Written by: Farheen Abdullah
Posted on: February 07, 2019 | 
| 中文
The cast and crew
In 1947, the British Indian Empire was divided into the sovereign states of Pakistan and India. Due to its geographical location, both countries laid claim to Kashmir, but it was generally assumed that Kashmir would accede to Pakistan since it had a majority Muslim population. Three wars in 1965, 1971 and 1999 have resulted in a region that remains disputed to this day, with both nations as well as China, controlling the territory. Kashmir is the most densely militarised region in the world, with over half a million troops stationed there, especially in Indian Occupied Kashmir. The United Nations estimates that in the last 25 years, 100,000 people have died in the struggle for freedom. According to the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP), a collective of family members who campaign against enforced disappearances and are in search of their loved ones, 8,000 to 10,000 individuals have disappeared between 1989 and 2009. Family and friends are left in limbo, while wives live in despair as “half-widows,” with no way of knowing whether their husbands are dead or alive.
On Kashmir Solidarity Day 2019, the Human Rights Council of Pakistan, a non-governmental organization working to highlight the concerns of the oppressed, arranged a theatre performance titled ‘Half-Widow’ at Pakistan American Cultural Council (PACC). While the performance was free for the general public, lack of marketing by the team led to a slightly empty auditorium. The play was also delayed by a good half an hour, due to the late arrival of a few VIPs, and ended in a strikingly brief period of thirty minutes. However, in no way did the short duration of the play impact its quality, despite the media personnel distracting the audience with their flash videography and constant movements.
Directed by Hammad Khan and written by Ahmer Hussain, Half-Widow narrates the story of a family who wish for Kashmir to become a part of Pakistan, and whose youth continue to fight for their freedom every day. The lead character is Akbar (Akbar Ladhani) who gets abducted the night before his wedding, leaving his bride, Zainab (Fajir Shaikh), as a half-widow. The play begins with a focus on Akbar’s elder brother, who went missing 6 years ago, leaving his wife, Sehrish, a half-widow. While fighting and protesting for his release, Akbar is also captured by the Indian army, leaving behind two half-widows. In a twist of events, Akbar meets his brother in captivity and to find out what happens next, you must catch the next production of this play. The production used minimal props and a simple backdrop of black curtains and fairy lights, which turned off ten minutes into the performance. The team also did not use any music or sounds, which did not pose a problem, until a scene where they wanted to show an exchange of firing by the Indian soldiers and stone pelting by the civilians.
However, the most essential element of any theatrical production is always the acting, and the team hit the nail on the head in that category. With smooth transitions between scenes, and a script which balanced humor and drama, the actors did a fantastic job in doing justice to the sentiments and passion of Kashmiris. Perhaps the most intense and captivating scenes were the ones featuring Akbar and his friends, a group of young men filled with nationalistic spirit. Even though they were all new faces, the amateur actors delivered their roles with a confidence and fervor that only the best actors are capable of. Whether the group laughed, cried or fought, every moment of their performance played with the audience’s heartstrings. Faraz Chottani, must be especially mentioned, for an outstanding job at handling his dual roles as Akbar’s friend as well as the news reporter. If there was one character which could have been better, it was Akbar’s sister in law (Sehrish) whose husband has been missing for six years. Though Sehrish delivered what was asked of her role as a half-widow, the actor has previously performed somber roles in various other productions, and therefore seemed to have been typecast.
The Kashmiri conflict remains a sensitive topic till date and thousands of lives have been compromised for the freedom of the Kashmiri people. Though the play served as a reminder of the trauma and pain that the Kashmiris continue to endure, it also showcased that we need to be vocal supporters of their freedom. As the human rights violations continue in the region, it falls upon us to keep reminding the powerful that they need to take action. May the voices of Kashmir be heard soon and may they find their way home.
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