LAHORE: “Theatre has always been considered as the most powerful medium to reach out to masses with socially meaningful message and point of view,” said Executive Director Lahore Arts Council Athar Ali Khan here on Thursday while being chief guest at a play Paisa Bolta Hai at Alhamra Cultural Complex, Gaddafi Stadium.

The Lahore Arts Council has organised a series of theatrical productions at its The Mall and Gaddafi Stadium venues to rope in families by staging socially meaningful and objective theatre.

Khan said: “We need good behaviour to live in the society. In this theatrical production, people have been taught to adopt golden values; the real thing is to promote love, sincerity and brotherhood.”

The play [a non-ticketed event], which will be staged daily till April 8, was attended by a large audience.

The three-act play having a realistic set of a drawing room and recorded music revolved around relationship of love and brotherhood and how to make the society a better one by putting a collective effort by the people. All the artistes hail from the Alhamra Academy of Performing Arts.

Director of the play is Qaisr Javed, who has worked with likes of Moin Akhtar, Masood Akhtar, Firdous Jamal, Abid Ali, Qavi Khan and many others.

The play has been written by late Professor Siddique Ahmed in early 70s. It has been staged in other countries as well. The play was first staged at Faisalabad [the then Lyallpur] in 1972.

The cast included Waseem Akhtar, Jabran Hussain, Amanullah Nasir, Sadi Khan, Muhammad Umer, Rohan, Nauman Asif, Saima Waseem, Hafifa Tahir and Mehak Shehzadi.

Published in Dawn, April 5th, 2019