Anwar Maqsood’s Saadhay 14 August will premiere in Karachi on Pakistan’s 75th Independence Day

After a long break following Sawa 14 August, playwright Anwar Maqsood is ready to launch the final part of the theatrical trilogy, Saadhay 14 August, which will premiere in the city of lights on August 14.

Kopykats Production released a short teaser for the play on Saturday captioned, “Celebrating [the] 75th Anniversary of Pakistan with the final part of the theatrical masterpiece trilogy, Anwar Maqsood’s Saadhay 14 August.”

It featured a photographer trying to capture Jinnah and Gandhi on a bench. To his annoyance, it became a feat trying to get the duo to cover the gap between them. The dialogue exchange between the party representatives was a clever commentary on the differences that led to the Partition of British India. In the end, Maqsood walks in and takes the middle seat and says, “Saadhay Chauda August, chauda August” as the photographer snaps the photo.

The theatrical trilogy was initiated 10 years ago by the playwright. The series started off with Pawnay Chauda August, a play that had been hugely successful, running to full houses and bringing back the trend of visiting the theatre. Sawa Chauda August was the second instalment, also winning extensive critical and commercial acclaim.

In February, Maqsood addressed a press conference and recalled a conversation from 2011, when he wrote Pawnay 14 August. “Someone asked me what does that mean, why not 14 August? I replied I’m waiting for 14 August. Whenever 14 August will come [in the true sense] I will do a play with that title… Three years later I wrote Sawa 14 August. Everyone thought that now, after Imran Khan came to power, I would write *14 August.”*

As we know, there will be no 14 August now. The Aangan Terha writer told Images why, “I won’t be writing that because to my mind, Pakistan hasn’t yet seen a chauda August worth celebrating.”

Disclosing details about the final theatrical piece, he had said, “In the play a man files a case against Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Gandhi as to who is responsible for the decline of a huge state such as India — three countries were made out of it. Then they’re asked to go to four cities to find out who’s responsible. They cities are: Kashmir, Lahore, Delhi and London. So the play is divided into four parts. First the Quaid and Gandhi go to Kashmir, then Lahore, Delhi and London.”

During the press conference, the writer told the media that his effort can be seen after Eid at the Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi, adding his heart tells him that the play will be liked by audiences.

Producer of the play Salman Hussain and director Mehmood said, “We are very excited for it. It’ll happen immediately after Eid. The drama will run in Karachi for two months. After that it will travel to Islamabad and Lahore.”