Napa stages tale of separation, endless wait and longing for reunion

The ‘Sur Samundi’ in ‘Shah Jo Risalo’, poetic compilation of Sindh’s most famous and revered poet Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, depicts lives of Vanjaras — sailors who go to sea — and Vanjariyans — womenfolk who spend their lives yearning for their return. It’s a tale of separation, endless wait and longing for reunion.

Bhittai portrays a gamut of emotions women experience as their loved ones set sail despite their entreaties and they endure long, painful separation. He depicts how they spend days standing at the door with their eyes cast on the path in hope of their return, kindling floating lights at the shore, making wishes by tying tufts to trees, and praying day and night for their homecoming.

Varied colours of the Sur Samundi were brought to life at a play staged at the Zia Mohyeddin Auditorium of the National Academy of Performing Arts (Napa). The play was penned and directed by Shahnawaz Bhatti.

It was arguably a perfect time to put on the show. Winter is approaching and cold breeze from the north would start blowing in a matter of weeks. Back in the yore days the poetry is set in, it was time when seafarers, Vanjaras, would return to their abode after voyaging across seas in search of pearls and for trade.

Sar nisrya paand, utar laga, aao pireen! / Moon tu karer kandh sahseen sukhaon kayun. (The grasses are in full bloom, the north wind blows, come to me beloved! / I have made uncountable wishes for your return). The couplet tells us that the winter season has arrived but not the woman’s lover.

“The Sur Samundi in Bhittai’s poetry is a tale of Hijr-o-Firaq, separation and longing,” Bakshan Mehranvi, a stage compère and poet, said in an introductory speech. The play starts with Jummo, played by Johnny, proudly talking about how a great seafarer he was in his day as he voyaged across the seas and braved storms.

Having retired from seafaring, he now wants his son Manjhi (Sheeraz Khan), who has recently married Sippi (Sandia Sindhi), to take up the profession. Sippi opposes her husband becoming a mariner for a reason.

“My mother was a Vanjari who spent her entire life waiting for my father but he never returned,” she tells her friend Sayani (Rimsha Shehzadi), who has been longing to meet her beloved, Waryam, as the fifth winter is going by but he has not returned yet.

Sayani tells Sheral (Syed Ali), who is getting ready to set off on a voyage, to convey her message to her loved one if he happens to meet him during the journey that this is the fifth season after his departure the north winds have brought back his memories.

What made the play more special was a beautiful rendition of verses by Shah’s Faqirs with folk tunes that seamlessly blended with the performance, transporting the audience to another realm. Towards the end of the play, Sippi finally relents.

Sayee jobhan denh, jadahen sajjan safar halya! / Roan rahan na supreen, ayal! Karyan kien? / Munkhe charhe cheeyan, wayu vanjaro ohery! (In these days of my youth, my beloved has set sail! / I weep but my love doesn’t stay, mother! What can I do? / Setting me on a pyre, my beloved has sailed away!)

“For the first time Napa has started an outreach programme called Cultural Arts of Sindh, under which two plays are being performed in various cities of the province every month,” the academy’s CEO Junaid Zuberi told The News. “The first of the plays was staged in Karachi. There will also be performances in Larkana, Mirpurkhas, Sukkur, Hyderabad and Sujawal.”

He said artists also have been affected by the prevailing situation in the country, especially the floods. The plays are aimed at supporting them financially, as they would find work, as well as at bringing smiles on the faces of other affected people, he added.