both performances are now on sale:
Tickets for the November 23 Performance of Heer Waris Shah at SAAThFest are available here.
Tickets for the December 7 performance of of Heer Waris Shah are available here.
