Theatre



Encompassing Pakistani Theatre (Part - I)

Encompassing Pakistani Theatre (Part - I)
Published On: 29-Mar-2022
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Article by

Wajiha Tareen


The traditions of theatre in the sub-continent dates to ancient times with the advent of great and historic plays Mahabharata and Ramayana and traditions are still going on. India is a rich continent when it comes to its diverse cultures. The group of artists use it well by performing Kathakali and Laila Majnu at the same places. While theatrical activity in Pakistan may be described as intermittent since the country‘s inception in 1947, it nevertheless resonates with the cultural landscape today. In the 66 years since the country came into being, theatre groups have emerged and disbanded under the varied spectrum of political and social conditions, leaving a mark that has become part of a collective history of inherited traditions. The theatrical activities in Pakistan have always been in an irregular way from the start. Many theatre groups emerged and scattered because of political and social conditions which has become a fragment of history of inborn traditions. Contemporary theatre in Pakistan started with the dominance of two groups’ Tehrik-e-Niswan and Ajoka after General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haque declared Martial Law in 1977. The group Tehrik-e-Niswan (The Women‘s Movement) in Karachi and Ajoka (Of Today) in Lahore emerged in an environment of protest and in response against Zia-ul-Haque‘s Anti-Women laws. They struggled a lot against strict measures and censorship laws. However, there is a misconception that these were the only two groups that were the pioneers of political theatre in Pakistan. In the post-partition era, theatre was overlooked as it lacked attention and patronage from the state and the people itself. As Sirhindi states, Pakistan was created as an Islamic nation. While the artists were a little concerned with religion, Hindu – Muslim difference was the root of their conflict. The Bengal school paintings of gods and goddesses and its Punjabi version, "Lahore Oriental" tradition so popular before partition became distasteful to Pakistanis. Art in general was not a priority or any point of attention for the masses as well as the state. Lack of infrastructure for theatre i-e halls, open-air theatre, drama academies and institutes, arts 17 councils. Except for a few plays which were shown with a lot of difficulties and hurdles, theatre in post partition Pakistan was considered as an effort which was not good enough for awareness. The roots of Pakistani theatre lay in Indian theatre which includes folk and epic forms. The traditional forms such as tamasha, kathakali and nautanki did not progress much after partition in Pakistan. One of the reasons for this is that Pakistan is based on Islamic ideology which then questions their beliefs, and it was further aggravated by the orthodox middle-class Muslims who refused any shared culture and heritage from India and considered them as taken and therefore not Pakistani. Except for little, theatre did not progress in Pakistan as it did in post-partition India. All this was because of military dictatorship and feudal mind-set that any cultural activity that challenged the system was restrained. Moreover, public interest was also another factor that did not let theatre flourish in the country. It was until the 1970s that we saw substantial activity in Pakistani theatre. Groups like Ajoka and Tehrik-e-Niswan emerged in late 1970s and early 1980s. The Zia regime had banned political gatherings and power shows while other alternatives to express public sentiments were also dealt with iron handily. General Zia-ul-Haq (1977–1988) followed strict policies of censorship in the visual and performing arts. Every kind of art that referred to any kind of political or social issue was censored. We see groups like Ajoka and Tehrik-e- Niswan emerging in this era but it does not mean that these groups emerged out of nowhere or suddenly. It was a long process. The tradition of theatre in Pakistan evolved through the course of time slowly and gradually. Many theatre groups can be seen operating in different major cities of Pakistan like Karachi and Lahore before the above-mentioned timeline. After partition, all independent theatre groups shared a common objective of producing plays that would motivate and encourage the spirit of national incorporation. Individual and collective efforts were made to set up different theatre institutions. Artists, writers and poets created the Pakistan Arts Council in 1948 producing its first play in 1955. (to be continued)

This article is an extract from The Censoring Practices in Theatre: A Case Study of The Curtain Raiser by Wajiha Tareen.

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