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    Theatre Review: 'Zard Paton Ka Ban' by Theatre Wallay

    Written by: Abeera Akhtar
    Posted on: April 12, 2018 | | 中文

    The team of Theatre Wallay

    In Pakistan, development has three signposts: roads, housing societies and the latest trend, metros.

    But to this day, the arts remain highly neglected. And that is what Theatre Wallay focused upon through their insightful and engaging play, Zard Paton Ka Ban (Forest of Yellow Leaves). The play revolves around the obstacles faced by an acting group as they try to find a place to rehearse, and through their story nostalgia for the yesteryears is evoked. The play rewinds to simpler days when art flourished under the shade of a tree and concludes on the madness of extremism that has snatched this freedom away. Through rapid dialogue, and monologues addressed to the audience, the stage actors connected with the audience, and made them a part of their journey.

    Zard Paton Ka Ban

    Zard Paton Ka Ban

    An Islamabad based theater troupe, the Theatre Wallay started off with shows in their hometown, followed by standing ovations at the Pakistan American Cultural Center, Karachi and now they are finally performing in Lahore. The play is a must watch for all those involved or even remotely interested in the arts, for they will surely relate with the play’s theme of frustration faced by artists.

    Starting off with a beautiful tabla and sitar performance, the audience was drawn in from the very first minute. The dialogue between the stage actors that started off the play served to engage the audience. However, what really left a mark were the darker themes which could have easily become preachy, and yet, connected with the audience due to everyone’s personal experiences of dealing with terrorism, bigotry and politics. Showing the emotional impact of such incidents through various perspectives, allowed the audience to connect with the actors and live vicariously through their experience. You could feel the pain of the anchor as he read through a death toll that included his friend, the fear of the father as he rushed home from the park because a children’s park was targeted in another city of Pakistan, and the fear of a twelve year old as her school became a fort after the APS attack.

    The fear of a female living in a patriarchal society, evident on the face of Zainab Hassan

    The fear of a female living in a patriarchal society, evident on the face of Zainab Hassan

    It is a testament to the brilliant script, and to the direction of the play by Fizza Hasan that it engaged the audience, besetting our society. Razia Ibrar’s beautiful voice truly brought the show together, and left the audience with a feeling that was both eerie and comforting at the same time. All cast members, including Ammar Khalid, Fizza Hasan, Zainab Hasan, Rabia Pasha, Imran Iftikhar, Shahzaib Wahlah, Razia Abrar and Umer Khan, had great chemistry, and must be commended for their performances.

    Given the world we live in, and the country we inhabit, such pieces are to be lauded since they lead to reflection amongst the audience. The nuances in the dialogue, and the reality of the situations were a clear reflection of the research that had gone into the play.

    Depicting a scene from a cricket stadium

    Depicting a scene from a cricket stadium

    It must be noted that the group aren’t just talking the talk, but leading by example. To deal with the lack of public spaces for artists, they have converted a chicken farm in Islamabad into a space for the arts. Our hope for the revival of the Pakistan art scene lies with such people with indomitable spirit, who continue to perform regardless of the adverse circumstances.

    All pictures provided by Ikram Ullah Khan.


    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.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    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