This play is all about an intriguing man named Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib -- a master yet a rundown poet, a privileged yet a pitiable elite, an extravagant yet a poor noble, a devout yet a self effacing lover, an irreverent yet a pious husband and a self-seeking yet an altruistic person. Tom Alter in his inimitable style, laced with humor and satire, talks about Ghalib the (talented) child; Ghalib the (carefree) young man; Ghalib the (matured) middle aged: His wife (Umrao Begum), a God fearing lady wedded to man who dared God: His lady love (Mughol Jan), who committed suicide.
In the process, he dispels myths about his rivalry with Zauq; about his love for wine (and women), about his role in 1857 etc.