Funny bone: Laugh till you die

While retaining its comic nature, Younas Khan’s ‘Aaj Ki Taza Kabr’ deals with issue of terrorism

KARACHI: The ongoing Karachi Theatre Festival has belted out an interesting variety of plays for drama enthusiasts. From staging serious thought-provoking shows to full-on entertainment ones, the festival has become the talk of town. Its latest offering, Aaj Ki Taza Kabr, leans towards the entertainment side.

Directed by Younas Khan, the comedy revolves around junkie friends Kashif (Masood Sabir), Faisal (Younas Khan), Billy (Aurangzeb Nadeem) and Goonga (Meer Aslam), who are chased by the police and forced to seek refuge in a graveyard. To their horror, the dead come to life.

While the storyline is a little surreal,  Nasir Salim’s script and the director’s treatment makes it all the more mainstream and enjoyable for the audience. Although the script does have a few loose ends and unnecessary scenes churning out one joke after another, the way the director holds the narrative together makes up for it.

However, much of the credit goes to the ensemble cast whose power-packed performances do not let the audience take a breather. Aslam, whose character is literally a mute speaks volumes with his expressions, body language and impactful timing.

The production team must be commended on the use of stylistic aids such as lighting, smoke effects and the sound, which definitely enhanced the experience and made the narrative more believable. Khan cleverly incorporates audience interaction while the curtain falls to buy time for the changing of the sets. At one point, an audience member hands over his shoe to an actor when he begs for money to buy a coffin for his dead friend. The dexterity of the play is evident in scenes where it makes you laugh at things you otherwise would not find funny. It is one thing to make the audience laugh; but even with all its faults, Aaj Ki Taza Kabr succeeds in making the audience care about the characters.  The idea of death looms everywhere even when one is chuckling at the silliness of an elaborate joke.

Eighty minutes into gut-wrenching laughter and the drama takes a turn and offers one thought-provoking dialogue you must have heard before. “Lagta hai dollar main Khuda se zyada taaqat hai (It seems like the dollar has more power than God),” says Faisal. While retaining its comic nature, the play returns to deal with the issue of terrorism.

Aaj Ki Taza Kabr offered a perfect escape for the public, so much so that one could hear gales of laughter continuously, even after leaving the theatre.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 11^th, 2016.

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