Let’s make a habit out of promoting culture
Among the echoing gigantic walls of the Lahore Fort, the regal marble pavilion of Hazuri Bagh and the grandiose Badshahi Mosque, was staged a theatre festival in which the stories of the past were relived. The tales hidden in those plastered walls and that very garden were staged somehow in most of the theatrical performances. The mysticism of Waris Shah, the plight of the famous dancer Nooran, the downfall of the Last Mughal Emperor and the action-packed performance of the Tiger of Mysore captured the minds and souls of hundreds watching the stage. I think there is no world without theatre. These performances were a part of the Theatre Festival that was held under the umbrella of Walled City of Lahore Authority last week. Plays performed against the backdrop of the stately Alamgiri Gate, built by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir, were a quick trek into the past tales. The stories staged revolved around the themes of Mughal, British and subcontinent eras.
A special message emphasising female education was presented by Azad Theatre whereas on the other hand the University of Management Technology presented the plight of females living inside the red light area of the walled city of Lahore. The true essence of love and what Waris Shah penned down was depicted by the Sufi Tabassum Art Academy in the play Ajj Aakhan Waris Shah Nu. Who knew the real story behind the downfall of Tipu Sultan? Many of us didn’t until the play Tiger of Mysore was staged by the Government College University. Similarly the meaning of Allama Muhammad Iqbal’s Shikwa and Jawab-e-Shikwa was presented before the audience by the Forman Christian College University. We have heard a lot about the justice of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir but very artfully it was presented by the Lahore Garrison University. What Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal Emperor, went through in his ultimate days was shown by the Punjab University Dramatics Society. Most interestingly performed and staged was the tale of the love and betrayal of the Mughal princes and princesses by the Allama Iqbal Medical College.
One thing came to my mind while sitting in the Hazuri Bagh and watching all this, that the youth of my country is no less than any other in the world. Why do we undermine the art, creativity and aesthetics of the youth and budding artists? Trust me, all they require is a platform and then the entire world will be singing songs of Pakistan. Sometimes, you just have to clear your head and get out seeing other things. It is very important to be nourished. I love to go to museums and galleries; I like to see theatre, film, and dance — anything creative. It doesn’t promise you motivation, but it nourishes your imaginative soul, and that’s good for each one of us. This is the right time that the positive image of Pakistan’s culture and especially the intangible culture is showcased before the entire world that has a very negative image of Pakistan through our so called positive media.
Theatre for youth and children has never been given the importance it deserves. Theatre in the previous times was one of the most important tools for creating awareness and educating people, but in Pakistan it is nothing more than a source of minting money through cheap and commercialised theatre, which I will never watch being a female or with my family. With the passage of time we have lost the real essence of theatre and this is one dilemma that barred the talent of our youth. Theatre is a positive activity and I guess the government should work harder on promoting it. Theatre is one of those human activities that don’t really hurt anyone or anything. While we’re engaged in making or attending theatre, or any of the arts for that matter, we are not engaged in war, persecution, crime, wife-beating, drinking, pornography, or any of the social or personal vices we could be engaged in, instead. For this reason alone, the more time and energy we as a society devote to theatre and the arts, the better off we will be. Theatre teaches us about human psychology. In historical plays we get to know the culture, heritage, learn the tactics of leadership and government. In contemporary plays, we learn about people of our own country or of other countries. Studies have revealed that students who participate in theatre do better in school or universities as they have better exposure and ability to comprehend. Making plays together also draws youth out of their shells and helps them learn to socialise in a productive and healthy way.
Let me give you the example of the role that the Studio Theatre played along the 14th Street corridor, or Shakespeare Theatre along Seventh Street, or Woolly in both these neighbourhoods, or Gala Hispanic Theatre in Columbia Heights, the Atlas along H Street, or the new Arena Stage along the waterfront. As each of these theatres opened, new audiences started flooding in, new restaurants opened, jobs were created, the city improved the sidewalks, and neighbourhoods that were once grim and forbidding became vibrant hubs of activity. And this pattern has been repeated in cities across the United States and around the world. If this is such a healthy activity why can’t it be projected in Pakistan?
While sitting inside the Hazuri Bagh during this festival I looked at the mob that was pouring in to watch the plays, because all those people wanted a healthy activity. I could see people from all walks of life and economic classes; as it was a free festival. Trust me this kind of decent theatre is a great joy for people and our masses want activities where they can spend time with the family, laugh and enjoy the surroundings.
The best part of this theatre festival was the ambiance in which it was staged. The Hazuri Bagh, Lahore Fort and the Badshahi Mosque, all were the emblems of peace, happiness, tales, tranquillity and harmony. So why not make it a routine? This place was a dead area after the sunset but this theatre festival gave it a new life, at least with the presence of people it was not at all scary to visit the place at night. Above all, I was happy that the festival was one way of projecting the non-violent image of Lahore and Pakistan. Let’s join hands and plan for more events, let’s change the image we have been forcefully painted with.