KopyKats Productions and Anwar Maqsood have teamed up once again very successfully, and the outcome is a tragi-comic play about the India-Pakistan argument in Siachen. With Maqsood’s sharp wit and sarcasm, the grim message that is the futility of war becomes all the more emotional.
Mr. Anwar Masood said “Siachen revolved around the lives of soldiers who gave up so much in life to protect their motherland”.
There is a sense of doom in the opening scene as the spot light focuses on different soldiers bid farewell to their families before heading off to Siachen. With flashbacks throughout the play, soldiers are shown communicating with their families through letters. A mother, having already lost two sons in similar circumstances, is shown sending her third son to the war.
The Siachen Conflict or Siachen War is a military conflict between India and Pakistan over the disputed Siachen Glacier region in Kashmir. A cease-fire went into effect in 2003. More than 2000 people have died in this inhospitable terrain, mostly due to weather extremes and the natural hazards of mountain warfare.
In the opening scene the soliders are mocking the unseen enemy through witty cricket humour. Following that a Bihari solider, adds humor to the play with a great deal of sensitivity. Speaking in Bihari, the Indian soldier comes across as just another human being, only concerned with saving his life. There is a dig at the western media too, as the BBC correspondent arrives at the post; her presence distracts the soldiers, compromising their security.
Directed by DawarMehmood, the cast of play includes Sajeel, Hajra, Umar, Taha, Sekandar, Zain, Saad, Tanveer, Hassan, Abiola, Mohsin, Nousheen, Sumaya, Ahmad and Hammad. The PR & Photography of the play done by Ebuzz PR, this is a play one should not miss. It is playing in Al Hamra Arts Council, Mall Road till May 12th.