LAHORE:
The curtain is about to rise on a brand new period for Punjab’s stage scene. The provincial authorities is drafting a Drama Act that guarantees not simply tighter regulation but in addition a cultural reset for the theatre trade. Provincial Data Minister Azma Bokhari, who met senior stage artists Nasim Vicky and Qaisar Sanaullah in Lahore this week, mentioned the regulation is being formed in session with the trade itself.
The proposed regulation takes direct goal on the points which have dogged stage performs for years. Two proposals from the Theatre Affiliation have already discovered their method into the draft, signalling that performers may have a say in how their artwork is ruled. Unlicensed theatres and makeshift venues will now not be tolerated, and efficiency timings will probably be introduced below regulation. Vulgar jokes, particularly these focusing on ladies, are set to face a transparent ban.
“We wish to create an environment the place households can attend performs with out hesitation,” Bokhari mentioned, insisting that the stage should flip its consideration to socially related and constructive themes.
The minister additionally known as for educated youth to step into theatre, arguing that their involvement may breathe new life into the artwork kind. Whereas current crackdowns have raised the standard of productions, she admitted complaints are nonetheless surfacing.
Final month, the Punjab authorities introduced new customary working procedures (SOPs) for stage and theatre performances, introducing stricter rules to curb obscenity and guarantee self-discipline within the trade.
In keeping with the official notification, the Data and Tradition Division will now be accountable for issuing licences for stage dramas, changing the earlier system. Any theatrical exercise with out licence will probably be instantly shut down.
The revised tips make it obligatory for theatre teams to submit their scripts at the very least three days prematurely to the Punjab Arts Council. Moreover, Deputy Commissioners and the Punjab Council of the Arts (PUCAR) will oversee stage performs.
A censor rehearsal panel has been tasked with attending full-dress rehearsals earlier than a play’s launch, making ready detailed studies on its content material and presentation. The brand new SOPs strictly ban vulgar, immoral, or obscene content material in theatre performances.
