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Updated 04 Jun, 2016

On Friday, there was no way one could get into Karachi's T2F after 8pm.

The ground floor was packed. Forgoing the comfort of chairs, the audience of a hundred and then some squished itself into cross-legged compactness, in anticipation of the country's first all-female stand-up comedy show.

Titled The Auratnaak Show, the show featured ten women - Annie Shamim, Ayesha Tariq, Eman Chamdia, Faiza Saleem, Fatema Shah, Jaweria Khan, Nida Fatima Syed, Reham Muneer, Rooj Hussain, Sadia Khatri and Sana Khan Niazi - who had the audience letting out peals of laughter in no time.

Karachi loves to laugh! #T2F #PeaceNiche #Karachi #Auratnaak

A video posted by T2F (@thesecondfloor) on

The women dished on everything: Sadia Khatri joked about discovering pads and bras as a young girl, Eman Chamdia poked fun at "being female zoned" and Faiza Saleem's Beauty and the Beast parallel with the Pakistani wife had the crowd roaring when she explained, "Beast jitna hairy aur aggressive ho, prince hota hai, ghar ki cheezoun sey baat kerna tou aurat ka kaam hota hai."

It is full house in the Faraar! Happening now: Auratnaak #T2F #PeaceNiche #Karachi

A photo posted by T2F (@thesecondfloor) on

Girls At Dhabas co-founder Sadia Khatri opened the show yesterday

The show was not for the easily offended. Candid conversation about periods and sex can't make it to mainstream media like television, but found a space for discourse at Auratnaak. The women ably highlighted how girls know nothing because all topics are kept hush hush and then suddenly are expected to embrace their womanhood. Ayesha Tariq summed up her puberty experience perfectly by saying, "I was ten, I thought I had cancer!"

It was encouraging to see that the Auratnaak Show enjoyed a diverse mix of women and men, young and some elderly. The comedians should be congratulated for breaking stereotypes, crossing boundaries and opening up topics for discussion.Here's looking forward to the next one!

Comments

Desi Munda Jun 04, 2016 06:45pm
Pakistani men, in particular, would love to be able to hear candid thought processes of women. Even as you may have been married (to the same woman) for 30-40 years, you still never get to hear what women think and mean, except when a fight erupts. Then you hear what she had been denying all along. This is different with American Caucasian women. These American women are easy to talk to, whether you like their thoughts or opinions. They come out honest, truthful and opinionated. One basic flaw of desi women is to be told they might be wrong; instead the American Caucasian will ask, how?
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Myview Jun 04, 2016 11:42pm
Way to go gals! There's nothing that you can't do and do it better!
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Starzan Jun 05, 2016 12:06am
Great shows! Thanks for the laughter!
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Rimla Jun 05, 2016 11:13am
Please make the shows available online. Would love to see you guys. Great that stand up comedy has moved away from sexist, body shaming jokes to something more concrete.
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Capricorn from Bangalore Jun 05, 2016 09:56pm
I'm surprised this is pakistans first female stand up comedy show. It's quite an established concept in India for sometime now. We have e xcellent male and female standup comics who can keep the crowd roaring.
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Ibrahim Jun 06, 2016 11:25am
@Capricorn from Bangalore O really India has excellent comedians. That's a good one
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