Laughter out of control!
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Grips theatre from Pakistan staged its political satire "Lines Out of Control" at India Habitat Centre this past week. RANA SIDDIQUI speaks to some its key members.
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Members of Pakistan theatre group Grips and the organisers of Routes-2-Roots in New Delhi. Photo: V. Sudershan.
THIS PAST week, the audience in the Stein Auditorium at India Habitat Centre was rolling in laughter at almost every dialogue delivered in the play "Lines Out of Control" presented by Grips Theatre Artistes from Pakistan. It was a take on social, political, military and economic conditions of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, the U.S., etc. From Meera to Monika Lewinski, saas-bahu serials to Saddam Hussain, Benazir to Bush, it spared none from its sting operation, all wrapped in satire.
This is the first Pakistani play brought to India by Routes-2-Roots, a newly-launched organisation dedicated to the cause of bringing India and Pakistan closer through cultural events. Grips, the mother body of which is in West Germany, is the "oldest operational theatre group" in Pakistan which was originally started as children's theatre, says Khalid Anam, a member of Grips and Pakistan TV's only `A Category' actor, singer, lyricist and compere. Started in 1985 by the famous Pakistani writer and theatre person Imran Aslam along with Yasmin Ismail, Grips in Pakistan is synonymous with revolutionary political satire. Says Anam, "In Pakistan, we have two extreme schools of theatre; Shakespearean and Umar Sharief, the former is very serious while the latter is too light. Grips is placed between the two. We do stand up comedies now, while earlier we used to do adaptations of Children's play from Germany." Adds Faiza Kazi, the oldest and the leading member of Grips, "We did not take children to play their part because children could begin them but not sustain it throughout the play. For 20 years I played a small child and the audience accepted it. In 1990, we changed the course of the play. I must say that people in Pakistan have great patience level. They take everything in their stride. They have a great sense of humour. And we have great freedom of expression there."
Theatre culture
Though, earlier, there was negligible theatre culture in Pakistan it is picking up. Now many acting schools are coming up there. "Earlier we had only `Ajoba' theatre group by Sahid Nadeem and Madiha, and Sohail Malik as the only famous theatre writer. Now we even have a special theatre group for women called `Tahreek-e-Niswan" which takes up serious women issues. The audience for the plays is growing very fast," says Khalid Sajeeruddin, a member of the Grips.
"We did not see much of Indian theatre because theatre groups do not come there. But we definitely want that a cross of theatre should take place between the two courtiers," he adds. "If partition was the political need 58 years ago, they let it happen. Now unification is the need of today, so let it be," adds Anam.
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