NEW DELHI: The Red Fort’s sound and light show will give ‘more’ prominence to Indian freedom struggle in its new avatar. The new show is being designed by the Dalmia Bharat Group (DBG) as it adopted the Mughal fort-palace, in December under the ministry of culture’s ‘adopt a heritage’ scheme.
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) officials, aware of the development, said that the fresh script of the show has been approved with certain conditions. “The new script will have special focus on India’s freedom struggle and trial of Netaji Subash Chandra Bose and other Indian National Army (INA) officers held at the fort unlike the old show, which was more about formation of Shahjahanabad, the imperial Mughal capital and Mughal rule in Delhi,” said the official.
The show was discontinued in July last year for upgrade after it was observed that content should be rewritten and lights and other equipment also required a revamp. The programme was being run by India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) since its inception in 1968.
For rewriting the script, a popular historian, eminent history professor, and private content generator company were roped in and it took more than six months to finalise the draft. The Corporation invited tender for redoing the script and its format initially, however, after the nomination of the DBG as ‘Monument Mitra’ under the ministry’s scheme, the process was scrapped.
“It may take more time to restart the show as the final nod will be given by the ‘screening panel’ after seeing the demo show,” said the official.
According to approval signed by T J Alone, director (monuments), no projection on Moti Masjid and any other structures on Red Fort campus and human performance during the show will be allowed.
“No permanent structures will be allowed. The directions are clear that no archaeological structures should be damaged or disturbed. They have been allowed to use speakers now but our emphasis is on headphones for individuals. The final decision will be taken later,” said an ASI official.