Keeping the Faith

8220;I have been coming to India for the past 20 years and it doesn8217;t feel like another country,8221; said eminent Pakistani theatre personality Madeeha Gauhar, artistic director at Ajoka theatre based in Lahore, who was in Delhi for a performance of Bullah organised by the South Asian Network of feminists SANGAT. Standing in front of a packed auditorium, Gauhar, overwhelmed by the warm welcome she received, said, 8220;An artist8217;s responsibility is to reinforce a sense of calm among the people in such times and restore the peace process.8221;

The play, a tribute to Bulleh Shah, the 18th century mystic saint, draws on his life narrated through poetry and songs. The one-hour performance saw the 22-member troupe from Lahore with six qawwals performing non-stop as they provided the musical interlude to the play with songs such as Bulle Tu Samjhavan Aavan.

Sarfaraz Ali, dressed in a flowing garb, enacted the role of Bulleh and floored the audience with his rendition of Bullha ki Jaana mai kaun. Sahib Singh, a Chandigarh-based actor, played the misguided Banda Singh Bahadur.

8220;We have three Indian actors based here who work with us when we visit. Sometimes it8217;s difficult for Pakistani artists to get visas,8221; said Gauhar. Next, the troupe will stage Bullah at the International Theatre festival in Kerala on December 26 where troupes from Iran, Bangladesh and Afghanistan will also participate.