ISLAMABAD: Business students of the National University of Science and Technology (Nust) on Monday commented on bureaucratic procedures in a seamless performance of theatre play Jamun Ka Pair at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA).

The play, based on a short story by writer Krishna Chander, opened to a man trapped under a jamun tree. Unfortunately for the man, who is a poet, the tree is planted in the grounds of a government office.

As he screams for help, a passerby stops and tries to pull him out from under the tree but fails.

The passerby spots a clerk of the government office and asks him to go inside the building and tell his colleagues that a man is trapped under a fallen tree.

First play of week-long Youth Drama Festival

The clerk returns with his colleagues who first mourn the loss of the tree then inform the trapped man that removal of the tree falls under the jurisdiction of the horticulture department.

Later, the horticulture department is contacted which then refers the matter to the agricultural department while the poor man remains trapped under the tree yowling in pain.

As the case is passed from one department to the next, the audience is both amused by the predicament and empathetic towards the poet.

“Oh please help me, I’m going to die, I’m going to die,” says the poet.

The passerby responds that several government departments are involved and so chances of getting immediate relief from the situation are slim.

The situation struck a chord with any member of the audience who had ever dealt with bureaucratic procedures.

The success of the performance lay in presenting critical commentary on a serious issue in a humorous manner.

Audience members appreciated the acting skills of the young performers.

The jokes were delivered with confidence and the performers appeared to be enjoying themselves as much as the audience.

Eventually, upon finding out the man under the tree is a poet, the government official decides that the culture department should be approached as dealing with poets and writers is their responsibility. The absurdity in passing the responsibility of rescuing a man trapped under a tree to the department of culture had the audience in fits.

“The play depicts the true reality of our society. Files keep being passed from one office to the next. The issue was highlighted several decades ago, by the writer in a highly creative way but the story remains as relevant today,” said Atique Mirza, a Nust faculty member who directed the play.

“Through our performance, we wanted to give a social message,” said Syed Shahbaz, who played the role of the passerby.

Students from various universities are participating at the Youth Drama Festival, which will continue until March 8 at PNCA.

Published in Dawn, March 3rd, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play