Javed Akhtar to attend Faiz Festival in Lahore. This weekend, the annual International Faiz Festival will start in Lahore. For the three-day festival, many literary, musical, and artistic activities, foreign delegations from countries like the UK, Canada, the USA, and India will be present. The Alhamra Arts Council will host more than 60 events, including panel discussions, lectures, theatrical productions, dance performances, and qawwali.
All events at the Faiz Festival will be free to the general public, in contrast to previous iterations, after criticism of the organizers’ decision to charge for tickets to the famed festival. For the approaching three days of the literary mela, preparations are still being made at the Alhamra Hall, Mall Road, and its neighboring roadways, including Canal Road.
“This is why most performances of the Faiz Festival will be open to the public, free of cost, as the last installment of the event didn’t get the response we were expecting. The attendees were not happy with the pricing of some performances,” a senior official of the Punjab Arts Council told The Express Tribune. “At the moment, the public in Punjab is spoiled for choices considering the PSL is in full swing as well. However, we will try our best to win back the audience that has been disappointed by the past events.”
The schedule of the seventh installment of the Faiz Festival has also been issued by the Faiz Foundation. According to the programme, the event will continue from February 17th to 19th. A formal ceremony for the event will be held on the first day after Friday prayers.
“Staying true to its roots, Faiz Festival is moving forward with the vision and mission of Faiz Ahmad Faiz,” the late poet’s daughter, Muneeba Hashmi, shared with the publication. “We’re trying to bring in a balance between the quality and the relevance with the performances this year. What we hope to achieve is that the performances and guests are in accordance with the current circumstances.”
She went on to add that Javed Akhtar will also attend Faiz Festival in Lahore, “This year, a huge delegation from India is also attending the festival and we are thankful to the government of Pakistan for issuing them visas. Renowned Indian lyricist and poet, Javed Akhtar will be at the forefront of the said delegation. During the festival, he will be launching his new book and will be a part of the mushaira as well.”
Muneeba further told that he will also be a part of the panel, which would be moderated by Adeel Hashmi. “The said panel will include poets and artists from India who are part of the delegation,” she said while elaborating, “Rizwan Wali Muhammad, son of Habib Wali Muhammad, is coming to Pakistan from the US after 40 years. He will present his father’s and Faiz’s works, including his own songs he has composed in the US. From the UK, a delegation of qawwals from the family of Sabri gharana will be performing. Kathak dancer Farah Yasmeen Sheikh is also coming to the Faiz festival.”
She further assured, “All performances are free of cost except the singer Shafqat Amanat Ali’s concert which will cost Rs 3000 per ticket. Shafqat will take the centre stage and perform his father’s songs as well as his own hits at the event. We are truly grateful that he accepted our invitation. We are also paying a special tribute to Amjad Islam Amjad and Zia Mohyeddin Sahab during the festival due to their contribution. Besides this, a special tribute will also be presented to Faiz.”
Ajoka Theatre will perform its well-known play, Anhi Mai Da Sufna, on the first day of the festival, and on the second day, 30 performances will take place in the Alhamra Arts Council’s auditoriums. The popular event will be attended by a number of well-known local figures, including Dr. Arifa Sayed, Zahra Nigar, Sarmad Sultan Khosat, poet Ali Mazhar, Fazal Jaat, Irfan Khosat, Imran Abas, and Dr. Sugra Sadaf, according to the schedule.
The Pakistan Literature Festival (PLF), which took place at the Alhamra Arts Council in Lahore during the past weekend, was a literary nirvana for the city’s citizens. The literature festival, an iconic occasion of its kind, featured seminars, performances, and interactive exhibitions on art, poetry, society, and more over the course of three days.
The event featured sessions and activities for people of all ages and was open to all artistic mediums. There were live paintings, traditional dance performances, book stalls, cuisine, concerts, and debates on current events, including the economy, climate change, and Lahore’s poor air quality, among other subjects.
At the festival’s closing ceremony, Lifetime Achievement Awards were given to Naheed, Dada, and Nahid Siddiqui in honor of their contributions and creative endeavors. Anwar Maqsood spoke briefly about Pakistani culture, society, and politics to wrap up the programme.
