SRINAGAR: Government Arts Emporium Srinagar hosted an exhibition of artwork produced by engineers Iftikhar Wani and Shazia Basharat. Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Vijay Kumar Bidhuri inaugurated the two-day painting exhibition.
Shazia Basharat, an engineer by profession, discovered her love for art during the lockdown period. This being her first exhibition, she looks forward to the journey ahead. ‘Art has changed my outlook on life and brought immense peace to me. Just like in art, sometimes in life things do not turn out exactly how we had imagined but just some touches can make it look better. I learnt from painting that there is always time to change, just that it should come from within you,’ said Shazia. Some of her paintings explored the beauty of nature, including ‘Aatish-e-Chinar,’ which depicts the beauty of the Autumn season, and ‘Beginnings,’ which depicts the beauty of the early bloom of almond flowers in Spring.
Although there is a diversity in her artworks, two of Shazia’s paintings showcased Sufi whirling dervishes. “In my understanding, these artists who whirl around at some point find that everything is blur around them, and when these worldly things become a blur for them, that is when they connect to God. They even try to dance on their toes as if disconnected from the worldly affairs,” said Shazia.
Iftekhar Ahmad Wani, on the other hand, is a self-taught artist who worked as a marketing manager and industrial marketing expert in Saudi Arabia. He started painting in 2012 and feels that art comes naturally to him. He mainly uses Kashmir as his inspiration for his paintings. One of his paintings shows the mesmerizing beauty of Khanqah-e-Moula. ‘My father was an engineer by profession, and he used to take me to Khanqah as a kid. After he passed away, I started painting those places. It is challenging to paint Shehr e Khas, but there is a poetic atmosphere to Kashmir” said Iftekhar.
Dr Jahangeer Aslam Makhdoomi, who is an Oncologist and an Artist, said, ‘I am happy to see that people are coming with their work. I hope this creates a chain reaction and encourages others as well, especially the youth. The paintings of Iftekhar Wani took me back to my native place, Downtown, and refreshed my memories.’
One of the onlookers named Unis Saleem commented, ‘Each painting seems to be telling a story. For a person like me who always dwells in paintings, visiting this exhibition has been a piece of solace as well as a thought-provoking experience.’
Another onlooker, Rukhsaar Manzoor, said, ‘These paintings bring out a feeling of home in me. For all of us, Kashmir is home.”
SRINAGAR: The theatre play Fataah was an adaptation of Shankar Shesh’s play Fandi that artists from SR Theatre Ganderbal exhibited in the just concluded theatre festival at Tagore Hall. It linked interesting extremes to tell the story of death, poverty and the rule of law.
The play opens with a group of prisoners doing a traditional performance Dambael while the group is consoling a person in the middle of the circle formed by their lyrics Ma Bhar Cxe Gham (avoid stress). The person is the main character, Fataah who has been awarded a death sentence. A lawyer, Rustom Rahman has been appointed by the court, an amicus curie, to fight Fataah’s case as she could not afford one.
The court had chosen Rustom as his lawyer merely because he shares his name with his father. However, Rustom Rahman has never won any case before and is apparently a kind-hearted person who wills to help Fataah.
Fataah is hopeless. In the conversation with his friends and well-wishers, Fataah denies meeting him and accepts him as his lawyer as he thinks nothing can save him. Finally, however, he somehow agrees to it.
The story unfolds gradually. The reason behind his imprisonment is gradually unfolded in their conversation, so it does create a little suspense in the audience. Fataah has been charged with the killing of his father who was battling cancer. He had strangulated his father to death only to relieve him of the pain on repeated requests by his father as they could not afford the injections any longer. Fataah had taken debt from someone.
The lawyer plan to do a rehearsal of the next day’s court trial in which they both imitate the possible witnesses in favour of Fataah. Fataah himself plays the role of judge, the debtor, his wife and other witnesses. It seems as if they win, but it doesn’t happen. All the witnesses speak lies against Fataah and even his wife could not make it to court due to an accident.
Artists who were part of the theatre play, Fataah that was shown in Tagore Hall Srinagar as part of Kashmir Theatre Festival 2023. KL Image: Bilal Bahadur
Rustom helps to get him another lawyer who luckily does not charge any fee. The conversation after the next trial (The trial isn’t shown in the play) reveals that the lawyer has done well in the court but could not save him. They again rehearse for the next hearing and the play ends with that only without showing whether Fataah will win or lose. The decision is left for the audience to decide.
