The Journey of Mahol Bahut Kharab Hai
The Acting Class began on 20 January with a simple purpose: to introduce a group of beginners to the fundamentals of acting — voice, movement, presence, and listening. The plan was modest, with sessions scheduled twice a week, allowing new actors the time to grow gradually and find their footing.
Midway through this learning process, an unexpected opportunity arrived.
The Indus Cultural Forum, organisers of the Mother Languages and Literature Festival 2026, approached Theatre Wallay with a request for a theatre performance on climate change. The subject was urgent and demanding. Climate change is no longer a distant or abstract concern; it is shaping everyday life through water scarcity, floods, extreme weather, and environmental instability.
A critical decision followed.
Rather than assigning the project to experienced performers, it was decided that the Acting Class participants themselves would take on the challenge. These were new actors, still learning the basics of performance. The risk was clear, and so was the uncertainty.
The initial reaction was honest. There was hesitation, nervousness, and doubt. Performing at a major cultural festival on a serious social issue felt overwhelming. At this stage, the role of the mentor became central. Safeer Ullah Khan encouraged the actors to see the challenge not as pressure, but as purpose. He reminded them that theatre has always responded to the realities of its time, and that learning becomes meaningful when it connects with real social concerns. Through motivation, clarity, and consistent guidance, he helped the beginners believe they were capable of carrying this responsibility.
With that belief in place, the process transformed.
The rehearsal schedule shifted from twice a week to daily sessions. What followed were intense days of work. Repetition, mistakes, discussions, corrections, and gradual breakthroughs. The play began to take shape not as a lecture on climate change, but as a series of lived moments that reflected everyday behaviour and its consequences.
Mahol Bahut Kharab Hai explored how ordinary human actions contribute to environmental damage. The wasteful use of water was shown through familiar domestic situations, highlighting how carelessness in daily life leads to collective loss. Reckless cutting of trees was portrayed not as an abstract environmental crime, but as a choice driven by convenience and neglect. The consequences of these actions unfolded through images of water scarcity, displacement, and devastating floods, drawing a clear line between cause and effect.
The play also addressed how communities are affected by the very damage they help create. It questioned habits, priorities, and silence. Climate change was presented not as an external disaster alone, but as a shared responsibility. By grounding the theme in recognisable situations, the actors connected a global crisis to local realities, making the issue immediate and personal for the audience.
As rehearsals progressed, confidence grew steadily. The same actors who once doubted their readiness began to take ownership of the stage. The classroom evolved into a rehearsal room, and the rehearsal room into a collective creative space built on discipline and trust.
When Mahol Bahut Kharab Hai was finally performed on 14 February 2026 at the Mother Languages and Literature Festival, it represented far more than a student production. It was the outcome of an intensive learning journey, guided mentorship, and a collective decision to engage with one of the most urgent issues of our time.
The final performance marked a moment of arrival. It reaffirmed the belief that theatre can translate complex crises into human stories, and that when beginners are trusted, challenged, and supported, they can rise to the occasion.
This journey, from the first acting exercise to the final bow, reminded us why theatre matters. Not only as an art form, but as a space where awareness, responsibility, and dialogue can come together to imagine change.
The performers included Mujtaba Alee, Tayyab Ali, Bushra Naz, Saliha Bilal, Abeera Farooq, Hanbal Ahmed, Kashan Tariq, and Mohammad Ahmed. Fahad Tariq and Sahar Saqib helped with lights, sounds, and visuals.
