- The GhanChakkar play, a farce directed by Farhan Rahim and written by Babar Jamal, was staged at the Karachi Arts Council on Sunday evening.
- A review found the script weak and reliant on crude humour, while the young cast was praised for its energy.
- The set resembled those of earlier productions, and costumes were inconsistent.
- The review also criticised repeated ticket checks at the hall entrance.
The GhanChakkar play at the Karachi Arts Council has been criticised in a review as unsuitable family entertainment. Staged on Sunday evening, it was described as a farce that leaned too heavily on crude and risqué humour.
In this article
The play followed The Odd Couple at the historic venue. The reviewer said it fitted a pattern in which farce has become the main genre on offer in the city's theatre scene.
In short, the GhanChakkar play offered an energetic young cast but, in the reviewer's view, a weak script. This report sets out the plot, the performances, the criticism of the script and staging, and the complaint about entry checks at the hall.
The GhanChakkar play plot: a bag, a bus and Rs 400 million
The story centres on an accountant from a low-income background who works nine to five and travels between home and office by public bus. One evening he takes the wrong bag by mistake. When he opens it later, he finds Rs 400 million inside.
The windfall sets off a chain of mix-ups involving his obedient wife and their visiting in-laws. A taxi driver and two police detectives are then drawn in, and the plot piles on identity swaps, outrageous lies and chaos.
The GhanChakkar play therefore rests on one mistake: a wrong bag taken by an accountant on a public bus. The mix-ups, identity swaps, lies and chaos all follow from the Rs 400 million he finds inside.
Young cast in the GhanChakkar play, with no big names
The production was directed by Farhan Rahim and written by Babar Jamal. It featured an entirely young cast without any established stars. The review called this one of its more encouraging features.
Holding a live audience for more than an hour is no easy task for recent graduates. The reviewer said the actors delivered an energetic and spontaneous performance. Direction, timing and stage lighting were also credited as effective.
Put simply, the cast of the GhanChakkar play had no established stars, yet the review praised its energy and spontaneity. That praise sat alongside sharp criticism of the writing.
Script and staging: where the GhanChakkar play fell short
The script drew the sharpest criticism. The review said it relied on lewd humour and predictable lines that produced laughter only occasionally, and often by accident. It also objected to repeated sexual themes and jokes about gender identity, which it said replaced wit and comic craft.
One character kept returning to the Urdu refrain 'Chee, Chee, Chee', an expression of disapproval. The reviewer suggested this phrase described the play itself. The final scene, in which the villain Mogambo is arrested after another character bites him, drew laughter from younger viewers but left adults unconvinced.
On the technical side, the set was almost identical to those used in The Odd Couple and Only English. Some costumes were inconsistent, and the two policemen appeared in different uniforms during the play.
Taken together, the review's complaints about the GhanChakkar play centred on the writing rather than the performances. The set and costume points were secondary to the criticism of the script, which drew the sharpest response.
Entry checks at the GhanChakkar play and the wider debate
The review also criticised the admission process at the Arts Council. Visitors had their wrists stamped and were then checked again at the hall entrance. It urged organisers to find a more graceful way of verifying tickets.
More broadly, the reviewer argued that Karachi has plenty of eccentric characters, social contradictions and everyday absurdities to draw on for comedy. It said institutions like the Arts Council need to draw a clear line between comedy and farce. It also noted that Only English, staged a week earlier, went so far as to sing the F-word aloud.
The complaint about entry checks was separate from the staging itself, but the review included it in its assessment of the evening at the Arts Council.
Background: farce in Karachi theatre and the GhanChakkar play
The GhanChakkar play arrived at a venue that had just staged The Odd Couple. Only English had been staged a week earlier. The reviewer said farce has become the main genre on offer in the city's theatre scene.
The set was almost identical to those used in The Odd Couple and Only English. The review also noted that Only English went so far as to sing the F-word aloud.
Against this background, the reviewer said institutions like the Arts Council need to draw a clear line between comedy and farce.
Explained: the review's verdict on the GhanChakkar play
What was praised: the entirely young cast, its energetic and spontaneous performance, and the direction, timing and stage lighting.
What was criticised in the GhanChakkar play: a script reliant on lewd humour and predictable lines, repeated sexual themes and jokes about gender identity, a set resembling earlier productions, inconsistent costumes, and repeated ticket checks at the hall entrance.
The reviewer described the play as unsuitable family entertainment and as a farce that leaned too heavily on crude and risqué humour. The same review said Karachi has plenty of material for comedy without relying on such jokes.
Questions and answers
What is the GhanChakkar play about?
It is a farce about an accountant who mistakenly takes the wrong bag on a public bus and finds Rs 400 million inside. The money leads to mix-ups involving his family, a taxi driver and two police detectives.
Who made the GhanChakkar play?
Farhan Rahim directed it and Babar Jamal wrote it. The cast was entirely young and included no big names.
What criticism did the GhanChakkar play receive?
The review called the script weak and said it relied on crude humour. It also noted a set similar to earlier productions, inconsistent costumes and repeated ticket checks at the entrance. The cast's energy and the stage lighting were praised.
When and where was the play staged?
The GhanChakkar play was staged at the Karachi Arts Council on Sunday evening. It followed The Odd Couple at the historic venue.
Was anything in the production praised?
Yes. The review praised the young cast for an energetic and spontaneous performance. Direction, timing and stage lighting were also credited as effective.
How does the story end?
In the GhanChakkar play's final scene, the villain Mogambo is arrested after another character bites him. The review said this drew laughter from younger viewers but left adults unconvinced.
What did the review say about ticket checks?
It said visitors had their wrists stamped and were then checked again at the hall entrance. It urged organisers to find a more graceful way of verifying tickets.
What did the review say about farce in Karachi theatre?
The reviewer said farce has become the main genre on offer in the city's theatre scene. It argued that institutions like the Arts Council need to draw a clear line between comedy and farce.
