A musical treat for Hyderabadis

The historic Quli Qutub Shahi Tombs are all set to be ignited by the recitation and rendition of poems and letters of longing and angst that renowned Pakistani revolutionary poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz and his British wife Alys Faiz exchanged when he was in prison from June 1951 to April 1955.
The second offering of the Times Sufi Nights will see National Award-winning singer Rekha Bhardwaj rendering Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s poems in her trademark rustic voice as popular theatre personality couple Salim Arif and Lubna read out the letters in this perfect blend of prose, poetry and music.
Salim Arif says, “The letters are the only correspondence the poet and his wife had when he was imprisoned for close to five years. They met rarely, almost just once in six months and his wife Alys was a working mother who was supporting their two daughters. The letters are an interesting insight into their times, aspirations and their emotions. Lubna and I have hand-picked some of their correspondences and put together a collection of selected nazms that we will read out.”
He recalls that it took them close to nine months to put together the production. “Acquisition itself was quite a task as we had to seek Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s daughter’s help in sourcing the content from across the border. His poems are very introspective. While one poem is dedicated to the loss of his brother, another one is on nature etc.”
Salim’s wife, Lubna, who will be reading out the letters along with him says that not many people know the pivotal role that Faiz’s wife Alys played in the literary figure’s life. “People who have watched our earlier two shows say they never knew her influence in his life. Alys was a British woman who was married to a Pakistani and lived in Lahore, working on her own and raising her daughters when Faiz was in prison. She not only lived in the orthodox society, but also came out as a winner and won everyone’s respect. She took on the fight after her Faiz was imprisoned. She was a strong woman and is an inspiration for this generation’s women too.”
Lubna adds, “What’s interesting is that the language she used in the letters was simple, everyday language, yet she expresses her emotions well.”
The emotions and ideologies captured in Faiz’s letters and poems have a universal appeal, says celebrated singer Rekha Bhardwaj. “The poems have not been sung before, there is a freshness to them. My husband Vishal Bharadwaj has composed the music. Only three musical instruments — digital piano, tabla and israj — will be used.”
Rekha reveals that she’ll be singing select poems of Faiz. “I will be singing “Gulon mein rang bhare”, “Dasht e tanhai”, “Intesaab”, “Paas raho mere qatil”, “Darbar e vatan” and “Kuchh ishq kiya” today. I’m sure the show will be loved by the people here. Hyderabadis understand poetry and its beauty. I hope a lot of literary lovers turn up today.”
Readers can get complimentary invites for these events from the Times of India office, Road No. 3, Banjara Hills on a first-come-first serve basis between 10 am and 6 pm.