By Aziz Khatri

KARACHI: The School of Visual & Performing Arts (SOVAPA) of the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi has presented the fifth production of its Alumni Series, the acclaimed Urdu classical drama Naql-e-Makani, receiving widespread appreciation from audiences for its powerful storytelling and outstanding performances.

Staged at Studio II, the play was written by legendary fiction writer Rajinder Singh Bedi and directed by Farhan Ahsan, with Aayan Aamir serving as assistant director.

The lead roles were performed by Alaiza Javed as Azra and Adil Shakir as Nafees, while the supporting cast included Hamza Ranjha as Saiyaan Sharabi, Sheriyar Anwar as Banwari Lal, Bharat Kumar as Mirza Shaukat, Hassan Malik as the Policeman, Aayan Aamir as the Constable and Daniyal Naeem as Shiv Bharat.

Performed in Urdu with a duration of 60 minutes, Naql-e-Makani is set in Delhi in 1945 and tells the story of a middle-class family that finally finds a home after years of hardship. However, their happiness begins to fade after they learn that the house was previously linked to a woman considered socially unacceptable, a rumour confirmed by a local paan seller.