Taming of the Shrew - Ilaaj-e-Zid Dastayaab Hai

The Play titled ‘Taming of the Shrew’ or Ilaaj-e-Zid Dastayaab Hai directed by Suzana Wilson, Naveed Shahzad and Haisam Hussain, was staged at Alhamra in the beginning of May 2012. This play is to be performed as a part of the Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London and then move north to Bradford.

Ilaaj-e-zid Dastayab is a remarkable revision of Shakespeare’s play. The original Shakespeare script of this play is considered to be one the plays that shows hatred and mistrust towards women. However the play was localized to suit the interests of the audience and show the women in a new light.

 This play showed that neither men nor women need to bow down in front of each other.  It showed that it’s wrong to think that the husband is always right. Rustam Khan(Umair Rana) decides to marry Kiran( Nadia Jameel) a persistent independent girl if he is given money for it but when woman does the same, she is looked down upon.

The play showed that in society, women are expected to conform to certain values and morals taught to her in the family and then to the society. She is shown jealous towards Beena, her sister who is decent and opposite of what Kiran is. I believe it was more frustration that Kiran had in her  when she realized that she might never find a husband.

Nadia Jamil ( Kiran/shrew) was unable to perform as she was sick and thus her role was performed by Maria Khan. She had an amazing stage presence and her body language did wonders to her scenes.  She was successful in showing a strong willed woman where her character transformed from a shrew to someone who conforms to the society roles. Bravo Maria Khan!

In order to make Kiran more obedient to her husband, Rustam khan tries to mould her psychologically, by giving her no food, clothes and making her live in a lonely place. The treatment Rustam khan does with Kiran highlights the point that a woman has no choice but to obey to the rules and regulations of her husband or the society. Why do the women have to change themselves for their husbands? Why Can’t men change for them too? The role of a wife in the society is questioned and the sacrifices she has to make to survive in a male dominated society.

 Umair Rana is a not a new name in the theatre industry, his acting was exceptional and it was a pleasure to watch him act. He performed with full enthusiasm and gave a strong competition to all his fellow actors.

Kireen speech at the end made a lot of men in the audience happy. I saw many standing ovations and then I heard some women going, “ why would they show women like that”. The audience realized that at the end after compliance to her husband Kiran true spirit remains.  It’s the role that has changed from an unmarried shrew to an obedient wife.

Osman Khalid butt, extremely talented individual  played a rich guy who was charming like he is in his V-logs. But I must ask were the slapsticks and unnecessary jokes necessary in his role? It was a great sight to see bunch of great cast all on the stage but it was true that Nadia Jameel was missed.  Hamza kamal was another great actor whose acting impressed many. He knew he had to maintain the same level of great acting the way others were doing. Which he did !  To add to the mood, rock band Mekaal Hasan Band provided live background music. 

I wasn’t pleased with the set. Thanks to my friend who told me that this play was not made for Pakistani stages but was for the globe where stage is in a circular form.

This dual of sexes attracted a lot of people from different age groups.   The dances before the play and when the play ended really kept the play alive. It was perfectly choreographed. The drum beat did give the play a great Pakistani feel! 

The performance started in front of a packed audience who were contented with the performances of the actors also hoping that they would do great in London Olympiad as well. 

Pakistani government needs to promote theater in Pakistan. They need to sponsor such plays so that the whole world knows what Pakistanis can do. It wont cost the Pakistani government much if they make sure there is no problem in air conditioning of such theatres.  2 hours of No Ac were horrible! A lot of people left because of it but others who remained despite the suffocation in the hall, were happy and contented with the performances. Salman Shahid quotes, “Its high time Pakistan has a national theater company”. 

Finally, All the best to the cast and crew of the Taming of the Shrew for their performances in London Globe. Hope they get the same Reaction like they did in Lahore, Pakistan.

4/5

Theatre Hub Auditions 2012

It won’t be easy They said. Bringit on we say!

