16/01/2022
If you like literature, believe in interfaith and harmony and want to remember the pains of partition then for you, MAAS Foundation will perform its one of best theatre production “Permasher Singh” on 20th of January at 24th Alhamra Theatre Festival 2022. This play is adaptation of the short story by one of legend writer of sub-continent, Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi while it is adapted and directed by President Maas Foundation, Aamir Nawaz. Maas Foundation has performed this play in number of national and international theatre festivals including its performances at Amritsar, Jalandhar, Preet Nagar, Kurukshetra and Rohtak in India. Permasher Singh” is a gift for all those theatre lovers who strongly believe in interfaith and harmony. Maas Foundation has represented Pakistan through this play in four international on-line festivals in last year during covid time phase and also this play got so much appreciation in India, that it is translated in English and included in the famous book named “Plays from a fractured land” by Dr. Atamjit Singh. Screening of this play was also executed at Jawaharlal Nahru University and South Asia University New Delhi-India back in 2014 by Aaghaz E Dosti.
Background music of the play is composed by Harinder Sohal from Amritsar-India, music designed by Imran Nawaz while Poetry of Amrita Pritam is also part of the play. Cast Includes, Aamir Ali, Esha Malik, Zoya Qazi, Zaheer Taj, Ahmad Ali, Hammad Azhar, Mansoor, Rehan Ahmad, Zulfiqar Mughal and Tanveer Kahlid. Kashif Nazir is the assistant director of the play.
Synopsis
The play followed the story of a young Muslim boy, Akhtar, who gets separated from his mother within Indian side during the partition 1947 when her mother after murder of her husband by a mob is migrating from Indian side to Pakistan. Akhtar is soon found by the story’s other central character, a Sikh man called Parmasherr Singh. Permasher Singh who also has migrated from Lahore (Pakistan) to Amritsar (India) with his wife and daughter. This family has also lost their son named kartara just like of Akhtir’s age during migration. That’s why Permasher Singh is always sad in remembrance of his lost son. Permasher’s wife advises him to go out with local mob and try to rob some muslim migrants so that they can have some money for house hold at this new place. Permasher Singh reluctantly goes with mob to loot some muslim migrants but suddenly they find Akhtir in a jungle. Parmasher proceeds to save the boy from that unruly mob, eventually adopting the boy as his own, against the initial reluctance of his wife. Her wife and daughter are so frightened that a muslim boy is in their home. Permasher Singh gets pressure from his family, neighbors and community that if he wants to keep this boy at his home, then either he has to make the boy adopt the ways of the Sikh religion to survive otherwise he has to kill Akhtir. As Parmasher’s character is in contrast to the people around him he somehow gets success to oppose that pressure from his family, friends and community. He encourages Akhtar to recite his lines from the Quran, fights to protect Akhtar’s identity as a Muslim. One day his frightened daughter tried to kill Akhtir as she is very angry on Muslims because when they were in Lahore, Muslim mob molested and r***d her friend after announcement of partition. (There was thousands of r**e cases occurred on both sides during migration). Permasher Singh somehow protects Akhtir from his daughter and decided to cross border to take the boy back to his mother, regardless of how close he is to the boy because for him, Akhtir is just like his lost son Kartara.
Permasher Singh crosses border with Akhtir. He is seen by Border forces of Pakistan and they think that Permasher Singh is invading border so he got killed by Soldiers meanwhile Akhtir gets success to tell them that he is a muslim so soldiers take him alive. The story ends on a sad note, with Permasher’s efforts going to waste, and the innocent cries of a young boy ringing out loud in the face of unsympathetic coldness.
You all are invited. No entry fees and no need of invitation passes.
