KARACHI: Writer Anwar Maqsood’s new play Naach Na Jaane will be staged from March 1 at the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi. This was announced at a press conference on Thursday afternoon.

Mr Maqsood said the play was the first stage production of the council. Director of Naach Na Jaane Dawar Mehmood had been imploring him (Maqsood) for a long time to make a sequel to Aangan Terha (the hit TV series from the 1980s), but he believed that its sequel could not be made. What could be done, though, was that instead of a sequel, a prequel to the story be devised. So Naach Na Jaane is the story of classical dancer Akbar (originally played by the late Salim Nasir in the series) spanning 10 years that the audience will get to see. It starts in 1978 during Gen Zia’s rule when a ban was placed on dance academies. It will basically recount the time when Akbar comes to Mehboob (whose character was played by Shakil in the TV version).

Mr Maqsood said our younger generation did not know about how such bans were placed in recent past. Now time had changed.

Mr Maqsood said Yasir Hussain would be seen in the role of Akbar. The actor has previously essayed the same character in the stage production of Aangan Terha.

He added that there was a purpose to putting up the play Naach Na Jaane which was to accumulate money for writers, artists, poets and musicians who do not have any other source of earning or are financially challenged. A fund will be created for it.

Arts Council’s Ahmed Shah seconded Mr Maqsood’s statement saying that the council intended to make an endowment fund for the cause.

Yasir Hussain said he was returning to theatre after quite a few years and was fortunate to do so in an Anwar Maqsood play. Prior to that, all the acting assignments he had done on theatre was in the direction of Dawar Mehmood. He hoped that the play would be as successful as their earlier ones.

Dawar Mehmood said the play would be staged from March 1. He could not tell the story, and termed the combination of his team as ‘brilliant’.

Mr Maqsood then quipped that the date of the play was in the writer’s hands (that is, whenever the script is ready).

Published in Dawn, January 4th, 2019