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    Theatre Review: 'Yahudi ki Larki' by NAPA at National Theatre Festival 2017

    Written by: Mirza Salam Ahmed
    Posted on: November 02, 2017 | | 中文

    (L-R) Kashif Hussain as Marcus, Aamir Naqvi as Roman King (seated) and Marya Saad as Raheel (Source: DAWN)

    The National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA) presented ‘Yahudi ki Larki’ in front of a packed auditorium at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts, Islamabad, as part of the National Theatre Festival on Tuesday, 31st October. This classic drama written by Agha Hashr Kashmiri, aka the Shakespeare of India, a legendary writer from the 19th century, has been adapted for stage numerous times. In February 2017, NAPA performed it in Karachi, and perhaps they wanted to give it another chance in front of the hungry audience of the twin cities. Directed by Khalid Ahmed, it took some time for the audience to get settled into the play, but once they did, the pace did not pick up.

    Set in ancient Rome, the melodramatic play had elaborate costumes, numerous backdrops, spontaneous singing and dramatic music, all of which conveyed the effort put into the production, but unfortunately didn’t bring it together as a whole. While the production did an impressive job at replicating the Parsi theatrical era from the 1900s; the play at times appeared to be a klutzy jump in time.

    The entire NAPA team

    The entire NAPA team (Source: Khushbakht Khan)

    The spinoff of a Shakespearean tragedy tells the story of a Roman prince, Marcus, played by Kashif Hussain, and his love for a beautiful Jewish girl, Raheel, played by Marya Saad. Setting aside the social and religious hindrances of that era, Marcus disguises himself as a Jew to win Raheel’s love – an act in which he succeeds. The protagonist managed to act well, doing justice to his role with plenty of grace. Raheel supported him with beauty and class – the chemistry of the duo was well set for the stage.

    As soon as the curtains parted, embellishment became a strong part of the play. The music was impactful, but the songs weren’t easy on the ears. The poetry was directed towards an absent niche, but managed to raise a few applauses. The plot was an engaging one, riddled with references to our society, but the drama itself became overbearing. The play did manage to elicit a few good laughs, but mostly focused on the intense romance between the leads.

    Akbar Islam as Brutus

    Akbar Islam as Brutus (Source: Akbar Islam)

    The rest of the crew delivered emotions at demand, but did not seem very comfortable with their characters. The Roman priest, Brutus, played by Akbar Islam, was the exception and his acting was thoroughly appreciated by the audience. The play took a thought-provoking turn when Raheel was asked by Marcus to choose between love and faith. At such an intense climactic scene and others like it, the element of comic relief was introduced, which did manage to lighten up the mood, but more often than not destroyed the flow of the story.

    The comedy was notably provided by the raunchy Sher Khan, played by Farhan Alam, and his wife, Fitna, played by Zarqa Naz, both of whom lie and cheat on each other. The jostling between the two brought comic relief to an otherwise bamboozled audience. The frequent jumps from actors in Roman tunics to the Pathan household were a bit too much to process, especially considering the serious nature of the plot.

    Farhan Alam as Sher Khan and Zarqa Naz as Fitna

    Farhan Alam as Sher Khan and Zarqa Naz as Fitna (Source: Akbar Islam)

    The audience was more often than not left with a chin on their fist, baffled by the sudden changes in scenes, characters, narratives, costumes and plots. For instance, the toga party in Rome was rather impulsively replaced with scenes in kurtas, pajamas, ghararas and dupatas. The understanding of the plot twists didn’t require brains, but it did deliver a comprehensive brain-bashing.

    When the curtains drew, the play had showcased suffering of people at the hand of faith and love. It showed how religious persecution had haunted societies for ages. It reminisced about anti-Semitism and how the entropy of a society can be initiated. And while the message was simple, the drama surrounding it wasn’t. The play did remind one of the discrimination and persecution of minorities in our own society, showing that our society might not be that different from Rome.


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021