Fourth Day of Awaami Theatre Festival 2026 Draws Large Audiences at Arts Council Karachi

By: Aziz Khatri 

 Karachi: The Awaami Theatre Festival 2026, organized by the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi, continued with great enthusiasm on its fourth day as two Urdu stage plays — “Bohat Ho Gayi Begum” and “Tujh Pe Qurban” — were presented at Auditorium Two, drawing a large audience of theatre enthusiasts.

The first play of the evening, “Bohat Ho Gayi Begum,” was staged at 6:00 pm. Written by Syed Ali Darain and directed by Ahsan Amrohi, the play featured performances by Najma, Shabbir Bhatti, Tasneem Rana, Sitara Zaidi, Ali Raza, Sawera Shah, Umair Ayoub, Imran Ali Mani, Nasir Khan, Sapna Ghazal, and Naseem Butt.

Blending comedy with a strong reformative message, the play revolved around the life of a courtesan and highlighted societal hypocrisy. The story depicts a girl who escapes from a brothel after being sold by Jago and seeks refuge at the house of Seth Amjad, a timid man dominated by his wife. Moved by the girl’s plight, Seth Amjad offers her shelter. As the story unfolds, Seth Amjad’s son falls in love with the girl, a relationship fiercely opposed by his mother. Ultimately, Seth Amjad gathers the courage to confront his wife and declares that the girl, Seema, will only be married to his son, Naumi. The play conveyed a powerful message that a courtesan is also a woman and deserves dignity, respect, and a rightful place in society.

The second play, “Tujh Pe Qurban,” was staged at 8:00 pm. Written and directed by Hameed Rathore, the play starred Abdullah Lala, Irma Ahmed, Nasir Khan, Shabbir Bhatti, Shanzey, and Talha Bhojani. The story centered on DSP Aurangzeb, a police officer whose association with criminals begins to destroy his personal life. As the plot progresses, a gang leader named Shani influences the DSP’s unemployed son, drawing him into criminal activities. Disillusioned by the situation, the DSP’s wife Raheela leaves home, only to return later as an SSP posted in the same area. In a dramatic climax, during a police operation, Raheela arrests Shani, and DSP Aurangzeb is forced to shoot his own son when he attempts to kill her. The play highlighted the sacrifices of police officers, emphasizing that for them, the law remains supreme—even above personal relationships.

A large number of Karachiites attended the performances and appreciated the artists for their compelling performances and socially relevant themes, making the fourth day of the festival a resounding success.