Bollywood legend Naseeruddin Shah will visit Lahore in November to stage a play at the Alhamra Art Centre, The Mall.

This was stated by Moneeza Hashmi of the Faiz Foundation Trust while talking to Dawn. She said the trust would hold a three-day Faiz Ahmed Faiz Festival and Shah’s play would be part of it. There would be four shows of the play, she said, adding the details of Mr Shah’s visit would be shared later.

A poetry sitting would also be held during the festival and a number of literary luminaries from Pakistan and India would participate in it, she said.

Art gallery:

Painter Dr Ajaz Anwar, famous for his paintings showing the grandeur of the old buildings and the cultural life of Lahore, has recently established a Wheelchair Bank at his gallery, House of Nanah, where deserving people are given wheelchairs.

Mr Anwar shared these details at an Iftar party held at the gallery last week in which many artistes and senior professors from the National College of Arts (NCA) participated.

Ajaz Anwar was born in Ludhiana in 1946. His father was a cartoonist who apparently had stirred his passion for art from childhood and from whom he drew inspiration.

The old buildings of Lahore are the main theme of Anwar’s paintings. He has tried to preserve those buildings in his paintings which are either crumbling or replaced by new ones. These are the buildings of old Lahore; not all are historical, but common homes of common people.

Azad Theatre and Ajoka Theatre to put up plays:

The Azad Theatre, a parallel theatre group from Punjab, will start holding rehearsals of its new play, Prem Gali Ki Prem Kahani, in the next few days. It is a comedy play written and directed by Malik Aslam.

Mr Aslam told Dawn the play was aimed at different social issues which would be shared with the audience in a lighter vein. It will be staged during the current month at Alhamra Art Centre, The Mall.

Young and old parallel theatre artistes are a part of the play. The Ajoka Theatre is also coming up with a new play.

Talking about the play, Shahid Nadeem says the play is a political satire, the non-participation of the masses in the political circles. The play will carry a humorous streak but with a serious message, he said.

The play will be staged in the second half of August in Lahore and it will be Ajoka’s 50th play. Shahid Nadeem is the writer as well as director of the play.

Faisal Qureshi and Aijaz Aslam in Istanbul:

Renowned actor Faisal Qureshi was recently in Istanbul where he recorded an exclusive interview with long-term friend actor Aijaz Aslam for Maria Wasti’s show Sunrise from Istanbul which will be aired on upcoming Pakistani-Turkish TV channel, SEE TV, soon.

Faisal is busy these days shooting his home production, Bheegi Palkein, whose cast will be revealed later next week.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2015

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