Powerful and Emotion-filled Return of Sawan Roopowali to Stage After Seven Years Through Pali Bhupinder’s Play “Terrorist Ki Premika”

Published on: 21 Oct 2025 at 05:52 PM

Published by: Gill Bikram

Powerful and Emotion-filled Return of Sawan Roopowali to Stage After Seven Years Through Pali Bhupinder’s Play “Terrorist Ki Premika”

Pali Bhupinder’s plays convey much without saying much — Davinder Daman

Punjabi theatre is in no way inferior to national theatre, but we playwrights have yet to recognize our own potential — Pali Bhupinder

Sawan Roopowali’s passion and dedication toward theatre deserve salute — Sukhhi Brar

Sawan joins the ranks of film actors who take time out of their cinematic routines to do theatre — Sanjeevan

At Randhawa Auditorium, Punjab Kala Bhawan, Chandigarh, the well-known and outspoken playwright, director, and filmmaker Pali Bhupinder’s Hindi adaptation of his Punjabi play “Terrorist Ki Premika” marked a powerful and emotional return to the stage for actress Sawan Roopowali (of Harjeeta fame) after seven years.

Linked to the theatre world since childhood through her father Inderjit Roopowali, General Secretary of IPTA, Punjab, Sawan delivered a memorable performance in front of hundreds of spectators, scholars, theatre workers, and film and stage actors.

The play was presented by Moving Star Productions, directed by Abhishek Tiwari, with Laksh Ji’s music, Harmeet Bhullar’s lighting, and Supreet’s costume design — all of which contributed greatly to the play’s impact.

In Pali Bhupinder’s plays, actors and directors rarely have the space to go beyond the script — his writing itself holds the audience captive. Yet, in “Terrorist Ki Premika”, both the director’s vision and the actors’ performances left a deep impression on the viewers.

Sawan Roopowali, as Aneet, embodied the character with remarkable expressions and emotional depth — her eyes spoke a thousand shades and layers of meaning. Utkarsh, as the terrorist, performed with restraint and intensity; Mayank Srivastava (as DSP Dev) and Vasant Sagar (as the constable) also delivered commendable performances.

After the show, playwright Pali Bhupinder expressed satisfaction with the performance, remarking that Punjabi theatre is in no way lesser than national theatre, but Punjabi playwrights have not yet realized their true potential.

Theatre director and former IPTA Punjab president Davinder Daman said, “Pali Bhupinder’s plays say a great deal without explicitly saying it.”
Folk singer Sukhhi Brar praised Sawan’s dedication and love for theatre, adding her financial contribution as well.

Sanjeevan Singh, president of IPTA Punjab, said, “After almost ten years, I am seeing Sawan on stage again. She now stands among those film actors who still make time for theatre despite their busy film schedules.”

Among those present were film actors Kuljinder Sidhu, Sukhhi Chahal, Raman Dhillon, Davinder Davi, Gordhan Gabbi, Kamal Nain Singh Sekhon, Jagdeep Warraich, Lakhwinder Singh, Bhupinder Singh Malik, Inderjit Roopowali, Sarbjeet Roopowali, Sabdish, Bhatti Bhariyala, and Jaipal Singh Chhibber, among others.