All for one, one for all
Indian director Kewal Dhalewal, Ajoka Theatre stage play on Bhagat Kabir in Lahore
Usman Zia (Kabir) caught in a scene with fellow actors. PHOTO: PUBLICITY
LAHORE:
The soothing sound of a dhol wafted through the halls of Alhamra Arts Council on an otherwise quiet Wednesday night. A chorus of booming male voices broke into one of Bhagat Kabir’s powerful verses. Such was the scene at Ajoka Theatre’s latest play about the Sufi mystic, held in collaboration with the Lahore Arts Council. It was their rendering of Bisham Sahni’s critically-acclaimed play, Kabira Khada Bazaar Mein.
Before it began, head of Ajoka, Madiha Gauhar took to the stage and said, “Although plays on Bhagat Kabir have been done in India countless times, this is the first time in Pakistan and it’s happening because Ajoka and Bhagat Kabir have a message.”
Kewal Dhalewal, the director of the play, stayed for the premier of the three-day show but returned to Amritsar where another theatre troupe performed it on Thursday.
Gauhar added, “It is incredible that the play will be performed in Lahore and Amritsar simultaneously.”
The storyline became a magnum opus back in the 80s as it evoked a huge response for being a play about faith for a new age of fanatics. Dhalewal brought it to Lahore as a tribute to Sahni for his centenary year and the fact that the play is being staged, only goes to show that its relevance has endured the test of time.
Ideas through performance: Ajoka’s new play celebrates Kabir
As the lights came on, the stage was decorated beautifully with saris from Amritsar, denoting an aspect of Kabir’s life: he was a lower class Muslim weaver in the city of Banaras. There was plenty of draped cloth in the background, where musicians sat amidst multi-coloured lanterns. The background score was one of the best parts of the play. The verses recited by the artists were catchy and built up the suspense. The songs were composed using simple instruments like the harmonium, chimta, dhol and drums which maintained the gaiety.
Usman Zia kept the audience entertained as Kabir, with his strong dialogue delivery and Nayab Faiza was excellent as Kabir’s wife Loi, a loud and slightly eccentric woman. The director treated some of the scenes with understated intricacy, such as Kabir’s first meeting with his wife. It is a touching moment, revealing Kabir’s profound humanism and the divinity of true love. The part where Kabir hears about the blind beggar’s murder by the Raja for singing his verses is strong and shows the depth of his emotions and the approach of a leader.
Symbol of hope: Faiz’s message of peace should be spread further, says Rajwana
Those around him were drawn by the simplicity of Kabir’s message and his fearless challenges against qazis, mullahs, pundits and mahants back in the day. Looking upon the reflection of the miseries faced by the socially and economically marginalised, people started to join him and his followers on the pavements. Gradually, this turned into a mass movement which rendered the ruling Hindus and bigoted Muslims Kabir’s enemies. His followers comprised both Hindus and Muslims, who were convinced of his philosophy that all men are equal. This made reference to a deep class divide, religious intolerance and the widening gap between the rich and the poor in today’s world as well.
To quote a spectator, “The play has managed to convey a strong message in a way that’s kept people engaged.”
Unfortunately, the languages the play used — Hindi, Awadhi, Braj and Bhojpuri – proved to be a hurdle. Those with little or no knowledge of regional Indian dialects may find some of the dialogues difficult to understand. There were also moments where the actors were either too quick or not loud enough with their delivery.
Speaking with The Express Tribune, an audience member said, “The play could have been translated into Urdu, except for the verses, to make the outreach larger.”
Nonetheless, at the end, the cast of “Hindus, Muslims, the rich and the poor” all came together, arm in arm, and took a much-deserved bow.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 29th, 2016.
The soothing sound of a dhol wafted through the halls of Alhamra Arts Council on an otherwise quiet Wednesday night. A chorus of booming male voices broke into one of Bhagat Kabir’s powerful verses. Such was the scene at Ajoka Theatre’s latest play about the Sufi mystic, held in collaboration with the Lahore Arts Council. It was their rendering of Bisham Sahni’s critically-acclaimed play, Kabira Khada Bazaar Mein.
Before it began, head of Ajoka, Madiha Gauhar took to the stage and said, “Although plays on Bhagat Kabir have been done in India countless times, this is the first time in Pakistan and it’s happening because Ajoka and Bhagat Kabir have a message.”
Kewal Dhalewal, the director of the play, stayed for the premier of the three-day show but returned to Amritsar where another theatre troupe performed it on Thursday.
Gauhar added, “It is incredible that the play will be performed in Lahore and Amritsar simultaneously.”
The storyline became a magnum opus back in the 80s as it evoked a huge response for being a play about faith for a new age of fanatics. Dhalewal brought it to Lahore as a tribute to Sahni for his centenary year and the fact that the play is being staged, only goes to show that its relevance has endured the test of time.
Ideas through performance: Ajoka’s new play celebrates Kabir
As the lights came on, the stage was decorated beautifully with saris from Amritsar, denoting an aspect of Kabir’s life: he was a lower class Muslim weaver in the city of Banaras. There was plenty of draped cloth in the background, where musicians sat amidst multi-coloured lanterns. The background score was one of the best parts of the play. The verses recited by the artists were catchy and built up the suspense. The songs were composed using simple instruments like the harmonium, chimta, dhol and drums which maintained the gaiety.
Usman Zia kept the audience entertained as Kabir, with his strong dialogue delivery and Nayab Faiza was excellent as Kabir’s wife Loi, a loud and slightly eccentric woman. The director treated some of the scenes with understated intricacy, such as Kabir’s first meeting with his wife. It is a touching moment, revealing Kabir’s profound humanism and the divinity of true love. The part where Kabir hears about the blind beggar’s murder by the Raja for singing his verses is strong and shows the depth of his emotions and the approach of a leader.
Symbol of hope: Faiz’s message of peace should be spread further, says Rajwana
Those around him were drawn by the simplicity of Kabir’s message and his fearless challenges against qazis, mullahs, pundits and mahants back in the day. Looking upon the reflection of the miseries faced by the socially and economically marginalised, people started to join him and his followers on the pavements. Gradually, this turned into a mass movement which rendered the ruling Hindus and bigoted Muslims Kabir’s enemies. His followers comprised both Hindus and Muslims, who were convinced of his philosophy that all men are equal. This made reference to a deep class divide, religious intolerance and the widening gap between the rich and the poor in today’s world as well.
To quote a spectator, “The play has managed to convey a strong message in a way that’s kept people engaged.”
Unfortunately, the languages the play used — Hindi, Awadhi, Braj and Bhojpuri – proved to be a hurdle. Those with little or no knowledge of regional Indian dialects may find some of the dialogues difficult to understand. There were also moments where the actors were either too quick or not loud enough with their delivery.
Speaking with The Express Tribune, an audience member said, “The play could have been translated into Urdu, except for the verses, to make the outreach larger.”
Nonetheless, at the end, the cast of “Hindus, Muslims, the rich and the poor” all came together, arm in arm, and took a much-deserved bow.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 29th, 2016.