LAHORE-Ajoka theatre is presenting a three-day theatre festival to mark the 70th anniversary of the Partition of the Sub-continent. Entitled “Revisiting Partition” the event will feature three plays on the theme at Alhamra on October 10.
The festival will open with “Kaun hai yeh Gustakh” on Tuesday. Written by Shahid Nadeem, the play focuses on Saadat Hassan Manto’s life struggle after his migration to Pakistan in 1948.
Enactments of his short stories Siyah Hashiye, Khol do, Thanda Gosht & Toba Tek Singh depict the horrors of the violence which accompanied Partition.
On the second day, “Shahr-e-Afsoos”, based on legendary fiction writer Intezar Hussain‘s famous short story will be performed. The play is an acclaimed experimental production, which has been designed and directed by Madeeha Gauhar. The play depicts the nightmarish world of three guilt ridden scepters who have lived through the bloodied times of both 1947 and 1971.
The festival will conclude with a performance of “Anhi Maai da Sufna” on 12th October, Shahid Nadeem’s play inspired by true stories of the generation dislocated and tormented by the Partition. The play has been directed by prominent Kolkata- based theatre director Usha Ganguly.
Ajoka’s Executive director Shahid Nadeem said, “This festival is Ajoka’s tribute to the resilience of the generation which retained the love of their motherland despite the forced mass migration across the border. While celebrating the 70th anniversary of our independence, we should also reflect on the hatred and violence unleashed on innocent people on both sides of the border seven decades ago and which still impacts our state policies and collective mindset,” he said.
