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    Daddy: The Highlight of Napa International Theatre Festival 2015

    Written by: Zoha Rizwan
    Posted on: April 02, 2015 |

    'Daddy' - A story of love and devotion

    The NAPA International Theatre Festival 2015 stole the show yet again with the much-awaited ‘Daddy’ performing to a full house on 3 consecutive days, from 30th March to 1st April. Daddy was a stage adaptation of the 1989 namesake and a Mahesh Bhatt classic, enacted on stage by a team of powerful performers hailing from India.

    Mahesh Bhatt is a renowned director, producer and screenwriter, with many blockbusters to his credit: Lahu Ke Do Rang, Gumrah, Zakhm, Daddy, Gangster, Murder, Woh Lamhe – the list goes on and on. His legacy is proudly borne by his daughter, actress/director Pooja Bhatt. The father-daughter duo attended the ITF ’15 with their team and commended NAPA’s efforts. Despite facing visa issues, the professional team made it to NAPA’s stage and swept the audience off their feet with their dramatic performance. Before the play commenced, Zain Ahmed, artistic director Napa Repertory Theatre, expressed his gratitude to the whole team from India for honoring the ITF ‘15 with their exceptional performance.

    Play Daddy at NAPA international Theatre Festival 2015 Karachi

    Daddy marked Pooja Bhatt’s acting debut, directed by her real-life father Mahesh Bhatt. Mr. Bhatt commented on how some scenes in the movie were actually snippets from his own life. He stated that Pooja was a source of immense support for him throughout his battle against alcohol. “There was this time, when Pooja was on the movie set, sleeping, and I had the urge to drink. But there was a voice (inside me) that said: Mahesh, you may lie to your daughter, and to the rest of the world, but how can you lie to yourself?” The same dialogue is used in the movie.

    Daddy is a story about the struggle of a daughter to support her estranged father of 17 years, to help him regain his lost respect in society, and freedom from alcohol addiction. Pooja, the female protagonist, was played by the beautiful Bharti Sharma, who did justice to Pooja Bhatt’s part in the film. Imran Zahid played Anand Sareen, the estranged father, and his natural talent brought tears in the eyes of many.

    Pooja has been brought up by her grandparents, and is made to believe that her father, Anand, is dead. However, she discovers through her deceased mother’s diary that he is actually alive. Her Nana (grandfather) blames Anand for the death of her mother, who actually died in a car accident. Hence follows the daughter’s struggle to revive the real Anand Sareen and bring him back from the abyss of miseries that he’s lived in for more than a decade. Flashbacks of Anand and Priya’s (Pooja’s mother, played by Kanchan Yadav) romantic past, and the problems that followed due to Anand’s first marriage, are shown side by side. Pooja brings Anand back to life by reigniting his lost passion for love and art, and helps him get rid of his alcohol addiction.

    Play Daddy at NAPA international Theatre Festival 2015 Karachi

    Pooja Bhatt expressing her views on Karachi

    The dialogues were exquisite, and the flawless delivery complemented each word. “It’s not only the right of the parent to be proud of their child, but also the right of the child to be proud of their parent” is just one of the thought-provoking dialogues from the play.

    Mr. Bhatt shared his view that art has the ability to bring nations together and form spell-binding collaborations. Pooja also praised NAPA’s efforts and expressed her desire to perform in the ITF in the future.
     

     

    All images courtesy of the official ‘I AM KARACHI’ Facebook page.


    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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    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
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