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	It was in 1979 that Sheema Kermani, along with a group of like-minded friends, formed Tehrik-e-Niswan. Thirty years later, it is still struggling to combat patriarchal attitudes of the society and is striving with persistence to create change in the lives of the people it reaches out to. Recently Tehrik-e-Niswan celebrated its 30 years by having a Theatre Festival stretching over almost the entire month of March. The opening was very interesting with a short documentary about the Tehrik, followed by some well-choreographed dance performances by Sheema and her students. The event showcased some of the best plays that Tehrik-e-Niswan has produced over the years. The first two days were commenced as a part of ‘Hamara Karachi Festival’. The opening night saw quite a few important names in the world of theatre such as Madiha Gauhar from Lahore’s Ajoka, Faizaan Peerzada from Rafi Peer Theatre and Asif Farrukhi, the writer representing Karachi. Speaking on the occasion, an overjoyed Sheema thanked everyone who had helped to make the festival a success. The chief guest, Deputy Nazim Nasreen Jalil was also present. The first play was ‘Anji’ which was performed on the opening night. It is based on Vijay Tendulkar’s Marathi play and was adapted and directed by Khalid Ahmad. First performed in 1985, it was about both the comic and the tragic aspects of Anji’s search for a husband. It was quite endearing to see the entire original cast of the play performing again. It was followed by ‘Birgees Qadar ka Kunba’. Set in Zia’s regime, the play had an underlying theme of repression, passion, and conformity. Birgees Qadar’s tyranny over her daughters foreshadows the stifling nature of a fascist regime. The character of Birjees, played by Shehnaz Ismail, was originally played by Khurshid Shahid and some were of the opinion that Khurshid Shahid’s performance was better than Shehnaz’s but in all honesty, it is unfair to compare the two as the former was a seasoned actress. Mahvash Faruqi’s performance as Hasan Bandi was appreciated by all and the intricately woven storyline captivated the audience till the end.

	‘Jinnay Lahore Nahin Vekhya’ had a full house indicating its already proven success in 1991. It was a story of 1947 set in Lahore, based on an actual incident. The poet Nasir Kazmi is one of the characters, he had migrated from Ambala to Lahore and his dialogues are taken from his letters and writings and his poetry is woven into the theme of the play. Hafeez Ali as Pehalwan, received a big round of applause and Adnan Shah (Tipu) who played the character of moulvi was also appreciated. ‘Ismat Ki Do Kahaniyan’, which was based on two short stories of Ismat Chughtai, was also a success as a typical, traditional environment was portrayed brilliantly. It was first performed in June 2008 at the Arts Council Theatre. ‘Uss Bewafa Kay Shehr Mein’ revolves around a content housewife till she discovers that her husband is having an affair with her best friend. Shehnaz Ismail, as the mother, looked completely different from her role in ‘Birjees Qadar ka kunba’ as she was draped in glamorous saris and modern attire. Sheema was perfect in her role as Wafa, the betrayed housewife and Arjumand performed well as a naïve and dumb girl who had the audacity to have a fling with her friend’s husband. Although the first day the play dragged a little but on the second day, it was altered and received better response. The sets for all the plays were designed keeping minimalism in mind and simple everyday objects were used as props so as to not overshadow the characters and the plays. Towards the end of the month, a musical based on ‘One Thousand and One Nights’ was performed and a Dance Festival will also be held in April. A good turnover of people was witnessed during the entire Festival. Overall, the whole Festival not only managed to revive theatre but also provided a reasonably priced entertainment for Karachiites.