What a nation or society keeps sacred, our theatre ridicules. Such commercial plays have to be refined and made a true reflector of our society
Man’s instinct for self-preservation has helped him dominate the universe. He has learnt from the past, understood the present, and hopes for the future. It is the record of the victories and losses, joys and grief stored in history and literature which gives insight into the ethos of a nation, community, group and ultimately, an individual. It is by refreshing the remembrance of things past through the media that one learns to value art and identify the meaning of indigenous appeal. Stage is one medium that presents situations closest to life.
The importance of theatre in shaping society cannot be ignored, and it becomes easier to see the harm we have done to ourselves. With the advent of cable culture, the spread of information has been quicker than lightning. Things have changed within days and a new hybrid culture is just round the corner. From the way people dress, behave and talk to how they live and feel, everything is undergoing a drastic change.
Despite certain essential advantages, the cable has been a disappointment, specially because certain channels have been churning out verbal and visual garbage.
It is not surprising to see one whole channel dedicated to local theatre, which runs 7-12. A company of familiar actors is heard repeating the same vulgar remarks, supposedly witty. Movement never plays any part on stage and much of the plot is as elastic as elasticity itself, with no values or aesthetic pleasure — a cancer in the name of entertainment, let alone art.
The most notable sarcasm is about the minorities, other nations, and even religions. When it comes to our religion, the sheepish jokes about heaven and hell hardly show any respect for such concepts. Our national heroes are ridiculed like undeserving upstarts. The Quaid-i-Azam’s image on Pakistani currency notes invokes listless actors to coin ingenious insults that strangulate patriotism.
Slips of the tongue about other nations are a constant tax on the diplomatic and public efforts at cooperation and growth. Where artistic entity essentially fosters understanding, our chef d’oeuvre creates nothing but misconceptions. The tastes are spoilt, cultural orientation distorted, leaving society on the verge of perversion.
From conjugation and cohabitation, to drugs and promiscuity, everything gives pleasure to the addicted audience. No scripts control the handling of such sensitive issues. To add insult to injury, this free expressions of immoral remarks about relationships are given a big hand by the guilt-sharing audience.
Songs have no purpose and meaning. They are like conches, signalling the most obscene ritual of dance at hand. The dancers do not know how to dance or what to convey, but they do what they are supposed to. Funny gestures and generous display of flesh serve a purpose beyond comprehension. Let us be honest: such cable plays are drenched in sex, verbal and visual.
I have been the most ardent advocate for the cause of literature. I have been an eager actor myself and I still love theatre. I hate nothing more than abusing the stage to force people to laugh in immorality and nonsense. It is a sin unpardonable in the law of literature.
It is time that the directors, producers and actors took serious notice of what they are showing to the public. They must learn that entertainment does not only mean stooping to the lowest level of ego or insulting others without good reason. They must realize that they are like teachers who groom individuals. The public must also refine its taste and say no to the poison that is spreading.
What a nation or society keeps sacred, our theatre ridicules. Such commercial plays have to be refined and made a true reflector of our society. If dedication, responsibility and dreams are to be ingrained in the souls of our people, the dangers of vulgar instincts have to be averted. If poisons become fashionable, they do not cease to be harmful.
