| O |
n July 13, Alhamra’s Hall 2 transformed into a space for revelation and raw imagination as Olomopolo Media, in collaboration with Lahore Arts Council, presented Haajra Ka Maajra, a mystery play, performed by children from the Jantar Mantar OLO Summer Camp.
The line between fiction and fact was blurred, as the play offered not just entertainment but also a critique of the socio-psychological realities faced by Gen Alpha.
At first glance, it appeared to follow a lighthearted whodunit format: a mystery set in a schoolyard, complete with clues, secrets and shadowy suspects. Beneath the surface, Haajra Ka Maajra confronted deep questions, such as what dies in a child when their voice is ignored and how trauma manifests in spaces designed for growth, like schools, homes or playgrounds. The play showed how children lose their sense of self when they are constantly judged, ignored or silenced by the people around them.
Brazilian drama theorist Augusto Boal writes in Theatre of the Oppressed (1979) that theatre may function not just as a stage performance but also as a “rehearsal for reality.” In Haajra Ka Maajra, this was quite evident. The little actors didn’t merely act out their characters, they also seemed to use theatre as a medium of social commentary. Through song, dialogue and movement, they presented themes of peer pressure, parental neglect, surveillance in digital spaces and academic anxiety.
The production’s aesthetic power lay in its ability to externalise internal conflicts. Designed by Kanwal Khoosat and her team, the set echoed a distorted fairytale. Fire-lit shadows, ominous architecture and glowing motifs evoked a subconscious dream-like state. The mise en scène reflected the fragmented emotional realities of childhood under duress.
The narrative’s surrealism was a deliberate strategy — what French essayist and philosopher Roland Barthes would call “mythologising the everyday” and transforming mundane school routines into a landscape of existential reckoning. Credit for this ought to go to scriptwriter Farjad Nabi.
The narrative’s surrealism was a deliberate strategy — what French essayist and philosopher Roland Barthes would call “mythologising the everyday” and transforming mundane school routines into a landscape of existential reckoning.
The children’s musical performances deepened the emotional impact of Haajra Ka Maajra, with the lyrics expressing a profound crisis of identity and self-worth in a world where digital presence dictates value and silence often becomes a shield against overwhelm. This portrayal closely echoed contemporary American psychologist Jean Twenge’s observations in her 2017 book, iGen, where she linked the dramatic rise in anxiety and depression among the youth to hyper-connectivity, sleep disruption and reduced real-world interactions.
Twenge noted that the present-day adolescents are growing up “on the brink of a mental health crisis,” shaped by their constant exposure to screens and social validation loops. In this light, Haajra Ka Maajra becomes more than a school play; it’s a theatrical prognosis of a generation in emotional flux.
Under the thoughtful direction of Khoosat, the play shaped up as a raw, unfiltered view of growing up in the digital age. The result was a remarkably nuanced, emotionally intelligent performance that transformed clinical research into shared cultural expression.
In a cultural environment where children’s theatre is often reduced to simplistic morality tales, Haajra Ka Maajra proved to be a radical attempt. It empowered its young cast not only as performers but also as thinkers and critics. The Jantar Mantar Olo Summer Camp thus operated not as a passive summer diversion but as a platform for cultural pedagogy — what Brazilian educator Paulo Freire would describe as “education as the practice of freedom.”
Olomopolo Media’s dedication to socially conscious theatre is well established, but this production marked a powerful shift. By giving children space to reflect and perform their own stories — sometimes symbolically, sometimes directly — the organisation redefined the power dynamics of performance. The children were no longer just performers, or passive subjects of adult-written script; they became the authors of their experiences.
As the curtain closed, the applause was not just for a well-staged play; it was also for the raw honesty and courage of a new generation speaking out. Haajra Ka Maajra didn’t seek to solve a fictional mystery; it was a heartfelt challenge to adults to confront the real and often-ignored emotional world of children.
Amna Shahzad Arif is alecturer at National College of Arts. She is also pursuing hermaster’s in film and television from IstinyeUniversity, Istanbul