KARACHI: When eminent artist Zia Mohyeddin reads out excerpts from works of literature, the treat for the audience becomes twofold. One, they hear (and see) high quality rendition of pieces of prose and poetry; two, they get to learn how one respects, or should respect, writers and poets whom one profoundly admires.

It was again witnessed on Saturday at a programme titled ‘An evening with Zia Mohyeddin’ at the National Academy of Performing Arts (Napa). Apart from his favourites (N. M. Rashid, Miraji and Shakespeare) the artist entertained the audience with some rib-tickling essays by Shaukat Thanvi and Imtiaz Ali Taj.

Mohyeddin set the tone for the show with Syed Waqaruddin’s sparkling take on the drama written 150 years ago. It contained the story of a play by Wajid Ali Shah and his effusive ‘stage directions’. The description transported the attendees to a world (of language and ambience) that is increasingly becoming alien to them.

Then came N. M. Rashid’s poem ‘Zamana Khuda hai’ and the mood shifted from effervescent to somber. It was quickly altered with one of Imtiaz Taj’s Chacha Chhakkan episodes, which was both amusing and interesting. This was followed by another poignant poem; this time by Miraji called ‘Din ke roop mein’. Mohyeddin read it with the kind of emotional depth that the nazm merited. Displaying his versatility as a performer, he changed the tone again with Intizar Husain’s sharp, satirical analysis of Mubarak Ahmed, a writer who was a regular of the Halqa-i-Arbab-i-Zauq.

Then the show hit a high note when he switched to the English language. He read lines from Act 3 Sc 2 of Shakespeare’s play Hamlet. Briefing the audience about it, he said actors should pay heed to them because it’s a lesson in the art of acting. His performance was pretty special, particularly when he said the line: “Nor do not saw the air too much with your hand thus, but use all gently.” He himself acted a bit to explain what Shakespeare meant by that.

Next up were two more poems by Rashid and Miraji and humorous works of prose by Shaukat Thanvi and Shanul Haq Haqqi. The poems ‘Yeh darwaza kaisey khula’ (Rashid) and ‘Adamm ka khala’ (Miraji) were masterfully rendered, communicating to the listeners the drift of the verses without sounding grandiloquent. It has to be mentioned here, though, that Rashid’s ‘Tamanna ke zholeeda taar’ appears to be a poem that Mohyeddin prefers to other works by the poet. The convoluted aspect of existence, poeticised with the same sense of complexity is the hallmark of this masterpiece, and Mohyeddin knows that very well.

The artist, who is also president of Napa, rounded the show off with another gem from Hamlet, perhaps the most popular of Shakespeare’s soliloquies ‘To be or note to be’ (Act 3 Sc 1). He performed it with a great deal of artistic panache.

Published in Dawn February 6th, 2017