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Anwar Maqsood's wife pens his life story in 'Uljhey Suljhey Anwar'

Anwar Maqsood's wife pens his life story in 'Uljhey Suljhey Anwar'

Imrana Maqsood said it was not easy to bring up artists; she brought up 1 father and 2 children, negating her own life
29 Dec, 2016

A book on the life and work of eminent writer Anwar Maqsood titled Uljhey Suljhey Anwar written by his wife, Imrana Maqsood, was launched in Karachi on Wednesday evening.

Anwar Maqsood said Pakistan came into existence in 1947, and he and his wife had been married for 47 years. Pakistan got divided into two, but their marriage was intact. Although there did come Bangladesh-like moments during their married life, they managed to pull through, because marriages could not succeed if there were no altercations between couples.

Maqsood said Imrana had chosen a different name for the book, but upon his insistence she changed it. She’d written a good book. Certain things that he feared would be included were not there; they might appear in the next book. The success of this book would suggest when the next would be published. The cover of Uljhey Suljhey Anwar was designed by their son, Bilal.

Publisher of the book Hoori Noorani said some years back Imrana had met her and expressed her desire to pen the book. Things did not materialise. Later on, her (Hoori’s) cousin Asif Noorani came to visit her with Imrana. He told her that she was writing a book and requested her to publish it on the condition that Anwar Maqsood’s writings would also be included in it. That’s how the book saw the light of day.


She brought up one father and two children, negating her own life


Imrana Maqsood said it was not easy to bring up artists. She brought up one father and two children, negating her own life. To write a biography of an artist was not easy either, only God knew how that happened.

When Om Puri’s wife wrote her husband’s biography, they got divorced. Tehmina Durrani was cautious, so she wrote a book after the divorce. Emperor Humayun’s sister wrote his biography; had she written the truth, neither she nor the biography would have remained.

The author said when the day before Hoori Noorani brought the book to them, Anwar read it for 15 to 20 minutes and looked at her (Imrana) affectionately. That was enough for her.

Asif Noorani reminisced about the time when he and Anwar were university students. He shared quite a few amusing anecdotes with the audience.

Writer Hasina Moin said Anwar was her friend and colleague. They had disagreed on issues but also looked after each other. Today Imrana’s book, which was Anwar Maqsood’s story, was being launched. If Anwar had written a book, would it have been Imrana’s story? It’s hoped that the book proved to be just as successful as their lives.

Javed Iqbal said the book was an insider’s view [on the renowned writer]. It’s a unique effort.

Former senator and federal information minister Javed Jabbar said it’s generally believed that history repeated itself first as tragedy and then as farce. But in the case of Anwar’s life and work [as a humorist] history was, fortunately, neither tragedy nor farce — it was humour as intrinsic nature of life. You could only smile about the parodies and paradoxes of life. He said Imrana was the pillar of Anwar’s life.

Poet Zehra Nigah said Imrana did a good thing by writing a book on Anwar. Now whether the readers treated it as a biography or not is up to them, because each individual had their own narrative (style) and it’s for the reader to read it as a biography. An appropriate way would be to go through the book as an introduction (ta’arufi) to Anwar the way Imrana had thought about him.

Ms Nigah, who is also Anwar’s sister, said he encouraged the family in difficult times by cracking jokes and making them laugh. Anwar should also publish all the plays that he’d penned because books lasted forever, she urged.

Comments

Greystone, canada Dec 29, 2016 07:12pm
Anwar, you are great person in Pakistan in all aspects and a truly lover to the country. In Canada, people are still fan for your all episodes in general and with Moin Akhtar in particularly. May Allah give you and your family always happiness and our best wishes for year 2017 and more.
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Thoroughthinker Dec 29, 2016 07:44pm
Urdu is their 'ghar ki malika' so why not write?
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sHAHZAD fAZLANI Dec 29, 2016 08:23pm
Anwar Maqsood is great Asset and contributed to literature of Urdu. I would like to read his Autobiography.
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sHAHZAD fAZLANI Dec 29, 2016 08:25pm
Anwar Maqsood is one the best writer of Pakistan.
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rashid nasim Dec 29, 2016 08:51pm
This family is God's gift to our country and our culture. May God bless Anwar's family.
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KHIZIR FAROOQI Dec 29, 2016 09:27pm
ANWAR MAQSOOD IS AMONG MY GREATEST FAVORITES. WHY? I DON'T KNOW.
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ADNAN MAZHER khan Dec 29, 2016 09:42pm
Thanks for penning down your memoirs Imrana Maqsood sahiba.
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aslam Shaikh1 Dec 30, 2016 12:16am
she kept 'negated' by someone who claim to be the flag bearer of culture!
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aslam Shaikh1 Dec 30, 2016 12:19am
she should have been allowed by her husband to work and use her skills to fullest.
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rashid nasim Dec 30, 2016 03:32am
My Dear Anwar: Great work; you and your family have God gifted talents. I would safely say that I have read and or seen majority of your writings, plays and of course mushaira and loved every minute doing so. I will for sure read this book and actually I will distribute few to my friends here in USA. God bless yo and your family.
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worthless wealth Dec 30, 2016 05:59am
No doubt that the entire family is a house of knowledge in Urdu Literature! They all rightly and equally deserve public's appreciation and praise for their contribution to literature and arts. Thank you Mr. Anwar Maqsood for being there for all of us.
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Soham Dec 30, 2016 09:05am
Anwar Saab,u r a legend. Had been a great fan of Loose Talks series.
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aslam shaikh Dec 30, 2016 02:06pm
Flag bearers of culture should give freedom to their women and treat them as equals.
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Masood Hussain Dec 30, 2016 06:50pm
Hope the book has not been written by Anwar Maqsood himself.
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Masood Hussain Dec 30, 2016 06:58pm
Much more impressed by Nighah's poetry than Anwar's any work.
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ak4pk Dec 31, 2016 01:30am
Love the title of the book, its brilliant.
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aslam shaikh Dec 31, 2016 09:35pm
@Masood Hussain actually she was the real writer behind all dramas, plays etc that we have seen.
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