Monday, December 23, 2024



By Syed Arif Hussaini

March 10, 2006

Mujtaba’s New Book and Urdu Magazine ‘Al Aqreba’


Mujtaba Hussain, the eminent Urdu writer, wit and humorist, honored me by a visit during my two-week visit to Hyderabad, India, early this year. He honored me further by presenting to me a copy of his book “Aap Ki Tareef” that had just come out of the press. As if this was not enough, he brought with him another prominent humorist, writer, and actor, Himayatullah, to completely overwhelm me with his kindness and consideration.
Mujtaba is a familiar name even for those who have but a fringe interest in Urdu literature. And, for the students of Urdu literature, he is by any measure a front rank humor writer of modern times. A prolific writer, the total volume of his writings exceeds that of any of his peers in his genre. Quantity-wise he is no doubt the front-runner and quality-wise he is not behind any other.
Shaukat Thanavi was another humorist in any knowledge who could write as fast and in such quantity. He could conceive the theme, flow of the story, dialogues of various characters in his serial and satirical radio drama “Qaziji kay Ghar” only a couple of hours before broadcast. And, he would play the central character of Qaziji himself. On occasions he wouldn’t have even the script.
The latest book of Mujtaba, “Aap Ki Tareef” is a compilation of the profiles crafted by him of prominent Urdu poets and writers. These are the accounts of his personal encounters with these luminaries over the past half a century. The sketches are so vividly and masterly drawn that the reader gains the feeling of the presence of the subject while going through Mujtaba’s account. It is the genius of Mujtaba to turn a stranger into a familiar figure for his reader.
The book carries profiles of 55 literati, half of them on or after the demise of the concerned person, the other half about the living literary figures. Even the pieces written in memory of the dead, do not read like the traditional obituaries. They neither depress the reader like ‘marsias’ (odes to the dead), nor do they poke fun at the frailties of the dead. Mujtaba maintains a delicate balance between informing, entertaining and educating the reader and offering tributes to the qualities of head and heart of his subject.
In an earlier column about Mujtaba, I had said: A consistent quality that I noticed in his writings is his anecdotal style. His sketches too fit into he genre of short story. This technique holds the attention of the reader while the subtle blend of wit and humor into the story adds further to its taste and texture.
His profiles remind one of an observation of Mark Twain: “There has never been an uninteresting life. Such a thing is impossibility. Inside of the dullest exterior there is a drama, a comedy, a tragedy.”
Mujtaba’s incisive insight picks it up, his racy pen draws the sketch and his impish brush gives it colorful touches of humor. He has been doing this for over thirty years. The total of his sketches must be over a hundred. First compilation under the title “Aadmi Nama” appeared in 1981. Then came “So Hai Wuh Bhi Aadmi” six years later. Hasan Chishti, a prominent poet and writer himself, has compiled Mujtaba’s selected columns in four volumes. These carried some more sketches. The profiles in the book under review are mostly those not included in the earlier anthologies.
Mujtaba has given to Urdu literature a treasure trove of material on modern day Urdu writers. His service is no less valuable than that of Muhammad Husain Azad through his “Aab-e-Hayat”. However, it goes to the credit of Mujtaba that he has taken no liberty with facts to add color to his narrative. He stands out in this respect. Also, one marvels at the number of friends he has developed in the Urdu literary circles of South Asia and of South Asians abroad. He has drawn their sketches and the reader keeps drawing a sketch of Mujtaba in his mind while going through them. The picture that emerges is that of a monument to humor and wit, to sincerity and humility, to immeasurable greatness and as much modesty, to an exceptional devotion to Urdu literature. May his prolific pen become more productive with each passing day.
QUARTERLY AL-AQREBA. I have received in the mail a copy of Qurterly “Al-AQREBA” published from Islamabad. This Jan-March, 2006 issue marks the first anniversary of a magazine that struck me as a potpourri of researched articles, literary and creative writings, short stories and selected poems of contemporary bards. The magazine is being brought out by a Foundation headed by a retired civil servant, Syed Mansur Aquil. He has wisely elected to devote his post-retirement time to the production of this labor of love instead of letting it pass in a reverie of the past. A labor of love hardly seeks a reward. The labor is a reward by itself. I am sure Mr. Aquil is enjoying the fruits of his efforts. The letters towards the end of the magazine reflect this.
{For more information about this worthwhile periodical, please contact its representative in the US, Mr. Owais Jafrey at (206) 361-8094}
arifhussaini@hotmail.com March 3, 2006

