Written by: Subboh Jaffery
Posted on: March 05, 2019 | 
| 中文
Karachi Literature Festival 2019 (Image by @MuzamilSaleh)
The Karachi Literature Festival (KLF) — it’s what the city’s been talking about for a week, and it’s what the press is going to be talking about for another week. The 10th edition of KLF, arranged by the Oxford University Press (OUP) Pakistan, was held at the iconic Beach Luxury Hotel in Karachi, from Friday, 1st March, 2019 to Sunday, 3rd March, 2019. Each edition of KLF has grown in relevance - from an attendance of 5,000 people in 2010, the festival now attracts hundreds of thousands of attendees each year.
The festival is the dream of two literary enthusiasts, Ameena Saiyid and Dr. Asif Farrukhi. Under their tutelage, with Ms. Saiyid serving as the Director, the first edition of KLF was inaugurated on 2nd March, 2010. Since then, the Children’s Literature Festival, Teacher’s Literature Festival and Islamabad Literature Festival have also been conceived and arranged by the same team.
This year’s KLF had a packed schedule, but faced numerous challenges due to the closure of the Pakistani airspace, which led to some sessions being cancelled. Nevertheless, they pulled together a brilliant variety of sessions including panel discussions, English and Urdu mushairas, book launches, theatrical productions, film screenings, and musical performances. Popular sessions included a talk by Anwar Maqsood, a dance performance by Sheema Kermani, readings of Mushtaq Ahmed Yusufi by Zia Mohyeddin, a session in remembrance of Qurratulain Hyder, and a Qawaali Night by Hamza Akram and Brothers. The much-awaited documentary Indus Blues by Jawad Sharif, which focuses on the dying folk music of Pakistan, also premiered at KLF, and was given a standing ovation.
Several book launches and discussions were held, with accomplished writers like Raza Rumi and Nadeem Farooq Paracha, as well as economists like Ishrat Hussain launching their books. Contemporary voices in fiction such as Sabyn Javeri and Taha Kehar also discussed their work. Moreover, KLF gave a platform to young debutants through the launch of The Arzu Anthology Second Edition – a collection by young writers from Habib University. We spoke to Shameneh Majid, one of the writers, who said, “We’re very grateful for the opportunity, but we must also think about how our university had to fund this anthology, in the absence of a publishing industry in Pakistan. Nevertheless, we’re glad to have been given an outlet for publication, besides a magazine or a blog!”
The discussion, ‘Pakistani Cinema: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow,’ had legends from yesteryears, like Munawar Saeed and Asif Raza Mir, as well as active young members of showbiz today, such as actor Yasir Hussain and director Fizza Ali Meerza. The actors Mehwish Hayat and Fahad Mustafa were scheduled to attend the panel, but were unable to make it to the event. The session was moderated by Mohammad Ahmed Shah, President Arts Council Karachi.
The discussion started with the panel reminiscing about the glory days of Pakistani cinemas, and then moved on to how it’s never been easy to make or sell a film in Pakistan. Munawar Saeed expressed his opinion that the clash in release dates of any two films will never affect their success, as long as the films are actually good. The panel also highlighted the lack of screens in Pakistan, and spoke about the recent rebirth of cinema, which began with Khuda Key Liye.
During the question and answer session with the audience, Dawar Mehmood, a distinguished theatre director, asked the filmmakers why Lollywood is so obsessed with Bollywood, and why we feel the need to have item numbers in our films. The panel confidently replied that dance sequences are as much a part of Pakistani cinema as they are of Indian films. As Fizza Ali pointed out, Pakistani movies have historically always featured such dances. However, it’s up to the director as to how much he/she would like to sensationalize it.
The premiere of the short film, Rani, directed by Hammad Rizvi, was moderated by journalist Zarrar Khuhro. The film, which has been screened and awarded at festivals worldwide, discusses transgender rights by focusing on the lives and sufferings of Pakistani trans-genders.
The movie follows the story of a trans-woman, Rani, played by the prominent trans-model and trans-activist Kami Sid, who picks up an abandoned baby left outside an orphanage, and adopts it. As the story unfolds, she realizes that while being a mother is difficult, it’s not as difficult as being a trans-woman in our intolerant society. Hammad Rizvi and Kami Sid used the film to talk about the pressing issue of the treatment of trans-people as outcasts.
Akbar Allana, the producer of the film, addressed the crowd after the screening and stated that he would like to see a more tolerant Pakistan, where the LGBTQ+ community can live as equal and respected members of society. “Through the film, I want to send out a message of inclusivity, tolerance and love,” he said.
The ‘Safr-e-Pakistan: Pakistan’s Travelogue in String Puppets by Thespianz Theatre,’ was a one of the performances that caught our interest. Thespianz Theatre is a socially responsible performing arts organization, established in 2005. They work with different performing arts such as string puppetry and mime, and have staged nearly 50 shows.
The performance was exactly what you’d expect – a puppet has returned after some time abroad and the puppet’s friend takes him to a gypsy. This gypsy accompanies the two friends on a journey of exploring Pakistan. They travel through all the provinces, eating the Biryani in Sindh and Sajji in Balochistan, while attending different dance performances. They dance to famous folk songs from the different provinces, with all the puppets dressed in local attires.
It seems the performance was targeting children, since the storyline was far too straightforward for the adults to enjoy. Nevertheless, the skill of the Thespianz in string puppetry is undeniable, and it was a beautiful display to observe.
The vision of the Karachi Literature Festival is to foster, preserve, and promote the cultural arts and its creators and contributors. By championing the works and lives of accomplished writers and artists, while also promoting and supporting young aspiring creators, KLF is trying to build a community, where art will never lose its way.
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