What would he say if Ram could send one tweet from the forest? If Raavan could have a TED talk, what title would it be? A week before the premiere of “Ramayana” at the Pakistan Arts Council in Karachi on July 11, 30-year-old finance alum Yoshwar Karera shot a question of Karanjohar-style Rapid Fire with a cast of social media promotions.This was not a normal stage production. Hindu epics have never been performed in Pakistan before. The cast is entirely Muslim, except for the director, and the plays used AI to enhance storytelling. Despite recent tensions in the Indian Pack, it sold around 1,000 tickets and created talk on both sides of the border.“We didn't expect that kind of response,” Carrera says. Carrera was surprised by the congratulatory message poured for Mauji Collective, the theatre group he co-founded a year ago. He says that anything close to the war between the two countries had no effect on the play. “We didn't have any reservations about staging it at all. Only the media asked these questions. In fact, I didn't think this might be considered sensitive or controversial.”“This is a story of universal values, ours.”People from all backgrounds came regardless of their religion. A family with children, students, seniors, everyone. Kazmi, who played the role of Sita, told me how a friend explained each scene to the child. Samhan Gazi brought intense strength to Ravan's role. Karachi, Cindy, who moved to Karachi in her teens, says the charm of the epic tale of thoriumfing, which is better than the evil young man. “I was five years old and it was my first time seeing Ramanand Saga Ramayan at Duardarshan. The story grabbed me from the beginning,” Carrera says. After obtaining his diploma at Pakistan's National Academy of Performing Arts, Carrera and two friends, Kazumi and Sana Toah, founded the Mauji Collective. A year ago, the theatre company uses tech-savvy stagecraft, social media talent, and scripts that tell the younger generations. Some interpreted Mauji's “Ramayana” as a statement on religious unity, but the group argues that it is not about sending a message. “None of us felt like we were telling stories outside of the world we live in. I grew up in this Ramayana story. I may not be religiously part of the community, but this is a story of our subcontinent. Some Sanskrit and Hindi words fit the terms well known to the Karachi audience. For example, “Prakriti” has become “Kudrat”. Sometimes this will lead to interesting confusion. “In one scene, Hanuman is supposed to give me a ring. Now I know that the word “anti” means “ring” and that's it. However, one day during rehearsals, Jiblan Khan (playing Hanuman) says, “AAP is Mundrika Ko Dekhein.” I was just standing there, “Where am I looking? What is Mundrika?” laughing Kazumi.
