Stories of Bulleh Shah, Mughal prince Dara Shikoh and famous writer Saadat Hasan Manto are set to take centrestage at the upcoming Humsaya festival, which will see four of these Pakistani plays being performed here.
Routes 2 Roots is bringing the four plays by Pakistan's Ajoka group for the capital's theatre lovers. The first play will be staged tomorrow.
"Our plays have a theme of shared cultural heritage. They talk about peace, harmony and religious tolerance - be it the poetry of Bulleh Shah, the story of Dara Shikoh or Manto," Pakistani playwright Shahid Nadeem told PTI.
"It is always a delight to perform for the Delhi audience because they respond beautifully. Thanks to being exposed to many national and international theatre productions, they are very discerning."
Besides Delhi, Nadeem has travelled to many Indian cities with his productions like Ludhiana, Srinagar, Kerala and Lucknow.
Talking about "Bulha", Nadeem, who wrote it in 2001, says it is one of the most loved theatrical productions of his because people instantly connect with the beautiful poetry and the music.
Similarly, "Dara" examines the debate between the Sufi, tolerant side of Islam and its extremist interpretation.
"Dara was forgotten for a long time by historians because Aurangzeb ruled for four decades. His picture was kind of distorted but there is more interest in him now. The debate that started with Dara and Aurangzeb is relevant even today."
"Kaun Hai Ye Gustaakh" revolves around Manto's life after he migrated to Pakistan in 1948.
"Manto is loved by people of both sides of the border. In fact, his stories are more popular in India than in Pakistan. Our play focuses on how Manto faced hostility by extremists. But he was independent, sensitive and a creative man, who felt strongly about the horrors of Partition," said Nadeem.
His fourth play "Lo Phir Basant Ayee" again targets intolerance in the society.
