Photo/Juidin Bernarrd The folk satire will be staged in the city over the weekend. What happens when we stop listening to stories? That’s the question Dubai’s independent theatre company is seeking to answer this weekend. Xpression Art, an Indian company based in the city is geared up to present Baat Karamat, an observational comedy inspired by India’s rich heritage and culture of storytelling. The play is written and directed by award-winning theatre veteran, Mahua Krishnadev. “I wrote the play, after being inspired by a local Rajasthani folk tale about a man named Teedo Rao and his adventures,” says Mahua. The play features original music created by music director Sauryansh Singh and his team. Emanating from the dunes of Rajasthan, accompanied with lilting quintessential folk music, the play will recount the story of a village simpleton Teeda’s rise to fame. Does he indeed possess otherworldly powers or is there a twist to the tale, therein lies the rub! Much like travelling gypsies, the story twists and turns with every stop at a new village along the road. “Over the years, as I travelled to countries across the world for my performances, I realised there is a common human tendency to put individuals on a pedestal and worship them, pin all our hopes on them, like a proxy for the God we know exists but have never seen,” adds Mahua. Excerpts from an interaction with Mahua.