The World Performing Arts Festival 2004, a presentation of the Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop (RPTW) was in full bloom during the week ending December 5. There were a large number of other cultural activities in Lahore during the week, which were nearly eclipsed by this gala cultural event, which had more than one could take in just one week.
The Peerzada Brothers, founders of RPTW succeeded in bringing different visual and performing arts and over 600 artists and performers from 33 countries to demonstrate their talent in the historic city of Lahore from November 27 to December 7. The domains of creative human endeavours, which were represented in the international festival held at Open Air Complex of the Lahore Arts Council, included Drama, Music, Dance, Film and Puppets. Practitioners of each of these art forms demonstrated in a big way their creative prowess. The largest contingent of artistes comprising 200 persons came from India and in combination with artistes from Pakistan dominated the proceedings with their ebullient creative talent and outputs.
This year, film art was a new addition to the festival. Sixty films, including feature films, short films and documentaries from several countries were included in the repertoire of the festival. Fourteen puppet performers from different parts of the world also demonstrated their skill in the festival, which according to the organisers, was aimed at "harmonising strained relations among different countries".
The book launch of Rafi Peer's 'Aath Dramay' (Eight Plays) and the staging of Raaz-o-Niaaz heralded the opening of international festival. Also included in its proceedings was a seminar aimed at rebutting the vicious Western propaganda against Pakistan by showing the soft face of Pakistan, where art and culture are currently being projected on a larger scale.
There was a good deal of variety from which the fun-loving people of Lahore could choose for satiating their thirst for entertainment. Stage plays by Indian teams, which included a Punjabi play Jiney Lahore Nahi Waikheya, won both applaud and criticism. I watched this play during my visit to Chandigar (India) in the last week of May this year. Based on theme of the predicaments of a migrant family in Lahore and indirectly criticising the division of India, it contained a number of dialogues, which hit at the very raison d'etre of the creation of Pakistan. (As I did not watch its presentation in Lahore, I wonder if those lines were deleted from it.) Another play, "Begum Jaan", also pegged to the same theme, containing several objectionable lines, drew criticism. It was directed by Naadra Babbar, wife of Indian actor Raj Babbar, who, along with her daughter Juhi, also enacted an important role in it. The two-hour-long play revolved around the life of a classical singer, who lamented the partition of India. According to reports published in a section of local Press some shouts of protests emanating from a segment of the audience were heard during its presentation and some among the attendees were seen leaving the auditorium to register their indignation. The presence in Lahore of Indian artistes, Neena Gupta and Juhi Babbar, was hyped by local media.
A couple of incidents during the festival pointed to the unhappiness of a few local artistes against the management. Classical vocalist Mubarak Ali Khan was reported to have served a legal notice on them in protest against the alleged unauthorised inclusion of his name in the schedule of events on Music Night. Another unpleasant incident was about the alleged denial of entry to the members of a local theatre group, who wanted to watch events of the festival on different nights. The head of the group alleged that its members were denied entry despite the fact that they had earlier performed at the festival during one of the nights gratis, without even being paid production costs by the organisers.
All in all, the World Performing Arts Festival 2004 created a lot of interest in the arts among vivacious Lahoris, who approved of holding such festivals more frequently in their city. A large number of them were heard congratulating the Peerzadas for bringing so many specimens of international arts and creative talent to their city. There were also those who could not watch the show because of high admission charges, which they found beyond their means. The attendance at the festival was not as it should have been as the same familiar faces - the motley crowd of Lahore, were seen over and over again. The common rung of people was conspicuous by their absence.
The Ejaz Galleries in Lahore brought together a galaxy of top artists from different regions of the country to display their creative works at an exhibition it sponsored on November 27. Entitled "The Existence: Comprehensive Vision of Pakistani Art" it contained the works of such luminaries as Zulqarnain Haider, Saeed Akhter, Colin David, Jamil Naqsh. Chitra Pritam and Zubaida Javed. Bashir Ahmed's mystical style in miniature pointed to his flair for perfection, while Gulgee's 4x5, oil on canvas calligraphic appeal focused on his intimacy with the Creator. The inclusion of the works of 126 artists was a landmark for Ejaz Galleries, which were set up in a posh area of the city seven years ago.
Anwar Ali the creator of immortal cartoon character NANNA and the pioneer of cartoons in Pakistan died in Lahore on November 27. Beginning his career with 'Dawn' (when published from Delhi in 1946) for long he remained associated with daily 'The Pakistan Times'. More on the creator NANNA next week. .
Another event of the week worth reporting was the launching ceremony of a collection of poetical works of Javed Qureshi, retired Chief Secretary of the Punjab, at Alhamra Arts Council on November 29. Chairman of the Senate and Acting President Mian Muhammad Somroo was the chief guest, who described Qureshi as one among the few competent officers, who were good poets also. A number of senior poets of the like of Munir Niazi and Dr Ajmal Niazi were among the speakers who praised the creative acumen of poet Javed Qureshi.
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