Social insensitivities explored at PNCA theatre festival

Message of peace and harmony of Sufi poets highlighted

ISLAMABAD: Despite the fact that Pakistan has a rich history of Sufi music, it is surprising more theatre groups do not opt to dramatise it or its message of peace.

However, artists from the Lahore-based Azad Theatre Group did just that with a play based on the poetry of Madhu Lal Shah Hussain on Thursday night. The play was part of the 12th National Theatre Festival being held at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA).



The festival is being organised to mark the 70th anniversary of the Pakistan’s Independence.

The play ‘Hussain – the weaver’ reflected the ironic social and religious differences in communities which are based on discriminatory practices of the influential.

Written by Shabir Ji and directed by Malik Aslam, the play was a precise production.

Sufi singer and actor Sarfaraz Ansari played the role of the protagonist Shah Hussain as he masterfully delivered the Sufi poets message of social harmony and peace.

Intriguingly, Ansari had also composed the music of the play which helped boost the impact of the play. Folk singer Faiz Ali Chishti also left the audience mesmerised with his powerful singing.

Other cast members included  Zohaib Haider who played Dullah Bhatti, Naina Baloch who played Ladhi, Waseem Ali who played Akbar Badshah, Nadeem Abbas who played Bahlool Dayai, and Aliya Abbasi who played Raavi — the narrator of the story.

Earlier, social insensitivities were highlighted in the two plays ‘Akhiyan Waleo’ and ‘Mein, Tum Aur Hum’, staged at the PNCA on Wednesday night.

Written and directed by William Pervaiz, ‘Akhiyan Waleo’ reflected the plight of the public at the hands of the insensitive political and religious leaders.



Enriched with the guiding philosophy of great Sufi poet Bulleh Shah, the play showed the other side of the societal behaviour, of pretending to be good while actually always having some vested interest behind their good deeds.

In the play, the simple act of removing a stone from the middle of the street turned into a conflict among the social and religious leaders of a small village with everyone willing to take credit for removing the stone for political mileage.

As they squabbled, three blind men who stumbled over the rock, removed it lest it harms others.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 25^th, 2017.