‘Doh Dooni Aik’: A double dose of laughter

NUSTians pull off Urdu situational comedy from scratch at Islamabad Club.

ISLAMABAD:

Rarely does a play offer comic entertainment without going overboard. Packed with stellar performances and witty dialogue, “Doh Dooni Aik” took the audience by surprise at the Islamabad Club on Thursday.

Conceived and acted out by the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) Debates and Dramatics Society, the play offered a relatable subject matter to the audience. The situational comedy opens in the “Good Luck Marriage Bureau” where a couple is contemplating elopement. Meanwhile, their parents are seeking suitable matches for them at the same bureau. This is where the hilarity kicks in.

The characters at the bureau add to the punch with their stereotypical behaviour. The traditional cleric sporting a white beard, Haji Muhammad (Ali Ahmed) as the girl’s father conflicts with the uptight Major Baksh, the boy’s father, while bureau manager Guddu (Zulfiqar Asim) kicks in his own antics.

The performance solicited much appreciation and applause from the audience. PHOTO: MYRA IQBAL/EXPRESS

Ahmed as Haji was perhaps the most dynamic actor, showing well-rounded chemistry with the other performers. The supporting actors, too, played their roles to near perfection, whether it was the angry tribal Pathan out for the Major’s blood or the Urdu-speaking chap who kept getting possessed by an evil spirit. The curtain call wrapped up with standing ovation for the entire cast and crew.



Chief guest and actor Anjum Habibi commented, “I’ve really enjoyed myself after a very long time. All of you have reminded me of the golden days when comedy plays were funny without being derogatory.”

As a prelude to the play, there was a mime performance by the students of NUST Business School and NUST School of Art, Design and Architecture, followed by the NUST Rappers who kept the audience captivated.

The play was directed by Zulfiqar Asim along with Sarah Ansari and written by Ali Ahmed and Zulfiar Asim. The supporting cast included Eilaf Zehra, Maeedah Babar Chishti, Fahimullah, Taimoor Ali, Saad Noman, Osama Khan, Hammad Feroze, Ali Afzal, Zahra Nageen, Areeb Arshad, Omar Khan and Sarah Ansari.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 22^nd, 2012.