KARACHI: Theatre has once again taken the plunge and sought to define concrete borders against the forces of extremism that the city is plagued with, and the first play of the Napa — I am Karachi Theatre and Music Series on Thursday took the seriousness of this threat a notch or two above.

Presented by the theatrical group Dramatees, the play Al Farishta held at Napa on Thursday made a bold ultimatum for those attending — you’re either with us, or against us.

Set against a contemporary setting, the play could be based in any household of Karachi. Struggling against a corrupt system in place, judicial and otherwise, the play questions the existential questions of how long it takes one to succumb to a flawed system to survive. The premise is simple; the situation in the city, easily generalisable to the entire country, has made regular folk turn to corruption to get ahead, or to survive the threats they face every day in the line of duty.

One such family is the Lakhany family. The elder son, Adeel, has sold his integrity as a judge and has become known for accepting bribes to give favourable verdicts. The opening scene of the play sees a father on his knees, bellowing out his metaphysical pain against the path his son has willingly chosen, and appeals to God to send reprieve. And reprieve comes in the form of an angel, Farishta.

What follows is a chain of events that reveal a dramatic end. The play begins on a lighter note, employing the use of humour and puns to lighten up an audience when suddenly a blow is dealt. It is a painful scene, a reminder of the horrors that numerous families face day in, day out. And the cast managed to pull off the nuances of these fluctuating feelings with aplomb.

When the scene required an overwhelming expression of irony and wit, the cast left the audience in stitches. The nuance of the grief the family was forced to undergo was kept in check by the director, Danish Ali, and the expression of the performers thankfully did not become over-exaggerated. The writer, Tabish Rizvi, provided a simultaneous narrative to the play, quoting poetry and playing tribute to the great intellectuals this city has lost and shared the grief of many.

Many may accuse the play of being didactic that is just a small flaw in an overall commendable presentation. Napa’s intention with this series is to give theatre artists a chance to present their interpretation of Karachi to audiences.

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2015

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