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When residents of Daro, a small town in Sindh’s Sujawal District, sat down to watch Nasoor — Incurable, a play jointly staged by the National Academy of Performing Arts and the Bhittai Arts Circle Sindh last week, they knew it would be momentous. Whether or not the play was momentous was immaterial — it marked the return of theatre to the small town after almost 28 long years.

The event rekindled hopes of reviving theatre productions in Sujawal.

Directed by seasoned Sindhi actor Rafique Essani, the play told the story of a boy who had been brought up with love and affection by his parents despite their limited financial resources. They put all their money towards providing a great upbringing for their child. But as time passed, instead of fulfilling his parents’ desires, the boy fell prey to bad habits and became a drug addict.

The story highlighted the need for a good upbringing for children in an era of digitalisation as well as the role of society in preventing the rise of drug consumption. The play also asked parents to ponder on the quality of their children’s upbringing. The public response to the play, written by Ayub Umrani, was tremendous, as they applauded the creativity of the writer in effectively underlining a core issue people are grappling with today.

Seasoned Sindhi actors, including Nasreen Naz, Kishwar Jabeen, Raffique Essani, Hussain Kalyar, Fahemida Saher, and Aslam Siyal were among others who acted in the play, much to the delight of the audience. Dr Abdul Ghafoor Memon, a historian, writer, and the former head of the Sindh Language Authority, who was invited as the chief guest, described the play as a “new soul for the dying trend of theatre and stage dramas in rural areas of Sindh.”

Social activist Dr Afzal Memon said a creative writer minutely observes the evils of society, and that transforms into a story to convey a message. He said this was a play that directly addressed a nagging social issue. Historian and poet Dr Abdul Hae Palijo delved into the historic past of Sujawal district, when performing arts were at their peak. He said that despite the lack of support from the authorities, the artists of Sujawal had proved their mettle.

Stage and television actor Essani, who has appeared in over 500 plays, dramas, and films, including Ghatu Ghar Na Aya, Sorath Rai Daj, Samaj, Parwarish, and others, and also directed this play, said the play aimed at attracting people from remote areas who could not otherwise afford expensive entertainment. NAPA was closely evaluating each and every play to revive the trend of theatre productions across Sindh, he explained.

When asked about the 28-year lull in stage performances in Daro, Essani attributed the decline to the overwhelming influence of television and social media. This phenomenon, he noted, has led to a prolonged absence of stage dramas in remote areas of Sindh, with Daro being one of the many small cities in the province to be deprived of this art form for over two decades. He expressed his profound happiness upon returning to his hometown of Daro from where he had started his career as an actor.

Sharing his reasons for choosing Daro for the play, producer Ghul M Chohan revealed that the youth in remote areas of Sujawal are addicted to gutka and other substances and the number of drug consumers is surging with every passing day. The play is part of a creative movement to prevent the flare up of this “curse”. He added that he was in contact with Bhittai Arts Circle to produce more plays that highlight social issues in Sindh, adding that literary organisations should also patronise dramas in far-flung areas of Sindh in order to bring an effective change in society.

“I thought the culture of stage dramas in Sujawal district was over, but Nasoor has given us a glimmer of hope for its revival,” said Bashir Ahmed Dayo, a former stage actor who quit acting due to insufficient resources.

A representative of the Sindh Culture Department, Zubair Ahmed Jaffrani, termed stage plays a pivotal tool for social reform. He said he had urged the authorities at the culture department to set up an auditorium at the Sarvech Sujawali library for cultural activities such as stage dramas. When asked about the culture department’s reluctance to support stage dramas in remote areas, he said the department typically prioritises mega cities. However, they do provide support for plays in remote areas if a sponsor is available to facilitate the event.

The show wasn’t just enjoyed by the residents of Daro — people from Mirpur Bathoro, Jati, Belo and other villages in the district also attended the one-time show. Though the staging of Nasoor was a one-off, two more plays are scheduled to be performed in Thatta and Sujawal after Ramazan, according to Essani.

All photos by Out Reach Theatre — NAPA