Receiving a standing ovation for his act based on a short story by Ismat Chughtai in Lahore, veteran Indian actor Naseeruddin Shah said that his appearance in the play was the ‘most memorable performance’ of his career. “Tonight was the most memorable performance of my life,” Shah commented after appearing in a play based on Chughtai’s ‘Gharwali’ last night.
The play was part of the acclaimed show ‘Ismat Apa Ke Naam’ that was organised to pay tribute to poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz.
“Throughout my life I have done theatre and films but the kind of love and appreciation I’ve got from Lahorites, I never experienced anywhere in the world,” Shah said. He performed with his wife Ratna Pathak Shah and daughter Hiba Shah at the Alhamra Art Council.
People from all walks of life including fans of Shah, Faiz Ahmad Faiz and renowned writer Ismat Khanum Chughtai (1915-1991), considered the fourth pillar of Urdu literature enjoyed the lively performances. The Shah family performed three plays based on Chughtai’s short stories, ‘Chuui Mui’, ‘Mughal Bacha’ and ‘Gharwali’. They were directed by the actor. Chughtai’s revolutionary style of writing was well conveyed by the trio and earned them a standing ovation. Though the stories were different, they dealt with women’s issues and the behaviour of a male-dominated society toward women. Clad in a black sherwani and white pyjamas, Shah offered a brief introduction for the plays. He held Chughtai in high esteem, saying, “I am doing theatre to pay tribute to the great writers of the subcontinent and to introduce a new generation to their fantastic writings.”
