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.
But how exactly is this part of our culture ??? I dont think most of us have ever seen this dance on tv or in real life.
I agree that we missed this in the Zia days, but the threat is far from over. If we do not work now to preserve it, promote it, and inherit it for our children, there are strong movements in the society whose sole purpose for existence seems to revolve around making these artistic endeavors difficult (or impossible) to participate in. There are not enough people with the kind of persistance that Nahid showed.
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.