Arts Council’s Awami Theatre Festival to begin on 8th

Published November 6, 2024
Writer Anwar Maqsood speaks at the event, on Tuesday. Arts Council president Ahmed Shah and actor Munawwar Saeed also present.—Fahim Siddiqi / White Star
Writer Anwar Maqsood speaks at the event, on Tuesday. Arts Council president Ahmed Shah and actor Munawwar Saeed also present.—Fahim Siddiqi / White Star

KARACHI: The Arts Council of Pakistan will organise this year’s Awami Theatre Festival from Nov 8 to Nov 24.

Speaking at a press conference here on Tuesday, Arts Council president Ahmed Shah said he had brought with him the history of Pakistani theatre (he was referring to writer Anwar Maqsood and actor Munawwar Saeed who were sitting next to him).

“Anwar Maqsood has seen all the plays from the time when they were staged at Adamjee Theatre. He was taught by Khwaja Moinuddin,” he said.

Mr Shah said that the Awami Theatre Festival is part of the council’s tradition. It will begin on Nov 8 and although its closing date thus far is Nov 24, it is extendable. “We have around two dozen plays.”

Speaking on the occasion, Anwar Maqsood said the recently held World Culture Festival by the council will be remembered for as long as Pakistan exists. “Forty-four countries took part in it. I thought that those who are related to the realm of theatre should have seen the plays presented by Belgian and Palestinian groups during the World Culture Festival. It would have opened their minds about the possibilities in theatre.”

The writer said he in the past had seen a lot of plays (which are now deemed part of the awami theatre).

“There’s a certain kind of people who like these dramas. They don’t care if the biggest actors in the world appear in them, all they want is their kind of plays. [To theatre persons present at the presser] You have developed a certain position in people’s hearts and you are so popular among your own audiences. What I want to emphasise here is that you have been working for such a long time, kindly pay attention to scripts. The same lines, the same policeman jokes, the same double-meaning phrase for girls, don’t do that. Change that. People like you. You will achieve more than before,” he said.

Munawwar Saeed first spoke about the TV play Mirza and Sons that he acted in. It was written by Anwar Maqsood. Then he shed light on the importance of theatre.

He added it’s the best place for a performing artist to learn.

Published in Dawn, November 6th, 2024

Opinion

Editorial

Anti-women state
Updated 25 Nov, 2024

Anti-women state

GLOBALLY, women are tormented by the worst tools of exploitation: rape, sexual abuse, GBV, IPV, and more are among...
IT sector concerns
25 Nov, 2024

IT sector concerns

PRIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s ambitious plan to increase Pakistan’s IT exports from $3.2bn to $25bn in the ...
Israel’s war crimes
25 Nov, 2024

Israel’s war crimes

WHILE some powerful states are shielding Israel from censure, the court of global opinion is quite clear: there is...
Short-changed?
Updated 24 Nov, 2024

Short-changed?

As nations continue to argue, the international community must recognise that climate finance is not merely about numbers.
Overblown ‘threat’
24 Nov, 2024

Overblown ‘threat’

ON the eve of the PTI’s ‘do or die’ protest in the federal capital, there seemed to be little evidence of the...
Exclusive politics
24 Nov, 2024

Exclusive politics

THERE has been a gradual erasure of the voices of most marginalised groups from Pakistan’s mainstream political...