LAHORE: Ajoka is producing a new play based on tales from the Partition.

Shahid Nadeem wrote and directed the play, which tells the horrifying tale of the Muslims in Patiala City who were massacred during the 1947 Partition.

The drama “Uddanhare” is about a young boy who has

seen his friend and her mother being brutally raped on the roof next door while watching the scene from the pigeon house of his family’s house.

A separate narrative centres on the romance between Raja and Raani, two pigeons. The drama, which recounts the horrific riots, also shows people who adored their neighbors from other areas. Nadeem wrote the play at the Museum of National History’s request, as part of their ongoing oral history project.

The play will premiere in March at the open-air arena of the museum,

situated in the open-air arena in Greater Iqbal Park.

To heighten the dramatic impact of the play, Sufi and custom written music and choreography are used. Actors will also use real and puppet pigeons.

The play’s rehearsals have begun at the Ajoka premises.

The cast includes Ajoka veterans Naseem Abbas, Sarfraz Ansari, Fahad Hashmi, Usman Zia, Mohammad Qaiser, Usman Chaudhry, Razia Malik, Yusra, Kanwal Khan, Sumavia, Anish and Sibte Hassan.

Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2023