Urdunama

In this episode of Urdunama, we remember legendary composer, Rahul Dev Burman, aka, 'Pancham Da', and his friendship with another legendary maestro, Gulzar. Host, writer, and audio editor: Fabeha Syed Editor: Shelly Walia Music: Big Bang Fuzz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we explore the theme of Music through Urdu poetry, and what it is that makes the soundtrack of our lives.  Tune in.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we explore the word 'Tanha' and understand the theme of loneliness in Urdu Poetry. Tune in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Quint’s Urdunama turns 50 episodes old. On the 50th episode of your favourite podcast, we bring you a theme in poetry that you felt describes us the best – Sukoon. Sukoon means tranquillity, a sense of inner calm and peace, which, poets have described, comes as a result of acceptance and love. Tune in as Fabeha Syed recites Sahir Ludhianvi and Faiz – two of the tallest poets of the sub-contine...

Mumkin means possible, and possibility means imkaan — a remedy that brings relief to a grieving heart. In this episode, we explore how poetry could bring not just joy but also a relief to a troubled or grieving heart and therapy for our mental well-being. So, we thought what better way to understand the theme of possibility than poetry. In this episode of Urdunama, The Quint’s Fabeha Syed reads Al...

The word khwahish means desire, but when it's not fulfilled, it becomes 'hasrat' for the pining heart. In this episode of Urdunama, we understand how holding on to hasrat is a great way to accept life's uncertainties.  Tune in. Host, Writer, and Audio Editor: Fabeha Syed Editor: Shelly Walia Music: Big Bang Fuzz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This Pandemic has taught us many lessons. One of them is to not be oblivious to the world that we are living in.  How awake are we?  To answer that, we have tried to explore the word 'bedaar' through Urdu poetry. After all, to be 'Bedaar' is to be alive.  Tune in.  Host, Writer, and Audio Editor: Fabeha Syed Editor: Shelly Walia Music: Big Bang Fuzz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphon...

In this episode, we take help from Shakespeare to understand the 'Quality of Mercy'. We also wrap our heads around the cause of 'be-rahm', merciless pain, as compassion first requires one to be humble.  Tune in. Host, Writer, and Sound Designer: Fabeha Syed Editor: Shelly Walia Music: Big Bang Fuzz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the Covid 19 surge this year proving to be deadlier than what it was the last year, we pray for 'khair' for everyone. Tune in.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Written by Javed Akhtar, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's iconic song 'Husn-e-jaana ki tareef mumkin nahi...' has always made us wonder about the word 'afreen'. 'Afreen' is an expression that is used to express our admiration for something or someone. And in this episode we dig deep, to find ways in which poets have written, praising about things that amused them and made them say, 'afreen'. Tune in. Host,...

In this special episode of Urdunama, we bring you the poetry of Urdu's female poets. Poets like Ada Jafferey, Fehmida Riaz, Kishwar Naheed, Zehra Nigah, and Parveen Shakir, among others, bring female perspectives to a genre that is largely ruled by male poets.  Tune in for some gems from these great women's shayari.  Host, Writer, and Sound Designer: Fabeha Syed Editor: Shelly Walia Music: Big Ban...

Author of the slogan that echoes in every protest, Josh Malihabadi was a poet who challenged the British in his fierce style of writing. The poet par excellence, Josh Malihabadi was also close to India’s first prime minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru who he considered his ideal. Josh was conferred Padma Bhushan in the year 1954. His fiery poetry was anti-establishment, anti-religiosity, and spoke di...

Bohot barbaad hain lekin sadaa-e-inqalaab aaye Wahin se vo pukaar utthega jo zarra jahaan hogaa This couplet by Ali Sardar Jafri points out the essence of the individual struggles in a revolution that brings people together who desire to change the society, a corrupt system, and so on. But every inquilaab comes only when there is the dissent that needs to be voiced. To celebrate this voice of resi...

As the world is rejoicing the arrival of many vaccine candidates in different countries, we take a look at the idea of recovery in Urdu poetry. In this episode, The Quint's Fabeha Syed recites Ghalib, Muztar Khairabadi, and also, Sahir Ludhianvi's nazm against the politics of religion, '26 January'.  Tune in.  Host, Writer, and Sound Designer: Fabeha Syed Editor: Shelly Walia Music: Big Bang Fuzz...

