In a press conference held at the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi, KopyKats Productions announced a new schedule for their latest endeavour to the media and the arts and entertainment fraternity. This press conference was well-attended by the press fraternity and had leading cast Amna Ilyas, President Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi Ahmed Shah, writer of Ankahi Haseena Moin, Director Dawar Mehmood and writers Ankahi 2020 (Ankahi 2.0) Sajid Hussain and Saqib Sumeer on stage to share their experiences and also to answer questions raised by members of press.
Originally scheduled to begin in Karachi in March, the play had to be postponed due to the challenges imposed by the Corona virus pandemic. However, the cast and crew met at Arts Council today to announce their return to this much-anticipated project. New date of Ankahi 2020 is 20 October 2020. All operations leading upto the show as well as public viewing will strictly adhere to standard operating procedures (SOP’s) put in place to ensure the spread of Corona virus is curtailed.
President of Arts council of Pakistan Karachi, Mr Ahmed Shah who gave Dawar Mehmood the idea of recreating Ankahi for stage, began proceedings by expressing delight at seeing the likes of Haseena Moin, Sajid Hussain and Dawar Mehmood promoting theatre, which he referred to as the ‘foundation of acting’. He said; “it’s hearting to see stalwarts from golden era of television combining with modern creative geniuses of theatre and i am proud that the Arts Council can provide stage for such a production especially in these challenging times.”
President of Arts Council said; “I am very excited at the re-opening of our platform in times when entertainment is very necessary. We will diligently abide by all safety protocols around COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that life goes on after a long battle with the virus which isn’t over yet. Hence we must remain responsible. Our main hall has a capacity of around 400, but due to on-going situation there will be two shows daily each, with each show catering to maximum 200 people”.
Replying to a question on Haseena Moin, Ahmed Shah said; “Haseena Moin is a legendary play- writer and it felt like an honour when Haseena Moin consented on my idea of adapting Ankahi along-with Dawar Mehmood. All the changes/adaptions in the script are approved by Haseena Moin herself. Before opting for Ankahi we also discussed Haseena Moin’s two other plays ‘Dhoop Kinaaray’ and ‘Shezori’. ‘Dhoop kinaaray’ seems suitable for film and Shezori all set to come up next on theatre as its script is ready.”
Veteran actor Sajid Hussain lauded Haseena Moin’s generosity for following her drama to be recreated for stage. He said; “it is a testament to her brilliance that Ankahi is making waves in 2020. In our society, outstanding individuals like Haseena Moin do not get the recognition they merit. We would like to encourage people to watch Ankahi as I am sure they will enjoy its adaption for stage. I am very excited about this project, as this is our tribute to the great Haseena Moin. I am glad we now getting the opportunity to finish what we started earlier this year but the onus remains on all of us to remain mindful and follow SOP’s to prevent the virus from spreading”.
Replying to question on Haseena Moin, Sajid Hussain said; “Haseena aapa is a legendary writer; she is a legend not only in Pakistan but in India also. There was a time when, Karachites use to rush home just to see dramas of Haseena aapa. There is no alternate for experience and this was a very unique experience for me, re-writing what Haseesa Aapa had written 38 years ago. She was very strict and fought over every line, Saqib Sameer my co-writer for this project was also very helpful and i learned a lot from him too”. Sajid Hussain concluded on note that; “there is no comparison between two Ankahi dramas. One was recorded for television and that too during 1982 and this one made for theatre and during 2020”.
Saqib Sameer one of the co-writer of Ankahi 2020 (Ankahi 2.0) praised all the team members and said; “during this project I learnt a lot from Sajid Hussain, Haseena Moin and other seniors. Dawar Mehmood is someone who believes in perfection, in simplest words he can be described as a perfectionist. All of this hard work will defiantly get results when it goes onstage”.
Legendary play-writer Haseena Moin spoke about the challenges the production team will face in recreating a drama adored by the public but believed that despite the comparison that will be drawn to her original drama, Dawar Mehmood has the mettle to overcome such challenges with creative flair. She said; “It is a challenge but transition isn’t as difficult a task for this team as you would imagine. I will be pleased to see it win the audiences hearts once again, which I believe it will. I have fond memories attached to Ankahi and I am certain its re-creation on stage will give us all new ones to savour”. She said that; “Sana Murad cannot come again, this Ankahi is adapted as per today’s situation and that was made during that era”.
Director of the play Dawar Mehmood admitted that his endeavour was courageous but one that will not leave the audiences disappointed. He said;”we would like to pay tribute to one of the finest play-writer the country has ever seen. Unlike its inspiration Ankahi 2.0 is set in the present day, but will still depict urban middle class life with panache that is pre-requisite for a stage production. I assure you that no one will go home disappointed, be it those who grew up watching the original drama or the generation that hasn’t seen it yet. We will make sure that members of crew as well as the audience strictly follow the government and WHO guidelines for Corona virus pandemic to ensure the resumption of arts & entertainment doesn’t exacerbate the spread of the virus.”
Replying to a question Director of Ankahi 2020 Dawar Mehmood said; “converting 22 episodes into a 90 minute play fit for theatre wasn’t that easy at all, neither for me a director nor for writers. But we have a lot of hard-work and are hopeful that audience will enjoy Ankahi 2020.”
One of the journalist asked why did you choose Amna Ilyas for this very difficult role of Sana Murad? This turned out to be a very sensible question as Amna Ilyas hasn’t done much on theatre and very few on televisions and on films. Sanam Saeed would have been an excellent choice, she is the best theatre actress we have today and if you are keep in mind the role of Sana Murad from original Ankahi of 1982. Dawar Mehmood replied that; “Amna Ilyas is the perfect choice for role of Sana Murad and rest you can only say after watching the Ankahi 2020.”
Ankahi, the legendary Haseena Moin’s classic hit from the golden era of Pakistan Television, will make a transition from screen to stage in the form of contemporary adaption directed by Dawar Mehmood. The masterpiece from 1982 will be re-invented for theatre under Haseena Moin’s patronage, while veteran actor Sajid Hussain will pen the script along-side theatre aficionado Saqib Sumeer. The production stars Amna Ilyas in the lead role as Sana Murad, which was originally played by the iconic actresses Shehnaz Sheikh.
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