PREVIOUSLY

Desire and the Culture of Instant Gratification
March 23 - Memories & Nostalgia
Deeper Malaise of Pakistan Polity
BJP’s Debacle in the Battle for Ballots
Feudalism’s Aversion to Education
Forgetfulness -a Prank of Old Age or of Hyperfocus
The Taliban and Beyond
Meetings of World Economic Forum and Its Counterweight
BJP Fails Again to Frame Pakistan
Indo-Chinese Relations in Perspective
Taj Mahal and Indo-Pakistan Standoff
Grandma, Grandpa
'The Clash of Civilizations' : A Questionable Thesis
In the Gadgeteer's Dreamland
Emergence of MMA on Pak Political Landscape
Chechnya and Moscow's Hostage Crisis
Turkish Elections in Historical Perspective
Iraq's Oil Wealth
America: A Nation on Wheels
"Jinnah & Pakistan" - A Worthwhile Book
Afghanistan Merits More Attention

The Siren Song of Sale and Savings

In Memory of Dr. Hamidullah

Tackling Murphy at the Airport

Musings of a Superannuated Man

US Economy: Will Bush's Plan Work

Tempo of Life in America

The Genius behind the Mouse

The Media Mogul Who Manipulated Men and Events

Hearst and Disney: A Comparative Study

Nothing but the Truth

War on Iraq Imminent and Inevitable

Mahathir's Interesting Views

Portents of a New World Order

March 23 - Memories & Nostalgia

Rachel Corrie & the Spotted Owl

Lost in Cyberspace

The American Nice Guyism

Connecticut - A Nursery of Men

On a Visit to Canada after Half of Century

Some Legal Aspects of the Iraq War

Bureaucratic Antics

Rhode Island: An Oxymoron, a Paradox

The Mystique of California

Comic Operas in Islamabad & in Texas

Khyber Knights: A Fascinating Book

G-8 Summit Skirts Touchy Issues

In Memory of a Versatile Genius

Hillary Clinton's Cleverly Crafted Book

Chitranwala Katora and Chutkiyan

The Yak Shows : The Trash Talks

The Giants of Sequoia National Park

Reflections on Pakistan's Independence Day

Aziz Kay 'Sifarati Maarkay And Mujtaba Kay 'Safarnamay'

California's Political Circus

Lali Chaudhri's Provocative Short Stories

September: A Witness to Wars

America in the Quagmire of Iraq

Collapse of Another WTO Summit

A B C D: American-Born-Clear-Headed Desis

The Pangs of Waiting

Chechnya: A Ray of Hope for Peace

American Job Exodus to China

Islamabad : Its Beauty & Oddities

Welcome Proposals to Break Indo-Pak Logjam

Benazir's Case and the Corruption Scenario

Predicament of Pakistan's Polity

When Memory Starts Faltering

Terror in Turkey Unrelated to Nation's Cultural Conflict

The Siren Song of Sale and Savings

Wrinkles in US-China Relations

Wrinkles in US-China Relations

Saddam Crawls out of a Hole to Ignominy

Saddam Crawls out of a Hole to Ignominy

When Memory Starts Faltering

A Day in the Company of Mujtaba Hussain

Hyderabad Presents a Panorama of Progress and Change

Conflict over New World Economic Order

Pakistan's Nuclear Scandal

Urdu in Hyderabad Deccan

A Good Book on a Great Man

Gay Marriages in Vivacious San Francisco

The Passion of the Christ - A Well-Sculpted but Fuss-Causing Film

A Treat of Mujtaba's Wit and Humor

Predicament of Pakistan's Polity

The Murder of Sheikh Yassin: Israel's Hidden Agenda

Army Action in Pakistan's Tribal Belt

Would the NSC Buttress or Besiege Democracy?

