Faizan Javed
LAHORE
The immediate response of the audience determines the quality of play being staged. And when it comes to social message for the audience the impact is everlasting. The play 3 KAHANIYAN being staged at the Alhamra Hall on Mall Road is an example. The Independent Theatre Pakistan on Wednesday staged this play, which is a set of three stories divided into three acts written by three different playwrights.
Each story is set in a different timeframe revolves around the concept of individuality and identity in realism. Today will be the last day of play’s presentation. The first act in the production was named as “BU” which was an Urdu act written and directed by Ayesha Mohsin. The play was all about the absurdity of intangible frustration. The main characters were played by two students Amir and Ali. Both of whom work in a tiny shoe stock room. Their existence is confined by filthy shoe racks, a world that exists within the walls of stacked leather shoes. The location and era of the play are fictional – as well as the genre – where both the characters narrate their alienations through different events and happenings within the play narrative. Taking to The Nation Ayesha Mohsin said she started writing this play seven years ago and wanted to portray the frustration of the society.

“Two characters which are always closed in the box depict the scenario of our society. When suicide bombing was in fashion then I decided to write this play. The two characters exist within the walls of stacked leather shoes. Both Amir and Ali live their alienated lives within these four walls and dreams of possibilities, until the possibility arises.”
The second play was Sammi DI Vaar which was directed by Mehreen Abid Mir and written by Najam Hosein Syed. Sammi Di Vaar is a symbolic play. “War” is the Punjabi word for history and “Sammi” is the old name for Janddi; an indigenous tree of Punjab. Songs and dances of “Sammi” are quite popular in Punjab and can be seen at marriage ceremonies. It depicts the time of 1920’s when first time, the modern day matches (fire boxes) were introduced and reached families. A conversation between a fakir and a young girl, Munni, as they talk about life and how times change, the conversation takes an interesting turn when secrets from both sides are revealed, turning a seemingly innocent conversation on its head.
Final act at the end of the production was titled as “Badshahat ka Khatma” the act was directed by Azeem Hamid and originally written by Saadat Hasan Manto. It is a story about an unemployed man, Manmohan, who has spent most of his life living in streets but has lately struck himself some luck by living at a friend’s office.
Manmohan, one day receives a call from a woman – initially finding the call to be a random ordinary person with a wrong number but he strikes up a conversation with her and she starts calling regularly and they have more and more intimate conversations. He never asks her name; never asks what she looks like or seeks a meeting but gradually falls for her and yearns to listen to her voice on a regular basis. The cast included Mukarram Kaleem and Sana Khalid.