Realistic sets, invigorating performances, and a couple of well-rehearsed musical numbers every now and then adorned the thrilling evening with wit and delight. Madeeha Gauhar never falters in presenting savage productions and “Bala King” was no exception. Her brilliant expertise once again revived the play in full glory after 18 years, attracting audiences from all walks of life to the Alhamra Hall on both Tuesday and Wednesday.
The political satire was produced in collaboration with the Lahore Arts Council.
In the original parody, “The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui” written in 1941, Bertolt Brecht had attempted to filter the rise of fascism in Germany through an allegory of gangsters trying to take over the cauliflower business in 1930s Chicago. He had coloured the hoodlums as a reminiscent of Adolf Hitler, penning down their journey from nobodies to notorious leaders who bootlegged their way to power. Nadeem’s adaptation, however, replaced Ui-Brecht’s protagonist–by Bala, an unemployed pehlwan from Taxali Gate adda, who turns into a legendary gang leader active in the road transport cliques reigning over Badami Bagh. The area was then ruled by businessmen, ever so ready to flex their principles in order to advance monetary designs. Bala is shrewd enough to see these ubiquitous loopholes as steps to his own success. The previous wimpy kid soon gains confidence and muscles in on all vulnerable nooks present in the network, twisting them as he pleases. Accompanied by his violent associates, the former schmuck does not take long before enveloping many others into his folds. He bribes, blackmails and intimidates the business community, complying them to come under his protection. The production then takes a marvellous turn and Bala Pehlwan decides to improve his presentation skills, changing his name to Bala King, in order to manifest his superiority over all opposition. Voila, a new absolute power is born!
In her opening remarks, Gauhar opined that the play was remarkably similar to the present day political scenario, further asserting that the play had a lot to offer when it came to political corruption. Democracy in Pakistan has been repeatedly stained with accusations of fraudulent practices. People here are seen making the same choices again and again despite suffering from the consequences of their own selection. Gauhar lamented this dismal approach that had withstood all shambolic political advances made in the last two decades. “Sadly, the situation and circumstances don’t seem to have changed much since then. We are still standing at the same spot and so, Ajoka Theatre decided to re-enact the play,” she added.
Back then, Brecht had portrayed the rise of Hitler in his piece, postulating that had the civil society stood up against him, his ascent to power could never have realized. In the meanwhile, “Bala King” serves to rejuvenate its viewers into pondering over the corollaries of their electoral selection. Political corruption has long been deliberated by theatrical productions as a highly relevant theme to Pakistani setting. The bombast that cascades through political corridors in conjunction with the exploitation of masses in the face of wishful thinking continues to go unchecked. And this self-serving reminder is exactly what “Bala King” is all about. Ajoka has brilliantly sent the message loud and clear-it is high time that the country wakes up to start weighing in the after effects of their decisions. Nadeem and Gauhar have both lived up to the expectations by producing the powerful play. One could simply not look away from the elaborate backdrops, the intricate props. Savage and clear, all the dialogues were worth introspection. Local elements infused well with the German macabre of mesmerizing tragedy to address directly the calamities of today.
In its observance of the Urs celebrations of Hazrat Baba Bulleh Shah, Ajoka Theatre also presented a tribute to the mystic on Thursday.