Venkat Raman –
venkat@indiannewslink.co.nz
The beauty of Urdu as the ‘Bards’ Language’ with all its cultural and literary manifestations will come to the fore at a ‘Mushaira, Kavi Sammelan & Ghazal Night’ in Auckland next month.
Hindi film actor and former Delhi University Professor Yusuf Husain would be among the stars who will entertain and engage you in unforgettable sessions of ballads, sonnets and other forms of poetry punctuated with idioms, metaphors and similes.
Organised by the Urdu Hindi Cultural Association of New Zealand, the night of literary bonanza will be held at the Fickling Convention Centre, Three Kings, Auckland on Saturday, April 30, 2016.
The Programme will commence at 7 pm and like all Mushairas, it would carry on until the participants decide to call it a day. Dinner would form a part of the evening, which would be a crowning glory for the seven-year old Association.
Impressive march
Established on December 5, 2009 in the name of ‘Hyderabad Urdu Cultural Association’ and later changed to its current title, the literary body has National MP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi as its Patron and many other lawmakers including Phil Goff, Mahesh Bindra and Dr Parmjeet Parmar as its supporters.
The Association conducts at least three major programmes every year and publishes ‘Dhanak,’ (Spectrum of Colours) at its final meeting in December.
Crossing borders
Association General Secretary Syed Mujeeb Hyderabadi said that the poetic nights transcend manmade barriers of religion, nationality and ethnicity, bringing together people keen to promote Urdu and Hindi as languages of respect and lore.
“It is a delight to see not only people who understand, converse and compose poems in chaste Urdu and Hindi but also those with a fleeting knowledge of the languages. There are many others including our New Zealanders of European and Maori origin who evince interest in our programmes. Their presence helps us in achieving our objective of living in peace and harmony,” he said.
Celebrity Guest
The presence of veteran actor Yusuf Husain would certainly enhance the value of the programme, the first such for the Association. A seasoned thespian, Husain has appeared in more than 200 films spanning four decades, sharing the credit titles of almost all famous actors of the Hindi film industry.
The 67-year-old actor began his career as a Numismatist at the Lucknow State Museum after obtaining his postgraduate degree in History from Lucknow University. A few years later, he moved to Delhi for theatre performances with Habib Tanvir who was one of India’s most popular playwrights in Urdu and Hindi.
He became famous for his role in ‘Agra Bazar,’ a play in Hindi describing the ups and downs of the market (and hence that of life).
Passion for teaching took Husain to Delhi University where he wrote a book on Museums and Tourism in India. Later he established ‘Odyssey,’ a tourism company, whose success brought him four national awards.
The Hindi film industry called for his talent and he moved to Mumbai after selling his tourism company. A new chapter in his life and that of Hindi films had begun.
Indian Newslink will carry more about Husain, his films and the forthcoming programme in our ensuing editions.
For further details, please call Syed Mujeeb Hyderabadi on 021-1602135. Email: syedmujeeb2006@hotmail.com
