Urdunama

In this special episode of Urdunama, we celebrate the legend - the man of golden words, a friend, and a father, Gulzar.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Often dubbed as the 'tragedy queen' of Hindi cinema, legendary actor Meena Kumari was not only a powerful star but also a poetess. In this episode of Urdunama, we revisit the story of the tragedienne through her poetry. Also, featuring in this podcast is the famous Sufi singer, Rashmi Agarwal, who is the recipient of the Grand-Prix Award at the prestigious 9th International World Music Festival in...

The biggest tragedy for a poet is the absence of his lover in his life. That's why just the thought of a possibility of never-ending meetings with his beloved brings him a lot of relief. All he wishes, in his life, is to have nearness or qurbaten with his mehboob. For example, this sher does not have the word qurbat, but the poet wishes to get closer to his mehboob; Shakeel Badayuni writes: kaise...

‘kyā takalluf kareñ ye kahne meñ jo bhī ḳhush hai ham us se jalte haiñ’ In this sher, poet Jaun Eliya announces unapologetically that he feels jealous of those who are happier in their lives than he is. The word ‘takalluf’ means ‘formality’ or doing something with a bit of refrain, while its absence is called ‘be-takallufi’ or to say something without mincing any words. The above couplet is illust...

For poets like Ahmad Faraz and Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Mehdi Hassan was the preferred voice for their ghazals. For Lata Mangeshkar, his voice was like the voice of God. For the Indian subcontinent, Mehdi Hassan was indeed the 'king of melody' who inspired scores of singers after him. For India, Pakistan and Nepal alike, Mehdi Hassan was unrivaled. Born in Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu district, Hassan’s tryst wi...

In this episode of Urdunama , we learn the relevance of the word 'shikwa' or 'complain' which Urdu poets, like Jaun Eliya, believe is a great signifier of attachment and expectations. However, poets also warn that when the pain intensifies, and one goes through endless trials, the lamenting stops as well. And when it does, it takes the form of hopelessness. Which is why, we have curated a poetic r...

What keeps people together? Some may say, 'its about staying close to each other at all times', but many poets will say otherwise. If there is poetry on vasl (union) and sensual proximity, a considerable number of ashaar also advocate the need for faasla or 'distance'. Poets have written about faasla as the remedy to prevent the relationships from collapsing under the weight of excessive familiari...

If it wasn't for Talat Mahmood's soulful voice, Dilip Kumar wouldn't have become the undisputed 'King of Tragedy'. From 'Arzoo', 'Tarana' to 'Sangdil', and 'Babul', Talat Mahmood used to be the first choice of the directors for the voice of Dilip Kumar. If it wasn't for Talat Mahmood, Mehdi Hasan would not have become the ghazal great of the subcontinent. Also, referred to as the 'Frank Sinatra' o...

Patience or 'sabr' is not just a word, but a practice. It could be understood as an inner mechanism that allows us to be accepting of everyday challenges without getting angry or agitated. If it's not for the hard times, we wouldn't have known what it means to practise 'sabr' or endurance. You may feel that your speed is slowing down in the lockdown. But the only way to keep going is adjusting you...

As the nation reels under a 21-day lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus, most of us are confined to our homes, working from home, practising what has been touted to the safest measure to ward off COVID-19 – 'social distancing'. If, in self-isolation, there is ever a moment when you have felt hopeless about your future, then you aren't alone. In these testing times, it’s important to remem...

In a matter of weeks, the exponential rise of coronavirus cases has caused anxiety and fear over the world. A lot of us are, quite naturally, feeling uncertain about the future. It’s easy to feel despair and be hopeless – but remember, we are all in this together. So, hang in there! Tune in for some ashaar – from the likes of Ahmad Faraz and Faiz – that will give the warmth of hope, or aas, that w...

A poet, lyricist, thinker - Sahir, is not a man of a few words. His vast vocabulary not only borrows references from nature when he writes intimate love songs but also when he hopes for a better world, social justice, and equality:  Hazaar barq gire, laakh andhiyan utthein Vo phool khil ke rahenge jo khilne wale hain. The magic of Sahir’s poetry is such that it traverses across the Urdu-Hindi barr...

In most languages, there are those confusing words that have similar pronunciation but are different in both meanings and spellings. So if you stumble upon some homonyms in Urdu which make you scratch your head, say no more. We got you covered. In this episode of Urdunama, The Quint’s Fabeha Syed explains the case of almost similar sounding words - ‘sahar’ which means ‘dawn’, and ‘sehr’ meaning ‘m...

