Abstract:
Theatre has a long and interesting history as an institutionalized form of art. It is rooted
in religious narratives and rituals that provides a commentary on society, culture, and
politics. Over the years, theatre, or more specifically social theatre, has been used as an
awareness tool for a burgeoning spectrum of social themes ranging from sexuality,
political and cultural conflicts, suicide, search for identity and exploitative sexual
relationships such as harassment, rape and so on. This dissertation aims to explore
social theatre in Pakistani context of Nukkad Natak, which focuses on socio-political
concerns as well as human rights issues. My research examines the role of social theatre
in the broader context of feminist movement in Pakistan and proposes an analytical
framework that highlights the role of Nukkad Natak as an agent of change. This study
begins by providing a history of Nukkad Natak in Pakistan and establish its significance
as a catalyst for social change. My overarching argument is that Nukkad Natak can
work as an effective tool in Pakistan to reduce the rate of crimes of violence against
women and act as a strong medium for the education of masses
