Sabz: A musical with meaning

KARACHI:

After adapted productions like Bombay Dreams, Chicago and Mamma Mia, Karachi is about to get an original Urdu musical, titled Sabz. A Hazaar Daastan theatre production, Sabz is a contemporary play set in post 9/11 Pakistan and tackles some very serious issues in a humourous way.

The play starts tonight, April 22, and will run till May 2 at the arts council, where the gates will close at 7:55pm for the 8pm show.

Umer Hameed is the executive producer and Waqas Bukhari is the producer of the musical for which Wahab Shah has rendered his choreographic services. The cast includes Yasir Hussain, Muaz Raja, Uroojun Nisa and the director, Farhatullah, himself.

“It is a fun-coated depiction of post 9/11 Pakistan and features the youth’s take on the current socio-political situation. It has entertainment and focuses on attainment. Filled with music, it has dance, drama and, above all, humour which makes a lot of sense,” Abdullah Farhatullah, the writer and director of the play told The Express Tribune.

But how original is the musical in reality? “The music is not original but our script is totally original and, by its very nature, it keeps on getting updated. From Kamran Akmal’s dropped catches to Laal band’s new vocalist, we show our perspective on everything supported by music,” said Farhatullah.

Farhatullah mentioned the lack of sponsors as a reason behind using existing music. “But the songs have, not been heard of before and the choice of songs is such that the audiences will feel that they are tailor-made for the play,” said the director.

Commenting on other musicals held in Pakistan, Farhatullah said: “I appreciate art in all forms, but I want at least the scripts of the plays to be original because I don’t care what’s happening in Bombay or Chicago. The issues of Pakistan need to be highlighted.”

The organisers of the musical expect Sabz to be enjoyed by audiences of all age groups because they believe that there are no speeches and preaching in it. What it has is the ability to leave an impression on the spectators.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 22^nd, 2011.