‘Bad Indian’ Selected for Deptford Scratch - Global Majority Spotlight - London

Saaj Raja’s autobiographical one-man show Bad Indian has been selected to feature at the Deptford Scratch – Global Majority Spotlight event, taking place on Thursday 23rd October at 7PM at Deptford Lounge, London.

Written and performed by Saaj Raja and directed by Heba Aboud, Bad Indian explores the experience of a first-generation British Indian navigating the complex intersections of culture, family, and identity. The piece blends storytelling, humour, and a touch of Bollywood to examine what it means to belong - or not belong - in both worlds.

The show follows a young man who finds himself “too British for the Indians, too Indian for the Brits, and, if you ask his mum, a very bad Indian.” Both heartfelt and witty, Bad Indian invites audiences into a deeply personal yet universal search for authenticity.

The Deptford Scratch - Global Majority Spotlight platform highlights bold new voices and underrepresented perspectives in theatre and performance. Saaj is proud to be part of this initiative, sharing work that contributes to a wider dialogue about identity and belonging.

📍 Deptford Lounge, London
🗓️ Thursday 23rd October, 7PM
🔗 Find out more here

Who Am I? - Play - Stanley Art Centre - London

Saaj Raja is currently in rehearsals for Who Am I?, a powerful new play presented by Mukul and Ghetto Tigers. The production explores questions of identity through the experiences of second and third generation children whose families left pre-partition India, migrated to East Africa, and were later displaced again during the 1972 Ugandan exodus.

Written by Tarun Jasani and inspired by oral histories, the play asks how the struggles of parents and grandparents continue to shape the lives of young people growing up in Britain today.

For Saaj, whose own Gujarati heritage is rooted in this history of migration, the project feels deeply personal. “It’s a reminder of the resilience of those who came before us, and the complexities of what it means to belong”.

The evening also features a film screening and an interactive panel discussion provocatively titled: “So somebody asked me, ‘Britain? Where do you really come from?’” - a question many from diaspora communities will instantly recognise.

Who Am I? promises to be both moving and thought-provoking, and Saaj is honoured to be part of a team bringing these vital stories to the stage.

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Come Fall in Love – The DDLJ Musical - Manchester Opera House

Saaj will be joining the musical adaptation of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, one of the biggest blockbuster films in the history of Indian cinema.

Entitled Come Fall in Love and helmed by Aditya Chopra, the original director of the Hindi-language film (also commonly known as DDLJ), the stage version’s narrative will be set in the UK.

It follows Simran, a young British Indian woman, who finds herself engaged to a family friend in India in an arranged marriage. However, the plot thickens when she falls in love with a British man named Roger.

Saaj will be part of the ensemble.

DDLJ is the longest-running title in Indian cinema and has been playing continuously in Mumbai since its release back in 1995.

The musical will open at Manchester’s Opera House on 29 May 2025, playing through until 21 June 2025.