Photo by Dahlia Katz
The Wrong Bashir
by Zahida Rahemtulla
Bashir Ladha, a bohemian philosophy podcaster, finds himself unwittingly thrust into the spotlight when he is chosen to assume a distinguished religious position that his parents have eagerly accepted on his behalf. Before Bashir can object, two committee representatives are at his door to congratulate him. As the representatives start to suspect a mistake has been made, Bashir’s jubilant grandparents and relatives arrive to commemorate the honour. A charming farce ensues, prompting questions around whether the seemingly wrong Bashir may, in fact, be the right one.
Cast & Creative
Bren Eastcott
Nafisa
-
Bren began her professional acting career at the age of 12. She has appeared in many television shows and feature films. Most recently Bren has been finding her voice in the theatre where she hopes to one day write and direct her own work! Her credits include: Orestes (Tarragon), As You Like It (Canadian Stage), Wayne and Shuster Live! (Bygone).
Paolo Santalucia
Director
-
Paolo is the Associate Artistic Director of Crow’s Theatre. Select credits include; Orphans for the Czar, Prodigal, Casimir and Caroline (In-Association with The Howland Company), Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 (Co-production with The Musical Stage Company). Other Theatre: 12 seasons at Soulpepper, including The Seagull, Of Human Bondage (Off-Broadway Cast), Spoon River (Off-Broadway Cast), Bed and Breakfast, The Heidi Chronicles, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, The Crucible; As You Like It (Canadian Stage); Mustard (Tarragon); Hamlet (Driftwood Theatre). Film/ TV: Pillow Talk (Bell Media/Crave); Kim’s Convenience (CBC). Education/Training: Theatre and Drama Studies Program – University of Toronto and Sheridan College; Soulpepper Academy. More: Two Dora Mavor Moore Awards, two Dora nominations; Canadian Screen Award Nomination; John Hirsch Award for Directing Finalist.
Sharjil Rasool
Bashir
-
Sharjil Rasool is a comedian, actor and writer. He is an alumni of The Second City Toronto Mainstage and was featured in JFL42’s New Faces. You can catch him as Nikhil in Run the Burbs (CBC), and hear his voice as Ajit in Bakugan (Cartoon Network) and Jasper in the upcoming animated series Piñata Smashlings (YTV). Other television credits include What We Do in the Shadows (FX), Baroness von Sketch Show (CBC/IFC), SkyMed (CBC/Paramount+) and Abroad (Omni). He’d really love it if you followed him on Instagram: @sharjilr.
Nimet Kanji
Najma
-
Award winning actor, Nimet Kanji hails from Nairobi, Kenya, where she discovered her passion for acting with the local theatre company, Phoenix Players. Upon emigrating to Vancouver, she continued to work onstage. Nimet made her debut in film and TV in 2001 and was recently seen in the Christmas movie, 'Christmas with the Singhs' as Mrs. Singh.
Parm Soor
Mansour
-
Parm was born in Punjab, India and raised in London, England. He studied Theatre at The University of Winnipeg. Stage highlights include The Arts Club productions of ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ ‘The Orchard’ and ‘The Humans’ at The Stanley Theatre and ‘The Men In White’ at The Granville Island Stage; 'A Vancouver Guldasta' at the Cultch; ‘MacBeth’ at The Firehall Arts Centre ‘Romeo and Juliet’ at The Kaleidoscope Theatre’ and 'Coronation Voyage' at The National Arts Centre in Ottawa. He has also appeared in over 40 television shows and numerous Hollywood blockbusters including 'Watchmen'; '2012'; Tomorrowland; and ‘Maze Runner’.
Sugith Varughese
Sultan
-
As an actor, he has over 100 screen credits, notably recurring on both the hit TV series comedy Kim’s Convenience seen on CBC in Canada and Netflix worldwide and the acclaimed medical drama series Transplant on CTV in Canada and NBC in the US simultaneously. His many stage appearances include a Dora Award nominated performance starring in Little Pretty and The Exceptional at Toronto’s Factory Theatre. He appeared in Indian Ink at CanStage/National Arts Centre, Animal Farm at the famed Soulpepper Theatre in Toronto and The Men In White at Factory Theatre. His most recent stage appearance was in the hit The Wrong Bashir at Toronto’s Crow’s Theatre. He is also an award-winning film and TV screenwriter best known as one of the original writers of the iconic Muppet TV series Fraggle Rock, short film director and produced playwright. Listed on wikipedia.org and in Who’s Who in Canada.
