Hyderabad, April 2 -- By Noor Baig

There's a line in our play 'Under an Oak Tree', which I wrote and Begum Razia Baig produced:"And look, what one oak tree has brought forth - a mighty orchard."

The oak tree refers to theatre doyen Qadir Ali Baig's looming legacy that falls upon his family. The legacy is heavy as a shadow and protective as a shade. The orchard refers to the audience that the Foundation in its name has been drawing across the globe. Yet, there was a person nurturing the oak tree, the acorns and the orchard.

Begum Razia Baig was born into a large yet extremely close-knit business family, steeped in traditions and quintessential Hyderabadi customs. She married into an aristocratic household where women's roles were preser...