Ajoka Theatre Founder, actress, playwright, director of social theater and women's rights activist Madeeha Gauhar died after a prolonged battle with cancer here on Wednesday. She was 62-year-old.
She has left behind husband Shahid Nadeem, daughter Savera Nadeem and two sons Nirvaan and Sarang and sister Feryal Gauhar and thousands of admirers and friends across the globe. She is being buried in Lahore.
In 1983 at the height of late General Zia's dictatorship and restrictions on liberal arts and crafts, she founded Ajoka Theater as part of her commitment to theatre for social change.
Gauhar was born in 1956 in Karachi. After she obtained a Master of Arts degree in English literature, she moved to England where she obtained another Master's degree, in theater sciences at the University of London.
In 1983, after returning to Lahore, Gauhar and her husband Shahid Nadeem founded Ajoka Theater, the first theater group of significance. Ajoka (English:Today) was based on the grand local tradition of Bhand and Nautanki and found a flourishing base in the area that overlaps the province of the Punjab. In spite of her Western education, Gauhar did not limit her practice to classical Western theater techniques. Instead, she mixed authentic Pakistani elements with contemporary sentiments. With Ajoka, Gauhar performed in Pakistan and other countries in the region such as India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, as well as in several countries in Europe.
The most important motive of her shows was the promotion of a just, humane, secular and a tolerant society based on social justice. In 2006, she was honoured with a Prince Claus Award from the Netherlands.[In 2007 she won the International Theater Pasta Award. and Tamgha-e-Imtiaz by government of Pakistan.
Madeeha was married to veteran writer and director Shahid Nadeem and was the elder sister of renowned actress Faryal Gauhar. Her daughter, Savera Nadeem, is also an actress, director, and producer.
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif extended condolences to Gauhar's family.