'Awami Theatre Festival 2026' continues to attract citizens

The Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi, the stage play "Wah Tera Kya Kehna" was presented on the sixth day of the Awami Theatre Festival 2026 at Auditorium II. The play was written by Shaukat Uttarkail and directed by Shabbir Bhatti. The cast included Abdullah Lala, Junaid Memon, Kamal Idris, Mehak Noor, Shahbaz Sanam, and Shanzay.

The play portrays the deep love of two brothers, Shamim and Qurban, for their late parents, depicting them as emotionally devoted to their memory. Each brother sees the reflection of their parents in the other, which is why they affectionately address one another as Ammi and Abbu.

The story also features their younger sister, Naik Parveen, who is a popular social media star. The two brothers lovingly fulfill her wishes and, keeping her passion for dance in mind, even arrange a dance choreographer for her.

Both brothers are married, and their wives wish to arrange Naik Parveen's marriage with their brothers so that the family wealth remains within the household. However, the brothers strongly oppose this idea.

The timeless love story presented in "Wah Tera Kya Kehna" deeply moved the audience present in the hall. The play was highly appreciated by the spectators, who applauded enthusiastically and praised the performances of the artists.

During the festival, the Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi is offering a month-long programme of free performances across Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi, Seraiki, Balochi and Memon. The festival had opened on Tuesday with the Urdu play Seedhi Jaleebi, which tells the story of a Khawaja Sira who sacrifices everything to help a young boy become an actor.

Sindh's Minister for Culture and Tourism, Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah, had attended the opening ceremony as chief guest, alongside Arts Council President Mohammad Ahmed Shah, Chairman of the Drama Committee Shehzad Raza Naqvi, Secretary Ejaz Farooqi, and other members of the arts community.

The festival is featuring 29 productions staged daily at 8pm at Arts Council Auditorium II, with additional shows on Saturdays and Sundays. The festival will continue until February 15, concluding before Ramazan, and entry to all performances is free.

Addressing the audience, Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah had spoken about the legacy of senior stage performers, noting that artists such as Umar Sharif continued to be remembered decades later.

He encouraged Karachi residents to attend the festival regularly and advised young performers to learn from senior artists. The minister said the Sindh government would continue to support artists and that announcements for performers would be made at the closing ceremony.

He also highlighted efforts to promote cultural activities across Sindh, including reviving traditional community gatherings.

Arts Council President Mohammad Ahmed Shah said the festival involves between 400 and 500 people, including actors, directors, writers, set designers and technical staff. He emphasised that the festival's free-entry policy ensures that theatre is accessible to all, noting that nearly 90 per cent of Arts Council programmes are offered without tickets.

Over the course of the festival, productions by a mix of established and emerging directors and writers are being staged, reflecting the diversity of Pakistan's contemporary theatre scene.

Scheduled productions include Mirza Ghalib in Karachi, Hota Hai Shab-o-Roz Tamasha Mere Aage, Bohat Ho Gayi Begum, Yeh Kaisa Daur Hai?, Rab Diyan Rehmatan (Punjabi), Panjo Thino Karo (Memon), Pardes (Seraiki), Kandana Biaay (Balochi), Dil Ji Duniya (Sindhi) and Mujh Mein Tu Maujood, among others.