Jam-packed halls are always an encouraging sight for any stage performer. And this was the sight that greeted the shayars who had gathered here the other day at a city auditorium for a mushaira. The event organised by Doordarshan was a crowd-puller as both the young and the old seemed to enjoy the couplets. Shers were presented in simple Urdu/Hindi for everyone to understand.
The program began with Shashank, Director of Doordarshan, lighting the lamp and then Prof Shayaryar took over the proceedings. The mushaira had some of the most noted shayars including Hasan Kamal, Manzar Bhopali, Dr Naseem Nikhat and Anwar Jalalpuri. The crowd soon got into the mood and the applause and the wahs wahs were to be heard to be believed. The program concluded with the sher ���Tammana thi aashiyane ki, chali aandhi zammane ki, mere dard ko koi samajh na saka, mujhe aadat thi muskurane ki.��� Friel Richards, an American tourist who was in the audience, said, ���I never planned to come here but there was this curiosity to listen to shayari and after attending this program I must tell you that I did not regret it.���