Relationship status: It’s complicated and dramatic
‘Khwab Tha Shayad’ is a bold take on 21st century relationships.
KARACHI:
Theatre-lovers of Karachi have been living in a bubble so far. Their exposure to theatre has been limited to overacted renditions of beautifully written plays and plots — that were either translated in Urdu or were B-grade adaptations that were not even fit for theatre. Despite being aware of the fact that such theatrical representations are far from the true essence of theatre, we still celebrated them because we were happy that “at least someone is doing theatre”.
But when a generic love story opens up for analysis in the custom-made theatre at National Academy of Performing Arts (Napa) and breaks down the imaginary wall between the viewer and the actor, you feel the pulse of theatre finally being resuscitated. As the characters of the play “Khwab Tha Shayad” challenge the audience’s socio-emotional barriers, one can see the evolution of theatre take place right in front of their eyes.
“Khwab Tha Shayad” may not be the most unique of narratives but it stood out because of the way it was told. Directed by Fawad Khan, the play stars Joshinder Chaggar as Saba and Mesum Naqvi as Salman and has cameo appearances by Akber Islam, Samina Nazir and Khan himself.
The play revolves around Salman, a theatre artist in his 20s, who moves out with his love interest Saba, after getting into a number of arguments with his parents. The couple, however, fails to work on their issues and ends up parting ways for good. Following a non-linear narrative, the play then shows Saba and Salman catching up on their past when they meet up after a long time.
Bold and the beautiful
This is the first play of the Napa Performing Arts Festival that broke all conventional barriers one expects in Pakistani theatre and in which the director played all the shots on the front foot. The high-pitched sighs and gasps showed that the boldness of the play shocked a few conservative groups in the audience.
Memorable performances
Naqvi has nailed it once again and pulled off a character with numerous emotional dimensions with style. However, the acts in which he spoke in English seemed a little forced on him. Chaggar, on the other hand, has improved remarkably from her first theatre performance in “Mohabbat Bhi Qayamat Bhi” and her agility as a dancer and bubbly nature helped the character of Saba evolve. Apart from occasional pronunciation and audibility issues and Naqvi’s language barrier, the couple shared great chemistry on stage.
Biopic or not
The play was based on the life events of the director himself. As much as one can understand Khan’s attachment to the script, his occasional appearances on stage to discuss the narrative with the characters was a bit confusing for the audience. However, one must mention that Khan has immense potential as a theatre director as he knows the most important rule of theatre performance: utilise stage space intelligently.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 10th, 2012.
Theatre-lovers of Karachi have been living in a bubble so far. Their exposure to theatre has been limited to overacted renditions of beautifully written plays and plots — that were either translated in Urdu or were B-grade adaptations that were not even fit for theatre. Despite being aware of the fact that such theatrical representations are far from the true essence of theatre, we still celebrated them because we were happy that “at least someone is doing theatre”.
But when a generic love story opens up for analysis in the custom-made theatre at National Academy of Performing Arts (Napa) and breaks down the imaginary wall between the viewer and the actor, you feel the pulse of theatre finally being resuscitated. As the characters of the play “Khwab Tha Shayad” challenge the audience’s socio-emotional barriers, one can see the evolution of theatre take place right in front of their eyes.
“Khwab Tha Shayad” may not be the most unique of narratives but it stood out because of the way it was told. Directed by Fawad Khan, the play stars Joshinder Chaggar as Saba and Mesum Naqvi as Salman and has cameo appearances by Akber Islam, Samina Nazir and Khan himself.
The play revolves around Salman, a theatre artist in his 20s, who moves out with his love interest Saba, after getting into a number of arguments with his parents. The couple, however, fails to work on their issues and ends up parting ways for good. Following a non-linear narrative, the play then shows Saba and Salman catching up on their past when they meet up after a long time.
Bold and the beautiful
This is the first play of the Napa Performing Arts Festival that broke all conventional barriers one expects in Pakistani theatre and in which the director played all the shots on the front foot. The high-pitched sighs and gasps showed that the boldness of the play shocked a few conservative groups in the audience.
Memorable performances
Naqvi has nailed it once again and pulled off a character with numerous emotional dimensions with style. However, the acts in which he spoke in English seemed a little forced on him. Chaggar, on the other hand, has improved remarkably from her first theatre performance in “Mohabbat Bhi Qayamat Bhi” and her agility as a dancer and bubbly nature helped the character of Saba evolve. Apart from occasional pronunciation and audibility issues and Naqvi’s language barrier, the couple shared great chemistry on stage.
Biopic or not
The play was based on the life events of the director himself. As much as one can understand Khan’s attachment to the script, his occasional appearances on stage to discuss the narrative with the characters was a bit confusing for the audience. However, one must mention that Khan has immense potential as a theatre director as he knows the most important rule of theatre performance: utilise stage space intelligently.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 10th, 2012.