By Saba Ijaz

WITH literature an integral element of the LLF, the first day hosted an interesting session titled ‘Urdu ki Maqbool Kahanian’. Moderated by well-known writer and translator Asif Farrukhi, with veteran Urdu fiction legend, Intizar Husain, renowned Urdu poet Kishwar Naheed and famous writer and critic Dr Nasir Abbas Nayyar, the session held much promise.

Husain started the discussion and threw light on the different eras of maqbool kahanian which are known as bestsellers/popular fiction in English language, including stories and folk tales of Alif Laila (One Thousand and One Nights), Hatim Tai, Rustam Sohrab, Laila and Majnun and the likes. He observed that the problem with contemporary popular fiction is the lack of intellectual depth and substance. Naheed spoke about the TV adaptations of literature, and its effects on the selection of the themes and subjects undertaken by newer writers to gain instant popularity. She specifically mentioned novelists Umera Ahmed and Seema Ghazal who, in her opinion, are not producing literature that can enable the new generation to question the taboos and mores of society. Panellists were of the view that the likes of Naseem Hijazi had an aggressive and conservative impact on the readers.

Nayyar presented a pertinent analysis on factors affecting the popularity of bestsellers. He believed that recognition of popular fiction is not coincidental and that many institutions play their role in determining the fate of such literature. He added that thought-provoking literature is read by a much smaller segment of society as compared to popular literature. The session concluded the discussion with the suggestion that classics should be available in abridged versions in order to inculcate the love of literature in the minds of the younger generation.

A discussion on Faiz titled ‘Faiz: Kuch Ishq Kiya, Kuch Kaam Kiya’ saw Adeel Hashmi and Basharat Peer in conversation. Peer is a Kashmiri writer, journalist and screenwriter whose work on the Bollywood film, Haider, had him using Faiz’s poetry on several occasions. The session was further made interesting by the enchanting singing of the poetry of Faiz by Ali Sethi. Peer recounted how, while growing up in Kashmir, Faiz’s verse “Jiss dhaj se koi maqtal mein gaya” resonated with the tense political environment at the time. He spoke also about how he suggested to the director of the movie, Vishal Bhardwaj, to use Faiz’s verse “Gulon mein rang bhare, baad-e-nau-bahar chale” in the movie because it perfectly captured the gloominess of the moment.

While sharing his personal experiences, Hashmi said that once a senior politician met him in a public gathering and commented how, “in prison, one has no friend except Faiz”. Sethi took the theme forward and spoke about how he discovered Faiz through music. He had come across a recording of ‘Mujh say pehli si mohabbat’ by Madam Noor Jehan from the archives of Radio Pakistan; he sang the poem and was much appreciated by the audience.

Heartwrenching tales were shared by Peer who spoke about how in Kashmir during the ’90s, people left their homes in the morning with a piece of paper in their pocket with their address written on it. The uncertainty of returning home in the evening compelled them to do so. Sethi spoke about how the situation seems not to have changed since the days of Faiz. The poet resonates through his verses and is still relevant through his message of love and struggle for a better future. It was in this period that though the people faced an identity crisis, Faiz presented a balanced perspective of both tradition and modernity. He also played the role of a healer, and ignited an undying optimism and hope in the minds of his reader and a longing to achieve something better.

‘A Portrait of Ismat Chughtai: Defining an Era in Leftwing Urdu Literature’ (Ameena Saiyid, I.A. Rehman and M. Asaduddin) was moderated by Ali Hashmi. Rehman started the discussion by telling the audience that Chughtai spread the canvas of her writings so broad that she envelops the entire social setup within her writings. Her heroines revolted against social order. Her writings are progressive in a way that they break social taboos and expose the hypocrisies of society. Saiyid commented on the popularity of Ismat’s writings and informed the audience that Chughtai’s autobiography, Kaghazi hai Pairahan will soon be published by the Oxford University Press in Pakistan.

The start of the session on the novel Udaas Naslain by Abdullah Hussain was troubling for the audience as many were unable to get into the small hall that housed this session. Though many sat on the stairs, and even on the floor in front of the stage, still many missed the chance to listen to one of the greatest contemporary Urdu writers. The session was made more interesting by pertinent questions and witty remarks by the moderator, Farrukhi.

Hussain talked about the literary journey of his novels and short stories. He emphasised that life is a string of coincidences and it is this philosophy that he shows in his writings.

Hussain was in a cheerful mood and responded fondly to the questions posed by the audience. He revealed how it was the boredom of his early youth that motivated him to write. He talked about his research regarding World War II that led to him writing Udaas Naslain, and frankly admitted that the novel has eclipsed many of his other writings and that saddens him.

Commenting on the mindset of military dictators, Hussain recalled how, when being awarded the Adamjee Award, Gen Ayub suggested that he focus on writing “national literature”.

The session ‘Tilism-e-Hoshruba’ had beautiful renditions by Naveed Qamar, Shahnaz Aijazuddin, and Salman Akram Raja from the original daastan written by Muhammad Husain Jah and Ahmed Hussain Qamar. The side-by-side recitation of the original text and the English translation brought out the enchanting effect of the highly Persianised Urdu which has been translated into alluring English that still retains the essence of the original.

Aijazuddin, who has also an abridged translation of the dastaan to her credit, shared with the audience how she took up the task of translation because she had been absolutely in love with this epic tale of magic since her childhood, and she wanted her family and friends to be able to understand it. This was a labour of love for her. She had to read the original dastaan again and again, and also had to do a lot of research to understand the astrological and mystical references in it. She also believes that there is a longing in the youth to reclaim the legacy of Urdu literature.