Fataah is a family man. The play sequences suggest he can not be the person who can kill his father. He had done so, however, to end his father’s pain. The main theme of the play is mercy killing and poverty. There are people who can’t afford the treatment of certain fatal diseases and they tend to die one day or another. Fataah was trapped in the same conundrum until he choked his father to death.
The role of Fataah was played by Sahil Shafi, who did a commendable job of playing different characters. He changed his articulation, enunciation, tone and draping style within seconds to shuffle from one character to another. The set-up was given a touch of Kashmir by choosing the props traditional to Kashmir.
The play is originally written by Shankar Shesh and adopted by Raja Maqbool. It was directed and designed by Sahil Shafi. The character of the lawyer is played by Ashraf Nago, the warden by Aaquib Hameed and Fataah by Sahil Shafi. Dambael was sung and presented by Nazir Ahmad, Bilal Ahmad, Hilal Ahmad, Sahil Meghraj, Shakeel Sheikh, Mohsin Qadir, Shahzad Ahmad, Aqib Nazir Paray, Maroof Majeed and Syed Imtiyaz. The backstage management was done by Mohsin Qadir, Nazir Ahmad, Hilal Ahmad, Aaquib Hameed, Masoom Mumtaz Khan, lights by Manzoor Ahmad Mir, Props by Haider, make-up by Rasid, Stage by Sahil and Ashraf.
SRINAGAR: The play named Akh Pryetch, the fifth play in the series of eight-day long Theatre Festival Kashmir 2023, was a riddle. Written by broadcaster Nisar Naseem and presented by Yamberzal Youth Club, it triggered curiosity among the audience, mostly college students.
The play touches on sensitive issues like short-tempered behaviour ruining relationships, parental conflicts traumatizing children, mistrust leading to relationship failures, and misuse of Islamic laws without proper knowledge.
The play had soft music start with a stage set up as a room. There is an almirah which has given space to some books and toys, a dressing table, and a couch. A conversation between the housewife – Aisha and her guest Rahman Khar, apparently a transgender opens the play. Rahman Khar is shown to have a split personality of a man and a woman. Interestingly he is desirous of marrying Aisha.
Aisha, played by Shafiya Maqbool is the wife of Amin played by Fayaz Ahmad Rather. They have two children and live happily together. Once a man visits them complaining about his son-in-law’s decision to leave his daughter over some land dispute. Amin responds to him aggressively and is shocked to know that someone can leave his partner over a petty issue.
Gradually, the issue rises in their family as well. From arguing over their children’s upbringing to talking nicely to a colleague and doubting her for cheating, Amin gets angry easily. It shows his short-tempered behaviour. Aisha behaved patiently but did not let her husband humiliate her. On a minute issue of complaining over her husband’s smoking, they get into an argument which leads to their divorce by, what is hugely debated, the triple Talaq.
Aisha shatters down by this as their marriage of 14 years has been broken. The children witnessed the fight between parents and their facial expressions tried to show the trauma that such children face.
Aisha’s brother and Rahman Khar insist Amin bring Aisha back but he does not listen to anyone. Aisha visits the local lawmaker for help but he refuses to help. While being alone, she imagines having a conversation with Amin. This scene is added phenomenally by a song in Jameela Akhter’s voice.
Meanwhile, Amin also imagines pictures of Aisha’s affair with his colleague and Rahman Khar. But immediately, he realises that she has been with him through thick and thin and she can’t cheat. He goes to Aisha and apologizes.
Aisha who was waiting for him and cried day in and out refused to get back together. Amin’s realisation would not change the fact that he had divorced her through the Islamic Shariah and the precondition for reconciliation was impossible for Aisha to follow.
Theatre artists who performed in the Akh Pryetch (A riddle) that was staged in Tagore Hall as part of teh Kashmir theatre festival 2023. KL Image: Bilal Bahadur
The female lead- Shafiya Maqbool hooked the audience with her effortless expressions and perfection in dialogue delivery. She seemed to be completely in her character. Somehow, the coherence in the first half of the play was missing. There were some gaps left which created unwanted questions among the audience.