Intikhab means ‘election’ or ‘selection’. Many Urdu poets have written about their intikhab of something when they are faced with tough choices. Mostly its when they hold someone or something like a memory in high regard. For example, Urdu poet Mir Taqi Mir, who shifted to Lucknow after Ahmad Shah Abdali’s invasion of Delhi, reminisces about his beloved city by calling it the ‘chosen place in the...

On 14 January 1919, Urdu poet Kaifi Azmi was born into a family of zameendars of Mizwan – a small village in the district of Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh. While the usual worries that grip every child’s heart are either about what, where or with whom to play, Kaifi’s anxieties lay elsewhere. One of the couplets from the first ghazal he wrote at the age of 11 shows the genius of a child prodigy that he...

Faiz’s iconic poem ‘Hum Dekhenge’ has always been borrowed by protesting voices across the globe. The poem calls out the oppressors of every age, ideology and society. The poem was written as a mark of protest against the regime of Pakistani dictator Zia-ul-Haq, whose government was communal and regressive. A set of laws called the ‘Hudood Ordinances’ was the central policy of his government to en...

Mirza Ghalib - who is to Urdu literature what Shakespeare is to English - whose poetry has continued to find admirers even a century and a half later when he is no more. Born in 1797 in Agra, Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib moved to Delhi wherein the court of the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, his talents found new heights. These heights of his literary brilliance often prod you on a deeper...

'Madam' Noor Jehan was perhaps one of the earliest stars of Hindi cinema. She later migrated to Pakistan. The cleft-chinned darling of the newly formed Pakistan, Noor Jehan was not only a singer and an actor admired by her audience, but also respected by even the great poets and artistes of both the countries. On her 93th death anniversary on 23 December 2019, find out why Urdu poet Faiz Ahmad Fai...

In this episode of Urdunama, find out how our Justuju or desire for better things is actually the essence of our lives. Our aspirations, goals, and all the planning we do to achieve them prepares us for the great scheme of things in our lives. Urdu poet Altaf Hussain Hali has written about this thought in this beautiful couplet. Hai justuju ki khoob se hai khoob tar kahaan,  ab theherti hai dekhiy...

From patangbaazi (kite flying or kite making) to bahaanebaazi (making excuses). The Urdu word baazi, which literally means a game or a bet, has been used as a suffix creating more colourful words than one can imagine. Naarebaazi, which means sloganeering, ishqbaazi which is romancing (someone), pangebaazi which is being up to some mischief... the word is immensely dynamic. In this episode of Urdun...

Hai Raam ke wajood pe Hindustaan ko naaz Ahl-e-Nazar samajhte hain us ko Imam-e-Hind The above couplet is from Allama Iqbal’s poem ‘Ram’. Iqbal asserts that Ram is the leader of not just one particular faith, but he paves the way for everyone to the path of spiritual success. He calls Lord Ram, ‘Imam-e-Hind’ or the leader of all of Hind or Hindustan. This Diwali, we remember Ram through the prism...

Arzi means an application or a request; the word arziyan, in Sufi poetry, is a medium which makes one feel close to God. However, here’s a question: Why do we need arziyan when God is everywhere? In this episode of Urdunama, we try to answer this. From reading Mallik Mohammad Jayasi’s poem ‘Padmavat’ to drawing parallels between ‘Aham Brahamasmi’ and ‘Ana-al-haq’ in Indian philosophy, this episode...

Have you heard the Dastaan-e-Gandhi? ‘Dastaan’ means ‘story’. Gandhi means....well...Mahatma Gandhi. The '-e-' sound in the word ‘Dastan-e-Gandhi’ means ‘of’, that’s used to join these two words. On this special edition of Urdunama, we bring you Dastaan-e-Gandhi, the story of Mahatma Gandhi’s return to India and his journey from being an ordinary man to the man India calls ‘Mahatma’. To the uninit...

Fabeha Syed catches up with Delhi University professor Dr Najma Rehmani. She talks about poet Mir Taqi Mir who provided a window to 18th century Delhi with his politics, love, loss, and his feelings for an attaar ka launda (son of a perfumer). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

‘Mukammal’ means complete, or perfect. We tend to believe that adding something special to our life – like a dog to our family, a new skill, or a new goal – will make our life ‘mukammal’, or complete. While thinking so, we are hoping for our life to look better than it does right now. It’s one thing to aspire to have things, qualities and people who add meaning to your life and make it mukammal. B...