ISLAMABAD: The Citizens Foundation (TCF) in collaboration with Zain Ahmed is presenting ‘Heer Ranjha’, an epic folklore and a love story that has melted hearts for years, to raise funds for educating the less-privileged children of Pakistan.
Inspired by Waris Shah’s poetry and based on the evergreen script of Kaifi Azmi, the stage play is being directed by Zain Ahmed, currently the Artistic Director of the NAPA Repertory and Festival Director of the NAPA International Theatre and Music Festival. The play will be showcasing performances of powerhouses, the likes of Sanam Saeed (Heer), Arshad Mahmood (Heer’s father) and Samina Ahmed (Heer’s mother) and will be in Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad this September.
“Bringing Heer Ranjha to theatre is a small step to revitalise people’s interest in classic Urdu literature. These stories and the writers are our assets that unfortunately the young generation is not even aware of. The play is also an effort to help the cause of education as all proceeds from this play will go to TCF. We chose TCF because they are a leading name in the social sector and are literally transforming the lives of the deserving children by giving them the gift of education,” said Zain Ahmed, Director.
Heer Ranjha is a story of undying love that many still quote and look up to. It’s an age old tale of the star-crossed lovers, Heer who belongs to Jhang and Ranjha who belongs to Takht Hazara. Upon a chance meeting, Ranjha falls in love with Heer at first sight. He is enraptured by her beauty and charms. Heer is also attracted to him but is disappointed when she discovers that their families have been enemies for generations. However, these lovers vow to fight for their love. Who wins this war of love and egos remains to be seen.
“We are proud of Zain and the entire cast and crew of the play for taking up this great task of bringing Heer Ranjha to the theatre as an Urdu musical. The fact that this team is contributing to the cause of education giving their talent and time to help more deserving children go to school, is praiseworthy. We are grateful to them for becoming a part of the TCF movement and playing an important role in making education a reality for those who have little chance of having access to quality education otherwise,” said TCF’s CEO, Syed Asaad Ayub Ahmad.
Heer Ranjha – the Urdu musical will be performed in Karachi from 7-11 September, Lahore from 13-14 September and Faisalabad from 16-17 September. For the Karachi show, the tickets are available at Neco’s Bukhari, Neco’s Dolmen Mall – Clifton and Agha’s.
