One of the many ways that we “entertain” ourselves these days is through plays and films.....
HAPPENINGS
One of the many ways that we “entertain” ourselves these days is through plays and films. But, given a choice between cinematic experience and theatre, which one are you going to choose? Is it movies because they are the “popular” medium? Or, do you pick depending on the “big names” associated with the creative production? Would you care if a theatrical group, one that came into being some two years ago, reconnects you to your culture? Your literature staged in your language. If you do, you’re going to be very interested in what Qissa Go (Urdu for storyteller) offers.
Qissa Go have been promoting, preserving, and celebrating South Asian languages (and literature) since October 2016; they also began a series of open mic dedicated to the entire region. Using the medium to talk about important issues in the region is an interesting technique to raise awareness amongst their target audience. “We believe this region has so much potential and a rich heritage; it’s quite unfortunate that our youth is disconnected with it,” says Tanya Shakil Daud, Founder Qissa Go. Coming from a mixed heritage family - an Indian father and a Pakistani mother - Tanya has always been fascinated by the multiple languages of the region on a personal level. The fact that we as a community don’t take pride in, and own our history or at least appreciate languages, like Urdu, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi used to bother her.
This year, the focus is climate change. As we observe all too often, it’s just talks and no action is taken to control it. Their theatrical play, Ganj i Shakr, recently showcased in Dubai, is the first step of this campaign. “We feel a sense of responsibility as a group that we should not just preach in our play, but to actually go out and do that work within the community. And so we are partnering with various initiatives in the UAE and beyond for community outreach phase of the campaign,” she explains.
It’s extraordinary when we look at their journey in retrospect. Even though being in business for nearly two and a half years gave them a pretty good base of people and they were able to put out calls for auditions within the expat community of South Asians in the UAE, there were still some challenges. Qissa Go is meant for the community by the community. It is to support new storytellers, actors, writers, musicians, singers and dancers to begin with. It is to create a community space where locals are able to work in their own languages - a pioneer in this case literally as productions were mainly in English and it was rare to see homegrown talent working in Urdu or Hindi. So it’s about creating this sense of identity as well as a feeling of pride in that identity.
Then, theatre is still not an established form of entertainment in UAE. People are still skeptical of how much they’ll have to pay for this kind of art. They want to see something good but unless there are big names involved, they are unwilling to be a part of it. “Our aim is a change of mindset. Theatre is not merely a hobby. It is a full time job which requires dedication, time, and a lot of effort. I hope we can reach that level where we can pay artists accordingly.”
And, when you consider the cultural barriers, it comes as little surprise that it’s difficult to get financial sponsors on board, to make them realise the value of putting out something like this, on a bigger scale, with great audiovisuals.
The show has been very well received by the spectators. It was written by Syed Faraz Ali; Fraz Ajmal was the head of production; Sarfaraz Ali did the original score. Everything from how professional the event was to the quality of the play and acting of performers (many of whom were first timers) was commended!
“I think success is when I do what makes me happy. Things that I am passionate about, I tend to do them to the best of my ability. And when I feel I am making an impact in the community, then surely I am successful,” Tanya talks about how she measures success.
“My advice is to be persistent; the quality of your work or your reach as an artist will be recognised. While you are at it, make sure you are ethical in your dealings with other people. Don’t steal; don’t think it’s okay to not give credit to another’s work or to run off with someone else’s idea; be original. Finally, be professional in your approach to work. You should not waste someone’s time; you have to work responsibly. Don’t take creative liberty as an excuse to portray inaccurate stuff. Most importantly, don’t take criticism negatively. Always try to do things with a perspective that you are learning.”
Photo credits: Zoya Tariq
