Islamabad:
The timeless mysticism of Sufi romance has come to life on stage while the classic Punjabi folk tale, Saiful Malok, was played in Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA).
The event, organized in collaboration with Dolphin Communication, celebrated the literary and spiritual heritage of Pakistan through a theatrical tribute to the emblematic poem of Hazrat Mian Muhammad Bakhsh.
Directed by the famous writer and CEO of communication Dolphin Asma Butt, production paid tribute to the legendary Sufi poet whose verses continue to resonate through generations with themes of divine love, sacrifice and spiritual awakening.
The rich narration and the moving performances of the play transported the public to the ethereal world of Prince Saif and Fairy Badiul Jamal.
The public, which included artists, writers, intellectuals and students, was immersed in a visually and emotionally moving experience that highlighted the lasting depth of Punjab and oral narration traditions of cashmere.
Member of the National Assembly Shazia Farid, who participated in the guest as a chief guest, praised the performance and praised the vision of Asma Butt. “Giving life to Saiful Malok on stage is not only narration-it is cultural preservation. This production reflects the emotional depth of our folklore and the artistic sensitivity of our artists,” she said.
The other notable participants were the organizer of the PNCA program, Dr. Waqar Azim; Judge Raheel Yousafzai; Saeen Ejaz; Naveed Kanwal; Naeem Pasha; Shakeel Awan; and Abid Abbasi. All have expressed their admiration for the rebirth of such significant and heritage content.
The Cast featured a talented Ensemble of Actors from Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Including Kaleem Khan, Nirmal Ali, Arshad Khan, Shazia Adeeb, Jhalak Ali, Raiha Yousaf, Shama Adil, Afzal Latifi, Raheel Ejaz, Shabbir Shah, Aslam Mughal, Arshad Mehmood, Mehboob Ilyas, Muhammad Ali, Mumtaz Khan, Farooq Jani, Noor and others.
An out -of -competition moment came during the powerful recitation by AFZAL Latifi of the Mian Muhammad Bakhsh verses, which spoke of a spiritual atmosphere and attracted spontaneous applause. The evocative direction of the play, the traditional music and the atmospheric game design combined to offer an entirely immersive theatrical experience.
In her closing remarks, director Asma Butt described the production of “love work”. She added: “Our goal was not only to entertain, but to reconnect the public with their roots, their language and the beauty of our folk traditions.”
