Devendra Sharma as Sultana in Nautanki 'Sultana Daku'

Nautanki is an operatic performance tradition of northern India which was considered the single most popular form of entertainment before the advent of 'Bollywood'. Rooted in the rural society of pre-modern India, this theater vibrates with lively dancing, pulsating drumbeats, and full-throated singing.

"Sultana Daku" is a classic of this genre. In song and dance plus lots of comedy, it tells the story of Sultana, the famous dacoit (thief) of early 20th century India who lived in the jungles of Uttar Pradesh with his gang of 300 dacoits and his lover, Phulkanwar, and plagued the agents of a colonial government by robbing from them and giving to the poor. He became a big symbol of local Indian resistance against colonial rule in India when he could not be caught by the British for many years. The Nautanki is a humorous tale of the cat and mouse chase between Sultana and the British superintendent of police, Freddie Young.

In this scene, Sultana (played by Dr. Devendra Sharma) addresses his gang of dacoits:

Listen carefully, and follow my dictate,
Nobody should make a mistake
You must always help the poor,
and never be afraid of the rich and the powerful
Take from the rich as much as you can,
but use the money to feed the poor
Be aware of the [British] police
There should be no oversight,
and anybody who disobeys me will pay with his life