Written by Nisar Naseem, presented by Yamberzal Youth Club, directed by Javaid Ahmad Khan, assistant direction by Shahid Malik, Costumes by Shabir Ahmad Mir, light designed by Balbir Singh, Song by Jameela Akhter, production management by Javaid Kashmiri, stage management by Shahzad Shabir, Makeup by Younis Ahmad Hafiz and Set designed by Basharat Hussain. The on-stage artists were Fayaz Ahmad Rather as Amin, Shafiya Maqbool as Aisha, Shahnawaz Bhat as Rehman, Asif Khan as Aslam, Fayaz Sofi as Mohammad Bhat, Younis Ahmad Hafiz as MLA, Khursheed Ahmad Mir as Fayaz and Arbeen Jan and Zieya Jan as children.
SRINAGAR: It is something that is basic to almost everybody – Tankha, the salary. It is always a matter of concern for everybody working for the government or private sector. This was the theme of the fourth play in the ongoing Theatre Festival Kashmir 2023. The play is written by Rashid Gamgeen and presented by Dilshad Cultural Forum.
A group photograph of artists who performed the theatre play, Tankha (salary) in the Cultural Academy’s Theatre Festival in Tagore Hall in March 2023. KL Image: Bilal Bahadur
As the curtain raised, a farmer offered greetings to everyone. The man was worried about the barren land and chose to work on it to make it fertile again. A woodcutter, a Hindu, and a Sikh joined him.
Everyone asked him about what he was doing there and shared it. They all mutually intend to follow the path of brotherhood to bloom the barren land and they dance together. This segment was the opening and the actual play followed later.
Tankha revolves around a family of four, Mohammad Amin, Maimoona, and their two kids Zamrooda and Tariq. The scene starts with a small house set up and a lady – Maimoona ranting about the miseries she faces all the time with respect to her work, lack of resources, and inability to live a better life. Her husband, Mohammad Amin who works on an honorarium basis returns from his work and questions her behaviour. She complains about his little salary of Rs 3000, jammed salary of two months and not fulfilling any of her demands. They get into an argument while both of them complain about their problems.
In another scene, an office with some clerks is shown where Mohammad Amin works. All of them have faced the same issue in their homes. They talk about the debt, load of work, less salary, corruption, and apart from all this the misunderstanding that people have about them having huge amounts of money. They even consider business is better than their job.
At home, when Mohammad Amin offers prayers and asks for respite from debt, a voice responds to him saying that might is right and he should not follow the right path always. He gets scared about this suggestion and asks him where the voice is coming from. The voice replies, “I am your soul.” This scene somehow shows a person’s fight with himself to follow the righteous path at a time when choosing the wrong one can resolve your problems.
The debtors frequently visit Amin’s home asking for their money. The couple assures them of returning it soon. As soon as Amin gets his salary of two months, he distributes it among the debtors and the rest to his children for some school activities. The whole salary goes into it and the couple gets into the argument again. Maimoona has to attend her brother’s wedding and she demands certain things for it.
Mohammad Amin fell ill and had a high fever. His wife doesn’t believe it at first, but later on, seeing the condition worsening, she believes. Amin gives her the money and things she demanded. Maimoona was shocked after knowing that Amin had sold his watch and scooter. He had done it out of love for her wife as she used to fight and cry over the issue. She feels bad about it and the couple gets emotional.
The play shows the efforts put in by such employees to meet the ends of their families. He suggests his children opt for government school instead of private but they refuse by giving the reason that everyone goes to private schools. His wife also timely compares herself to neighbouring ladies and their lifestyle. It shows the reality that people instead of focusing on rightly managing their lifestyle compare with other people and add to the miseries.
The play is written by Rashid Gamgeen, presented by Dilshad Cultural Forum, directed by Dilshad Mustafa, assistant direction by Akash G.M Bahar, and set designed by Saleem Yousuf. The cast line included Mukhtar Ahmad as Mohammad Amin, Shahida Alvi as Maimoona, Ghulam Mohammad Bahar as Bilal, Mohammad Yousuf Dar as Akram, Ali Mohammad Mir as Hilal, Aamir Ahmad Malik, Tasaduk Hussain, and Sajad Hussain as debtors, Mohammad Yousuf Ganie as Dervish, Ghulam Hussain Hak Nawaz as his assistant, Shazia Akhter as Zamrooda and Munawar Ali as Tariq.
