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KARACHI: A little around ten years ago, audiences were captivated with the magic that was the iconic duo of Anwar Maqsood and Dawar Mehmood with Sawa 14 August. But a lot has happened since then. A lot that has left the people of Pakistan disillusioned. Political turmoil, economic instability, urban flooding and a pandemic later, many could not help but wonder whether we would have been better off without a separate country. And so, Anwar Maqsood did what he does best and channeled that angst into his stage play Saadhay 14 August.
When news began to circulate that the final part of the trilogy was about to take center stage, the excitement was palpable. Not only was the excitement because of the KopyKats production but because after three long years, theatre had finally re-opened its doors in Pakistan. The teaser for the play was dramatic to say the least. A drop of blood running through the screen which turned into a stream set against voices screaming in agony as leaders talked about separate nations. At first glance, one would assume that Anwar Maqsood was going against his comedic route with Saadhay 14 August and had opted for a darker, more dramatic storyline.
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However, that was not the case. The premise for the play was simple. Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Mahatma Gandhi have been accused of murder. Murder of the countless people who lost their lives in the search for a new safe haven, an independent country. One that never came. They have a few days to gather evidence to prove their innocence before their case is heard and so they travel through Kashmir, Lahore, Delhi and London and encounter what is present day Pakistan and India. On their journey, they fight each other and come to each other’s rescue. They lay down their complaints against one another and they set the record straight. They are example of what the two nations should have been rather than what they have become.
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Anwar Maqsood, who received a standing ovation from his fans before the play even began, is an unapologetic satirist and he did not hold back in Saadhay 14 August. With Gandhi as the main character, he made jokes at everyone’s expense. But the jokes hit home because we were laughing at ourselves. And the reality of Pakistanis. Of political parties and of institutions. Of the hate that replaced love. Of the tyranny that overshadowed our freedom. The play also served as a wakeup call for people who believe they were better off in India as Anwar Maqsood showed us what we have been hearing about the hate and ethnic cleansing taking part on the other side of the border. Gandhi kept asking if everyone was happy in their respective countries and yet no one had a concrete answer. However, not all hope is lost at the end of the play which ends with a heart warming scene!
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Ten years has really brought a difference to stage plays and that was clear with Saadhay 14 August. Unlike the previous plays, the sets and props for this one were more elaborate. Long gone were the simple backgrounds. From the mountains of Kashmir to the slums of India to the infamous Trafalgar Square lion, the play took us on a journey with the characters. There was smoke, lights according to the theme of the story as the auditorium was flooded with red light during scenes of bloodshed. Pops blaring through the room as gunshots went off on stage had us clutching our chests. But that’s not all.
While the crew changed the set behind the curtains, Saadhay 14 August told short stories in between. From the horrors that people on the train massacres, to happy moments being hijacked because of hate. The silent actors, the break dancers, the fire eaters, all managed to wow us just as well as Omar Kazi (Jinnah) and Tanveer Gill (Gandhi) did, which earned the latter a standing ovation as well. Though admittedly, the play went on a bit longer than necessary with an item number that had many scratching their heads as to why it was included after an entire scene took place questioning why Indian movies have item numbers in the first place!
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Anwar Maqsood never fails to disappoint with his works and so it comes as no surprise that Saadhay 14 August lived up to its hype. The play will go on till November and it really is a must watch!
