A break from politics: Capital welcomes ghar aya mehmaan

Amjad Islam Amjad’s comedy play uplifts mood, taunts ongoing sit-ins .

ISLAMABAD: A comedy play offered some respite from the lingering political tension that has enveloped the city and had halted entertainment in the capital.

Written by Amjad Islam Amjad, the play “Ghar aya mehmaan” was staged at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts on Saturday. After an extended hiatus, the auditorium came alive with people of all age-groups, including infants and youngsters, who could be heard through the duration of the performance.

Directed by Nabeel Iqbal Awan and produced by Ahtasham Zaib, the play is a social commentary that remains unapologetic for referencing dharnas, economic divide and corruption in the country. PHOTOS: HUMA CHOUDHARY/EXPRESS

In a video message, Amjad said the trend of writing comedy stage plays had nearly diminished over the last three decades, which also discouraged him from writing them. However, chronologically, “Ghar aya mehmaan” was the first one that he had written and he expressed the hope that its message would resonate with the audience.

The play revolves around Majeed (Ali Raza), an orphan whose uncles Agha (Azhar Feroz) and Professor Kamali (Ehsan Qureshi) eye his property.

Majeed, who has just returned after completing education in the United Kingdom, is oblivious to his uncles’ malicious intentions. First they disgrace and humiliate him but when they discover that their nephew is no longer the poor boy who left the country in search of greener pastures, they welcome him with open arms. Each of the uncles wants to marry off his daughter to Majeed and manipulate his assets for their own good.

To win him over, they fight amongst themselves and this display of selfishness leads Majeed to express his disappointment and resentment over how materialistic attitudes still persist in today’s society.

Nuzhat (Novin Ahsan), Kamali’s daughter, is an unobtrusive character, whose role demands her to be annoying. From her over-the-top costume to her nasal voice, she makes the viewer cringe and laugh at the same time.

Agha, a widower who lives in the Red Zone with his son Arshad (Ashraf Abdual Rehman) and daughter Najma (Mala) is a stingy old man. When his niece Abida (Taskeen Victor) pays him a visit, the house servant Jumman (Imran Rushdi) entertains her, spilling the household secrets through his sneaky ways.

Jumman is a comic character, who pushes the plot forward with his singing, humor and sarcasm. Arshad is a relatable character, a young man stuck between his own generation and that of his old-fashioned father, who only cares about amassing material wealth. Arshad and his friend Saleem, (Syed Irfan Haider) spontaneoulsy break into dance at odd intervals, swooning over Abida and Nuzhat or engaging their newly-returned, rich cousin with hopes of getting visa.

Directed by Nabeel Iqbal Awan and produced by Ahtasham Zaib, the play is a social commentary that remains unapologetic for referencing dharnas, economic divide and corruption in the country.

Zafar, an audience member, said that he enjoyed the play but it was too long-drawn to keep interest alive.

The play will continue till October 3.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 29^th, 2014.