Zia Mohyeddin roped in for Arts Council Theatre Festival

Stage veteran among notables to run productions at upcoming event in Karachi

KARACHI: The week following Eidul Fitr is already shaping up to be a busy, happening affair for the Arts Council in Karachi. Soon after announcing that they will be staging their highly-anticipated drama festival, council members have already started ironing out the line-up for the event. Based on the revelations made so far, the festival, which will be held from July 16 to July 31, is expected to be a star-studded event worth looking forward to.

The council’s general secretary Ahmed Shah shared that veteran theatre actor and director Zia Mohyeddin will be running one of his plays at the festival. “Hopefully, if everything goes according to plan, Zia sahab will also be participating in the event,” he told The Express Tribune.

“He is going to direct Khwabon Ke Musafir, one of his older productions, originally penned by Intizar Hussain. The performance is also meant to serve as tribute to the iconic writer who passed away earlier this year.”



This is not the first time a play scripted by Hussain will grace the stage of the council, or become part of the itinerary for a Karachi-based theatre festival. Earlier this year, the National Academy of Performing Arts (Napa) chose to commence their annual International Theatre Festival with a performance paying homage to the late writer. Organisers were forced to run the play once again as the closing act, after several Indian troupes were left with no choice but to withdraw their participation in the wake of security concerns and visa delays.

Khwabon Ke Musafir revolves around a family which has recently migrated to Pakistan from India. Following their relocation across the border, an old couple of the family, Miyan Jan and Buji, is worried about their daughter Kishwer. Constantly fretting over her daughter’s marriage, Buji sees a potential son-in-law in Jan’s nephew Shahid, whose educational expenses he has borne ever since her sister, Bari Bua, was widowed. Kishwer, on the other hand, is more interested in her other cousin Iffo, a laidback and unemployed man coasting his way through life. While Iffo reciprocates Kishwer’s affections, their situation is further complicated when Shahid secures a job in Karachi.

Mohyeddin is not the only high profile thespian who has being roped in for the festival. Shah revealed that renowned playwright Anwar Maqsood, and Napa faculty members Khalid Ahmed and Zain Ahmed have also been approached to participate at the event.



A number of Maqsood’s plays such as the 14 August series, Siachen and Half Plate have previously been staged at the Karachi Arts Council, each receiving an overwhelming response from the audience. The writer’s participation was thus more or less a done deal.

Shah hinted that Maqsood is also penning the script for a new play which would most likely be put together by Kopykat Productions. Zain Ahmed and Khalid’s inclusion in the lineup may come as a surprise to many, given that both of them, like Mohyeddin, are associated with Napa. Clearing the air on the situation, Shah said, “None of them are representing Napa. They will be directing plays for the festival in their individual capacity.”

In an earlier interview, Shah had emphasised that the council was in “no competition” with Napa which is situated right across the road. “In fact, we encourage others to organise similar events so that people have more avenues to see quality performances,” he had stated.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 10^th, 2016.

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