New script, higher aims,challenging situations and life changing experiences is what Theatre hub is allabout. Thank you to all the fervent theatre lovers out there who have given usa tremendous response during our five years of theatrical productions.  Jaal, Ishq with a twist, Khatra-e- Jaan, NizamSakka , Teesri Ankh wouldn’t have been possible without your appreciation andgood wishes.

At Theater hub we strive to polishthe skills of upcoming theater actors and make them stars and give our humble contributionin reviving performing arts in Lahore.

We are honored that actors who havestarted their careers from Theatre hub have made and are making mark in the Theaterworld. 

Hamza Kamal is turning heads by being part of Taming of the Shrew, aplay that will be performed in London this year, Moreover he has won the BestActor Award at Colors and Humors (2012) and was highly appreciated on my theatricalperformances.  Abuzar Farukh needs nointroduction, this young boy was awarded with Best Actor at FAST DRAMA FEST andhis team was awarded the Second position during LUMS Olympiad (2012), MeharBanoreceived Best Actress Award at Colors and Humors (2012) , Sana Jafri made wavesby  winning Best Actress award at FASTDrama Fest and with her team that included Merhano were awarded Third positionat LUMS Olympiad. Talha Javed’s team from Lahore Grammar Defence got the firstposition in LUMS Olympiad (2012).  BilalSyed incredible theatrical Script was awarded the Second place at LUMS Olympiadthis year. Faheem Muzaffar, Aimen Shahid and Nabeel Shahid won BNUFestival(2012) and sweeping away the awards of the Best play, Best Actor (Faheem Muzaffar) , Best Choreography, Best Technicals, Best Script, BestCostumes and ultimately the Team Trophy. Congratulations Everyone! You made us Proud..

At theater hub we believe everyone has thepotential to make it big, either by being an actor or by being a part of the crew.We bring the best out of you. Are you ready to surprise us this year?

Without further ado, lets raise thecurtains, the Director Talal ali jan and the Producer/ Co-Founder Ahmer Zamankhan are back with a bang. This time with more Enthusiasm and a quality Scriptthat looks for raw talent. Do you have it what it takes to be the Next TheaterIcon? If YES! Then prepare yourself as the auditions for the Theatre Hub’s 6ththeatrical venture are going to be held at AambrosiaLounge (behind café Zouk, MM ALAM Road, Lahore) ,  Time: 4-7 pm.

Break the barriers and come forauditions. You might me the star we are looking for.

 Goodluck!

Hijab Tarique
Spotlight

The VOW(2012) - Movie Review

The Vow (2012) is a warm and a sweet movie by Michael Suscy, that you would enjoy watching with your special someone. There are many reasons for it, Firstly because Channing Tatum (Leo) looks fantastic and is handsome like anything and his sacrificial love for his wife Paige ( Rachel McAdam) whose memories have been washed away after a car crash on a snowy night. Unfortunatly, she remembers nothing about her marriage, their love and her love for her art. Sighs.

Forgetfulness/ amnesia whatever you would like to call it is hurtful than any breakup. Indifference to the love that was once shared between a couple is more devastating than any rejection in the world. While watching this movie you will question yourself that would you love the same person all over again if you have to start from scratch? And when falling in love do you love the person for who they are of what you perceive them to be?

This movie will have flashbacks with an annoying Leo’s voice talking about how there are moments of impact how they change lives. This movie has a feel of 50 first dates, Notebook and spotless mind. Memories are our treasure they make us who we are. What if those memories never come back?

The movie is really short like 100 min so I was pretty sad when I watched it for the first time because I wanted more of leo and some more scenes to confirm that everything will be perfect as before.  After the accident, you see Paige changed like a completely new person, having different eating habits, career interests, wardrobe change and she ends up questioning her choices she once made before this tragic accident. Choices such as leaving her law degree, leaving her parents and breaking up with a her ex fiance.

This movie shows leo so loving and sympathetic that as a woman I was feeling for him throughout , whenever he put special efforts to win his love back all over again, I was going through a lot of Awws, and oh God Paige, Give that boy a chance!

