Ajoka Theatre to stage ‘Rozan-e-Zindan Se’ in Karachi

Ajoka Theatre puts together play based on letters exchanged by Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Alys Faiz

KARACHI:

Revolutionary poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz was known to be a man of few words; someone who preferred inking emotions instead of delivering them publicly in the garb of rhetoric. Even in the most intimate letters exchanged between him and his wife Alys Faiz, he gives us a chance to explore another aspect of his prowess that is personal yet has public significance.

Aiming to shed light on how the poet was as a father and a husband, Ajoka Theatre will be conducting a series of performances at the Arts Council of Karachi, titled Rozan-e-Zindan Se, on March 7 and 8. The plays are based on the letters that the poet wrote to Alys during his imprisonment in Hyderabad jail between 1951 and 1955.

Having been staged in Lahore nearly four years ago and later in Hyderabad, this is the first time Ajoka is bringing the play to Karachi. “Attempts were made in the past but it was mainly due to a lack of funding and sponsorship that we were not able to stage it here. But this time, the Arts Council offered us the venue for free so we decided to come and perform,” the play’s director Madeeha Gohar told The Express Tribune.





Rozan-e-Zindan Se comprises extracts from the letters and poems penned by Faiz during his time in prison. It offers an insight into the life and times of one of the most notable couples of Pakistan. Expected to be presented as a dramatic reading, the play would, fittingly, feature the husband-wife duo of Naeem Tahir and Yasmin Tahir in the lead roles of Faiz and Alys respectively.

Elaborating upon her decision to cast the Tahirs in the lead roles, Gohar explained that while their real-life status as husband and wife was an added advantage, it wasn’t the only factor. “Naeem has had a very close association with Faiz sahib. In fact Naeem Tahir’s sehra was written by Faiz only. His close proximity with Faiz sahib would help him do more justice to the character.”

The theatre veteran explained that Yasmin may have been a stage actor previously, but it was her work with Radio Pakistan that made her an ideal fit for the role.



According to Gohar, the correspondence between Alys and Faiz is both highly fascinating and emotional. “Not only was she fighting for her husband’s freedom and trying to get his name cleared of the charges, Alys also had the added responsibility of raising their daughters,” she explained.

Even though the letters were originally written in English, Faiz had his writing translated to Urdu under his own supervision whereas Alys’ were added later on. Rozan-e-Zindan Se would be intercut with dance performances by Suhaee Abro and Wahab Shah, choreographed by Shah himself.

For a play which is mainly a dramatic reading, the decision to incorporate dance performances may be slightly unusual. “The dance is basically a representation of Faiz’s poetry and makes the experience more complete for the audiences,” said Gohar in her defence.

Gohar also mentioned that Faiz’s daughters had given their approval to the performance. “They appreciated the gesture and like the decision to incorporate dance into the performance.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 3^rd, 2016.

Like Life & Style on Facebook, follow @ETLifeandStyle on Twitter for the latest in fashion, gossip and entertainment.