The fifth wall that divides Pakistan and India

Theatre personalities talk about impact of prevailing political impasse on performing arts exchange

KARACHI:

Every time the political climate in the Indo-Pak region heats up, it leaves some form of cultural repercussions in its trail of destruction. While the prospects of a bilateral cricket series are making headlines these days, little attention is being paid to the impact of this recurring scenario on performing arts.

Weighing in on the toll growing intolerance will have on the people on either sides of the border, National Academy of Performing Arts (Napa) Artistic Director Zain Ahmed believes that even though no party will come out victorious, Pakistan’s infant theatre scene will suffer the most. “Even though most of our international events feature groups from Germany and England, it is the troupes and performers from India that are the main draw for the audiences,” he tells The Express Tribune.





According to Zain, hostility towards each other’s artists will prove detrimental for emerging thespians. “Since India has a larger number of theatre enthusiasts, our troupes visiting there not only get ample exposure but also get the feeling of performing at big venues,” he remarks. He says aesthetic and cultural similarities and cost-effectiveness of travel means performers from both sides get a taste of international experience at a bargain.

Zain explains that events such as Napa’s International Theatre Festival are some of National School of Drama, New Delhi troupes’ events of choice. He adds if Indian authorities cause hurdles for Pakistani artists, our government may also retaliate. “If we and other Pakistani artists face visa and logistic problems while travelling to India, don’t you think officials on our side would also try and retaliate?” he questions.



While the Napa front man may have his reservations, not all stakeholders of Pakistani theatre are on the same page. Shahid Nadeem, who is involved with Ajoka Theatre in Lahore, says his troupe has been visiting India annually for the past 25 years and that political impasses have seldom bothered them. “I don’t think a lot would change, the cultural exchange would continue to happen. What people need to understand is that there is only a small section of people in India who are hostile. The artist community and audiences there are keen on seeing Pakistani performers,” said Nadeem. He cites an Ajoka performance in India which had to be called off due to threats. “We were performing a play on Manto which had to be cancelled after the organisers received threats. So instead of sending us back, they set up an alternate venue for the performance and staged the play there,” he recalls. Nadeem has every reason to remain optimistic about the future of theatre in the region. “When we [Ajoka Theatre] go to India, we are able to incorporate different styles into our performances and conduct our plays in a way we would otherwise not be able to do in Pakistan,” he points out.



After months of hostility that saw shows of ghazal singer Ghulam Ali get cancelled and Shiv Sena workers barge into the offices of the Indian cricket board when a meeting of Pakistani and Indian officials was to take place, Indian foreign minister Sushma Swaraj’s recent visit broke the ice to a certain extent. With talks likely to resume, theatre veterans remain hopeful that the artist community will be spared from political point scoring for good.



“Pakistani audiences enjoy seeing Indian plays not only because they are in the same language but they explore different themes and stories. Hopefully we will continue to see many more in the future as well,” says playwright Madeeha Gohar.

Not cowering to pressure, Ajoka Theatre is set to collaborate with Indian group Manch Rang Manch for the Indo-Pak Theatre Festival scheduled to be held in April 2016, in India.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 14^th,  2015.

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