'Saadhay 14 August': Wake-up call for people living, struggling in free Pakistan

Dawar Mehmood and Anwar Maqsood's iconic play Saadhay 14 August- an artistic rendition of the partition of India and creation of Pakistan has concluded its final leg of a trilogy.

The play which is written by living legend Anwar Maqsood, helmed by Dawar Mehmood, and produced under the banner of KopyKats Productions has been amusing audiences in Karachi Arts Council since August, 16th to mark Pakistan’s 75th anniversary.

The show highlighted Pakistan’s contemporary socio-political issues and recalled past events.

Anwar, left it to the audience to decide whether the creation of Pakistan was the right thing to do or not and what's next in order to preserve democracy to its true spirits.

The story catered two main characters - Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and India's founding father Mahatma Gandhi.

The characters- Jinnah and Gandhi-who visited four places including Kashmir, Lahore, Delhi, and London observed the current landscape and sought opinions of people on the division between India and Pakistan.

Apart from highlighting prevalent issues in Pakistan and across the border the conversation between the founding fathers left the audience in rib-tickling laughter and engaged the Karachiites with their humour and satirical punch lines.

In the end, Quaid’s thought-provoking monologue was a reminder to our generation and a wake-up call for the people struggling in 'free Pakistan' as it urged them to stand firm like a rock and believe in themselves no matter how things unfold.

To note, the trilogy started a decade ago as Pawnay 14 August, then Sawa 14 August, and ended on Saadhay 14 August.

It will run till November 2022 at the Arts Council of Pakistan.