Ajoka’s play shines at festival finale in China

LAHORE : Ajoka's play "Jhalli Kithay Javay" was presented at the grand closing ceremony of the South-Southeast Asi Drama Festival in Kunming. The play received prolonged applause and acclaim from a packed Yunnan Arts Council Hall, which included theatre scholars, artists, students and Yunnan government officials. Ajoka's actors included Nirvaan Nadeem and Erum Navaee.

The cast included School of Drama students of the Yunnan Arts University. The play was performed in Punjabi folk theatre style but use of elements such as traditional Chinese drum and flute made it a fine example of Pak-China cultural collaboration. Writer and director of the play said this was perhaps the first time that Pakistani and Chinese collaborated a theatre play and praised the contribution of Chinese actors and technicians in making the play a great success.

Nirvaan Nadeem said he was much inspired by the audience response and Yunnan Arts University students and teachers. Erum Navaee who played "Jhalli" in the play said she was overawed by the enthusiastic audience response and learned a lot by working with Chinese actors.