Gulon mein rang bhare

Vidya Shah
sings Faiz on his 100th birthday in Delhi

The very mention of Faiz Ahmed Faiz sets off a tapestry of thoughts – of separation, anguish, anger, peace, love, revolution and a deep desire for change. These are thoughts that have endured over time, over changing contexts, and continue to rankle and bother most people with a heart across the world. And therein lies the beauty of his work - there is something in it for everyone. Perhaps this is why we need to celebrate the man who lived in the now very vulnerable Lahore and his poetry on the occasion of his centenary.

India’s love for Faiz Saheb and his enchanting poetry could be seen in the glorious tribute paid to him on the 1st of January 2011 in New Delhi by SAHMAT, a collective of artists who came together in 1989 after the murder of theatre activist Safdar Hashmi during a performance in the outskirts of New Delhi. Since then, 1st January has become a symbol of warmth, togetherness, and for artists in particular, of the freedom of expression. Faiz was one of Safdar Hashmi’s favourite poets. It was fitting therefore that SAHMAT should deepen its resolve to defend its vision by dedicating this year’s event to Faiz.

The day-long celebration brought together a range of artists who expressed their personal engagement with Faiz’s poetry through dance, music, readings, conversation and theatre. The need to dialogue with Faiz Saheb’s poetry, to me as a performer, is central and crucial to breathing life into it. Astad Deboo, the internationally renowned contemporary dancer, did just that with his interpretation of the iconic dasht-e-tanhai, which was rendered with passion and love by Anjali Raina. Astad’s moves were sheer poetry and left a warmth and quiet in the audience as if, with bated breath, it was asking for more.

Mahmood Farooqui and Danish Hussain had a story to tell. Literally. They presented their tribute to Faiz as a dastan-goi conversation between the two of them. Dastans were epics, often oral in nature, which were recited or read aloud like medieval romances from any part of the world. And this contemporary adaptation of this form of storytelling was simply delightful. Their conversation largely drew on Faiz Saheb’s writings and poems and his legacy. The session lasted for about an hour and was entertaining, informative and innovative.

Many of us in India have heard renditions of Faiz’s poetry and feel deeply inspired by it. Several of these renditions, often by Pakistani singers, are etched in our memories. And often the tense situations in which these took place make them seem even more powerful. For many people, listening to Iqbal Bano’s Hum Dekhenge is still a very emotional experience. And so some of the singers like Rekha Raj and Manu Kohli that evening preferred to sing pieces such as Aaj Bazaar Mei Pa Bajaula Chalo , or Mori Araj Suno , adding to this nostalgia, much to the delight of the audience. Sufi scholar and singer Dr Madan Gopal Singh further added colour to the event in his tribute to the great poet by presenting two Punjabi pieces by Faiz. Syeda Hameed lent vigor to the evening by reciting some of his works – including the powerful Tere Honton Ke Phoolon ki Chahat Mein Ham , which was written in memory of the Rosenberg couple. Safdar’s Mother, Qamar Azad Hashmi, released a calendar published by SAHMAT on Faiz, with images by MF Husain.

My own journey to Faiz Saheb and his poetry has been a long one. Coming from a South Indian family I cannot say Urdu came to me naturally. But my training in North Indian music brought me closer to it. I clearly remember being introduced to his poetry with Mehdi Hasan Saheb’s Gulon Mei Rang Bhare , and then there was Aaye Kucch Abr. Such beautiful singing, such mellifluousness, I had to know what he was singing and so I got my copy of Saare Sukhan Hamarey , the collected works of Faiz Saheb in the Devnagari script, published by Rajkamal Prakashan. The publisher, the Late Hardev Singh Sandhu, was a great fan and friend of Faiz Saheb and had known him from Lahore, met him in Beirut, Moscow and later in Delhi. Mr Sandhu encouraged me with his emotional, heartfelt approval of my singing Faiz Saheb’s poetry.

I reached an important goalpost in my journey last year when I was invited by his daughters to sing at the Faiz Ghar in Lahore on his 99th birthday. At SAHMAT I chose to sing, in addition to some of my own compositions, ghazals and nazms made popular and famous by the likes of Iqbal Bano – the stunning Duaa – and Nayyara Noor’s Paas Raho; given my own lineage of learning in Begum Akhtar’s tradition, I also sang her soulful Shaam-e-firaaq. For me it was like treading into a sanctum where the lyric and the music had been immortalized.

But clearly the most poignant participation at this event came from the young author and journalist Ali Sethi, who joined us from Lahore. Ali in his informal (jeans and leather jacket included!), humorous, yet informed and well-read manner had the young audience quite enthused and engaged in his descriptions of growing up in Pakistan with Faiz Saheb’s poetry (and in several instances being kept away from it), and discovering the poet’s greatness through the likes of Madame Noorjehan and Farida Khanum. Ali’s singing of his mentor Farida Khanum’s composition Na ganwao nawak-e-neem kash was indeed beautiful. In the limited situation that Pakistan faces today in classical music, Ali’s commitment to his mausiqui is admirable. (Quite evident also in the earnestness with which he did a small session on Puriya Dhanashri with me before singing the composition set to the same Raag!)

And this is only a beginning of a series of events that we expect to enjoy through the year in India. The Government in India has set up a centenary committee, which is planning a series of programs starting in February this year, including a concert by Tina Sani and performances by well-known singers across India, including Amritsar in Punjab, where Faiz Saheb once taught.

In a world that is dealing with recklessness, chaos, violence, and fundamentalism of all kinds, this celebration of Faiz gives us hope and urges us to answer one of the most powerful questions he raises:

kab nazar meiN aaye gi be daaGh sabze ki bahaar
khoon ke dhabe dhuleiN ge kitni barsaatoN ke baad
When will we again see a spring of unstained green?
After how many monsoons will the blood be washed from the branches?
(translation by Agha Shahid Ali)


Vidya Shah is an eminent musician based in New Delhi

January 21-27, 2011 - Vol. XXII, No. 49