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Mona

It was a family union of sorts on Friday noon at Punjab Art Gallery. The venue for press conference to be addressed by Pakistani theatre director Madeeha Gauhar had its share of theatre enthusiasts.

Starting with a rather emotional note by Punjab Art Council chairperson Bibi Harjinder Kaur, theatre personalities Sahib Singh and Kewal Dahilwal, addressed the gathering. Madeeha Gauhar and her partner on personal-professional front Shahid Nadeem, each speaking at length on united power of artistes on both sides of the border.

Madeeha Gauhar is no stranger to this side of the border. For the last decade-and-half, she has staged plays with her group Ajoka Theatre, the leading group of Pakistan, in India and all around the world. Only the time gap is huge this time and makes up for the long absence of 10 years by bringing five plays that have never been staged in Chandigarh.

The theatre veteran talks about 32-year-long journey and how she sees life and society around.

The beginning

From staging the first play in 1984 in the lawn of a house, Ajoka (Aaj ka, of today) has continued to stand true to its grounds. It has not been an easy run. We have fought censorship, lack of funds and hostility. Sure we have evolved aesthetically, technically, but the message has been the same. Making people see their own reality, promoting the message of democracy, equality, harmony, justice and peace.

Serious thoughts

Serious theatre scene has failed to evolve in Pakistan. Yes, there is commercial theatre that serves vulgar comedy. Nothing bad in it, but that is aesthetically poor. While earlier censorship played a major stumbling block, things have changed now. Though called a dictator, Gen Musharraf really eased out the scene. We could stage plays in auditoriums. We staged social issue-based dramas. Except once or twice, like this time in a village they did not let us complete our play Kari that talked of women’s right to marriage and divorce, saying you have come to preach our women of talaq. Generally we have been taking our productions to cities and towns and also villages all over Pakistan.

Exchange policy

India is our own. We have taken our productions from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, and enjoyed immense love and appreciation. Kewal Dhaliwal and Sahib Singh have been coming and staging plays with us in Pakistan and training our theatre students in both the countries.

Gender issue

Gender equality is one issue that surfaces in our work time and again. There is a way to go about it, for both India and Pakistan. I know Zindagi soaps are popular here but they are not showing all reality. Saying talaq thrice is not how people divorce in Pakistan but yes this true that just like in India, honour killing is rampant. We just had recent case of model Qandeel Baloch being killed by her brother. The problem we face is that the law is very weak. Now some noise is being made and hopefully we will see a change.

Let insaniyat win 

We have been asked why we chose to come in such tense times. We have staged our play in Kerela when Mumbai attacks happened and the situation was grimmer. Yes, one of our artistes’ mother hid his passport, then artistes form here helped us convince her. That time, people from a particular party came to give us memorandum to be given to the Pakistan government for its role in terror attack. We did express our inability and that we are not the government but out of regard Madeeha did go and accept it and invited them to see the play. Later, we saw them in the front row with their families and first ones to congratulate and hug us on the success of the play. Whatever be our political leanings, we are still capable of dosti, pyar aur insaniyat. — Sahhid Nadeem

mona@tribunemail.com