Bollywood actor and theatre personality Naseeruddin Shah, currently performing in Pakistan with his group and family members, has wowed audiences in this capital city with his wit and his talent.

He told audiences before his play "Ismat Apa Ke Naam" only three things.

"One, please put off your mobile phones; two, please put off your mobile phones and three, please put off your mobile phones," he said, much to the delight of the crowd.

Reporting the event, The News said audiences in Islamabad were not known to be very generous with their applause.

"So when they give a standing ovation, it means they have truly appreciated the show in question," it said.

Renowned Urdu writer Ismat Chugtai's works were brought to life by Shah and his family; going from good - young Heeba Shah doing "Chhui Mui" - to better - Ratna Pathak Shah telling the tale of "a love story of epic proportions" in "Mughal Baccha" - and best - Naseeruddin Shah narrating the story of "Gharwali".

"Though the acting by the artistes was minimal - just enough to accentuate the storyline - it added a certain something which made the tales more interesting, not only to listen to but visually as well - actions speaking louder than words! A few props and a simple backdrop were all the additions needed.

"All the human emotions were there - the audience was carried along on a roller-coaster ride from one to the other as the stories unfolded. We laughed; we sighed.

We were saddened by the pathos in the lives of the protagonists and marvelled at their resilience, then, in the end, we were left thinking how time goes by but human nature does not change much," said the newspaper's reviewer.