Obviously this movie is not made like other movies considering it has been inspired by a true story, where one couple actually had to go through all this. It will appeal to woman audiences because it shows Leo a perfect guy who will do anything to fulfill the marriage vows he had once taken with Paige (Rachel McAdams).  It is important to note that the place this couple often visits is known as mnemonic another word for memory.

The underlying theme of this movie is that love conqueres all and it is very touching when leo decides that after the accident it is not the same woman he had once loved and he should give her the freedom to choose her own life path even it means no Leo and no marriage.  Ending  shows both of them meeting again when Paige decides to find leo at the same place and amazingly it reminds you of the first scene where the accident happened. Same chilly snowy night.

The ending shows Paige returning back to Leo having her memory still unrecovered but trying to know the man who tried to win over her. Instead of making those memories part of their new relationship again, Leo decides to make new ones. New Impactful moments.

So yeah, It’s a good movie. You can watch it when you have limited time and want to feel all love struck and appreciative towards the moments you share with your special someone but If you are planning to watch a movie with heavy twists or conflicts, this movie is nothing of that sort. This movie did not get a heavy response because it doesn't quench the thirst of great cinema, But over all it’s a good watch with your friends.

Watch out for the scene when Paige rolls up the car window when Leo farts. It was supposed to look romantic but I was like.. Oh my god. Really?

3/5

Knots and Crosses - Telefilm

Black magic may be one of the many ideas that have intrigued the youth but it is surely a difficult idea to portray on the screen at the same time maintaining the suspense and thrill for the viewers on every Scene.  

Knots and Crosses had managed to build the hype before the screening thanks to the trailer which made everyone curious about what is going to be in the whole video. 

The poster design by Sameen Agha is highly impressive, you can see a picture within a picture.. for me its a depiction of a mind game, a bad omen as the birds can be seen falling from the sky. Amazing depiction of what to expect from the video.

Knots and Crosses is a 12 min or less telefilm made by Xklucive studios that revolves around two daughter in laws, Asra and sara. Sara being the favorite of her mother in law ( Maria Hassan) results in jealousy and hatred from Asra ( Mahnam Zahid) and ultimately pushes Asra  to go to a baba jee ( Muhammad Farooq) for a magic spell on the obedient and sweet  Sara ( Tania Jafry).  I was slightly surprised when I rearranged the name Asra and it turned into Sara. Gives you extra touch of thrill right there.

At this level, it is a great achievement if the idea is understood by the audience and they manage to feel the emotions each actor is portraying on screen.  Tania Jafry says, “It was a team work hijab”.  I believe her, because the product I saw was so clean and smooth that from the cast to the crew, dialogues and the editing team who was involved in making the final video were fantastic.

Coming to little technicalities here, Hats of the camera man and how he/she was able to capture Mahnam’s smirk, eye rolling and Tania’s horror moments.  Music was there to build suspense and Am glad they didn’t over use it. They didn’t have to. You could actually feel the thrill and suspense pouring out of the screen.  Good dialogues and Convincing acting by Tania and Mahnam.  Moreover, Mian hamza and Saad butt who played the husbands to these characters were substantial and knew how to support the leading characters. Lightening was great as well, they used red light to depict evil and when they wanted to stand the certain scene out. I loved how they had used voice over and * shashkas*.

I am impressed by how the director managed to show different scenes to depict that the character Sara was under black magic influence such as, Door opening by itself, blood in the tap water, falling utensils and a black cloaked figure in the Bedroom. Great transition between the scenes. The ending is showed where Sara decides that in order to get over from the magic spell she needs to look upto the God only and does not go to some baba jee for the removal of the black spell, whereas Asra who had started the spell ends up in some form of insanity.

