ISLAMABAD, July 4: Plays staged by Ajoka have this ability of taking the audience along. One feels as if one were on the stage sharing the actors’ emotional burden. Performed in the National Art Gallery auditorium on Friday, Bullah, the group’s most celebrated play, made a compelling evening of theatre. The poetic dialogue orchestrated into the fast moving action kept the audience transfixed.

The message of the play made a deep impression. Staged more than once in the city it is still a great crowd puller. “It’s like being transported into another world”, said Maria Kiani, an Ajoka fan. “Wow! Amazing! Everything about the drama, design and music just sucked me right in. I don’t think I took a breath till it was over,” said another theatre goer.

Written by Shahid Nadeem, Bullah is a tribute to the great mystic saint of Punjab. It is based on the events of his life recorded in his poetry, historical records and popular myths. And there was no dearth of dramatic episodes in the life of Bulleh Shah. His search for truth, his devotion to his mentor Shah Inayat, his conflict with the intolerant clergy and corrupt Nawabs, his opposition to the wars and bloodshed in the name of religion — all have been incorporated as powerful scenes in the play.

The rulers of the day rewarded his piety and honest words with banishment, declaring the Syed saint a “kafir”. They wouldn’t tolerate him even as a dead man and he had to be buried outside his beloved Kasur. The Kasur he was banished from is no more. It shifted with its population to the place of his burial.

Bullah is also about the turbulent times of Bulleh Shah and a great relevance to present day South Asia. It is a strong plea for love and peace, and an indictment of intolerance, violence and hatred. Well acted the performers drew huge applause from the audience. The period details were authentic.

Madeeha Gauhar’s focused direction was rewarded with three top drawer performances. Best among these were that by Sarfraz Ansari who beautifully captured Bullah’s wit and wisdom. Another standout was Asim Bukhari’s Shah Inayat. Malik Aslam as Banda Singh was convincing. And Eva Majid as the lovely Muradi Begum brought dignity to her role.

The set design was simple yet effective — a stark black background with dancers appearing as faint silhouettes, dim spotlights transitioned to one eminent white flood light for the two narrators Sona and Chandi and above all the occasional mesmerising blend of Bulleh Shah’s verses in the traditional qawali rhythms.

Ajoka has just returned from Srinagar where they performed Bullah. Ajoka was the first Pakistani troupe to perform in Srinagar, said its Director, Madeeha Gauhar. “I strongly feel that because of the jihadi movement the indigenous Sufi culture has been suppressed by Wahabism. We owe it to the Kashmiris helping revive that spirit of harmony and love. Bullah was the first step in that direction,” she said.

The play was presented by Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) in collaboration with Sungi Development Foundation at the auditorium of National Art Gallery.

Madeeha criticised National Art Gallery (NAG) for patronising commercial theatre over artistic presentations. She said NAG had rented out its auditorium to commercial groups for the whole prime season of November and December.