KARACHI, Feb 20: Tumhari Amrita, a world-class play, premiered last night in Karachi, with renowned Indian actors, Shabana Azmi and Farooque Sheikh playing the roles of the two protagonists — Amrita Nigam and Zulfiqar Haider –- respectively. Organized by the Young President’s Organization Pakistan, the play’s proceeds will go towards the establishment of The Citizens Foundation, a non-profit organization schools in the earthquake affected regions of Pakistan.

Tumhari Amrita opened in India in 1992, and has been directed by Feroz Khan. The play, which is based on A.R. Gurney’s Love Letters, has been adapted for the theatre by Javed Siddiqui.

What sets this play apart from the many others is the fact that it doesn’t boast of elaborate sets, lighting, or costumes. Instead, it revolves around two characters, who, while sitting on separate desks, read out letters that they wrote to each other over a span of 35 years — from the time that Amrita is eight years old and Zulfiqar 10, and explores their complex relationship and the several hardships they endure in their attempt to preserve it.

Both Azmi and Sheikh expressed excitement at performing in Karachi, and Azmi added, “The exercise (of coming to Pakistan) is important because here is an Indian group that has come forward to raise funds for the Pakistani earthquake victims. That, in itself, is a huge step towards peace between the two countries, and we have to see it within that.”

Azmi says that people-to-people contact between individuals of both countries is an important element that needs to be developed further, especially through plays and other artistic ventures, and perhaps co-productions between the two countries. She adds that Tumhari Amtrita is a vehicle that will ease in bridging the gap between the two countries.

One of the most challenging aspects of acting in the play, according to both Azmi and Sheikh, is the fact that both the writer and the director of the play insisted that they did not learn their lines by heart.

“One thing has been drilled into us is that we are not to memorise the lines,” said Sheikh. “So at every performance, the tension of reading the lines correctly is always there, and this, in turn, adds spontaneity to each performance. And another interesting aspect of the play,” he adds, “is that the audience is the third character, and therefore, it also affects the play, and therefore each show is different and fresh.”

Both actors say they have been looking forward to performing the play in Pakistan for nearly 10 years, and are happy that the opportunity has finally arrived.

Azmi and Sheikh’s well-nuanced performances were rewarded by a standing ovation from enthused audiences at the end of the recital in Karachi. The play will be staged in Islamabad tonight and in Karachi, again, the following night.