Sahir And Jaadu is a story taken from a collection of stories (Half a Rupee: Stories) by Gulzar, and offered here as an independent read, from part one, which is about somewhat well known people as far as Indian intelligentsia and media go, Kuldeep Nayar and Bhushan Banmali and various far more famous film persona from Mumbai - poets Jaan Nisaar Akhtar and his sone Javed Akhtar whom they called Jaadu (magic), and their friend Sahir Ludhianavi, and more. Interesting, and with twists at the end to give one a pause if not a tear.
Saahir and Jaadu is about those two poets and friends and other film persona involved - Jaan Nisaar Akhtar, the father of Javed Akhtar (Jaadu) and the years of the latter's youth when he was on a warpath with the famous father, and took refuge often with Sahir who was friend of both.
Gulzar to some extent and Sahir Ludhianavi to a far more committed extent were leftists - Sahir was about to be arrested for h in his chosen or default home in the other part of India as it was before independence, and had to escape to India as it is post independence, and yet he said it was lucky for Mumbai to have him, rather than admitting he was lucky he could get away and not be arrested to spend life in jail, rather than the respect and fame and prestige and satisfactory work he had during his life in India. Gulzar in that tradition sympathises with a suicide bomber who plans to blow up a prime minister, and writes a story and publishes it, apart from a film or more he made on the topic.
Wonder if they had courage enough to battle for Malala and her ilk. Easy to target a democracy, especially one that does not penalise you for being in minority politically.
Saturday, March 29, 2014.
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