by MOHAMMAD KAMRAN JAWAID
A tale of demons, deceit and carnal desires is running quietly at the National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA) in Karachi…though it shouldn’t have been (more on that in a minute).
Embracing the minimalism of its story by dividing the sets between lights, shadows and meters of blood-red, maroon and black drapes, Betaali Prem Katha, directed and written by Fawad Khan, is a mesmerising adaptation of one of the stories from the Indian mythological folklore Vetala Panchavimshati, simplified as Baital-Pachisi — the 25 Tales of Baital, or Vikram-Betaal.
Like many surviving folklores that have been reimagined and re-mangled since who knows how long, the premise has legendary king Vikramaditya carrying a demon-like entity called Betaal on his back through ill-omened woods while he is told a story. Betaal, like others of his ilk, thrives on mischief. He hangs upside down on a barren tree in the middle of charnel grounds of a crumbling village; however, unlike his devilish brethren, he possesses (no pun intended), a sagacious attitude.
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