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Crossing bridges
Every once in a while, creative juices flood the Pakistani-American community on the San Francisco Bay, producing something noteworthy in theatrical arts. Presently, Karachi-born actor and writer, Saqib Mausoof, has taken a different route with Kala Pul, producing results not unlike Satyajit Ray’s Distant Thunder, and exposing the impacts of 9/11 in Pakistan. A unique plot unwinds to reveal how the World Trade Centre attacks led to the death of one member of a family in Karachi. But that is not the only focus of this play that was presented on May 6 at the Cellspace on Bryant Street in San Francisco.
The narrator (Ali Mumtaz) introduces us to Karachi by quoting Sir Charles Napier: “One day she will be the Queen of the East.” Arsalan Mirza (Brian Dean) dons the anti-hero mask who has not outgrown his violent past and lives in hiding in Dubai. Twelve years later, he returns to Karachi after consulting the wise Parvati (Ashok Malani), and seeks the truth behind his brother, Hamza’s murder to avenge it. Once reunited with his grieving father, Abu (Rak Pakala) — who curses an ethnic organization for the mess that has been created — Arsalan finds out that his sister, Alia (Maheen Adamson) has become quite independent and his youngest brother, Osman (Atif Naqvi), is exhibiting extremist tendencies. Abu, however, shows little support for any extremist views.
Somewhere along its run time, the play brushes upon Kala Pul, the divide between Karachi’s richest and poorest; but in the two hours, little time is devoted to the latter half of the city
Between Abu, Alia and Osman, Arsalan gets quite a homecoming, but it is when he meets his old friend Nizam Elahi (Khurram Anees), his wife Mona (Tania Ahmad) and her sister, the vivacious Zoya Kamal (a superb job by Aaliya Dadabhoy) that things get really interesting. There is plenty of beverage consumption during the play, but the local stuff is missing. There is also a hefty dose of cussing in the script along with adult innuendoes, so this play is for mature audiences only.Zoya starts taking an interest in Arsalan and volunteers to show him around. Her interest rises further when her ex-husband Naufil Kamal (Muder Kothari) hits her after an argument at a beach party and Arsalan reveals his protective side. A high energy, Bollywood-style dance performance by the Dhol Rhythm pleasantly distracts the viewer next before culminating into day two. Before long, Arsalan gets involved with weaponry dealers to seek a means of avenging his brother’s murder. Along the way, he is arrested, locked up, beaten down and finally saved by one Suleman Brohi (Ashok Malani). Somewhere along its run time, the play brushes upon Kala Pul, the divide between Karachi’s richest and poorest; but in the two hours, little time is devoted to the latter half of the city.
The potpourri steadily thickens as newer faces appear in the cast: Rab Nawaz (Muder Kothari), a journalist; Icey (Sonny Harris) who runs his own “security company”; Linda Perez (Rabia Razak) also known as Madame-X and Michael Lopez, a DJ. The play tells stories about Karachi’s violence and local political-religious entities including Daniel Pearl’s murder, America’s CIA, India’s Raw and Pakistan’s ISI. Finally, all the weapons, drugs, extremists and influentials come together to culminate in a volatile ending where the only remains of innocence is the sea turtle’s return to the Karachi beaches.While the acting is not by seasoned professionals, the play manages to impress collectively. However, Saqib Mausoof is not one to hold back in language or content and older viewers (who refuse to give up on the Karachi of yester years) will be disturbed by this play. Perhaps that is just what the author intended.
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