Acha Bacha

by Zaiba Baig

For years, Zaya has delicately balanced his relationship with his Muslim faith and queer identity by keeping his genderqueer lover and manipulative mother apart. But when his mother ends up in the hospital on the same day his partner is leaving for pilgrimage, Zaya's worlds come crashing in on each other, opening a space for traumatic memories to resurface.

Genres: Plays, Canada

104 pages, Paperback

First published August 17, 2020

Reviews

[amine~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

<3

representation is very important

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed watching this play and it was great to read it again and remind myself.
Although I find it difficult to read Urdu in english script - I have to say that the mix of Urdu and english was one of my favorite aspects of the play. It is hard to say how I would have been able to absorb it if I was a non-Urdu speaker. It felt so natural the flow of language. Also to have a queer play with Urdu was even more special. I do love the way that gender, faith, relationships are examined.

[Antoine Dumas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great study in poststructuralism.

However, it's quite frustrating to read for someone who doesn't understand Urdu. I would imagine the Urdu is easier to follow if you also get the tone of lines during an actual performance of the play, though.

[Tan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A unique play-reading experience for me, this play contains quite a bit of a language I do not understand, and yet, I do not feel as though I missed a lot - the cues are there.

[Tasnia · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of a 3.5