Written by: Farheen Abdullah
Posted on: March 02, 2018 | 
| 中文
Bandhan by NAPA
In order to promote theatre through new productions, the National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA) is currently performing the play ‘Bandhan’ (Union) in Karachi. Bandhan is an adaptation of Federico Garcia Lorca’s ‘Blood Wedding.’ Written in 1932 and performed in 1933, Blood Wedding is the tragic first part of a Spanish trilogy. The story revolves around a bride who is torn between the love of two men: the bridegroom and an old suitor, whom she cannot marry due to family disputes.
Directed by Hassan Raza, a NAPA graduate and a cast member of plays like Siachen and Juloos, Bandhan follows a plot line quite similar to Blood Wedding. Yet, it stands out due to a few particular changes. While Lorca did not name any of his characters, except for Leonardo, the bride’s suitor, Bandhan keeps it simpler for the audience by allowing the cast to keep their original names on stage as well. Not every character has been named, however, the lead actors are referred to by their real-life names such as the groom Hassan Khan, the suitor Asad Gojar, and the bride Hajra Yamin, who is easily recognized as a television actor. Furthermore, the play fits our social context, especially with regards to the issue of honour killings and gun violence.
As the curtains open, colours flood the stage, and a number of characters enter singing and dancing, clothed in bright wedding attires. To create a festive mood, fairy lights have been put up in the background. Once the audience adjusts their eyes to the flashes of red, green, and yellow, they are able to notice that there is a small performance going on at the far end of the stage as well. Hidden behind the curtains, but still in the audience’s line of sight, are Nigel Bobby and his team, who are facilitating the music for the performance. By beautifully blending guitar, tabla, and vocals, the musicians do a commendable job. They catch every cue at the right moment, control the volume of their instruments according to the requirement of each scene, and ensure that the performance does not need to use recorded sounds at all.
Hassan Raza also makes productive use of props, stage, and characters, ensuring that there is minimum movement or replacement. The performance uses a single set throughout, with lights guiding the viewers’ attention where needed. One particularly interesting shift happens when Hajra and Hassan want to meet privately before the wedding ceremony, and the lights instantly shift their focus from centre stage to the front. Here, a small fountain comes to life, and the two characters are bathed in a soft glow, creating the scenario of a moon-lit, starry night. Hajra also does a commendable job with her character, believably conveying a bride’s mixed feelings, proving that she is as suitable for live productions as she is for television dramas. Hassan’s mother was another female actor who does justice to her role. Her acting was particularly praiseworthy in her last monologue, where she leaves the audience teary eyed.
One aspect of the plot which doesn’t make sense is when the Hajra elopes with Asad after her nikkah with Hassan. Since she can’t actually marry Asad, there is no longer a point to running away. The timeline should have been adjusted so that the lovers elope before the nikkah. Even though most of the characters and roles seem necessary for the plot, the audience cannot entirely make sense of the black and white cloaked characters, which appear twice during the performance. They merely stand in the background with their heads bowed, coming off as slightly unnecessary though indicating an ominous mood. Music again serves as a saving grace, since Nigel Bobby uses the cloaked individuals to subtly add to the chorus. Their presence becomes particularly fascinating when they create an echo for Hajra’s voice. Another scene which could have been executed better is the climax, which features the two male lead characters. What could have created a strong impact instead ends abruptly, with the lights going off mid-sentence.
However, theatre enthusiasts have been coming in to witness the performance in good numbers, even on week days, with some giving the cast and crew standing ovations. Clearly, Hassan Raza and his team have done a good job and they will continue attracting audiences until their last performance on 4th March, 2018.
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