The journey we had in 2020, and the events we have witnessed is not something anyone of us would like to experience or go through again. Although, and overall the last year was full of trials in a way that demanded us to toss our freedoms aside, we learned many lessons. From forcing ourselves to adjust to the ‘new normal’, to finding freedom in restrictions, sailing through the year of a raging pa...

Pandemic, Politics & Protests. These three words can sum-up what 2020 was like. An anxious heart wants to be assured that nothing from the previous year should follow us as we begin a brand new year. And what better way to start a new journey than prayers and hope for peace and strength? Join us as we read the poems of Sahir Ludhianvi, Ahmad Faraz, and Ali Sardar Jafri, to make sense of what 'amn'...

Jis khet se dahqan ko mayassar nahin rozi us khet ke har khosha-e-gandum ko jala do Urdu poet and thinker Allama Iqbal is saying through this couplet that if the piece of land where the farmer grows his produce and other crops is not yielding him any income, it should not be of any use to anybody. With the country embroiled in protests by farmers against the Centre’s new farm laws, we take a look...

Note: The difference between the pronunciations of 'marz' and 'maraz' is colloquial - while the former is technically correct, the latter is present in everyday usage. In a world where everything is moving so fast, where the sense of impermanence has only become deeper, most of us feel an intense urge to be able to control everything around us - things, feelings, even people. This can be exhaustin...

In this episode of Urdunama, we go back to poets like Faiz, Iqbal, Moradabadi, and others, for a lesson we need to refresh - bold Is beautiful. This podcast will help you pick up 'hausla' meaning 'courage', if you need some. Tune in. Host, Writer, and Sound Designer: Fabeha Syed Editor: Shelly Walia Music: Big Bang Fuzz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ismat Chughtai, nicknamed 'Lady Manto', wrote mostly about the Indian middle-class Muslim culture and domestic life. But, it's her work on the life of women, and their sexual problems, that she is most remembered for. Ismat ‘Apa’, as she was fondly called, wrote a short story called ‘Lihaaf’ on same-sex desire and attracted not only social backlash but was also dragged to court on charges of obsce...

Your past, your memories, our history. Without the past or our ‘maazi’, no art is possible. And as far as Urdu poetry is concerned, the source of inspiration has always been the beloved whom the poet reminisces about in ghazals. In this episode of Urdunama, we revel in some of the gems of shayari which remind us that if the past hounds with all its bitterness, then there is no point clinging to it...

Trained at the age of five by her father and Marathi theatre star, Deenanath Mangeshkar, Lata Mangeshkar started her career as a child artiste and chorus singer in 1942. But it wasn't until the late 40s when she landed her first solo hit - 'Aayega, aayega aane wala..' from the film Mahal starring Madhubala and Ashok Kumar. Lata was praised by Nargis' mother Jaddanbai for her Urdu pronunciation of...

'Aaftab' or the sun is the heart of the universe that keeps the solar system and its planets together. This huge glowing ball of gas is a star that symbolizes spirit, life, strength, triumph, energy and usually everything positive. In this episode of Urdunama, feel the radiance of some Urdu poetry that reminds you to face towards the 'aaftab' so that the shadows could fall behind you. Tune in. Hos...

'Ghaflat' and 'Taghaful' mean 'carelessness' or 'ignorance'. In Urdu poetry, it is the poet's lover who is usually guilty of this and hence is called a 'ghaafil' - someone who is oblivious of the poet's feelings. However, Faiz Ahmad Faiz and Allama Iqbal have a different point of view. For them there are different reasons for the built-up of 'taghaful - one says its 'laziness', the other feels its...

Sabhī kā khūn hai shāmil yahāñ ki mittī meiñ kisī ke bāp ka hindostān thodi hai This is an oft-quoted sher in political discussions and protests, especially those opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens. It also found its way into Parliament, when it was quoted by All India Trinamool Congress’ Mahua Moitra, while giving her maiden address. She listed seven sign...