Forgotten Faces: Daring Women of Pakistan's Folk Theatre

Throughout our history, women in the performing arts have contributed immensely to Pakistan’s cultural heritage, yet their stories remain largely untold. In this landmark work, Dr. Fouzia Saeed rescues from oblivion the daring women who performed in Pakistan’s rural folk theatre – facing social stigma, violence, and exploitation, yet refusing to be silenced.

Forgotten Faces is a meticulously researched account of Pakistan’s nomadic folk theatre tradition, tracing its journey from its heyday in the 1960s and 70s to its near disappearance. Based on decades of fieldwork that began in 1980, Dr. Fouzia Saeed – a renowned folklorist and former Executive Director of Lok Virsa – documents the lives, struggles, and triumphs of the women who formed the backbone of this vibrant art form.

The book’s central focus is the legendary Bali Jatti, a widely popular theatre actress who became the first woman to own and manage a travelling stage theatre in Punjab. But beneath the glamour, Saeed uncovers a story not of fame and fortune, but of tragedies, violence, and relentless economic and social exploitation. Through Jatti’s bittersweet reminiscences, we see both the joy of audience adulation and the sorrows she endured off stage.

The book also covers the broader culture of nomadic theatre groups – the Phaji Shah and Gaman troupes, among others – and reveals how the patterns of exploitation seen in these women’s lives continue to echo in Pakistan’s modern television and film industries.

About the Author
Dr. Fouzia Saeed is a renowned Pakistani social activist, gender expert, folk culture promoter, and author. A PhD from the University of Minnesota, she served as Executive Director of Lok Virsa (the National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage) and later as Director General of the Pakistan National Council of the Arts. She is the author of the award-winning Taboo: The Hidden Culture of a Red Light Area and Working with Sharks: Countering Sexual Harassment in Our Lives. Her work on women’s rights spans over two decades, including founding Bedari, the first women’s crisis centre in Pakistan.