Urdu Academy pays tribute to Amjad Islam Amjad

By Abdus Sattar Ghazali

The Urdu Academy of North America held its monthly literary session on January 19, 2014 at the Chandni Restaurant in Fremont/Newark, CA.  The new year session was dedicated to the life and work of a great contemporary Urdu poet, drama writer and lyricist.

Professor Zafar Ansari chaired the program while Mohmmad Ali Naqvi and Dr. Tahir Mahmood were the guests of honor.

Dr. Ghazali Ansari, the Master of Ceremony, presented a well researched maqala on the life and work of Amjad Islam Amjad.

Tashie Zaheer, President of the Urdu Academy of North America welcomed the guests. He said that he was delighted to find during his recent visit to Pakistan that literary circles are well aware of Academy's literary events through our website which is updated regularly and promptly.

He was of the view that a major factor of Urdu Academy's success is the patronage by Syed Sarwat, the owner of the Chandni Restaurant. "Syed Sarwat's services for the Urdu language are laudable."

As usual a number of Urdu lovers presented the poetry of Amjad Islam Amjad. The reciters included: Ishaq Nagpuri, Syed Mujeebur Rehman, Alamdar Aristu, Tasadduq Attari, Irshad Khan, Salma Aristu, Ibrahim Siddiqui, Syed Baber, Dr. Maheen Adams, Hamida Bano, Moiz Khan, Meraj Sultana, Abdus Sattar Ghazali, Arvind Kumar and Mohammad Ali Naqvi.

Nagesh Adhvani presented Amjad Islam Amjad's ghazal in his melodious voice.

Dr. Nina Salman read a popular column of Amjad Islam Amjad.

Amjad Islam Amjad was born on August 4, 1944, in Lahore.It is mistakenly reported that he was born in Sialkot, the city where Allama Iqbal and Faiz Ahmed Faiz were born. He received his education in Lahore and graduated from Government Islamia College Lahore. His career started as a lecturer in M.A.O College Lahore. From 1975 to 1979 he worked as a director at Pakistan Television Corporation before returning to the College.

In 1989 he was appointed as Director General of Urdu Science Board. Currently He served as  the project director of the Children Library Complex. He is the author of over 50 books and received several national and PTV awards.

Amjad Islam Amjad is the writer of many drama series for Pakistan Television Corporation including the very popular Waaris. He has written many columns, translation, criticism and essays whereas his main focus is writing Nazms. Among his most famous dramas are Waris, Dehleez, Samandar, Raat, Waqt and Apnay Loug.

In June, 2008 he joined Urdu newspaper Daily Express and writes column with the title of "Chasham-e-Tamasha".

He said about himself:

I can write about the innermost recesses of my personality only in poetry. My personal potential, I think, can best be realised only through this medium. Poetry is my natural expression. I wish people could identify me as a poet. People may stop watching my plays even in my life but my poetry will last longer. The readership is though limited but more captivating. Longevity of poetry is more than that of plays. My plays might be forgotten after decades but not my poetry.

I was fascinated by literary activity since my childhood. When I heard plays on the radio. I used to think that I could write plays too. I began to write and my plays were published in the Punjab University Urdu magazine, Mehvar. In the beginning they were patterned on radio plays, full of sound effects. This verbosity of radio plays is still in evidence in our TV plays. I fancy I’ve grown out of it. In 1974 when I wasn’t getting anywhere much with my efforts to write for the TV, I met Sahira Ansari (now Kazmi), who was fresh from her convent, and looking for someone to write plays for her. I wrote Barzakh and Mom ki Gurya for the TV. For several years afterwards, till October 1979, to be precise, I remained a twelfth man for the TV., called in when their regular ‘in’ writers were not available but things changed with Waaris.

Amjad Islam Amjad's Works: Fishar, Barzakh, Us par, Satwan dar, Zara phir say kehna, Seher aasar, Barish ke aawaz, Itnay khwab kahan rakhoon, Mairay bhe hain kuch khwab, Hum us kay hain.

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