Partition — reliving the horror

SD Sharma

Chandigarh, June 20

The anguish,  horror and pangs of Partition were relived during the classic play ‘Jiss Lahore Nahin Dekhea’ under the direction of acclaimed directors Veena Dhir and Sudesh Sharma  on Day 2 of the ongoing fifth TFT  summer theatre festival at Tagore Theatre today.

Written by Asgar Wajahat Mirza, the play analysed the fundamental causes  of  staking of hate and communal divide by cynical political and religious class to generate violence against the credulous masses.  

The play opens to the looting, arson and massacre of hapless Hindu denizens  in Lahore  when both India and newly formed Pakistan were  flooded with uprooted, tormented and devastated refugees.

The play describes the plight of  Mirza family displaced from Lucknow and  allotted a haveli once owned by famous jeweler Ratan. To their utter surprise the old mother of Rattan, believed to be killed, resists the occupation  because of her emotional bond with Haveli while   Mirza’s insist her to migrate to India. This brews contempt and hatred while the evil forces like a Pehalwan appear on the scene only to threatens Mirza for dire consequences if  Mai is not  ousted.

After an initial grouse, Mirza family  reconciles as hatred gets transformed to love and affection.

The Begum offering Namaz with shoes on was not desirable. However,  the  play was enlivened with powerful portrayal of characters by  Souabh ( Maulvi), Rahul Chooudhri ( Shayer Nasir),    Mirza  Navdeep Singh (Mirza), Navjeet Kaur (Begum), Sarthak Bajaj (Javed) and above all Rajni Bajaj (Mai).  Functional sets by Sudesh Sharma and Harwinder Saini recreated the right ambience.

TFT president Madan Sapthu welcomed chief guest Manish Grover, Haryana minister, besides  RK Khullar, IAS. Dr KK Khandelwal, IAS, and others honoured the cast.