What’s the event about?
Mehfil-e-Urdu is a gathering to celebrate Urdu, the sweetest language in the world. We will be featuring Urdu poets and giving a chance to common people to be part of this festivity. The event will also feature a mushairah in which we have incorporated an element of music and drama. In other words, what we will have is a ‘theaterised’ musical mushairah.
Don’t you think this experiment will put off purists?
We have the best of poets coming from India and Pakistan whom I am sure purists would love to listen to. So we are giving the purist audience what they are looking for and at the same time something more. Most purists I know are also fans of ghazals in “tarannum” form or rhythemic singing which is why a good mushairah always balances poets who present their poetry in the singing form and in the “tahat” or prose form.
Who are the main stars?
Among those present will be Indian poet Javed Akhtar, actor Tom Alter, poet Bekal Utsahi Sahab, Pakistani poet Amjad Islam Amjad and Dr Zubair Farroq from the UAE. Mohammad Vakil will also render ghazals.
What kind of response are you expecting?
The event is by invitation only. Those interested can contact us at 04-457 1141 or 055-827 5522.
The common notion is that Urdu is the language of Muslims. Your thoughts?
Javed Akhtar said languages belong to regions, not religions. As an example, Pakistan is a Muslim country and has Urdu as its national language whereas Bangladesh, also a Muslim country, has adopted Bangla.
