D. J. Sindh College Amateur Dramatic Society

D. J. Sindh College Amateur Dramatic Society is largely instrumental in the growth of Sindhi theatre and drama by providing the platform and facilities for their development. Modern Sindhi theatre came into existence with the founding of the society in this Karachi College, by Principal Jackson and Vice-Principal Padshaw, in 1894. Normally it staged plays in Karachi but, during the Christmas holidays, it shifted activities to Hyderabad i.e. Sindh. The first drama produced was Nala-Damayanti i.e. `Nala and Damayanti`. It was produced in 1894 and was penned by Jethanand Khilandas Bhiriayi.

However, to start with, the main playwright was Lilaramsingh Lalwani, whose first work, Harishchandra, came on stage in 1895. It was published on 1900. The society also produced his socially relevant plays, Mohan Tarika in 1896 and Surjan Radha in 1897. His mythological drama, Draupadi ya Pandavacharitra i.e. `Draupadi or Pandava Characters` in 1905 was a hit. Another prolific writer for the society was Mirza Qalich Beg who, beginning with a rendering of Kalidasa`s Sakuntala in 1896, continued with adaptations of Shakespeare staged in a series from 1897 to 1914. The moving force behind the success that modern Sindhi theatre achieved in a short period of twenty years, the society disintegrated owing to internal conflicts, after producing and publishing about fifteen plays.

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