AJOKA Theatre has done something marvellous. It has already to its credit a number of good, thought-provoking plays. But this time, appearing on the stage of the Lahore Arts Council, it performed a feat of a different kind. It has exploded a myth. It was commonly believed, at least in the context of the Lahore theatre, that a serious play could not attract a large crowd and hence was commercially not viable. The promoters of commercial theatre were seen very active in airing this belief.
Ajoka Theatre had chosen to devote itself to serious plays. For years it performed at the Goethe Institut, which was kind enough to accommodate it. And it was content with a select audience for its plays, which were packed with social and political meanings relevant to our times.
Commercial theatre, on the other hand, had the privilege of performing in the spacious auditorium of the Lahore Arts Council, which has all the facilities of a modern theatre hall. It drew large audiences which applauded thunderously all zila jugats and vulgar gestures, in which our commercial theatre specializes. Ajoka could hardly be expected to have access to this stage and to draw large audiences. The reasons being that their plays were serious and secondly because their content was hardly acceptable to the establishment. Was it because of some kind of revision in the official cultural policy that Ajoka succeeded in making an entry in the Arts Council and making its debut on its stage? In recent months they staged their two plays there, Bala King and Bullah, both written by Shahid Nadeem and directed by Madeeha Gauhar. And so the plays, more particularly the last one, was a hit drawing large audiences, which applauded thunderously, though the plays had neither the spice of Zila Jugat nor any vulgarity to offer. The only spice the play offered to the audience was Bulleh Shah’s poetry which touched their hearts and won applause from them.
Is it not surprising to see the Lahore Arts Council turning to serious plays. Is it trying to regain its lost prestige? The Arts Council used to take the theatre seriously. In the old building, a small auditorium with a limited number of seats was reserved for the purpose. Those engaged in the stage sought satisfaction in treating it as a genuine art-form rather than as a commercial venture. So they cared more for the appreciation of a select audience than for monetary gain. And so great care went into achieving artistic meaningfulness than for popular appeal. In due course, the popular theatre made its appearance. But for long it could not get an entry into the Arts Council. However, it soon won the favour of the newly established Punjab Arts Council and got accommodated in the Open Air Theatre in the Bagh-i-Jinnah. Soon it won popularity and was a commercial success. Gradually, the Lahore Art Council softened a little and accommodated it but under strict vigilance to prevent it from lapsing into vulgarity.
In the meantime, the council had a new building. A spacious auditorium provided with all the modern facilities needed for a theatre-hall made its appearance. It was inaugurated with much fanfare. A number of serious plays were staged one after the other. But soon the management come out with the apology that the cost of maintaining the auditorium was too high, therefore, commercial plays were allowed. This meant exit of serious drama from the Arts Council.
After about two decades, serious drama has staged a comeback in the Arts Council. What is more significant is the accommodative attitude of the council towards new thinking, which was hardly possible previously.
Here I am reminded of the last show of Bala King in the Goethe Institut, which was going to be closed down. The show in a way was Ajoka’s farewell to the institute. It was written and produced in the times of Mian Nawaz Sharif. Shahid Nadeem, taking a cue from Brecht had portrayed a ruler who, with his fascistic methods, was fast becoming a dictator. Only Goethe Institut could afford to allow its enactment. So Madiha Gauhar was justified in crying on the occasion as she was going to be deprived of a stage where she had enjoyed complete freedom of thought and expression.
The other play ‘Bullah’ is the portrayal of a poet who, because of his free spirit and liberal behaviour, poses a challenge to the orthodoxy. These plays have now been presented in the Arts Council. Doesn’t that speak of a liberal shift in the council’s policy?
AJOKA Theatre has done something marvellous. It has already to its credit a number of good, thought-provoking plays. But this time, appearing on the stage of the Lahore Arts Council, it performed a feat of a different kind. It has exploded a myth. It was commonly believed, at least in the context of the Lahore theatre, that a serious play could not attract a large crowd and hence was commercially not viable. The promoters of commercial theatre were seen very active in airing this belief.
