Urdu has always been the language of the heart: Shabana Azmi

At the launch of Mauj-e- Saraab in New Delhi, a book of Urdu ghazals by Minu Bakshi, Shabana Azmi expressed joy at seeing the younger generation engaging with the Urdu language.

The Bollywood actor said at the event, "Urdu is a language that we all speak on everyday basis. It should not be considered the language of a particular section."

And she feels "very happy when I see youngsters participating in festivals like Jashn-e-Rekhta (the three-day annual literary festival which celebrates the Urdu language). They might not be well-versed with the language but they want to learn and listen to Urdu. It gives me hope that this language will stay forever."

Mauj-e-Saraab (Waves of Illusion), is a manifestation of the various hues of the pageant of love and passion, as one critic puts it.

The book's author said, "Urdu has always been the language of the heart and its foundation rests on the tenets of love. And because the Ghazal as a literary form grew to maturity under the benign protection of sufis, the tendrils of love and passion ventured deep into its medium."