Zambeel Dramatic Readings

SHIGAAF at IVS Gallery, as part of ‘State of Being So Divided’: Two short stories. The Body and Tashnagi

The Body
By Afsan Chowdhry, translated from Bangla by Sabreena Ahmed
Extracted from “Fault Lines. Stories of 1971”
Editors, Niaz Zaman and Asif Farrukhi
The University Press Limited, Dhaka, Bangladesh, 2008

Tashnagi
By Masood Mufti
Extracted from “Pakistan kay Shahkaar Urdu Afsanay”
Editor, Mirza Hamid Baig
Alhamra Publishing , Islamabad, Pakistan, 2000

Zambeel Dramatic Readings aims to present texts in Urdu and English rendered in their dramatised form, to create a dynamic collusion between literature and performance. Referencing traditions of storytelling and the contemporary form of the radio play, our works traverse time and geographical boundaries to interpret and enliven narratives through sound and recitation.

Mahvash Faruqi is an educator and theatre practitioner and has been an integral member of the theatre group Tehrik e Niswan for 13 years. Continuing the legacy of her illustrious family, Mahvash has performed in numerous well-known theatre productions, attended several workshops conducted by eminent theatre directors and has toured internationally and within Pakistan. Mahvash has also acted for television plays for independent production house, but her main interest remains with theatre.

Saife Hasan initiated his career in the performing arts with the theatre group Tehrik e Niswan in 1997. Apart from his talents as an actor for stage, Saife is also a well-known actor for television and has received recognition for his work as a television director. He has over the past years directed popular plays for production houses like Hum Television and TV One.

Asma Mundrawala is a visual artist and theatre practitioner with a DPhil degree from the University of Sussex UK. She is also associated with art education and is currently teaching in the Department of Fine Art at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture. Like her colleagues, Asma has also been associated with Tehrik e NIswan since 1997. Asma has directed a stage play in 2008 and this is her third directional venture for Zambeel Dramatic Readings.