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Thursday March 28, 2024

Theatre festival starts today

By Our Correspondent
August 30, 2018

LAHORE: In a quest for the revival, promotion and development of the lost glory of theatre in the country, the Lahore Arts Council has announced holding a 13-day “Alhamra Theatre Festival”, from August 30 (today) to September 11, 2018, in Hall No II of the Alhamra Art Centre, The Mall.

This was announced by Alhamra Arts Council Chairman and renowned artiste Tuqeer Nasir in a crowded press conference held in the Adabi Baithak at Alhamra Art Centre on Wednesday. Tauqeer Nasir, who has been attached to the sphere of drama and theatre for over 40 years, expressed the need for promotion, development and revival of the theatre in Pakistan, which once was a lighthouse for guidance and promotion of the socio-cultural values all over the world. He emphasised the need to show the world that Pakistanis were not the terrorists but a highly cultured, loving and art-loving people.

The Alhamra Arts Council chairman explained his visionary approach towards the revival of theatre, a universal vehicle through which civilised nations promoted their cultural assets and also their socio-cultural values in their society. He called the Alhamra Theatre Festival the first step in the quest for promoting soft image of the country. The veteran artiste, sharing his personal feelings with the media, said, “I wanted to be a soldier, however, the fate had something else for me in the stores, so I became an artiste .My soul is still like a soldier’s soul without uniform and I am an artiste and have been serving my country with all my heart and soul for over four decades in that capacity.”

Tauqeer Nasir said that he had been affiliated with the PTV for many decades which was the place from where he got his training. He said, “PTV has greatly contributed to reforming our society.”

He said he would leave no stone unturned for the revival and promotion of cultural assets of Pakistan in the country and abroad. “God-willing, I will take many initiatives in this direction”, he added.

He told the journalists that the Alhamra Theatre Festival would be a free entertainment for people of Lahore where various theatre dramas groups would stage their dramas. We want to revive our theatre and bring people back to the serious and quality theatre. Our basic aim is to celebrate the legacy of theatre in Lahore.”

It is pertinent to note that 15 renowned theatre groups, including Mass Foundation, LUMS University, Zig Zag Media Production, Sangat Theatre, Aks Theatre, Nau-Ratan Production, Punjab University, Sirimiri Production, Orange Media Production, Ajoka Theatre, Azaad Theatre and others will stage their dramas.

Lahore Arts Council Art and Culture Director Zulfiqar Ali Zulfi said the festival was being organised to promote the true spirit of theatre and provide vigorous entertainment to the audience. He said, “Let this festival be a source of happiness and joy for all.”

Alhamra Arts Council Public Information Officer Samreen Bukhari said, “The theatre festival is being organised in the supervision of Alhamra Arts Council Executive Director Atta Muhammad Khan who believes that, being progressive and responsible cultural organisation, LAC has always been a big supporter of the rich art and culture of Punjab. The LAC is organising the festival with the sense of responsibility to honour the luminous artistes of the theatre industry.”