Remembering literary light on 100th birth anniversary

LUCKNOW: “Lazzat teri kalam mey aayi kahan se, Yeh poochengen jaake haali-e-Jaadu-Bayan se hum”. The Urdu couplet describes aptly the contribution of Khwaja Ahmad Abbas to the fields of journalism, literature, screen writing and film direction.
To commemorate the birth centenary year of the illustrious and prolific writer, novelist, journalist and eminent film maker and one of the founder members of Indian People’s Theatre Association(IPTA), the association’s Lucknow unit on Tuesday organised a programme ‘Yaad-e-Abbas’ at the Kaifi Azmi Academy.
Besides presentation of select scenes from films produced and directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas and a documentary on his life and work, the panelists including Urdu writer Sharib Rudaulvi, writer and journalist Abid Suhail and theatre activist Rakesh threw light on Abbas’s referred to him as one of the most prominent progressive voices in Indian cinema.
“His contribution comprising meaningful films like ‘Saat Hindustani (1969; on national integration) and ‘Dharti ke Laal’ (based on the Bengal famine of 1943) are based on themes of social transformation and revolutionised Indian cinema,” said Rakesh, adding that to Abbas, cinema was a passion like journalism and each film he directed raised a contemporary social issue.
Talking about his multi-dimensional personality, Sharib Rudaulvi said, “K A Abbas is a legend not only because he pursued consciously his progressive thought in all his creative endeavors but also because he only wrote and directed with a sense of honesty and responsibility towards the society. His most talked about column “Last Page” (Azad Kalam in Urdu edition) in Blitz was popular among all sections of the society as he always picked up an issue which had a reader-connect and a message for humanity,” he added.
Throwing light on the fact that K A Abbas never shied from admitting his socialist leanings, Ramesh Dixit, a social and cultural activist, said, “Despite criticism, Abbas maintained his position as a socially committed writer.”
Audio visual presentation by script writer Atul Tewari was exhibited on the occasion followed by a Kathak performance by a budding artiste to the tune of an old Hindi song from a film directed by K A Abbas.