Laughter shall always remain the best medicine

Karachi
It could well be equated with Shakespeare’s comedy of errors. A farcical comedy pivoting around a merry-go-round of impersonations, “80, 90, Pooray 100”, is a string of roaring laughter.
The Institute of Business Administration (IBA) Dramatics Society and the Special Olympics Pakistan joined hands to give the citizens of Karachi, groaning under the weight of news of killings and mayhem, a whiff of fresh air in the form of laughter whereby, at least temporarily, they get over the depression precipitated by an unbroken series of bad news.
The Urdu play, staged at
the IBA auditorium on Friday evening, is actually an adaptation of a farcical comedy based on the play by British playwright Michael Cooney, “Cash on Delivery”.
It centres round the antics of a person whose life is a series of impersonations and deceit.
In the Urdu version staged by the students of the IBA, the impersonator is Aamir, astutely played by Huzaifa Bin Ata. Even though he is Aamir, he sometimes impersonates one Amjad Bukhari. Samra (Raviya Mysorewala) is his devoted wife who is not really aware of his deceptive antics. There are plots galore, whereby, Irshad (Yogeshwar Karera) and Mamu Basheer are constantly spinning webs, along with Aamir through impersonation. They even fake the death of Mamu Basheer (Faizan Fazal). It is only towards the end of the play that the death is found to be faked when his “corpse” is running (or hopping) around with the shroud on, with the audience going into peals of laughter.
In fact, the slapstick comedy is chuckles all the way with plots folding and unfolding in quick succession.
Suffice it to say that Huzaifa Bin Ata’s role is most astutely executed with his clownish antics.
However, one who really stole the show with her acting prowess was Tooba Kamil Siddiqui as Nida. She really electrified her role with the lively, perky delivery of her monologues.
Another very impressive role was played by Kumail Gulani as Dr Faiz, with his compact, rotund form which really fitted his role.
Prior to the play, Asif Aadil, narrated his achievements as a special person including his participation at the Special Olympics in Washington and Beijing, having won accolades at the latter.
The way he spoke and delivered his monologues simply did not betray his disability. Even the denouement of the play is based on three people who are mentally handicapped, because of whom Aamir is finally compelled to confess his antics. They execute their roles so well despite their drawback.
Uzair Habib, who has been working for the welfare of such handicapped people, says, “To me the SOP (Special Olympics Pakistan) is not just a charity or a youth group, but is the platform which allowed me bring together people with and without intellectual disabilities and discover my humane side.”
“I see it as a means to create a more involved and aware generation ten years from now. Let’s crush intolerance and prejudice together.”