Make way for the breakout star Tujh Say Nahi Ho Ga!
It was a busy few weeks for the theatre circuit in Lahore as four different original plays debuted, with three of them being performed at Alhamra and the last one being hosted by Olomopolo media. the mix of comedy, drama, and musical left audiences spellbound, as the City’s theatre enthusiasts thronged to make the best of so many new plays appearing in such close proximity to each other. Ranging in language from English, to Urdu, to Punjabi and at times a mix of all three, the plays are the product of a slowly but surely burgeoning group of young artists and writers who are collaborating and organising under the banners of different production companies to create an alternative theatre culture in Lahore.
For a long time now theatre in Lahore has largely been restricted to raunchy stage comedies. For years serious, critical, plays were few and far in between. Even these were mostly rehashes, or redos of some sort. the only events to really look forward to were things like the annual plays done by Government College Lahore, which were mostly, if not always, based on existing, established works. the same was the case for other university plays and some of the independent or commercial productions that took place, with original plays being a rarity.
The four plays which have been performed over the past few weeks in Lahore all have an original script. the Punjabi play ‘Jhaanjar Di Paanwaan Chhankaar’ starring Sarmad Khoosat and Samiya Mumtaz struck an impressive tone and set the bar high. And while they could not match up to the star power, marketing, writing and professionalism of the Sarmad Khoosat play, the musical rendering of Dracula by Happy Owl productions, the LUMS annual play Haasil e Kun, and Tujh Say Nahi Ho Ga by ZigZag media all ranked high on their own merits. Tujh Say Nahi Ho Ga especially proved itself to be the breakout performance of the lot, despite probably being the production with both the least experience and resources at their disposal.
While it is nothing but positive that original plays are finally being written and performed by the theatre circuit with decent frequency, one of the things that came through from this flurry of plays was the realisation that there is a long way to go as far as the content of the writing is concerned. While ‘Jhaanjar Di Paanwaan Chhankaar’ and ‘Tum Say Nahi Ho Ga’ proved to be impressive compositions with the necessary nuances and awareness required to create a good play, Haasil e Kun and Dracula both lacked the gravitas that their respective topics needed and ended up depending heavily on the very talented casts who made the productions successful.
JhaanJar Di Paanwaan Chhankaar
The largest production of the entire group, ‘Jhaanjar Di Paanwaan Chhankaar’ was always going to be a success simply because of the star power on stage. Starring Sarmad Khoosat as Zaman, an aspiring actor working on a film, the play revolves around Zaman’s interactions with his new neighbour Hamza. Zain Afzal managed to do justice to the character of Hamza, not flinching under the pressure of the big names he was surrounded by.
Interestingly enough, the other big name on stage is Samiya Mumtaz, who plays Afzal’s overprotective mother, a character who very easily manages to pressurise Hamza in the play.
The entire performance is set in Hamza’s apartment, and the set design must have cost a small fortune to turn the stage into a luxurious looking apartment. Because of the setting, however, we also get a number of brilliant scenes between Khoosat and Samiya Mumtaz, whose character immediately disapproves of her son’s new company. the confrontation between the two is brilliantly crafted, with Samiya Mumtaz, regal as ever, creating some magical moments with Khoosat.
The play takes a very basic premise, one of friendship and parental disapproval. However, it does not limit itself to this, developing along the way the characters and revealing their passions and aspirations, which in turn brings in the musical elements of the play.
Overall ‘Jhaanjar Di Paanwaan Chhankaar’ proves to be a play worth both the hype, and the script was one almost tailored for the actors who made it their own.
“‘One of the things that came through from this flurry of plays was the realisation that there is a long way to go as far as the content of the writing is concerned. While ‘Jhaanjar Di Paanwaan Chhankaar’ and ‘Tum sai nahi ho ga’ proved to be impressive compositions with the necessary nuances and awareness required to create a good play, Haasil e Kun and Dracula both lacked the gravitas that their respective topics needed and ended up depending heavily on the very talented casts who made the productions successful.”
Dracula
The problem with claiming that a play is a musical is that there are certain expectations when that label is used. The one glaring and unforgivable downside of the entire performance was that it was not what it claimed to be. Perhaps when the director described it as a ‘musical’ he meant it simply as an adjective rather than as a noun, for it cannot be called a musical with a straight face.
