KARACHI A comedy play titled 'Khel Jari Hai' produced by the National Academy of Performing Arts (Napa) Repertory Theatre will be staged at the Arts Council Karachi theatre from October 22 to 31.

This was announced at a press conference on the Napa premises by the academy's head of theatre arts and renowned actor Rahat Kazmi.

Khel Jari Hai is an Urdu adaptation of Rick Abbot's drama 'Play On'. Speaking to mediamen, Rahat Kazmi, who has directed the drama, said it's a fast-paced comedy, a play within a play, in which apart from the regular Napa performers two TV artistes had also taken part.

He said Napa was often accused of coming up with serious stuff, so this time round they decided to present something in a lighter vein. He said the play, written by Babar Jamal, wouldn't elicit guffaws but would definitely have the audiences laugh.

Rahat Kazmi said some of the proceeds of the play would go to the relief fund for flood victims, and added that ticket prices had also been reduced. He thanked the actors for putting in the hard work. “They were on time... they remembered their lines and delivered with love and affection.”

Kazmi made it a point to suggest that there was a distinct difference between mizah (humour) and phakkar punn (risqué or cheap humour).

Actress Afsheen Hayat said it was an interesting experience working with the Napa team and rehearsing for the play (for almost two months). She said she got to learn a lot during the course of rehearsals. “Theatre is amazing,” she enthused.

Another TV actress Gul-i-Rana talked about the hard work that had gone into the preparations and said when she first received a call for taking part in the play she nodded in the affirmative but only after working on it did she realise how difficult it was to do theatre.

Actress Bakhtawar Mazhar, who has been associated with Napa for the last five years, said this time round Napa kept the general public's opinion in mind, as a result of which a light-hearted drama was being produced.

A special performance of Khel Jari Hai for the media will be on October 22.