ANWAR Maqsood unleashed his wit and sarcasm on unsuspecting audiences with his characteristically charming wit and sarcastic criticism by penning his first ever script for stage titled Pawnay 14 August. It is not clear why he chose fledgling stage director, the Islamabad-based Dawar Mehmood of Copycat Productions, for he could have had the pick of the litter. 

When Pawnay 14 August opened at the Arts Council Theatre in Karachi, it was everything an Anwar Maqsood script can be and more, but what was lacking was the finesse in histrionics and expertise required on the part of both the actors and the director to effectively deliver the good on stage. Needless to say, the saving grace were Anwar’s strong theme and one-liners that pulled in the crowds so much so that the dates had to be extended well beyond the initial schedule to accommodate the large number of eager spectators. It surely became the defining play of 2012.

The theme of the play touched a nerve given the present circumstances and Dawar also took it to Lahore and Islamabad, but maintained that the response he garnered from the Karachiites remained unparalleled. He also staged an improvised version of Pawnay 14 August later on. Next up is a theatrical version of the popular PTV drama series Aangan Terha written by who else but the indomitable Anwar Maqsood and scheduled for the first quarter of 2013. Sounds good.