Mah Laqa Bai Chanda was an 18th century Urdu poet and the first woman to have a diwan (anthology) of her work. A multi-faceted personality renowned for her multi-lingual skills, mellifluous voice and dancing, she was also an accomplished archer and horse woman. Known to be brave, she participated in all the three wars fought by Nizam Ali Khan, Asaf Jah the II. The Nizam conferred upon her the title of Mah Laqa , meaning Visage of the Moon along with the jagir or estate of Adikmet and other honours. Mah Laqa Bai Chanda was a powerful woman in the court of the second and third Nizams of Hyderabad as she was frequently consulted by the rulers on policy matters. She was admitted into the omrah, the elite nobility and was the only woman to have been awarded this status.

Mah Laqa Bai Chanda was a socially conscious and enlightened woman who returned her debt to society by establishing a residential institution to provide less privileged girls educational opportunities and impart cultural training , a concept unique for those times.

This is perhaps the first time that a theatrical performance on the legendary woman is being performed and is intended to bring to life Hyderabad’s most famous woman and acknowledge her immense contribution to Hyderabad’s rich legacy.