Arts Council ready to take centre stage

Three comedy plays on Eidul Azha to be followed by a Sarwat Gilani play

KARACHI: Keeping in line with the tradition of staging plays aimed for a wider audience, Karachi Arts Council is set to present three awami plays this Eidul Azha.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Ahmed Shah, general secretary of Karachi Arts Council said, “The plays are in the same vein as Moin Akhtar and Umar Sharif stage shows used to be. These types of awami plays are extremely popular amongst the masses.”

These plays would be followed by a play about Special Olympics being directed by television and film actor Sarwat Gilani and Zeeshan Nalwalla. The comedy-drama is an adaptation of a David Clooney script that revolves around a con artist, who is known for deceiving various NGOs.

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“Each year we hold this ball to raise funds for a Special Olympics complex being built in Pakistan and this year we decided to stage a play so that we can also highlight their efforts,” Gilani told The Express Tribune.

The play will begin its run on October 1 and is going to feature an ensemble cast with Napa alumnis Saqib Sameer and Nazar ul Hassan playing the lead roles. Saqib is well known in the Pakistani theater circuit for his performances in Cinderjutt and Lovengers whereas Nazar is a Zia Mohyeddin prodigy, who is known for his vocal range and immaculate Urdu diction through the Dastangoi performances.

Gilani is hopeful of continuing the tradition of directing plays from this year onwards.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 16^th,  2015.

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