However, I wish they had shown more scenes in which Sara was favored more on Asra. The first scene showed Mother in law praising Sara and I loved how Asra got jealous but I wanted more of the jealousy to convince me fully that she will now choose the wrong path.  Secondly, I wanted to see what happens to Asra. Even if she ended up being crazy, I wish they had shown some mad and physco scenes of her, instead of showing her back to the camera. The doctor scene could have been better and so the ending. At the end, Tania’s voice is played to convince the viewers that the God’s power has won over the evil black magic. But It would have been nice if both Tania and Mahnam had come face to face in one of the scenes showing the conflict, before the God’s power won over the black magic.

Nevertheless, the efforts are clearly visible and am impressed by the Directors ( Tania Tahir) work. Although it was just a creative writing project. It did help a lot of people to figure out their talents.

I am posting their Trailer and will be sharing the Video of the Telefilm as soon as its posted. 

Link to the trailer!

3.5/5 Stars!

Forsaken - Theatrical Review

I have been to Karachi and I have  been to many places in Pakistan but I have never seen such passion and determination of the youth that is breathing in Lahore.  Theatrical scene in Lahore is massive and so is the talent.  There is talent, there is audience and there is passion but in order to bring the audience to your play you need good word of mouth and marketing.

 I heard about the play Forsaken when it was under process.  I knew people from the face who were acting in it and I knew I had to see this play. This play was produced by Mirrors entertainment and directed by Hamza Ghaznavi and Vicky Zhuang Yi-Yin. I have seen plays that have been produced by the mirrors entertainment. They pick up great actors, they have a mind-blowing script but then there is that extra tinch of something that is missing.  I will call it lack of coordination or lack of farsighted ness and ill planning to be exact.

It was 6:30 when I reached the Hall, I picked up a pamphlet that gave insights to the play and it looked promising.  Few printing mistakes that made me giggle. The audience was building up.  I saw families. The Lower portion was full of people but the upper portion was waiting to be filled. By the way this was the last show which I was attending and I wanted to see how much people can they attract because people who end up coming on the last day are usually the ones who have relied on the word of mouth.

The hall management was warm and welcoming and there was this hustle bustle going on. People were whispering and I saw some enthusiastic parents waiting for their children to come on stage. I was expecting a larger crowd .They had some  young singers performing in the beginning to warm up us a little. Good vocals. But they just wouldn’t start the play. The timings are important I believe. I know its very difficult to start a play, a lot of things and stuff is going on behind the curtains at that  very moment.

The play showed the biggest fight of all between the devil and the God.  Great script I must say. It showed how there is evil within us all. How easily we are fooled when our desires take control over us. How easy it is for us to be the puppets of our evil desires, intentions or worldly pleasures. The play brought the devil in front of us. The played show how easy it is for humans to let go of the righteous path and how important it is to not let go of the straight path.

 I am amazed by Hamza Ghaznavi who was playing the devil / Anthony Corleone and is also the director of the play. He had this gangsterish/evilish and devilish touch which was pretty convincing. I liked how he played with his face expressions. It was amazing when he had scenes with the other people. He stood out. His acting was really good. The scene in which the devil communicates with the audience and freezes everything else was remarkable.  If only he had made other characters work on their voice quality and taught them the manners of how to walk on the stage so that their faces don’t disappear, things would have been pretty easier for the audience.

Lightening was great and so were the sounds. I liked the music when they brought it during their acting.  I liked the special song , “ Everything is coming to its place …” that was played during the wedding of Kyle ( Sachel Ghani) and his bride.  Sachel played great as well and Hashim Imran was terrific. Sachel knew how to bring out the charm and make the audience realize that he is in love. Hashim Imran( James) is an actor who can actually pull of anything. I saw him as a friend, I saw him as a guy who wanted to do something in the world, I saw him having love for his father and I saw him when he had those naughty smiles, I saw the worry on his face and when things got bad. I liked it when he comes face to face with the devil.  I was astounded when he becomes the devil. Other female actors were great too but you need to accept the fact that these gentlemen were the best part of the whole play.

