Pooja Bhatt will accompany 'daddy' to Pakistan

Delhi-based actor Imran Zahid stars in the lead role, played by Anupam Kher in the original film

Former Bollywood actress and now director Pooja Bhatt will accompany her daddy Mahesh Bhatt to Pakistan - who will be staging his play 'Daddy' at NAPA's International Theatre festival as reported earlier by The Express Tribune.

Pooja, it seems, is quite excited about her trip and took to twitter to share the news with her fans.

'Daddy' to be staged as a play in Pakistan. Mahesh & Pooja Bhatt to attend! http://t.co/NXjhUbcZd5 via @sharethis

— Pooja Bhatt (@PoojaB1972) February 26, 2015

Zain Ahmed, artistic director of Napa Repertory Theatre (NRT), told The Express Tribune about how this year’s festival will be different from last year’s. Citing the play Among Fog, a joint effort by Napa graduates and German director-choreographer Brigrl Gjoka, he said, “There are more collaborative projects between Napa students and international artistes this time around to ensure that the learning process is greater.” He added that Gjoka flew from Germany and worked with Napa graduates for a month to create the play which will feature actors and dancers from Napa.

Read: My father is my only competition: Pooja Bhatt

Amid a host of expectedly promising performances, a play that Ahmed feels has all the earmarks of success is Daddy, as it is set to be presented by noted Bollywood filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt. “I think the show will be sold-out,” Ahmed said, owing to Bhatt’s star power. Daddy has been directed Dr Danish Iqbal and is a stage-adaptation of the 1989 eponymous film, which was directed by Bhatt.

The festival which will host drama troupes from England, India, Germany and the United States, will also showcase local talent. Pakistani troupes Azad Theatre, Ajoka, Tehrik-e-Niswan along with the academy’s own group are set to perform at the festival. Ahmed described last year’s festival as a “learning experience” for the hosts, highlighting that the team is better equipped to cater to the audiences this year. “We didn’t know what sort of performances would work and the ones which won’t last time,” he stated.



Of the festival’s line-up, Ahmed said it will feature exciting plays, such as Museum of Species in Danger. Written by Akbar Chaudhry of Lol Waalay fame, the play comprises an Indo-Pak cast. He shared that once the scripting for the play is complete, both teams will rehearse for it separately and will have “seven days to pull it off” after they come together. Ahmed added that the comedy play attempts to explore the “hypocrisies in our society that aren’t visible to us as we are living them.”