KARACHI: It is heartening to see that young artists in Pakistan are taking interest in our collective past of whose certain periods we don’t necessarily have fond memories. One such event happened on Sunday evening as part of the National Academy of Performing Arts’ (Napa) ongoing International Per­forming Arts Festival 2020. The show was titled Dhaka Se Karachi performed by Sounds of Kolachi and led by musician Ahsan Bari who collaborated with Bangladeshi artist Sheikh Dina on the project.

The show was described by the organisers as a multidisciplinary performance exploring the cultural relationship between Bangladesh and Pakistan using various incidents as metaphors, and music as the medium of expression. The thing to be praised is the conception of the very thought. It is important to revisit the past. Collective memory plays a vital role in the progress or retardation of a society. And what we had in the form of East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, was worth cherishing. But then the subsequent sad happenings are known to all and sundry.

The performance on Sunday relied heavily on high-pitched, dramatic music, dance and monologues. The circle downstage centre signified the area where action happened (geopolitical, cultural and social). There was also a giant screen at the back which showed images of Bangladesh. Largely, though, it was the songs (in Bangla, Punjabi etc) and music that conveyed the sensitivity of the issue to the audience. Again, the idea was worth taking note of. But one felt that the execution could have been a touch more fault-free. For example, the microphone used by one of the male singers didn’t have the same audio level as that of the female singer. Then Bari, the man behind the show, gesticulated so hard (to give directions) from the back of the stage where he had his instruments set up that it almost took attention away from the dancer in the circle who was working her heart out. These tiny distractions could have been taken care of.

Still, kudos for thinking about the days gone by, and hoping for a better future!

Published in Dawn, March 10th, 2020