Adil Najam
Saw this phoptograph in Dawn today and was mesmerised by the interplay of light and shaddow.
My immeidate reaction was to think of this verse from Faiz.
I realize I have already used it before as a title (and am sure will do so again). But it seems to fit, even if the context of the original verse was rather different. Or, was it?
But then, this is what great poetry is all about. It is great not just because of what it says and how its says it, it is great because of all the things that it makes you think of. All the images it evokes. And, in this case, all the images it speaks to.
This photograph, by the way, is famed Kathak maestro Nahid Siddiqui and a fellow artist performing in Islamabad at an event organized by the Pakistan National Council of the Arts.
Because I knew someone whose initials were J.J and who was called by that name.
[quote post="533"]P.S: JayJay: Not relevant to this thread but were you in Abu Dhabi at one time? [/quote]
MQ: I have never lived in Abu Dhabi, although I have stopped at the airport a couple of times to catch onward flights. Why do you ask?
This is a v artistic picture. I agree, we have been missing alot in the time of Zia while growing up. I am, somehow,unable to think of Faiz’s poem Aaye Haath Utain…when I see this beutiful pic. I guess there is some other message in this pic.; this is not the way we do Duyaa in our culture/religion. I see a young beutiful woman, standing, appriciating herself who wants to be free….who wants to rise and fly and break the rules of ‘man’ made society. Maybe this is a beauty of the art, you can make out anything.
What a beautiful photograph… For the Zia generation, this is a sight for sore eyes. We were deprived of our culture and our heritage, and now thankfully, we are snatching it back…
I think the Kathak revival has been going on for teh last few years. Mostly thanks to Naheed Siddique (and soem others too) who have started teaching the art to newer generations. I think there are now regular Kathak performances with great frequency in the main cities. The credit goes to Naheed for steadfastly keeping teh art alive in the long years when we had banished it.
Beautiful image! Good to see Naheed Siddiqui performing in Pakistan again.
Ab bhi khazaaN ka raaj hai laikan kaheeN kaheeN
Goshay rahe chaman maiN ghazal-khwaaN hooye tau haiN
The land is still in the grip of long winter
But the buds have started blooming here and there (Faiz)
P.S: JayJay: Not relevant to this thread but were you in Abu Dhabi at one time?
Excellent, both in its appearance and associated symbolism. No going back from here – the revival will surely last now.
Aaah, when I saw it today in dawn, I knew I’ve missed some evening here - just that the timings collided - but the overall moods this one single picture is depicting is enough to tell how the evening went …!
Lovely …!