Report by Santanu Ganguly, Jaipur: The second day of the 6th edition of Jaipur Literature Festival saw eminent songwriter and poet Javed Akhtar talk to attendees about the real meaning of the Ghazal. He spoke about the art of ghazal singing and the extensive riyaaz (practice) that goes into it. He started with the fact that not many people can differentiate between a ghazal, geet or nazm. While a nazm is a poem with one single thought, a ghazal is a compilation of couplets.
“Ghazals are not just written by Urdu writers,” he said. “I know a few German writers who write ghazals. Ghazal is by temperament liberal, secular, and even agnostic.”
The discussion included a wider discussion on poetry and language. Akhtar said, “Poetry is the collective dream of a society.” And that “language isn’t a script and it isn’t vocabulary. Instead it is syntax and grammar.” He said that it depresses him that Urdu has been sacrificed for socio-political reasons. “Language belongs to a region, not a religion,” he emphasised.
Namita Gokhale, Festival Co-Director, said, “It is important for people to know about the ghazal in India because it belongs to this region. With this session I’m sure that people here at the DSC Jaipur Literature Festival will now know, ‘What is a Ghazal?’”
Ending the session, ace lyricist Javed Akhtar said that it is the world’s misfortune that it doesn't have access to great Urdu writers. He narrated one of his ghazals, which was met with a round of applause by the audience.
The DSC Jaipur Literature Festival is considered to be Asia’s leading literature event, celebrating national and international writers, and encompassing a range of activities including film, music and theatre. The festival has already hosted some of the best-known national and international writers including Orhan Pamuk, J.M. Coetzee, John Berendt, Kiran Desai, Christopher Hampton, Ian McEwan, Vikram Seth, Wole Soyinka, Salman Rushdie, Pico Iyer, Simon Schama, Thomas Keneally, Hanif Kureishi, Vikram Chandra, Anoushka Shankar, Michael Frayn, Stephen Frears, Alexander McCall Smith, Donna Tartt, Tina Brown, Shashi Tharoor, Mohammed Hanif, Paul Zacharia, among many others. The Directors of the DSC Jaipur Literature Festivals are William Dalrymple and Namita Gokhale and the festival is produced by Sanjoy K. Roy and Sheuli Sethi of Teamwork Productions. DSC Limited is the principal sponsor of the DSC Jaipur Literature Festival.
Teamwork is a highly versatile entertainment company with roots in the performing arts, social action and the corporate world. Our expertise lies in the area of entertainment and includes television, film – documentary and feature, and the creation and development of festivals of contemporary performing arts, visual arts, and literature across the world.
We currently produce 17 performing and visual arts festivals in 21 cities across 11countries, including Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Israel, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, UK and USA.
Teamwork produces Asia’s biggest literary gathering – the annual DSC Jaipur Literature Festival – as well as the Hay Festival in Kerala.
‘Celebrating India in Israel’, ‘Indian Summer in Canada’, ‘Eye on India in Chicago’, ‘Kahaani Festival’ and ‘Strings of the World’ are five new annual performing and visual arts festivals that have been launched in 2011-2012.
“Ghazals are not just written by Urdu writers,” he said. “I know a few German writers who write ghazals. Ghazal is by temperament liberal, secular, and even agnostic.”
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| Javed Akhtar at Jaipur Lit Fest 2013 |
Namita Gokhale, Festival Co-Director, said, “It is important for people to know about the ghazal in India because it belongs to this region. With this session I’m sure that people here at the DSC Jaipur Literature Festival will now know, ‘What is a Ghazal?’”
Ending the session, ace lyricist Javed Akhtar said that it is the world’s misfortune that it doesn't have access to great Urdu writers. He narrated one of his ghazals, which was met with a round of applause by the audience.
The DSC Jaipur Literature Festival is considered to be Asia’s leading literature event, celebrating national and international writers, and encompassing a range of activities including film, music and theatre. The festival has already hosted some of the best-known national and international writers including Orhan Pamuk, J.M. Coetzee, John Berendt, Kiran Desai, Christopher Hampton, Ian McEwan, Vikram Seth, Wole Soyinka, Salman Rushdie, Pico Iyer, Simon Schama, Thomas Keneally, Hanif Kureishi, Vikram Chandra, Anoushka Shankar, Michael Frayn, Stephen Frears, Alexander McCall Smith, Donna Tartt, Tina Brown, Shashi Tharoor, Mohammed Hanif, Paul Zacharia, among many others. The Directors of the DSC Jaipur Literature Festivals are William Dalrymple and Namita Gokhale and the festival is produced by Sanjoy K. Roy and Sheuli Sethi of Teamwork Productions. DSC Limited is the principal sponsor of the DSC Jaipur Literature Festival.
Teamwork is a highly versatile entertainment company with roots in the performing arts, social action and the corporate world. Our expertise lies in the area of entertainment and includes television, film – documentary and feature, and the creation and development of festivals of contemporary performing arts, visual arts, and literature across the world.
We currently produce 17 performing and visual arts festivals in 21 cities across 11countries, including Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Israel, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, UK and USA.
Teamwork produces Asia’s biggest literary gathering – the annual DSC Jaipur Literature Festival – as well as the Hay Festival in Kerala.
‘Celebrating India in Israel’, ‘Indian Summer in Canada’, ‘Eye on India in Chicago’, ‘Kahaani Festival’ and ‘Strings of the World’ are five new annual performing and visual arts festivals that have been launched in 2011-2012.
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