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    Rafi Peer Cultural Complex: An Orb of Strings and Rods

    Written by: Momina Mindeel
    Posted on: August 19, 2015 |

    The immensely talented Faizaan Peerzada

    The world of strings, rods and meticulously moving gloved hands is oddly wonderful. While it stylistically exaggerates some characters, it simultaneously oversimplifies others. Anthropomorphism and other, similar forms of visual arts have long been a source of delight for people of all ages. The art of puppetry has no dearth of talent in a place like Pakistan, yet it continues to undergo a constant state of decline. Given the shaky security situation in the country, people are afraid of visiting open air theatres. As a result, international art festivals are almost nonexistent. Yet, amidst all the bedlam, Rafi Peer Theatre is one name that continues to hold on to this dying profession with the same zeal.

    Established in 1974, Rafi Peer Theatre has now extended into an awe-inspiring complex, housing an arts and crafts village, a café, a museum of puppetry, and an open-air theatre. Located 7 kilometers off Raiwand Road, Peeru’s Café is reputed for harboring a diverse assortment of arts and artists. Despite being situated on the periphery of Lahore, the place is usually bursting with art aficionados, even on ordinary days. It offers a unique dining experience in addition to cultural evenings, puppet shows, Qawwali nights, Sufi nights, jazz nights, and so much more.

    My first acquaintance with the Rafi Peer Cultural Complex was purely by chance. Some years ago, my group of self-proclaimed "food connoisseur" friends felt it was necessary to visit the Peeru’s Café, especially since it offered a Qawwali Night as well. Taking fancy to the cafe’s name, and completely unaware of its exact location, we went out to try it, expecting it to be just another eatery in Lahore. However, the spellbinding Qawwali performance, coupled with a wondrous puppet show and exquisitely delicious cuisine, left us wholly dumbfounded. For ten whole minutes, all I could experience was a warm, subtle sensation of pleasure, gradually moving up my spine.

    Rafi Peer Cultural Complex

    The puppeteers

    Adjacent to the café is an open air-theatre with a capacity of approximately 250 to 300 people. Rafi Peer Cultural Complex has successfully held a multitude of international festivals, including the International Folk Puppet Festival, World Performing Arts Festival, Youth Performing Festival, and the International Sufi Soul Mystic Music Festival.  This tradition of international festivals came to a halt when a low-intensity bomb hit the nucleus of the complex in May 2010. Since then, the International Folk Puppet Festival has, unfortunately, been reduced to National Folk Puppet Festivals.

    Tassneem Peerzada – the Executive Director of the complex – reminisces about the time when people from all over the world would contentedly visit Pakistan for the World Performing Arts Festival. However, following the Lahore attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in 2009, even art connoisseurs desisted coming to Pakistan. The puppetry industry gradually began to perish. In the midst of all the security tensions plaguing the country, Faizan Peerzada, along with his siblings Usman, Saadan, Imran and Tassneem, as well as a small but determined team of workers, continued functioning in hopes of keeping our puppetry industry alive.

    Rafi Peer Cultural Complex

    Faizaan and Saadaan at work

    Tassneem Peerzada is the epitome of enthusiasm and commitment. Every word that comes out of her mouth exudes reverence and admiration for the team working in the complex. When enquired about the inspiration behind her work, she manifestly accredits all to her late brother, Faizaan Peerzada. "During the International Festivals, Faizaan would get the building decorated and ornamented just like a newly-wed bride. He would make art students sit and work on their projects day and night, while simultaneously working on his own. This complex would have been fictional without him," she says, with a hint of melancholy, quite clearly visible in her eyes.

    Rafi Peer Cultural Complex

    The exquisite puppet collection

    Near the end of the complex, adjacent to the open-air theatre, Faizaan Peerzada’s Museum of Puppetry looms large in its entire splendor. Upon entering the museum, visitors are greeted by Japanese puppets, peeping out of the glass windows. The ground floor exhibits a rich collection from all over the world: puppets from Uzbekistan, USA, Switzerland, Sri Lanka, India, Burma, Poland, Australia, Ireland, Czech Republic and a number of other countries, all reside within the same premises. The first and second floors are inhabited by puppets from famous PTV shows including Fun Times, Gul Baqauli, Choti Moti Toyota, Aladdin, etc. The basement, on the other hand, is a working paradise for puppeteers. The place is full of vibrant sketches, wooden boxes, half-cut strips of paper, scattered pieces of foam, vivacious dolls and wooden animals, all wrapped in transparent plastic covers.

    The museum of puppetry organizes professional training programs for puppeteers of all ages in order to fill the yawning gap that has been created by the deficiency of formal training institutions in the field.

    The Peerzadas have no personal gains to make. The family has been tirelessly working for the promotion of arts and culture for almost four decades now. It is highly refreshing to see that young, educated names like Yamina Peerzada are training themselves in the field of puppetry (Yamina has played the role of the tiny, feisty Rani on PTV’s Sim Sim Hamara as well). The government has wholly turned its back on the profession, as has been the norm in the past. Meanwhile, the glorious Rafi Peer Cultural Complex has stepped up and undertaken the cumbersome task of providing the masses with a permanent hub for the promotion of performing arts and culture in Pakistan.

     

    All images have been provided by Rafi Peer Cultural Complex.


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

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    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021