Business Shizness lights up Alhamra with finance, media, and youth-led storytelling

LAHORE, June 27, 2025 — The Alhamra Arts Council’s largest theatre hall was filled to capacity as over 400 people gathered to watch Business Shizness, a student-led Urdu play blending finance, media, and humor. Written and produced by Ameenah Babar of Trinity School, the play brought together 15+ students from multiple schools across Lahore, marking a major milestone for youth theatre in Pakistan.

Performed entirely in Urdu, Business Shizness explores how a fictional news company fights to survive against corporate takeovers and digital rivals. The story cleverly introduces audiences to real business terms, from “greenmail” and “poison pills” to “golden parachutes”, through witty dialogues and fast-paced newsroom banter. “Business Shizness is the largest business and economics media company in Pakistan,” declares Omer, the main character, before his colleague interrupts: “Araam se yaar, apna intro toh karwa lo!”

The play captures the ongoing battle between integrity and profit in Pakistan’s media industry. Its characters, editors, lawyers, and liquidators, highlight the pressures investigative journalism faces, from censorship to financial collapse. One of its strongest lines, “Shutting us down means silencing a voice of democracy,” drew applause from the audience, showing how deeply the story resonated.

Laced with comedy, the production features moments of pure entertainment, such as Jaani’s recurring confusion over how much sugar to put in tea, or the antagonist’s obsession with donuts, that keep viewers laughing even as they learn.

Beyond the laughs, Business Shizness is a statement about the power of storytelling. As Ameenah Babar explained after the show, “Our aim was to make financial literacy understandable and fun for everyone, especially in Urdu. We wanted to show that economics and media aren’t boring, they’re part of everyday life.”

Following the success of its Alhamra premiere, the Business Shizness team plans to perform the play at two more Lahore schools before taking it nationwide. The students also aim to bring the production to underprivileged schools to make financial and media education accessible to all.

The production marks one of the few large-scale student theatre efforts in Pakistan to combine economics, journalism, and language accessibility. It stands not just as a play, but as a movement led by students who believe that understanding money, media, and power should begin with laughter.