I didn’t understand why they wanted so many interruptions during the play. There was lot of curtain closing and opening which made me feel that broke the flow of the play. The set could have been better, If they had shown different backgrounds.  Actors were performing outside the curtain which made me feel a little uneasy. Some female characters were forgetting to face the audience but other than that the performances were great. The casting was wonderful and the evil characters looked evil like hell.
Coffee guy ( jack) played by Ahmed Akbar was actually very sweet. Such a chocolate boy.  Great acting by this gentleman as well.

In short, I liked the play. The reason it did not get the heavy response was because I belive they couldn’t master the small things that I just pointed out above. I loved the play because the script was great. I loved it when the devil took over but I wanted to run away when the other characters came. I would have liked more if they had shown more of the devil action sequences. Other than that, It was a good watch.

Rating 3/5

Bangladesh Vs Pakistan - Asia Cup Final 2012

This Post is to appreciate Bangladesh Cricket team performance in the finals with Pakistan, Asia cup 2012. Although Pakistan won and I myself being a Pakistani for the first time in my cricket watching period never wished so bad for another team to win.

Pakistani cricket fans will kill me for this but what a splendid performance by Bangladesh. They have improved like anything during this tournament. They did not only kicked India out of the finals by beating Siri Lanka but they also gave Pakistan tough time during the finals.

 I won’t go into details because I am sure if u had watched the cricket match you would have known that Pakistan lost its toss and Bangladesh chose to ball.  Bangladesh team was so organized during their bowling action that when Pakistani players started to get out one by one it was a tremendous sight to see.

 Bangladesh has won my heart. I am a Pakistani but if Bangladesh had won the match, it would have been a win of Cricket.  Cricket is all about Hard work, commitment and passion. What an awesome game it was. Bangladesh had to chase a score of 237 within 50 overs. The had chased a larger score when they were playing against India so I knew it wouldn’t be that hard for them.

Pakistani team as usual had miserable fielding on the field. I have no idea when this team will actually learn to play cricket. No sane team can ever play a final match like this.

 Anyway, I hear fireworks outside my home now.  Everyone is celebrating Pakistan’s win but  Bangladesh you have won hearts of many. I believe you people are an inspiration to all cricket teams. What a great match. Nail biting till the last ball.

I am reading a lot of statuses on Facebook right now and people here in Pakistan believe that today for the first time we don’t feel that happy on Pakistan’s win because we know our team was pretty bad and this win was only for Bangladesh.

Hope Bangladesh team  continues to play like this and makes their country proud. They are a lot of trophies waiting for you. This Asia cup is nothing.

Political Peace between Pakistan and India

Sri Ravi Shankar, Founder of Art and Living Came to Pakistan on his three day visit to promote peace and goodwill and also to promote his foundation that deals with stress reducing techniques, reducing individual violence and societal problems etc.

We as Pakistanis appreciate his idea and efforts that he came to Pakistan to spread a good message about peace and harmony but I feel it was more of his advertising campaign for his foundation.  The art and living foundation was formed in 1989 in Germany and America with headquarters in Bangalore, India. It is one of the largest volunteer sources in the world.

It  is true that it is important to spread love between the both countries but it will all be futile unless important issues that are spoiling the relationship are not dealt with.

1)      Kashmir issue

2)      India’s interference in Afghanistan

3)      India’s violation regarding water accords for instance Baghliar-1 dam has disrupted the flow of Chenab River in Pakistan and also stopping the flow of water. Clearly violating international laws.

4)      Constant accusation by India regarding the Mumbai Attacks in 2008

5)      On the other hand Pakistan blames India for funding the terrorists in the country and backing up separatists in Baluchistan

Unless the leaders of the both countries do not plan out a proper strategy this aman ki aasha, making singers and spiritual leaders go from one country to another will not help. Pakistan is free country and you cannot blame it to be discrinmative towards Hindus. We are taught to safeguard the right of minorities but this issue is not religious. Its political and out to be solved politically.

It is very important that south Asia should have the same peace and goodwill like they have it in the west. Global harmony can only be attained that way.  Unless the core issues are not treated, such peace steps that talk about cultural mergers, media collaborations can not work.