Amongst all art forms theatre is the most direct human form of expression and plays a very important and impactful role not only for individuals but communities as well.
theatre
Amongst all art forms theatre is the most direct human form of expression and plays a very important and impactful role not only for individuals but communities as well. It is a platform where people can also find things relatable and hence it becomes easy to derive their attention towards a certain cause. This is the reason why comedy play ‘Sab Golmaal Hai’ was brought to Karachi’s Arts Council recently, in order to raise funds for Special Olympics Pakistan (SOP). The play, written by Muhammad Babar Jamal, was directed by Zeeshan Haider and produced by SOP’s ambassador, Sarwat Gilani. All the proceedings of this charity play went towards transforming the lives of people with intellectual disabilities, which made this initiative very unique and heart touching.
The play revolves around a common man who finds himself in unusual circumstances. Abid (Ishtiaq Umar) unknowingly swaps briefcases with an unknown person and in exchange of his lunch finds himself Rs 50 million richer. Things go haywire when he asks his wife (Erum Bashir) to cancel his birthday dinner and escape to Dubai via many destinations including Kabul. ‘Sab Golmaal Hai’ also included Syed Ahmer Hussain, Syeda Frozan Mustafa, Muhammad Farhan Alam Siddiqui and others in some very interesting roles.
According to the play’s producer Sarwat Gilani, there was a particular reason behind choosing a comedy drama for a serious cause. “Usually, people talk about intellectually disabled persons in a very sorry way, while if you meet our athletes they are full of life and positivity. It is this positivity and fresh outlook that we want to spread, because neither the athletes nor the cause has anything to do with sadness. In fact, it has everything to do with a bright future and a positive outlook on life,” she informed.
When we asked what has been the response from public, Gilani enthused, “This is the second Special Olympics Play after ‘Kiski Topi Kis Ke Sar’, which we did a few years ago for the same purpose. It has been a great experience and we have received a fantastic feedback so far!”
Over all, the play was something that had some gripping and comic one-liners that left people in splits. Despite some bizarre repetitive jokes, the comic timing of most of the cast members was commendable. Hopefully, such kind of causes may pave the way for more charity programs along with the provision of pleasure and entertainment to the commoners through art.
