A play held in a theatre is much more than actors reciting their lines, sets being changed on the platform, music reverberating through the space, or a sense of being pulled into the play itself. Many forget that theatre has shaped nations. Whenever a country has taken its first teetering tottering steps after emergence, theatre has allowed it to find its identity, just like Urdu theatre did for Pakistan.
In light of recent years, the future of theatre in Pakistan seems uncertain. Shahid Nadeem, playwright and director of the Ajoka Theater, has rightly said that the Pakistani masses are “starved of meaningful and politically engaged entertainment on stage”.
Noreen Gulwani, the actor who played Juliet in the Urdu version of ‘Romeo and Juliet held at the National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA), commented on the current state of theatre in the country, “In Pakistan, theater is very rarely done. And even if it’s done, it’s not very literary or academic or much enriched. There are some commercial forms of theater that do happen sometimes in Pakistan, but they are very similar to what you’d call situational comedy or sitcoms.”
Grassroots of Urdu Theatre
The current face of Pakistani theatre is credited to Urdu theatre which started before the independence. In the 19th century, Sanskrit theatre was toppling, which created space for a new theatre to emerge. The very first Urdu play was Inder Sabha in 1855 by Agha Hassan Amant, written in the court of the last nawab of Oudh, Nawab Wajid Ali Shah.
The plays that came after it contained elements from rhas, mujra, bhand, and Shakespearean plays. Purely Pakistani theatre emerged after the independence in 1947. Theatre plays that emerged afterward were either focused on the struggles Muslims faced just before and after independence or were adaptations of British plays. Due to this, they were mostly produced for and watched by the elites. The rest of the public was entertained by another kind of theatre play that was based on Juggat and was in Urdu and Punjabi. Slowly, due to gatekeeping by the elites, the quality of theatre enjoyed by the public deteriorated.
A tidal shift happened in the theatre sphere during the dictatorship of Zia ul Haq when most performing arts were banned or discouraged by the government. It gave rise to the likes of Ajoka Theatre and Tehreek-e-Niswan, theatre groups that operated as political theatre. The plays were produced to depoliticize the public and bring issues of women’s rights to the stage. After Zia, the slightly democratic Pakistan started accepting such theatre. Soon, the plays produced were of different genres.
Current Problems
The literary world of Pakistan is always fighting to keep theatre alive. It is evident in the frequent production of plays despite the many obstacles. NAPA, Ajoka Theatre, Tehreek-e-Niswan, Alhamrha Arts Council, and Rafi Peer Theatre are at the forefront of the fight. Yet, complications plague the theatrical scene in the country. One such difficulty was talked about by actor Muhammad Qavi Khan “Theatre stage used to be a platform for great artistic expression, but its commodification lead to scripts losing substance and performers choosing money over matter. And why wouldn’t they? After all, highest paid actors are the ones taken to be the most talented in our industry… Theatre performers don’t train with the same diligence that they used to in the heydays of the industry, now it’s all about the hype generated from movie-like hoardings and fancy production techniques. Most theatre actors of today cannot even read their scripts properly, let alone act them out.”
Another constant and troubling factor is the condemnation theatre faces in Pakistan by extremists. They are responsible for spreading hatred amongst the masses and turning them against theatre by calling the plays un-Islamic. It is because of this prejudice that plays are unable to get sponsors and government support.
Bridging Gaps
The efforts of the few in the sphere have led Pakistani theatre to reach some parts of the world or for others to come and perform here. E.g., in 2017, The American Embassy in Pakistan arranged for Broadway Bridges to be performed in the capital city. Arlissa Reynolds, the Cultural Attaché said, “It is important to share these types of exchanges and cultivate ties through the arts as we continue to celebrate the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United States and Pakistan… Broadway is synonymous with American theater and though these performances we can explore themes such as freedom and diversity, which resonate with both Pakistani and American audiences.”
In the past, NAPA has been known to host NAPA International Theatre and Music Festival where theatrical and musical performances are done by both local and international artists. Ajoka Theatre, with its message of a humane and equal society and promotion of women’s rights, has held plays in not only Pakistan but in India, Sri Lanka, the U.S., different countries in Europe, Bangladesh, and Nepal. Out of the company’s many notable plays internationally, one was ‘Dara’ which was translated into English and performed at the National Theatre in London, in 2015.
Street Theatre
Street theatre is fast emerging as a popular form of theatre in Pakistan. There are different companies and NGOs that are putting out such performances. The plays are either rooted in comedy or different social justice messages. The accessibility in terms of location and cost is the main reason behind the popularity of street theatre in the country.
The importance of street theatre in maximizing the impact of a social message was commented on by Rutger van Oudenhoven, the Senior Programme Manager at International Child Development Initiatives (ICDI), “Street theatre attracts the local population, who are often busy with all kind of daily chores and would otherwise be hard to reach. Due to its theatrical nature, it is possible to convey and address often contentious and controversial messages such as child marriage, violence against women, sexuality and human rights. And edutainment doesn’t go in one direction; the public reacts and gives feedback to those giving the performance. It is also very empowering for those acting out the scenarios. Radio, leaflets, television and social media are all fine, but in Pakistan, street theatre is the way to go!”
The great literary minds of Saadat Hassan Manto, Moin Akhter, Anwar Maqsood, Haseena Moin, Umer Shareef, Madeeha Gauhar, etc. have dedicated their lives to keeping the tradition of theatre alive in Pakistan. The only way it becomes a concrete cultural block of the society is if the Pakistani public starts accepting it as a norm and way of cultural advancement.