This is not for a lack of song or dance, but simply for the reason that it was not necessary to the progression or tone of the play. There was no libretto, no character songs, and the musical parts were wholly unnecessary.
This again revealed the problems of script writing that the theatre circuit is still trying to dent out. The performances of the actors were delightful. The chemistry between the Count, played by Daniyal Ayat, and Jahan Ara Chughtai’s Countess was electric, and Shah Fahad did justice to a character who was much more complex than may have seemed in the beginning.
Even the musical and dance numbers were all well-choreographed, but again, its billing and the end result meant that there was a hint of disappointment for the person that went expecting a musical.
‘Perhaps when the director described it as a ‘musical’ he meant it simply as an adjective rather than as a noun, for it cannot be called a musical with a straight face. This is not for a lack of song or dance, but simply for the reason that it was not necessary to the progression or tone of the play. There was no libretto, no character songs, and the musical parts were wholly unnecessary.’
Haasil e Kun
This play marked the first time that the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) had done an original annual play. The LUMS annual play has become a mainstay at Alhamra by now and is an event which a lot of people look forward to. Naturally, the majority of the crowd is composed of the varsity’s student body and alumni, but also attracts attention from other quarters.
This year’s play was ambitious to say the least. With an original script, it played on consecutive days and was generally well received. The performances by the main cast displayed not only their talent, but also the energy and dedication that had gone into its making. This was also evident in the dance numbers that interluded through the course of the performance, wowing the crowd and adding some much-needed pizzazz in a play otherwise dealing with very serious matters.
The only problems, once again, were related to the script. As an original work by those yet to graduate, it was an impressive feat. The dialogue was mature and not prone to over dramatisation, the delivery only accentuating its natural qualities. However, the plot itself seemed at times to be confused in its own spiel. The concept being used was risky already and the seemingly not thought out character names did not help. While it may have been a bold move, setting the play in two halves of vastly different eras was also just a little pretentious. But without a doubt, the performers did justice to a very conceptual play and presented something they should very well be proud of.
Tujh Say Nahi Hoga
The breakthrough performance of the entire lot was undoubtedly ‘Tujh Say Nahi Hoga.’ Another original play, this one suffered from none of the script or structural issues of Dracula or Haasil e Kun, but had the same level of performing talent. Thoroughly self-aware, it takes on the topic of performing arts and theatre itself.
The plot revolves around the preparations for an upcoming play. The actors are all playing actors, and even though the writers have played fast and loose with this play within a play dimension, they have managed to strike a balance and not go overboard.
“The plot revolves around the preparations for an upcoming play. The actors are all playing actors, and even though the writers have played fast and loose with this play within a play dimension, they have managed to strike a balance and not go overboard.”
Divided into a manageable three acts, the first two parts of the play show the run-up to the fictional performance while the final act is the performance itself. In this way ‘Tujh Say Nahi Hoga’ manages to break the fourth wall not just at one point in the play, but rather over and over again. The constant self-referential humour manages to keep the audience in chuckles while discussing some of the more serious angles of the plot, but at the same time has moments of complete rip-roaring laughter in it.
For this credit has to be given to the writers, Syed M Murtaza and Ahmad Umar Ayaz, for the keeping the play from becoming pretentious. Techniques such as fourth wall breaks, and eccentric concepts such as the ‘play within the play’ can tend to come across as only being there for the sake of it, rather than serving a greater narrative purpose. In a comedy play, it is even harder to include such dramatic techniques without it feeling forced. But the fact that the play constantly alludes to itself and jokes at its own expense makes for a hilarious and fast paced performance. There is no pretence to profundity in the script, and the dialogue is not just well constructed but has a certain depth to it as well.
The script, of course, only adds to the natural talent of the actors. Performances that shone through included Ahmad Kamran Butt, Asim Shahid, and the script writer himself, Syed M Murtaza. While the script was a refreshingly nuanced one, it was not easy to execute. The multipurpose set and an original soundtrack only added to this complexity. But there seemed to be a general harmony imbued within the cast that allowed the play to progress in its natural course. Perhaps this harmony between the different aspects of the play was because the script writer was both an actor and the assistant director, thus linking all three things. But whatever the secret, the final execution of the play set it well above the rest.
Just finished with its final performance on Saturday night – and the last of the four plays to be staged – ‘Tujh Say Nahi Hoga’ proved to be a wonderful conclusion to a roller coaster ride of theatre.