SRINAGAR: It was the return of the last two centuries on stage when a group of artists staged Chakdar Pather in Tagore Hall. Pather is basically a fold theatre that usually as satire and comedy as part of the process.
The play opened with a band of four people welcoming the guests to Shehnai, Surnayi, Nagar, and Dhol beats. The music was energetic to light up the stage. A group of dancers join in and entertain the audience more through the funny movements than the ‘dance’ itself.
In the next scene, two men Boud Maskhar (senior joker) and Loukut Maskhar (junior joker) started attacking technology, the digital world, and the zee generation. They hint at doing the play Chakdar Pather, which starts in the next scene.
The play was based in Kashmir’s nineteenth and twentieth centuries when most of the land was the ruler’s property and distributed to his family, friends and the bourgeoisie.
The stage was set up in a paddy field with the peasants working. The hard work of peasants was beautifully expressed in a song sung live by Sajad Maqbool Mir. The play exhibited the struggle of peasants to cultivate crops and the meagre income it generated for them.
Kashmiri artists staged a Chakdar Pather, a theatre play based on Kashmir’s feudal days, at Tagore Hall on March 4, 2023. KL Image: Bilal Bahadur
It showed how some peasants were on the verge of suicide because of paying taxes to Chakdars (land contractors). They had to toil throughout the season, but it did not generate enough money to run a family. Their families would often sleep without meals and some of them lost their lives to hunger.
The play shows a Kardar – Ram Chandar and his accountant – Somnath calculating the land given to Kaashtkars and the taxes they paid in the past year. If someone did not pay, they would take back the land and give it to someone else who would pay better. They would visit the village once in a while to check on the peasants and collect taxes. They were shown beating those who failed to pay the whole amount and praising those who paid them. Kardar was so affectionate towards Chakdari that he considered it over God and his own life.
Then, Kardar’s used to be the bridge between the peasants and the land contractors appointed by the despotic rulers.
The whole play presented a serious issue with a tinge of comedy through dialogues and actions, which kept the audience hooked. There was not any gap left to feel the other way about it. Sajad Maqbool Mir played the rabab in the background, which also helped the audience to stay hooked to the stage.
As the peasants suffer, the play goes on to show, they plan to complain to their leader about it and they do so. The leader gives them all the support needed and encourages them to speak against it. They plan a strike. Soon, all of them visit the Kardar. The leader demands a one-fourth share of the income generated through the crops as the peasants work hard. Kardar, who seems to be afraid of the leader, agrees to their demand.
The play was written by Reshi Rasheed, and its design and direction were done by Ramzan. The character of Boud Maskhar is played by Mehraj ud Din Bhat, Loukut Maskhar by Aashiq Hussain Sheikh, Jamal by Mushtaq Ahmad Dar, Ramzan by Nisar Ahmad Bhat, Rajab Ganaie by Javed Ahmad Shah, Leader by Ishfaq Ahmad Bhat, Ram Chandar by Ghulam Rasool Lone (Founding Member of the theatre group), Somnath by Master Abdul Samad Mir and other Actors (peasants) by Mohammad Maqbool Bhat, Mohammad Ramzan Lone, Abdul Majeed Dar. The singer in the play is Sajad Maqbool Mir.
Dhol is played by Ghulam Mohammad Bhat, Shehnai was played by Ghulam Mohammad Bhat, Surnayi is played by Abdul Khaliq Bhat, and Nagaar was played by Ghulam Mohammad Bhat. The dancer is Bilal Ahmad Bhat. Costumes were provided by Abdul Samad Mir, Light Direction by Aashiq Hussain Najar, Lights Operations by Tariq Ahmad Hajini, and Sound by Aijaz Ahmad. The stage was set up by Trilok Singh Bali, Mohammad Amin, and Suhail.
SRINAGAR: Novelist and playwright Sohan Lal Koul has remained a popular choice for theatre because he has his hand on the pulse of society. In the last festival, at least three of his plays were staged in a single festival.
Koul’s Gindan Tamashe which was staged at Tagore Hall tackled the issues related to the issue of existence and identity. It asked very pertinent questions and provoked the audience to stay engaged.
It started in a set of the semi-lit enclosure with no doors and a single window. It was messy with three dustbins, some dirty clothes, tissue papers all over the floor and two beds on which two people were sleeping.
