British Indian Spy Noor Inayat Khan's Story Adapted For The London Stage

Noor Inayat Khan's Indian heritage traces back to the 18th-century Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan.

The story of British Indian spy Noor Inayat Khan has been adapted for a new theatre production for the London stage. She was a British World War II spy. Moreover, her heritage goes back to the 18th century Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan. 

The play 'Noor' tells the story of a young female undercover wireless operator to be sent from Britain's Special Operations Executive (SOE) into Nazi-occupied France.

Noor's story came to the fore with the book 'Spy Princess: The Life of Noor Inayat Khan'. The book was penned by UK-based author Shrabani Basu wherein she detailed how the young woman stood against fascism and was posthumously awarded the George Cross for bravery.

The play’s director, Poonam Brah told the British Asian Women's Magazine, “It is vital to me to be part of sharing her story – not just as a chapter in history, but in terms of how it speaks to British life right now."

"It re-frames the traditional narratives about who fought for our freedom in WWII and what they were defending, and represents the contribution both of the women agents of the SOE and people of colour to fighting WWII, connecting us all to our shared history and our sense of belonging in the UK,” she said.