Musical play: Cinderella with a Punjabi twist

Brand new cast brings a new face to the classic fairytale.

ISLAMABAD:

“Cinder Jutt”, a musical comedy that opened at the PNCA on Wednesday night, brings an upbeat and much needed morale boost for residents of the capital amid increasingly fluctuating political scenario. Directed by Flora Mehmood and produced by Javed Saeedi, the two-and-a-half-hour production has the sole aim to entertain, versus serving any political purpose.

The play revolves around a Punjabi Jutt family whose Cinderella is a young Punjabi boy harassed by his stepmother, his Punjab ka Sher ghandasa-carrying older stepbrother and the now stereotypical gay younger stepbrother. The stepmother character is the typical auntie figure greedy for her husband’s wealth and trying to gain social status. In comes the rich uncle with his beautiful daughter recently returned from London, looking for a suitable match for her.

What follows next borrows heavily from the common fairytale with a certain Punjabi flavour along with a solid dose of Hindi films with 15 cast members and 35 dancers, the 13 dance and musical numbers wonderfully choreographed by Veera.

That said, Saeedi and Mehmood have put together a picture-perfect ensemble cast where each role fits the actor playing it like a glove. The actors are all a break from casting friendly faces and are a brand-new and mostly untested cast keeping in line with the producers’ aims for encouraging young artists and presenting a softer side of the country.

The Holly/Bolly/Lollywood influences don’t hinder the production; offset by identifiable and relatable characters, the play was humorous without being off-colour although it was a little over the top at times.

First day jitters and technical glitches were experienced during the play with due apologies from the director and producers. The play is a light-hearted musical made for a night away from everyday life and will continue to run till November 26 at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts auditorium. It is being presented by Roots College International.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 18^th, 2011.