Thaana Na Deem Thaana

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Stage Play

‘Thaana Na Deem Thaana’ is a stage play written by Anwar Maqsood, reportedly his last work.

The title blends Urdu words in an interesting way.

‘Thana’ is a police station, and ‘Na Thaana Deem’ is a classical musical connotation in the domain of dance and melody. So, it is a satirical blend of two different concepts into one.

The play was held at Ali Auditorium, Ferozepur Road, Lahore. It ran from 15 October 2026 to 28 October 2026. It was a two-hour play.

Ali Auditorium has a capacity of about 500 seats and is well-built with all the amenities. It is part of a larger educational institute with large manicured lawns, greenery, and a good canteen for tea and snacks.

It ran very successfully for almost two weeks, with the house almost full. There was a lot of clapping and applause after the play.

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About the writer of Thaana Na Deem Thaana – Anwar Maqsood

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Anwar Maqsood is known for his satire and wit, and for creating nuances that can be hard to pick up, but they get to you in a way you just have to appreciate.

It is a rare talent that requires its own freedom to express.

He was born in Hyderabad, India, in 1935, and his family migrated to Pakistan after Partition.

He is the brother of the late novelist and playwright Fatima Surayya Bajia and the cooking expert Zubaida Tariq.

He is known for sharp, witty social and political satire, and for TV shows such as Fifty Fifty, Studio Dhai, Studio Ponay Teen, Aangan Terha, and Loose Talk.

He has received major national honors, including the Pride of Performance, Sitara-i-Imtiaz, and Hilal-i-Imtiaz.

You can read more about Anwar Maqsood on Wiki

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About the lead Role in Thaana Na Deem Thaana - Sajid Hasan as Butt Sahib

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Sajid Hassan, a veteran actor, screenwriter, film director, and producer, played the lead role in the stage play Thaana Na Deem Thaana.

He was born on January 5, 1958, in Karachi, Pakistan.

Some of his key roles are; Dr. Irfan in the 1987 PTV classic drama series Dhoop Kinare.

Pakistani TV dramas and films such as Salakhain (2004), Jalaibee (2015), Maalik (2016), and Jaan Nisar (2024).

Featured in the Hollywood film A Mighty Heart (2007) starring Angelina Jolie, and appeared in international productions like the Amazon Studios series Bait (2026) written and directed by Riz Ahmed.

The other second lead performances were by Mohsin Ejaz as a police inspector, Kashif, and Anees Ahmed as another police officer.

In addition, many other characters, men and women, played their roles very well on stage.

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Thaana Na Deem Thaana Storyline

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My wife, her friend, and I went to see the play ‘Thaana Na Deem Thaana’ on 27 Oct 2026 (Tuesday).

We got the third-row center seats as we arrived early. The play started on time at 8 pm. The hall was almost full, with women outnumbering the men.

The play started with the opening scene. Thaana Deem Pura. (Deem Pura Police Station)

The stage had only one set:

An SHO office table and some other police staff, one jail room, and two other rooms.

All characters took turns entering and leaving the Thaana (Police Station)

The main storyline of ‘Thaana Na Deem Thaana’ is based on satire that hits the country's current state of affairs, including the current government, the local bureaucratic style of functioning, and Sindhi culture, depicting a non-serious and unprofessional attitude.

It showed the inherent aspects of corruption in the government machinery, including drinking alcohol and womanizing.

All three vices are at play: wine, women, and wealth, which together corrupt society's fabric.

The police station has jailed one writer-poet and some other associates who write rebellious poetry and prose. Their crime is not against humanity, but against freedom of speech.

Police SHO Butt Sahib (Sajid Hasan) is in full charge of the ‘Thaana’ (police station) and keeps playing with the inmates for his own vested interests.

Women from the red-light area also visit the Thaana; their associates are already in jail, and they want them released. They already have good relations with SHO Butt Sahib and amiably request their release; Butt Sahib keeps dallying to make it more playful.

Meanwhile, Butt Sahib invites them to do the same dancing (mujra) and opens some drinks so they can have a good time at the Thaana.

Some Audit/Anti-Corruption government staff from Sindh also visit them. But Sahib is fully confident in how to handle them. He also offers them drinks and some dance performances; they feel comfortable and set aside all the formal work.

Lastly, there is a case of lost money and the corpse of a government servant. The money is huge, about 4 billion. Now everyone seems to be after that money, especially the police officers.

Another young police officer, Kashif, tries to take over the police station and find the money.

A battle starts between Kashif and Butt Sahib. Heavy pistol fire erupts, and Butt Sahib eventually wins the whole quagmire scene.

Eventually, the play, ‘Thaana Na Deem Thaana ’, ends after this showdown and background dance scenes.

The scenes and acts are performed entertainingly, with witty dialogue and satire that the audience could enjoy in its own way. Most of it was well received and understood by the audience.

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Wrap Up

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The stage play ‘Thaana Na Deem Thaana’ may be controversial, bold, and direct, but after all, it is an art form; I guess everyone should have enough tolerance to listen, watch, and appreciate it as artistic expression.

Even when we want to improve things, it is better to see glimpses of real society and mindsets with open minds; though it may not be pleasing at times, it gives good food for thought and helps us see where we are and where we are heading.

This also gives people at the helm of affairs a chance to correct perceptions by changing core societal behavior.

From another perspective, though, women and wine are also present in Western society, but their collective corruption is not rampant or widely seen.

They still do their work, work hard, and create good things that all humanity can use and enjoy: inventions, research, and technologies for the whole world.

Perhaps vices alone don't corrupt the outcome; perhaps an imbalance between good and bad makes goodness get dwarfed, and the results become deformed and ugly.

Perhaps we need a system that first aims to create more good rather than prioritizing killing wrongs.

I guess that's the lesson we may take from the developed first world. They don’t care much about the inherent vices; rather, they care more about delivering more. So the collective outcome matters most, and it's what moves the needle north for the betterment of the system, the country, and the people. At the same time, they can also address wrongs to make society more balanced and clean.

Overall, the play ‘Thaana Na Deem Thaana’ was entertaining, but it should be watched with an open mind and tolerance.