Desire and the Culture of Instant Gratification

Swiss Court and the Benazir-Zardari Plunder Saga

Pakistan and the International Economic Forums

Why Do US Follies Keep Piling up in Iraq?

The Tamasha at Lahore Airport

Indian Elections and Subsequent Developments

Bush Flaunts His Faulty Policies on Iraq

Post Civil War America and Post-Independence Pakistan

Bureaucratic Antics

Tackling Murphy at the Airport

Asma's Fascinating Book on Islam

APPNA Qissa - 25 Years of Activities of Pak-American Doctors

Bureacratic Antics

Nightmare in Sudan

In Pursuit of Terrorists

Why Turkey's Entry into European Union Is Blocked?

Forgetfulness - A Prank of Old Age or of Hyperfocus

Kremlin's Inept Tackling of Chechen Extremists

Who Should Get My Vote In November Election?

Bush vs. Annan on Legal Status of Iraq War

Rethinking the National Security of Pakistan

The Brief Message

Desire and the Culture of Instant Gratification

Is Iran the Next Target?

Dollar vs. Euro -A Question of Hegemony

Zardari’s Release Indicative of Reconciliation?

The Siren Song of Sale and Savings

Christmastime – A Festive Occasion

Pak-China Ties Keep Growing Firmly

American Shopping Malls

Tsunami - an Asian Disaster

Dr. Cohen’s Thought-Provoking Work on Pakistan

Alice in the Freeland

Balochistan: Crisis & Conflict

Iran the Next Target, but

The Common Man

Chechnya: Chaos to Continue in the Caucasus

Global Warming and Emulators of the OstrichA

Treat of Mujtaba’s Wit and Humor

Reflections on the Idea of Pakistan

‘Engaging India’ - A Valuable Book by Strobe Talbott
Memories & Nostalgia

American Nice Guyism

Balochistan at the Verge of Revolutionary Changes?

India as Seen by Early Muslim Chroniclers

India, China Leading a Resurgent Asia

The Pain at the Petrol Pump

Mujtaba Husain - a Humorist Par Excellence

Musings of a Superannuated Man in America

The Pangs of Waiting

Chaos and Killings in Uzbekistan

Prospects of the Pain at the Petrol Pump
French Voters Reject Proposed EU Constitution

Why Turkey’s Entry into European Union Is Being Blocked

What Ails Thee, My Native Land?

The Deeper Malaise of Pakistan’s Polity

Resistance to Change in the System

Feudalism’s Aversion to Education

Rhode Island: An Oxymoron, a Paradox

The Spotted Owl Wins against Bush Administration

Sufi Sage of Philadelphia and His Devotee from Toronto

To Ease the Pain at the Petrol Pump

Pat Robertson - a Loose Canon?

Monkey Menace in New Delhi

September - A Witness to Wars

The Trouble with Islam Today

Two Revealing Books on Afghanistan

To Lighten the Tedium of Air Travel
Islamabad as I Remember It

China’s White Paper Upholds Its “Democratic Dictatorship”

The Brief Message

Halloween: The Fun-Filled Fantasy

Practical Joking: The Sport of Creeps?

Senate Rebuffs Bush on War in Iraq

Bush’s Unproductive Visit to China

Global Warming or Terrorism: Which Is a Bigger Threat?

A High Achiever Shows the Way

Syriana - An Expose of Intrigues of Oil Companies

How Washington Sold Its Soul for Saudi Crude

Alice in the Freeland

American English

The Battle of the Bulge

Lost in Cyberspace

Hamas Vote Victory Invites Wrath of the West

No Relief in Sight from Pain at the Petrol Pump

Politics of the Cartoons’ Controversy

Follies & Fantasies of the Freaks


Editor: Akhtar M. Faruqui
© 2004 pakistanlink.com . All Rights Reserved.