KARACHI: The coronavirus pandemic has put a halt to almost all the activities involving audiences. Understandably so. Most forms of expression — painting, writing fiction or poetry, for example — require artists to express themselves in isolation. But for some other forms, art is a collaborative undertaking and demands its practitioners to perform for an audience. The reference here is to the performing arts.

In the last decade or so, stage productions in Karachi blossomed like never before. Music concerts had made a comeback of sorts. The film industry, too, opted for the Sindh capital as its base camp, as it were. Now ever since the lockdown was enforced in the country, Sindh being the first one to do so, actors and theatre and film directors have been sitting idle, eagerly waiting for the crisis to end. The uncertainty that looms large over the whole exercise doesn’t help. How are they feeling these days and what do they intend to do if the situation doesn’t improve to the extent where they are allowed to work as teams?

Pop band Strings’ Bilal Maqsood says, “There’s so much uncertainty around. I have no idea what’s going to happen in the future. No one knows what kind of news we’re going to receive in the time to come and how the world will change. What can be guessed now is that digital platforms, which were already deemed important, will be the go-to options for musicians. It’s a huge challenge for the entertainment industry. We will have to come up with new avenues. Already, advertisers have begun to contact artists for digital shows.”

Ever since the lockdown was enforced actors and directors have been sitting idle, eagerly waiting for the crisis to end

Sunil Shanker is a graduate of the National Academy of Performing Arts (Napa) who has in no time developed the reputation of a talented theatre actor and director. He is also unsure about what the future holds for performing artists. “Honestly, I don’t see anything happening until September or even October. Our art is all about performance and interaction, and I don’t see that taking place anytime soon. We can at most teach some online courses, but acting [on stage] is not on the cards.”

Maqsood has kept himself busy in quarantine by releasing videos on social media. They’ve been widely watched. “I make a plan on a daily basis where I need to create something new. It keeps me going. So I do a piece of music which I release on a regular basis. A one or two-minute creation enables me to feel good the whole day.”

Shanker says, “I’m in isolation and have been trying to write something, but there’s hardly any motivation. There’s anxiety and depression instead. Yes, I’ve been reading, researching stuff on the internet but there doesn’t seem to be any direction to move in. We need to think about how to earn as well. Yes, there’s this opportunity to make short videos and films etc, but at the most we can upload them on YouTube.”

Eminent actor Behroz Sabzwari analyses the whole situation in a positive light. “I spend time at home with my family. No social meetings, no assignments. It creates a strong bonding with family members. I’m sure all of this will go away, it’s not here to stay forever. This is a test from God Almighty. I don’t think we can get a better chance to learn more and strengthen our faith. We have learned the importance of cleanliness which is already part of our faith. I feel we shouldn’t be calling this period uncertain. It will pass.”

Published in Dawn, May 29th, 2020