Jumbo Editorial Team
Anwar Maqsood, who describes writing comedy as like walking on the edge of a sword, has made a sensational debut. The first-ever stageplay written by him, Pawnay 14 August, has rocked Karachi where the auditoriam of the Arts Council of Pakistan has remained packed to capacity since its opening on March 17.
He has been writing satire-laden comedy for television for a more than four decades, having become a trend-setter of sorts. He is acclaimed as the most celebrated and recognised comedy writer. With numerous TV shows under his best with many of them having attained the status of classics, he is one writer having the capacity to enthrall the masses with his unique style.
The living legend of television, for some reasons, had never written for theatre. So there was plenty of excitement in anticipation of his debut stageplay ‘Pawnay 14 August’ and it has indeed lived up to the billing.
“I had never written a play for stage for obvious reasons. The kind of stuff that I used to watch in the name of theatre in Karachi and Lahore never made me feel like going for it. On the other hand, at NAPA they mostly do translations which I personally don’t find enjoyable. One more point, there are Russells, Elliots and Agha Hashrs in the academy,” Anwar Maqsood explained.
“A few months back these young men (Dawar Mehmood and his team) showed up at my place and requested me to pen a script for them. Giving it a bit of consideration, I came up with the idea of Pawnay 14 August. After all, the future belongs to the younger lot,” he added.
“If you are watching television, you have the option to change the channel or switch it off. As a writer you have time. On stage, however, you cannot drop the curtains at will. There’s audience watching you. So it’s different,” he pointed out.
As per the story of play, souls of three leaders came to Pakistan on August 11 to visit the country that came into being as a result of their tireless efforts. They were expecting Pakistan to have become an Islamic welfare state, where masses would dwell peacefully, having freedom to act upon their religion and values and working for the progress of the nation and the country. But they were disappointed and their dreams were shattered.
The play kicks off through a scene dated August 15, 2012, from the waiting lounge of the Karachi airport, where the three leaders were waiting for conformation of their seats in the national carrier, Pakistan International Airline, to the capital Islamabad.
Waiting for conformation of their seats in the flight, they were talking about the ongoing situation of the country, where not a single person even recognised them during their visit. They were astonished to see the lifestyle, mental approach and views of the representatives of various communities including students, politicians and artists.
Anwar Maqsood, who describes writing comedy as like walking on the edge of a sword, has made a sensational debut. The first-ever stageplay written by him, Pawnay 14 August, has rocked Karachi where the auditoriam of the Arts Council of Pakistan has remained packed to capacity since its opening on March 17.
He has been writing satire-laden comedy for television for a more than four decades, having become a trend-setter of sorts. He is acclaimed as the most celebrated and recognised comedy writer. With numerous TV shows under his best with many of them having attained the status of classics, he is one writer having the capacity to enthrall the masses with his unique style.The living legend of television, for some reasons, had never written for theatre. So there was plenty of excitement in anticipation of his debut stageplay ‘Pawnay 14 August’ and it has indeed lived up to the billing.
“I had never written a play for stage for obvious reasons. The kind of stuff that I used to watch in the name of theatre in Karachi and Lahore never made me feel like going for it. On the other hand, at NAPA they mostly do translations which I personally don’t find enjoyable. One more point, there are Russells, Elliots and Agha Hashrs in the academy,” Anwar Maqsood explained.
“A few months back these young men (Dawar Mehmood and his team) showed up at my place and requested me to pen a script for them. Giving it a bit of consideration, I came up with the idea of Pawnay 14 August. After all, the future belongs to the younger lot,” he added.“If you are watching television, you have the option to change the channel or switch it off. As a writer you have time. On stage, however, you cannot drop the curtains at will. There’s audience watching you. So it’s different,” he pointed out.
As per the story of play, souls of three leaders came to Pakistan on August 11 to visit the country that came into being as a result of their tireless efforts. They were expecting Pakistan to have become an Islamic welfare state, where masses would dwell peacefully, having freedom to act upon their religion and values and working for the progress of the nation and the country. But they were disappointed and their dreams were shattered.The play kicks off through a scene dated August 15, 2012, from the waiting lounge of the Karachi airport, where the three leaders were waiting for conformation of their seats in the national carrier, Pakistan International Airline, to the capital Islamabad.
Waiting for conformation of their seats in the flight, they were talking about the ongoing situation of the country, where not a single person even recognised them during their visit. They were astonished to see the lifestyle, mental approach and views of the representatives of various communities including students, politicians and artists.
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