April 29, 2007...10:07 am
The City of Djinns
The trials and turbulances faced by others are mere stories to us. We can’t feel them until somebody close to us is going through difficult times. Most of us have heard the ordeals of people who migrated from and to India and Pakistan at the time of the partition in 1947. Our generation was fortunate enough to hear about the ordeal and not face it ourselves. I was fortunate (or unfortunate) to hear from both sides of the border, thanks to the relatives of my Muslim friends. They are shocking stories and it is difficult to believe that humans can stoop so low. My post is not about partition or the sufferings of people during those trying times. Too much has been written about it. We have heard about people who migrated because they wanted to, or due to the scare of the violent mobs attacking them. Last week I was fortunate to experience the joy of open air theatre which we Delhiwallas are getting used to watching. Last few years thanks to Aamir Raza Hussain we could watch open air plays like ‘50 days war’ and ‘The legend Of Rama’.
This year it was ‘The City of Djinns’. This is a play about Delhi and its history. It is based on a book by William Dalrymple and the main actors are Tom Alter and Zohra Sehgal. Tom Alter has played the role of William Dalrymple. A major portion of the play is dedicated to Old Delhi and its forgotten charm. William realises that some answers to the mystery that was Delhi had its links in Karachi. There is a certain writer who lives in Karachi and has answers to his queries. This is the story written in late 80’s when it was really difficult to visit Pakistan from India and vice versa. The writer William is talking about has written books about Delhi and its grandeur and loved Delhi. When William is able to find this guy in Karachi he asks him if he loved Delhi so much why did he leave India and migrate to Pakistan. It was a difficult answer to guess. This fellow was in China at the time of partition and was not allowed to come to India because he was a muslim. Later he says he didn’t try because his beloved Delhi had changed and was alien to him. It was sad and funny at the same time. He was not accepted in Pakistan as he talked about Delhi all the time.
At the age of 90 Zohra Sehgal is inspiring. Tom Alter is amazing. An excellent experience. Even after spending all my adult life in Delhi there are so many things I have learnt about Delhi. There are so many things I remember in the play but writing about them would not do them justice. Punjabi accents, “Kukkar Phats” (Rooster fights), Qawwali…
6 Comments
May 1, 2007 at 4:51 pm
interesting….
If somebody asks me if you want to go back in time wr do you wanna go? my answere would be DILLI at the time of Ghalib and MOMIN. Such a cultured city and not Delhi alone, almost evry city of UP has a culture of its own or had at that time. If Italianz and french are proud of their art,culture, music and cuisines thn the ppl of UP have all the rights in the world to believe the same
People of karchicity reminisce Delhi by eating seekh kababz and other cuisines.
May 1, 2007 at 6:13 pm
Cities like Lucknow, Delhi were so refined and cultured back in those days.
May 2, 2007 at 10:21 am
The time of Ghalib was not a very happy time. Sorry Ammar literature was the only flourishing thing. Bahadur Shah Jafar’s writ was not accepted beyond the Lal Qila. It was just before and after the first war of independence. I would have have liked to witness the mushaira in the darbar althougth I have my doubts about women being allowed in the darbar.
Old Delhi is still famous for its cuisine. Karim’s is a favourite eating joint for kababs and other nonvegetarian stuff .I can’t vouch for the taste being a vegetarian. The chat in old delhi is very famous although hygiene is a big issue.Lucknow is still known for the tehjeeb and the people still talk in that soft awadhi dialect. On Ptv I have heard people talking fondly about Lucknow. I feel happy to see that there is so much common bteween the two countries.
Thanks Sumeira for your views. The saying in India was culture was born in Bengal, nurtured in UP and it died in Punjab(sorry Punjabis I didn’t say that).
May 2, 2007 at 12:32 pm
Well my Mum is from Lucknow, dad from KANPUR SO i TRY 2 follow the same culture
I knw only literature PROSPERING but atlesat smthng was flourishing. If your a vegeterian for religious reasons thn sorry cant comment on dat but if u are otherwise like my mum thn you are really missin smthgn in diss world.
As far as teh Punjabi bid is concerned they played an important role in amintain the urdu tahzeeb. All teh great poets of the last centuary were Punjabis IQBAL, FAIZ, AMJAD ISLAM AMJAD and teh list goes on. But the Joke was really wicked
May 2, 2007 at 12:33 pm
* prospered*
*maintained*
May 2, 2007 at 3:26 pm
That was a joke Lucknow wallas crack because Punjabis are loud as compared to Lucknowwallas. The list of literary Punjabis is endless. Bulleshah, Amrita Pritam and so many more. I have too many Punjabi friends so I can’t think of offending them.
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