Zaittun Esmail
Dadima
-
Earned B Phil. M Ed in Education from U of Exeter, UK, Post Grad Cert in Advanced Professional Studies from Exeter, Advanced Mortgage Underwriting & Sales from Seneca, TESL from TDSB. Part time Actor with debut performance at Crowe's in The Wrong Bashir.. Currently takong writing workshop at Tarragon Theatre. Avid reader, hiker, delighted grandma and enjoyiong arts and Culinary adventures. Empty nester with lots to do :)
Pamela Mala Sinha
Gulzar
-
PAMELA MALA SINHA is an award-winning Canadian actress and writer, working internationally in theatre, television, and film. Pamela’s most recent play NEW was a finalist for the 2024 Governor General’s Award for Drama, and her solo debut play CRASH received Canada’s prestigious Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding New Play. CRASH was also included in a Bloomsbury UK’s "Audition Speeches", and "Love, Loss and Longing" and had its Off-Broadway debut at the Signature Theatre, NY. Her second play Happy Place premiered in Toronto at Soulpepper, followed by Vancouver’s Touchstone Theatre and Winnipeg’s Prairie Theatre Exchange. Pamela received a Project Imagination commission (Soulpepper) and began research for NEW which she completed as Playwright-In-Residence at Necessary Angel Theatre. NEW had its World Premiere in November 2022 at Royal MTC followed by a Toronto run at Canadian Stage, co-produced by Necessary Angel. Pamela’s film adaptation of Happy Place was produced by Sienna Films, directed by Helen Shaver. Pamela completed development with CBC and Sienna Films on her series Nirvana and production wrapped last year on the filming of CRASH (Necessary Angel/Riddle Films). She is currently at work on an adaptation of NEW as a screenplay and her new play, Rebel Royals, a Tarragon Theatre commission.
Salim Rahemtulla
Dadipapa
-
Theatre: The Wrong Bashir (Touchstone Theatre, world premiere, Vancouver, 2023); The Wrong Bashir (The Arts Club Theatre Company, limited audio premiere, 2022); 90 Days (Western Gold Theatre, Vancouver, 2022); Jonah and the Whale (Aga Khan School, Kampala, 1967). Film/TV: Sitting on Fire (documentary about 1972 Ugandan expulsion, Roaming Pictures, in progress). Upcoming: Namirembe Road (Friessen Press, Fall 2024). Education/Training: Aga Khan Secondary School in Kampala, Uganda. BSc, Computer Science, 1974. More: After finishing high school, Salim worked as a math teacher to save-up for university. After the 1972 Ugandan expulsion, he migrated to Vancouver, where he married and raised four children. For many years, he worked in the computer field. Since his retirement, he wrote a play called 90 Days about the expulsion of Asians from Uganda, which was staged in Vancouver. He enjoys playing tennis, squash, pickleball, and soccer. Thank You: Family, friends in Toronto, Junos, and Crow’s Theatre.
Vijay Mehta
Al Nashir
-
Vijay has had the pleasure of working with the finest theatre companies in Toronto, from the renowned EXPECT Theatre to the legendary Crow’s Theatre. The Wrong Bashir is one of his favourite theatrical experiences, and he’s delighted to reprise his role and work alongside this supremely talented cast again.
Zahida Rahemtulla
Playwright / Associate Director
-
Zahida Rahemtulla grew up in Burnaby, BC and later spent years living in Metchosin, Abu Dhabi, and Toronto. Her first play, The Wrong Bashir, premiered in Vancouver and Toronto to critically acclaimed, sold-out runs (Touchstone Theatre, 2023 and Crow's Theatre, 2024) . Her second play, The Frontliners, a comedic drama about refugee resettlement, won a Playwrights Guild of Canada Tom Hendry Award, the Fringe New Play Prize, Theatre BC’s Play of Special Merit Award, and was runner-up for the national Voaden Prize in Playwriting. Her short stories have been shortlisted for the Alice Munro Short Story Festival Award and longlisted for the CBC short story prize.
Zahida teaches and is currently an instructor in the Community Development and Outreach Department at Capilano University, where she teaches Adult Education. She also works at Blind Tiger Comedy in access.