Turning up the heat in ‘Siachen’

Play explores physical and emotional trauma soldiers undergo whilst living on the glacier

KARACHI:

Siachen may be set in the sub-zero climate of northern Pakistan but its cast has been turning up the heat, delivering one riveting performance after another. Written by none other than the legendary Anwar Maqsood and directed by Dawar Mahmood of Kopykats Production, the play follows the story of a delectable group of Pakistani soldiers stationed on the Siachen glacier. It shows the physical struggles of living at high altitudes with low temperatures but focuses primarily on the soldiers’ emotional health after being separated from their loved ones.

While the subject matter of Siachen may be a tad more serious than Mahmood’s previous offerings Angan Terha, Pawnay 14 August and Sawa 14 August, the play is not without Maqsood’s signature chutkulay (jokes). One particular scene which has the audience laughing is when a lost Indian soldier from Bihar accidentally enters the Pakistani camps and tries to convince the troops he is a Pakistani in vain. He even fabricates a story taken from Salman Khan’s 2015 hit Bajrangi Bhaijaan, claiming he had crossed the border to help reunite a little girl with her parents. The dialogues are replete with witty one-liners like “Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword must never have seen a G3,” which underscore Maqsood’s panache for comedy.

The runtime of Siachen is interspersed with scenes of the soldiers’ interactions with their loved ones, prior to their departure. This is done in the form of letters from home or as physical manifestations of their imaginations, with an intelligent use of lighting making the transition seamless.

Even though the cast has performed so far 97 shows, not a single one of the members betrays any sign of exhaustion and maintains the story’s intensity throughout. The lineup includes Mohsin Ejaz, Zain Tahir, Hajra Yamin, Nurjis Jafri and Hasan Raza, amongst others. Their energy and outstanding talent is reflected in the thunderous applause and standing ovations they have been receiving night after night. That may be a great compliment in itself but the real testimony come from a group of real-life soldiers who lauded the cast’s performance. “The play was excellent. As an army man, I can vouch that these actors have in fact portrayed the reality on stage,” remarked an official who requested anonymity.

The cast members actually visited Siachen, in order to get first-hand experience of life on the glacier. Upon their return, they spent approximately four months under complete house arrest, sans any communication with the outside world. Speaking to The Express Tribune, principal cast member Saad Farrukh noted that visiting a real-life army boot camp was rigorous but proved very helpful, given the nature of the play. “When you have to constantly switch between emotions by making people laugh in one scene and cry in the next, it is imperative that we understand the psyche of a character.” With only two more shows left here in Karachi, Siachen’s cast and crew will proceed to Dubai before returning to Lahore in April.

Siachen’s 100^th show will be held on Saturday, in memory of late playwright and Maqsood’s older sister, Fatima Surayya Bajia.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 26^th,  2016.

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