The beds exhibited a contrast. One had a white and blue bed sheet with faded colours. The pillow was stripped without any cover. The other bed was a shining, bright, and floral red colour bedsheet. The pillow was also covered with black velvet floral cover giving it an exquisite look. It suggests the two persons resting belonged to two different classes.
The man – who is later given the name Seen, wakes from the ‘inferior’ bed wakes up. He seems to be around 40-50 years old. His face shows confusion as if seeking answers to some of his frustrations. Finally, he breaks the silence and starts asking himself “Who am I?” and “Where am I?”
A group photograph of Kashmir theatre artists who staged Dr Sohan Lal Koul’s Gindan Tamash (toy) at Tagore Hall, Srinagar on March 4, 2023. KL Image: Bilal Bahadur
Soon, he sees the man on the other bed and assumes he would have answers to his questions. After several attempts, he wakes him up but he also has no answers to any of his queries. He – later given the name Sheen – was in his twenties. Both of them have perplexed thoughts. They ask each other questions about their past, existence, and the mistake that would have led them there, and the biggest mystery at that point was their identification.
The whole conversation between Seen and Sheen showed a serious debate over one’s existence in the world. Sheen claimed to be the master of Seen. He wanted to continue it the same way no matter if they remember anything or not. However, their debate nullified the difference in caste and status between them. Seen got offended initially when Sheen sat on his bed as he was poor apparently. With the progress in their discussion, they exchanged their seats subconsciously. It made one thing clear while they struggled to recall their identification, they forgot their class differences. From death to life, fiction to reality, punishment to freedom, they discussed all the possibilities of their identity. They yearned to get a second chance so that they live happily. This came after a series of suicidal thoughts exhibited by the duo in the frustration of knowing themselves and their identity.
Amid the arguments, they receive a letter from the window. They do not open it assuming that it might be from the angel of death. Again, a deep conversation about the letter takes place. Somehow, they decide to read it. The letter has been addressed to Gindan Tamashe (Toys). It was written by a child asking his toys to return home. The child had thrown them away earlier because of the pandemic. This led them to question themselves, once again, ‘are we just toys thrown in the garbage’?
Soon another character jumps into the sets. He is well-dressed but equally fearful. On asking why and how he is here, he responds by saying he is being chased by the angel of death and this – the set – is the safest place. He tells them the angel has spread posters everywhere about him and kept a reward on him. The two men who were already dominating the set started planning that they should inform the angel and claim the bounty.
They started executing the conspiracy for which they needed to open the window. As they opened it, a voice from the window tells them that opening the window was the condition for taking their life. Now that they have opened, their lives will be taken away. The voice ordered them to go back to their respective beds. Sheen requested Seen to exchange the beds as he wanted to give him comfort, which he did not get his whole life. They sleep on each other’s beds.
The next scene shows them as toys. A girl with her father comes to take them along with her. Her father gives her permission to take only one and she takes the one on the bed that appeared poor for the same reason. It conveyed that Sheen stayed as a toy and Seen was given a second chance. However, he wasn’t happy with the second chance now because he is all alone and cries till the end.
The play by the Young Dramatist Society was directed by Altaf Hussain and designed by Mushtaq Baqal. The overall supervision was done by Javid Gilani. Seen was played by Shahzad Shabir, and Sheen by Shahid Malik. The third-person man escaping from death was played by Imran Farooq, father and daughter were played by Tanveer Ahmed and Arbeen Jan respectively.
The costumes were provided by Shabir Ahmad Mir, lighting was designed by Balbir Singh, Music arrangement by Rasiq Khan, Production management by Javid Khan, stage management by Khursheed Ahmad Mir (Yamberzal Youth Club), Audio and video arrangement by Wasaaqat Mehraj. The coordinators were Shabir Ahmad Bhat and Latif Ahmad Shah.
Sohan Lal Koul, it may be recalled here is a popular playwright. A novelist and having a doctorate in Urdu, he has written several novels and plays. His novels include Waehshi Kaeth, Panien Gunah, Yele saer PaethGoav, Abysmal and Ded. He has also written a few plays. He has worked as a programme executive in Doordarshan. In a 13-day Annual Drama Festival at Tagore Hall in the year 2021, three of his plays were presented.
