On February 21, 2019 – the students of Theatre, Film and TV and the team of BEADS performed a theatre play under the supervision of the Director Shaykh Waqas Amin. “Bum Wala Natak” was one-of-a-kind mesmerizing performance, which stunned the audience till the end of the play. Written by Ms Sobia Abbas and directed by Shaykh Waqas Amin, the play Bum Wala Natak is centered on the numbness of the society towards the terrorism and violence caused by the terrorists.
The performance of the theatre Bum Wala Natak was based on the Promenade style, which crossed the boundaries of all traditional styles of theatre practices. According to the Director Shaykh Waqas, the concept of Promenade style was majorly objectified to let the audience move along with the performers constantly, for keeping the audience as well the actor engaged and active throughout the performance. The students from different departments of the University participated in the theatre to express the behavior of the people towards the bombing and fierceness spread around the general public. The play starts with application of Laal Tikka on the foreheads of the team to give the performers a picture as the rebels. Followed by the instructions of the Director Shaykh Waqas Amin, the team of BEADS scattered in different departments of the University. At sharp 12:30 on the clock, they were activated as their steps were felt, their voices were heard. Every step they took, the roar “Aao Aao Natak Daikho” became clearer and transparent. The performers came into view from all corners of the campus producing goose-bumps in every part of the body. The out loud announcement had been made not only to attract the audience, but also to start a play while passing on equal and opposed energies to the fellow performers.
The actors gathered in a circle at SLASS ground. With a drumbeat, they started moving in the circle that had been made with a rope, subsequently, on the acts one after another as they were assigned. The Scene at Airport, Guards securing the Assembly, Bride Terrorist, Scientist who aims to design a bomb and Bacha Jamhura were small skit performances – with the baseline, where terrorism & violence is a common practice for spreading the fear among the citizens. Also, due to the extensive bombing and shelling, the dying sense of care and emotional detachment with losing life is amassed.
Be it McDonald’s or Data Darbar, if it’s written – then nothing can save you. The scene starts with a couple at airport arguing about a backpack that was sited nearby. After continued persuasion of the wife, husband holds the bag that he had been suspicious about. However, police take the charge and the innocent is found guilty but after losing his life. It happens to be the terrorist backpack that after a few seconds it has been in the hand of the husband.
The next skit comes along when a girl is about to get married and accepts herself as a terrorist. Even after the advices given by the parents, she makes a contribution of her soul and body to become a part of terrorism for slaughtering the lives of innocents in the name of the religion – the religion, which teaches to spread peace, love and harmony among each other, instead of killing the souls that are never to be blamed.
Followed by this happening, the guards who save our lives almost die in an explosion. When a guy outside the assembly approaches the guards and insists them about being a terrorist. The guards do not believe the bomber and ignore the situation considering him as an innocent. Well, who knows when the life is going to take its last breath? And then, the bomb exploded taking away the lives of many people with its eruption.
Who knew that the development in science and technology will make someone capable of designing an explosive device which will disrupt the whole world in one go. A scientist, who is using his sharps skills for making a bomb shell to explode the whole wide world, gets interrupted by a child. This child distributes the pulao of Niyaz and disturbs the scientist whose bomb becomes fruitless because of the disruption.
What on earth are we teaching our young generation is simply incomprehensible? For the sake of money and entertainment, taking away a life of a being is not a big deal for us. Inhumanity is becoming a part of our everyday routine. Such an event also took place in a skit called Bacha Jamhura. The Sahib slaughters the innocent for entertaining the audience.
During the last scene of the skit Bacha Jamhura, the scientist stealthily walks in and keeps a package in the midst of the ground. The crowd gathers around to see what’s inside the package. The moment they all gather, the package explodes and kills every being on the spot. Another news that goes on air which brought the play to its end was about the assassination of tons of people in the premises of the university.
The hurrahs of the audience were an add-on for the theatre performance. The play was sensibly directed by Shaykh Waqas Amin and written by Ms Sobia Abbas. The Promenade style was carried out throughout the performance. A large number of audience including Dean, HOD and the faculty of University witnessed the play, as well as, enjoyed the act from the very beginning till the end. Clapping and the round of applause were obvious for the performers because of their fantabulous enactment. Kudos to the Director Shaykh Waqas Amin and his team who did not only work on the performance, but also engaged the audience throughout the show.
Anyhow, the miraculous ending of the play made the day ultimately alarming for the audience of the university, as the play portrayed inhumanity and cruelty for the souls that are being killed every so often. Adding to the dismal news we see on the TV, the detachment with the emotions on losing lives frequently during bomb shelling is a saddening dilemma. However, if we stay together, then there’s a considerate surety that we can bring peace and tranquility in the country.
