Sania Saeed brings to life flames of past writers

Veteran actor performs love letters written by eminent authors

ISLAMABAD: While letters written out on perfumed parchments are not quite as relatable in the modern world of self-disintegrating electronic messages, the tale of letters written by a host of legendary writers brought a more evocative reaction than any email or private message has ever managed.



Veteran actor Sania Saeed returned to the stage after a hiatus as she presented a dramatic performance based on love letters written by eminent writers such as Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Josh Malihabadi, Col Muhammad Khan, Amrita Pritam, Majeed Amjad, Fikr Taunsvi, Safia Jan Nisar and Shafiqur Rehman.

‘Likhay jo khatt tujhay’ (the letters written to you) was performed at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) on Monday evening and drew a large crowd. The play was part of the twelfth National Theatre Festival, held to mark the 70th anniversary of Pakistan’s Independence Day.

While Saeed starred alongside Tajdar Zaidi, she remained the centre of attention, as the veteran actor lent her versatility, skills and experience to the role with a strong script.

Specially designed lights helped accentuate the overall stage experience, set the mood, create an immersive and mystic environment. Moreover, they helped direct attention to key parts of the expansive stage.

“Letter-writing used to be the only source of communication some decades ago through which legendary writers, like everybody else then, used to explore the intensity of their relationship. Letters written by poets have been a literary asset,” explained PNCA Senior Consultant Munir Ahmed.

“These letters not only show the literary diction and creative flair of the writers but also educate and amuse the readers about the more personal and day-to-day lives of some of these writers,” he added. Noting that these letters are reflective of the socio-political situation of the era they were written in, Ahmed said that most of these issues are still relevant today.



“Unfortunately we would not have personal reflections in the form of letters for the coming generation. Our ignorance would lead to the elimination of letter-writing from our lives and our society.”

Rabia Amin, who watched the show, said that letters are a reliable medium for understanding the true depth of someone’s feelings.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 21^st, 2017.