Written by: Ismail Umar
Posted on: May 07, 2015 | 
Faisal Mirza and his two wives
Marketed as “a farcical comedy”, Sharahbeel’s latest play becomes a bit too farcical at times, filled with over-the-top humor and exaggerated characters. However, perhaps the ludicrous humor and nonsensical characters were partially or even wholly deliberate, as the performance generated major laughs in the auditorium, with most of the crowd in fits throughout the duration of the play.
The story centers around Faisal Mirza, a bigamist wedged between his two families, desperately trying to keep them separated and unaware of each other. However, all his efforts fail when his teenage son and daughter (from separate wives) cross paths on the internet, and discover that their “fathers” have a little too much in common. To Faisal’s horror, his two children decide to meet up in person. Things go increasingly haywire from here on out, as Faisal frantically tries to keep his dual life a secret from both his families. This, coupled with mistaken identities and a number of unwanted guests, makes for a truly chaotic two hours of comedy.
The play was performed in Karachi last month, and features an entirely Karachi-based cast. The lead is played by Faizan Sheikh, who has multiple stage performances to his credit, and also stars in Mehreen Jabbar’s new TV series titled ‘Mera Naam Yusuf Hai’. Faisal’s half-witted tenant, Momi, is played by Adeal Amjad, whose energetic (albeit exaggerated) performance generated the most laughs in the crowd. Momi’s father is played by the talented Saqib Sumeer, who is a NAPA (National Academy of Performing Arts) graduate and a popular theatre actor.
Faisal’s two wives, Fauzia and Rubina, are played by Muzaina Malik and Maham Aamir, respectively. The former is also a NAPA graduate. Syeda Aqsa Rizwan has made her theatrical debut as Faisal’s daughter, Nida. Finally, Ahmed Majeed of Moulin Rouge fame plays Zain, Faisal’s son, who unknowingly falls for his half-sister.
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