Theater Play “V Gen – Error 404: Not Found” Presented on Eighth Day of World Culture Festival at Arts Council
On the eighth day of the “World Culture Festival Karachi” at the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi, the sci-fi theater play “V Gen – Error 404: Not Found” was presented.
The reason it’s called a sci-fi play is due to its depiction of AI robots and the impact of technology on the human world. While the story touches on various social issues, it also lightly addresses topics such as the quota system, health, and crime, while humorously commenting on political and religious parties.
In the play, an AI project created to hide certain situations spirals out of control, causing chaos. It turns into a disaster for its creators due to the AI’s blunt language and dangerous actions, like using weapons and sticks against its makers.
Geo Digital spoke with the director, Bazilah Mustafa, and asked how the idea of combining technology with political satire came about. She explained, “I live in London, and there, technology is used extensively in everything, even in daily affairs. So, I wondered, where will it all end?”
“I wrote and directed this play myself, and not just one but three or four people played multiple roles in it. But the most interesting character is the robot,” she said.
Bazilah further commented that technology’s impact, whether good or bad, depends on its users. The play attempts to convey this message. Now, it’s up to the audience to interpret it.
She also added that the play is a satirical story inspired by headlines of rejection, deception, decline, oppression, and despair.
Previously, Bazilah has directed other plays such as “Naak Channel,” “Soch,” and more. This is her fourth play presented at the Arts Council Karachi.
The cast of V Gen – Error 404: Not Found includes Ali Sher, Ram Govind, Tanveer Gul, and Kiran.
The 35-day World Culture Festival, organized in collaboration with Jang and Geo, will continue at the Karachi Arts Council until November 2nd, with a large number of enthusiastic spectators attending.
