KARACHI: Although the world has entered the 21st century, which means our society has tagged along with it, there are many customs and norms in the Third World countries that remain to be thoroughly scrutinised and fixed. This is largely with reference to rural areas of South Asia. Here, however, one is focused on Pakistani society’s tribal systems where certain unwanted practices are still in vogue. One such issue was raised in a play titled Chaturai penned and directed by Shahnawaz Bhatti on Tuesday evening at the Arts Council of Pakistan.

The word chaturai means cleverness. There can be other meanings of it that may have shades of wisdom. How does it apply to the play? Let’s try and analyse it. The story has the central character of a man (Sarfraz Ali) who is referred to as Saaen. When the curtains are drawn, or a little after that, he is seen in a cordial conversation with a young woman Gulabi (Safia Bhalaisha). It turns out that she is his second wife. In the right part of the stage, there is Maryam (Kainat) who is his first wife and older than him. The tension between the two women is palpable felt, among other things, by the fact that both want their maid Safooran (Iqra) to listen to them. Gulabi is young, pretty and smug. She often gets into a debate with the more sagacious Maryam. The reason for Saeen’s two marriages is: he wants the heir to family fortune and has not had a child so far. It has been three years since the second marriage took place, and despite his fondness for the second wife, he is still childless.

Gulabi’s smugness suffers a serious blow when, in the latter part of the play, Saeen brings in a younger woman, Haleeman (Komal Hayat) as his third wife. From here on, Maryam’s wisdom is understood by Gulabi and life’s cruelty comes to the fore — as a result of looking at it with a materialistic and heartless approach. After that, the story moves towards its lesson learning end.

In terms of execution and form, Chaturai was the simplest of plays held during the council’s ongoing World Culture Festival. Even the set had a few chairs to show Saeen’s lifestyle that could afford him three wives. Not just that, the lighting and the dialogue meant what they meant. The writer and director Shahnawaz Bhatti kept the message as straightforward as he could.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2024