"Kaun Banega Badshah" entertains Islooites with political satire

ISLAMABAD (APP) - "Kaun Banega Badshah" - a theatre play based on political satire, was staged here late Saturday by Ajoka Theater at National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage, Lok Virsa to entertain the fun-lovers of federal capital.

Written and directed by Shahid Nadeem, the story revolved around the the problems being faced by the common people at the hands of the privileged elite in the current form of politics.

The show was an entertaining and humorous presentation and had four lead characters. The play was based on a game show hosted by "Big Boss" who is assisted by a well-spoken assistant "Nizam". The cast included Nayab Faiza, Usman Raj, Omar Dar, Ahsan Murad, Sohail Tariq, Qaiser Ali, Yaqub Masih, Aamir Sahotra and Shehzad Sadiq.

The play emphasized the importance of voting and ballot and was about the dynastic rule in the name of democracy and the importance of meaningful participation of the masses in the democratic process.

This issue is being debated at the highest level and the lowest while the game still hangs in the balance.

The story was designed as a game show conducted by a mysterious host and participated by four kids of the ruling families. The show was full of weird games, funny situations, song and dance but retained its serious hard-hitting message.

It was full of satirical songs and dances but it had a strong social message like all Ajoka plays which focus on socially-meaningful theatre and thus contribute to the struggle for a just and egalitarian society.

The plays of Ajoka strive to promote theatre in Pakistan by blending traditional theatre forms with modern techniques and provide entertainment which has a social relevance, said the organizers of the show.

Ajoka, which pioneered the theater movement in the country, was set up in 1983 by a group of young people led by Madeeha Gauhar, a TV actress and theatre director. Since then Ajoka has been continuously performing socially-meaningful plays within the country and abroad.