This Tuesday (12th August), at Mehfil@Prithvi, we celebrate the works of the luminous poet, writer and director – Gulzar saab, who has hugely contributed is making Urdu a cool and contemporary to younger generations. His consistent and effortless inclusion of English words into a heavily Urdu phrase or lyric adds a new flavor to the language that makes Urdu seem more accessible (recall ‘aankhen bhi kamaal karti hai, personal se sawaal karti hai…from the song Kajra re). And his play of words when describing scenes or events is inimitable, be it a seemingly inane portrait of a house that comes alive in ‘Makaan ki upari manzil pe ab koi nahi rehta’ (Click to read Makaan ki upari…) or the not-so-poetic journey one can take even today to Ghalib’s house in Ballimaran, Old Delhi, that becomes supremely lyrical in his words, in Ibteda (Click to read Ibteda).
We welcome you to join us at Mehfil@Prithvi on Tuesday, 12th August as we discuss, discover, unravel and enjoy the works and creations of Gulzar. Time: 7pm, Place: Prithvi Theatre, Juhu, Entry is free
To give you a glimpse into his poetry, here are the lyrics of one of his most popular songs from the film Aandhi, the political drama that was directed by Gulzar himself, in 1975.
Is Mod Se Jaate Hain
Kuch sust-qadam raste kuchh tez qadam raahen
Patthar ki haveli ko, sheeshe ke gharaundon mein
Tinkon ke nasheman tak, is mod se jaate hain
Aandhi ki tarah ud kar, ik raah guzarti hai
Sharmaati hui koi, qadmon se utarti hai
In reshmi raahon mein ik raah to woh hogi
Tum tak jo pahunchti hai
Is mod se jaati hai
Ek door se aati hai, paas aake palat-ti hai
Ek raah akeli si rukti hai na chalti hai
Ye sochke baithi hun, ek raah to woh hogi
Tum tak jo pahunchti hai, is mod se jaati hain
From This Bend In The Road
From this bend in the road
Go some slow-paced paths
And some fast highways
To the stone palace, the glasshouse and the nest of little debris
All paths go from this bend
One path flies along like a hurricane
Another moves with shy footsteps
On these velvet roads, there must be at least one path
That reaches you; that too starts from this bend
One path comes from really far away, and turns just as it reaches here
And one path, alone, neither stops nor moves
And I sit here, thinking, there must be at least one path
That reaches you
That too starts from this bend in the road
(English translation from ‘The Taste of Words: An Introduction to Urdu Poetry’, edited and translated by Raza Mir)
Link to the song is here:
urduwallahs 