Against the backdrop of her sister’s wedding, Maya is to return home to Karachi, inevitably facing the embodied trauma she hoped to leave behind
Maya moved to London four years ago. She is quite settled there, or so it seems. She has a well-paying job, a social life, and her independence. Now it is time for Maya to return home to Karachi for her sister’s wedding. What ensues is a bubbling pot of trauma finally, and quite vitally, boiling over.
Ghar Ghar expertly explores the tumult of returning home when you have lived overseas for a significant period of time. Maya’s family is moderately baffled by her changes in appearance, personality, values, and much else. While her siblings, as peers close to her age, are relatively on the same wavelength as Maya, her parents present the real obstacle she must overcome. Once Maya settles back into the familiarity of home, she is forced to confront a deep-set childhood trauma, one her parents seem unable to acknowledge. Set against the backdrop of a dazzling wedding, Maya has no choice but to confront her trauma with the ultimate aim of healing what turns out to be deep-set filial angst.
Annum Salman’s writing offers a distinctive voice, shedding a new light on a topic that in and of itself is often left undiscussed. The perspective of the Global Majority is even further isolated from discussions of childhood abuse and trauma; Salman presents a specific point of view and truly opens up this topic for further discussion without seeming intimidating or oppressive. Humor cuts through the pain, allowing the audience to laugh as they ponder the production’s offerings.
Performances from Anoushka Deshmukh as Sanam, Rea Malhotra Mukhtyar as Maya, Arbaz Afzal as Maaz, Sharandeep Salh as Rabeea, Samir Gurung as Fahad, and Shiraz Khan as Shaaz were a pleasure to watch. The performers seemed to have cultivated a deep understanding of and connection to their characters. Though there were a few shaky moments and the pace at times verged on marginally haphazard, this did not detract from the overarching enjoyment of the production.