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SD Sharma
Chandigarh, June 20
The anguish, horror and pangs of Partition were relived during the classic play ‘Jiss Lahore Nahin Dekhea’ under the direction of acclaimed directors Veena Dhir and Sudesh Sharma on Day 2 of the ongoing fifth TFT summer theatre festival at Tagore Theatre today.
Written by Asgar Wajahat Mirza, the play analysed the fundamental causes of staking of hate and communal divide by cynical political and religious class to generate violence against the credulous masses.
The play opens to the looting, arson and massacre of hapless Hindu denizens in Lahore when both India and newly formed Pakistan were flooded with uprooted, tormented and devastated refugees.
The play describes the plight of Mirza family displaced from Lucknow and allotted a haveli once owned by famous jeweler Ratan. To their utter surprise the old mother of Rattan, believed to be killed, resists the occupation because of her emotional bond with Haveli while Mirza’s insist her to migrate to India. This brews contempt and hatred while the evil forces like a Pehalwan appear on the scene only to threatens Mirza for dire consequences if Mai is not ousted.
After an initial grouse, Mirza family reconciles as hatred gets transformed to love and affection.
The Begum offering Namaz with shoes on was not desirable. However, the play was enlivened with powerful portrayal of characters by Souabh ( Maulvi), Rahul Chooudhri ( Shayer Nasir), Mirza Navdeep Singh (Mirza), Navjeet Kaur (Begum), Sarthak Bajaj (Javed) and above all Rajni Bajaj (Mai). Functional sets by Sudesh Sharma and Harwinder Saini recreated the right ambience.
TFT president Madan Sapthu welcomed chief guest Manish Grover, Haryana minister, besides RK Khullar, IAS. Dr KK Khandelwal, IAS, and others honoured the cast.