very Friday, Syed Moazzam Ali Shah, a small businessman, travels from hometown Sheikhupura to Lahore to purchase wholesale products. He visits markets and buys various items before couriering them to his business centre. Typically, he’d wind up his day with a hearty Lahori meal and then head to a theatre to watch a live performance.

A front-row seat, which afforded him a vantage view, had a heftier ticket price but he was happy to pay for it. He believes the largely extempore one-liners and the colourful item songs made it a fun watch. However, this past week, Shah had to return to Sheikhupura without his dose of entertainment, as all theatre halls in Lahore had been sealed.

On August 9, acting upon a report from the office of Lahore deputy commissioner, the Home Department sent notices to Tamaseel Theatre’s licensee Qaiser Sanaullah Khan; Sitara Theatre’s proprietor Malik Tariq Mahmood; and Naz Theatre’s owner, Malik Imran Dawood, regarding vulgarity and obscenity in their plays such as Nachay Sara Lahore, Jaanu, Eid Tay Bakra, and Paredesi Dhola. The theatre owners were given seven days to respond and prevent their licenses from being revoked under the Dramatic Performances Act, 1876.

Likewise, notices were sent to nine actors, including Nayab Khan, Sheela Chaudhry, Ayan Akhter, Roop Jatt, Farah Khan and Kajal Chaudhry. They too had to respond within seven days. Failure to do so would result in serious action against them.

The closure of theatres has not only affected avid viewers like Moazzam Ali Shah but also the livelihood of people associated with the business — actors and production and managerial staff included. Qaisar Sanaullah, who heads the Theatre Hall Owners’ Association, says that the livelihood of around 5,000 families is dependent on the theatre industry in Lahore alone. He refrains from directly commenting on the government’s operation but urges that the matter be resolved quickly in consultation with the stakeholders.

Ali Nawaz Malik, the information secretary, defends the timing of the operation by saying that it followed warnings issued to the theatre owners.

Amir Mir, the provincial caretaker minister for information, asserts that the government will not be swayed by those promoting indecency in the name of entertainment, nor will it yield to pressure. He says that those associated with vulgar theatre performances should have no claim to being genuine artists.

A seven-member committee, led by the executive director of the Punjab Council of Arts, has been tasked to propose revisions in the 150-year-old laws. The proposed amendments will be presented for approval in a cabinet meeting, with the aim to enforce a comprehensive ban on dance performances in stage plays.

He regards the proliferation of inappropriate dance performances in stage plays as contributing to moral decay. Hence, he says, government intervention is needed to check the negative trends and revive genuine theatre.

eanwhile, the Punjab government has formed a seven-member committee to amend laws in order to check indecent dance performances in live stage shows. The committee, led by the executive director of the Punjab Council of Arts, is tasked to propose revisions in the 150-year-old laws in a week’s time.

The proposed amendments will be presented for approval in a cabinet meeting, with the aim to enforce a comprehensive prohibition on dance performances in stage plays.

The intended changes in different laws, including the Dramatic Performance Act, shall preserve the essence of theatre, notes a press release. The Punjab Council of Arts Act empowers the Council to set rules and regulations for an effective implementation of the provisions under the said law.

A section of the society believes that stringent measures related to stage plays and theatre are vital to safeguarding culture and performing arts. The government’s move has also earned the support of the artist community who want to banish vulgarity from theatre. But there are also those who have serious concerns. In a press conference held recently, theatre veterans Amanat Chan, Qaiser Piya and others acknowledged that obscenity had harmed the reputation of theatre. However, they requested the government to make a distinction between those responsible for tarnishing the theatre’s image and those who are genuine artists. They also opposed the closure of theatres and stated that closure was not the solution.

The writer is a media veteran interested in politics, consumer rights and entrepreneurship

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