Actor Vasil Khan essays Kabir Das in Kabira Khada Bazaar Mein, a plays which focusses on Kabir’s philosophy and teachings remain relevant even today. “What makes Kabir Das special is that his philosophy and thoughts are still relevant even today. He spoke about love, humanity, equality and the truth of life. He believed that God is not somewhere outside, but within each one of us. He questioned why we keep searching for God everywhere when we have never truly looked within ourselves. Purify your thoughts, cleanse your soul, and you will find the Divine within,” he says.“As long as humanity exists, Kabir will remain alive through his thoughts and teachings. He was not just a poet; he was a musician, a saint, a fakir and a fearless voice who challenged society through his simple yet powerful words. That’s what makes playing Kabir Das so special for me,” he adds.Khan’s preparation involved studying Kabir’s philosophy and understanding his outlook towards life. “My preparation began with understanding Kabir Das with the script because the script is well written and Bhisham Sahni is a great playwright. I wanted to understand his philosophy, his way of looking at life, his simplicity and his courage to question society. I spent time reading about his life, understanding his thoughts and exploring his spiritual side,” he says.He also worked on the character’s physicality, voice, rhythm and body language. “My biggest challenge was not to imitate a saint but to discover the human being behind the saint. I wanted to make Kabir feel real, relatable and alive on stage,” he says.The toughest part, he believes, was conveying Kabir’s profound thoughts simply without making the performance preachy. “Sometimes, a single line by Kabir carries such profound meaning that you cannot just deliver it; you have to experience it. I wanted the audience to feel his thoughts rather than simply listen to them,” he says.The role has also influenced his outlook. “Absolutely. Playing Kabir has made me look at life, relationships and people with a little more awareness. He constantly reminds us not to get trapped in ego, hatred, religious divisions or external appearances. One thing I have understood through him is that at the end of the day, only love exists on this planet,” he says.Khan also finds personal similarities with the saint-poet. “I believe there is a little bit of Kabir in all of us; we just need to discover that part of ourselves. I find many similarities between Kabir’s personality and mine. I am a non-violent person by nature, spiritually inclined, and I strongly believe in love and humanity. These are some of the values that connect me deeply with Kabir,” he says.Describing theatre in one word, he calls it his “comfort space”. The biggest lesson he takes from Kabir is to remain kind and compassionate. “We should never lose our humanity and compassion, no matter how difficult life gets. That is the biggest lesson I have learned from Kabir,” he says.He believes the play is particularly relevant for today’s generation. “I think today’s generation needs Kabir more than ever. We live in a world full of noise, opinions, divisions and distractions. Everybody is searching for happiness and peace outside, but very few people take the time to look within. Kabir’s thoughts are timeless. His words question our beliefs, challenge our conditioning and remind us of the importance of love, humanity and self-discovery,” he adds.