Habib Mamoon Рحبیب ماموں
Last night I was invited to watch the play Habib Mamoon at the Arts Council. This play has been an Urdu adaptation of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya by Zahida Zaidi, Produced and Directed by Zia Mohyeddin and supported by The Citizens Foundation in collaboration with the National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA).
The actors featured the creme of Karachi theater bringing in Talat Hussain, Rahat Kazmi, Arshad Mehmud, Nyla Jaffry, Zabeen Tahira, Anjum Ayar, Jehan Ara Hai and Aymen Ali. Boasting a mixture of talented veterans but also introduced to Karachi some great young raw talent and everyone performed with exceptional and flawless brilliance.
It is set to pre-partition Lucknow relevant to a feudal sub-continental society, the play touches issues like ruthless destruction of forests for supposed industrialization, young girl’s marriage with retired professor because of his knowledge, status and popularity and issues arising out of it.
The play is rendered, if you will, in ‘upscale’ Urdu which to many of our young angrezi-yapping-new-generation may be a little too much to stomach, but its definitely a serious play brilliantly portrayed with a wide range of emotions. One should not go to expect a humours play or one with a stunning ending, but instead should go to appreciate its exceptional delivery and hand-in-hand support a great cause.
Personally I remain a Zia Mohyeddin fan and would recommend this play as a good cultural outing for all Karahiites
Play Dates – August 24th – September 2nd
Location – Arts Council Theater Karachi
Chekhov’s play directed by Zia Mohyeddin, i’m definitely going to see it :)
Zia Mohyeddin is legendary artist… I too, wont be missing this play for anything :) ..
Good to see serious art returning to this city. The arts council is really buzzing with activity, and people like Zia Moheyuddin have made this city their home again.
The real treat would be if we could produce new original works as once was the case when great people like Khawaja Moinuddin and Shaukat Siddiqui gave us Taaleem-e-Baalighaan and Khuda ki Basti.
About your comment on “UPSCALE URDU” , I found it amusing, but the sad thing is, it is true. We are one of the few nations in the world (I’ll include India in that list) from the most advanced to the most under developed whose citizens can proudly boast of not knowing/understanding their own languages, be it Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi or any other.
excellent post . thanks
DV
How much are tix?
i just got back after watching the play. the acting, the set, the characters – everything was really really good. but there was really nothing to take back home from the play – there was no point to the story. it was a lot of dialogue and emotion and hopelessness and crying.
ERRRR… but I heard it sucks and far below the expectations as in story wise.
Saba and Zee – as I agree with your analysis almost along the lines when I write that ‘not to expect a grand finale – yes the story somehow lacked a plot and a conclusion leaving us all with a DUH !!! moment – but the acting in my opinion was amazing despite the hysterics LOL
@ TEETH MAESTRO:
Thanks for wonderful write-up Dr sahab. Just wanted to add some facts related to the play.
The Citizens Foundation is the main sponsor of this revivalism of serious theatre in Karachi.
All the income generated from the said play will go towards the education upliftment projects run by TCF.
TCF is one of the largest non-profit organizations in Pakistan in the field of formal education for the less privileged. Its mission is to promote quality education for disadvantaged youth at primary and secondary levels in an environment that encourages their intellectual, moral and spiritual growth.
Today, the TCF network has reached all four provinces as well as Azad Jammu and Kashmir, with over 400 school units. More than 50,000 less privileged children, almost 50% of them girls, are receiving quality education in these schools by nearly 3000 TCF-trained teachers.
Tckets (800 & 1500) are available at Agha’s & Copper-Kettle (Defence / Gulshan).
I would have loved to have been in karachi to watch this play. It is very encouraging that our theatre scene is still active and we should encourage all the people who are still trying to keep it alive. Apart from the wonderful and seasoned actors whom we know for their seasoned performances the producers need all our encouragement and support to keep the theatre tradition alive in karachi. Well done to all of them. As for the urdu, it is my mother tongue and the onus is on me and each of us who associate with it to know it well.
ahmed
“It is set to pre-partition Lucknow relevant to a feudal sub-continental society, the play touches issues like ruthless destruction of forests for supposed industrialization, young girl’s marriage with retired professor because of his knowledge, status and popularity and issues arising out of it.”
errr.. what is this? a social scietific assessment of aesthetics? or just trying to sound educated?