Mujtaba Husain
- a Humorist Par Excellence
Even for those who have but a
fringe interest in contemporary Urdu literature,
Mujtaba Husain is not an unfamiliar name. But, not
many enthusiasts of the language in North America
may be aware that selections from his delightful
writings have recently been brought out from Chicago,
in two volumes, by another well-known literary and
social figure -Hasan Chishti.
A self-effacing, helpful and considerate person,
an icon of the Hyderabadi culture, Chishti has indeed
earned the gratitude of a vast segment of South
Asian community through this service to them. He
has brought within easy access the scintillating
writings of a great wit. The two-volume anthology
covers almost all genres of Mujtaba’s writings.
A prolific purveyor of wit and humor, Mujtaba has
over the past forty years produced fifteen volumes
of his works, some of which have been translated
into Hindi and several regional languages of India.
And, his writings have earned six literary awards
from different academic associations of that country.
Encomiums have been also showered on him by eminent
writers like Mushtaq Ahmad Yousufi, Ale Ahmad Saroor,
Nisar Farooqi, Aqueel Danish, Mushfiq Khawaja –to
mention just a few names. They accept him as a pre-eminent
architect of wit, humor and satire on the contemporary
Urdu landscape.
The simplicity of his language, the absence of repetition
or over-lapping of themes, the racy style and smooth
flow of his pen have been lauded by all of them.
He creates humor without offending anyone or affronting
the high cultural values he had been nurtured on.
The anthology gathers the finest of his columns
and other writings - witty, rueful, entertaining,
wise, commonsensical and always a pleasure to read.
A consistent quality that I noticed in his writings
is his anecdotal style. Irrespective of whether
he is writing a column, an essay or the profile
of some prominent figure, he fits it into the genre
of short story. This technique holds the attention
and curiosity of the reader while the subtle blend
of wit and humor into the story adds further to
its taste and texture. I would rate this as the
unique characteristic of Mujtaba’s writings.
Then, he appears to be revealing to people things
they knew but did not know they knew. He turns the
obvious in his anecdote into something special and
humorous whose taste remains on your palate for
a long time.
To enliven his narrative, Mujtaba introduces dialogues
at just the appropriate places. These add to the
vivacity of the anecdote. Of course the form is
less important than the content. That is where one
comes across the subtlety of his intellect.
One is reminded of an observation of Mark Twain:
‘There has never been an uninteresting life.
Such a thing is an 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.
Over a decade back, I had heard of Mujtaba Hussain
and the place he had secured on India’s literary
firmament, but I could meet him only a few years
ago on his last visit to North America. When I told
him about my acquaintance with his elder brother,
Ibrahim Jalees, he treated me as his own elder with
all the attendant courtesies, though quite embarrassing
for me.
Dictates of official assignments took me to several
foreign lands depriving me of the opportunity of
spending as much time as I wanted to in the company
of Jalees. When I returned to Islamabad in 1976
from my last foreign posting, Z.A. Bhutto’s
government was confronting a massive political agitation.
A panel of writers was set up to produce articles
on topics to be identified by the government. I
was the only official whose name appeared on the
panel. My protest went unheeded and I took solace
in the fact that Jalees’ name was also there.
That would give me, I consoled myself, another opportunity
to spend some time in the company of that great
satirist –the author of the classic “Chalees
Crore Bhikari”. But, he could not leave Karachi
to come to Islamabad and within a few weeks Zia
declared Martial Law and closed down Masawat, the
daily Jalees was editing at the time. He succumbed
to the shock.
I found Mujtaba in good spirits on his visit to
Southern California. But, I also noticed that he
was suffering from severe arthritic knee pain. I
saw him lugging down stairs in much pain his suitcase
at his host’s house but wouldn’t allow
a younger member of the family to carry it for him
down stairs. Meeting and listening to him was an
exhilarating experience.
A few months later a press report said that he had
his knees replaced in India through surgical procedure.
Mr. Vajapyee too had undergone the same procedure
at about the same time. He is shown on the TV using
a wheel chair to move around; he stands and walks
only when unavoidable. Mujtaba too, I am informed,
has fared no better. Evidently, the procedure is
yet to be perfected.
Reverting to the contents of Mujtaba’s writings,
one is reminded of a saying attributed to Aristotle
that melancholy men are the wittiest. Mark Twain
too maintained, “Everything human is pathetic.
The secret source of humor itself is not joy but
sorrow.”
Mujtaba’s sorrow emanates from the step-motherly
treatment meted out to Urdu language in India. His
essays on “Urdu Ka Akhri Qari” and “Deemak
Ki Malka Say Eik Mulaquat” stand out in this
category. These essays articulate the anguish, over
the eclipse of a rich language, felt and borne in
silence or in mumbled oaths by the speakers of that
language. Some lucky ones live now in pockets in
foreign lands.
His articles on “Hyderabad Ka Jo Zikr Kiya”
and “Char Minar and Char Sao Baras”
portray his anguish over a fast fading culture which
is now, oddly enough, struggling for survival in
foreign lands. His pieces on “Sindbad’s
Safarnama” and “Kutto Insanown Say Khabardar
Raho” spring from the depth of his sorrow
over communal riots.
The second volume of the anthology carries forty-one
sketches of prominent figures of art and literature.
The last sketch is of himself and is really worth
reading. I too have had some contacts with half
a dozen of the persons listed, but I assure you
that I had hardly noticed many of those facets of
these persons on which Mujtaba sheds light. It is
indeed a book of pure delight in an inimitable style.
Written with sympathy for subjects portrayed, it
bristles with intelligence and reflects the incisive
and keen observation of the writer. (For copies,
please get in touch with Hasan Chishti by e-mail
at: Hasan10@AOL.Com or by Phone at: 773-743-1705)
- ArifHussaini@hotmail.com
(714)-921-9634
