Anwar Maqsood Makes History: Saadhey 14th August completed 100 Performances

• On October 17, ’22, after 100 performances in Karachi, Saadhay 14 August closed to the enthusiastic applause of the city’s theatregoers
• After earning rave reviews in Karachi, the play is set to make history when it opens in Islamabad on November 9
• The theatre is crowded with people of all ages and both sexes waiting for the show to begin

When it does, you can tell the audience is having a great time because the hall will be filled with the sound of laughter. This and much more was achieved by each and every performance of “Saadhay 14 August,” written by the renowned Anwar Maqsood and directed by Dawar Mehmood (KopyKats Productions). The play has been played one hundred times in one city, drawing in diverse crowds of all ages and demographics each night.

The leaders of the Indo-Pak Partition, Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Mahatma Gandhi, are depicted as being tried in court to determine if the decision to split India in two was in the best interests of modern-day Pakistan and India. Many were left wondering about and applauding the play’s central premise because of how accurately it portrayed Pakistan and India and how it dealt with the political and social instability now experienced by both countries. In order to ascertain whether or not they made the right decision, Gandhi and Jinnah travel to Kashmir, Lahore, New Delhi, and finally London.

The dialogue, topicality, settings, scenarios, and—most importantly—performances were all a great synthesis of real-life tragedies experienced by people in the two countries. The crowd showed their pleasure for the performance by nodding, cheering, and laughing at the magnificent patchwork created by the music and stories. The satire comedy Saadhay 14 August was not just hilarious but also very timely.

Ten years ago, on August 14, the play’s outstanding cast first took the stage. The beginning of this trilogy of August 14s was on Pawnay, then Sawa, and finally Saadhay. On the occasion of Pakistan’s 75th birthday, Saadhay 14 August premiered at the Karachi Arts Council. The Saadhay 14 August cast and crew managed to put up a hundred shows in Karachi. In Karachi, audiences and critics alike reacted enthusiastically to the play, applauding its artistry and brilliance.

Dawar Mehmood’s brilliant direction brings Anwar Maqsood’s flawless script to life, taking the drama to a new level. Mehmood has received widespread appreciation for his extraordinary abilities, for which he has been recognised by the theatre community at large. The writing and directing team of the 14 August trilogy has also been responsible for the critically acclaimed plays Aangan Terrha, Half Plate, Dharna, and Siachen. The play also has the young, bright, and ambitious director portraying Jinnah, a role in which he received acclaim for his believable performance and polished delivery of lines.

When questioned about his goals for Islamabad, Mehmood said, “We intend to surpass the supporters’ expectations in Islamabad just like we did in Karachi.” The play has everything that makes for a successful theatrical production: a superb script authored by none other than Anwar Maqsood; outstanding performances; well-crafted scenes; and sets that take into account the particulars of each setting.

Saadhay 14 August is a perfect example of how a serious topic can be portrayed in a humorous, engaging, and thought-provoking manner without losing the interest of the viewer.

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