The School of Visual & Performing Arts (SOVAPA) at the Arts Council of Pakistan (ACP) successfully staged a play penned by Bee Gul, ‘System Down Hai’, as part of its Alumni Series.
The production marked the fourth theatrical presentation under the SOVAPA Alumni Series. Directed by renowned theatre practitioner Khalid Ahmed, the play featured just one actor, Nazar Ul Hassan, whose compelling performance captivated the audience and earned widespread appreciation.
The event was attended by ACP President Ahmed Shah, veteran actress Samina Ahmed, distinguished actor Manzar Sehbai, singer and social activist Shehzad Roy, acclaimed actresses Saba Hameed and Rubina Ashraf, and a large number of theatre enthusiasts.
Speaking on the occasion, Ahmed Shah congratulated the director , writer, actor, and the entire production team on the successful presentation of the play. He remarked that ‘System Down Hai’ was far more than a theatrical performance as it was a profound reflection on life, death, love, and the enduring struggles of the human spirit.
He noted that the production held the audience spellbound from the beginning till the end, and praised Hassan for bringing exceptional depth, sincerity and authenticity to his character.
The story revolved around Abdul Ghafoor, a simple man of modest means who finds himself in an interrogation cell located in Barzakh—the metaphysical realm between heaven and earth. From this liminal space, he recounts the story of his life, his love, death and a perilous profession that ultimately cost him everything. Blending modern theatre with traditional storytelling, the production weaved together poetry, memory, and philosophical reflections on life and mortality into a deeply moving narrative.
