He is arguably the most popular poet of his times. He is known for his poetry with a rebellious streak, his diction and a unique imagery. Today’s MUNAWWAR RANA, son of a poor truck driver, started out as Munawwar Ali Atish in the late seven
How is your poetry different from others?
In many ways. My diction is different. I’ve introduced new, untraditional topics in ghazal. Perhaps I am the first one to use mother, sister and daughter as metaphors in ghazal. The traditional ghazal as you know is all about talking to, or singing praises of the beloved.
ghazal woh sinf-e-nazuk hai jise apni rifaqat se/ woh mehbooba bana leta hai, me beti banata hu.
Actually, I am a born rebel. I don’t like to walk on trampled paths and want to make my own instead.
What is the reason of your obsession with Mother in your poetry?
I am very much attached to my mother from childhood. She gave a lot of sacrifices in bringing us up. My father was a truck driver and most of the time I used to live with my mother. Sometimes, she would give all of the food to us and go without food as ours was a poverty stricken family. I love my mother very much and this love also oozes into my poetry.
In traditional ghazal a poet talks about his beloved or mehboob. Why can’t I talk about my mother whom I love more than anyone else on earth?
You have to read out your poetry in so many mushairas. Is it not tiresome?
It is. But what can we do. Believe me I don’t run after money. Money is an important thing but with Allah’s grace I have got enough. It’s the love of audience that inspires me to participate in mushaira now. I avoid a lot of mushairas.
Do you also enjoy other people’s poetry at a mushaira?
Yes, I do, but there are very people nowadays on the stage who are coming up with genuine poetry. The rest are just time pass. Believe me some of them cannot even read Urdu. They write their poetry (or whose poetry it is for that matter) in devanagari script.
As for the poetesses, they are being used as decorative items in Mushaira. It’s becoming like bollywood formula movie with a few heroes, side heroes, heroines and comedians. The police or the administrators sometimes unwittingly become villain when they enter to disperse the programme at 11 p.m (laughs).
You mean to say Mushaira is not as interesting today as it used to be?
Yes, besides it has become a very costly entertainment. Earlier poets used to read out poetry for popularity, nowadays they haggle for the money.
Ajib duniya hai na shayar yahan sar uthate hein/ jo shayar hain who mehfil me dari chadar uthate hain.
Poets are often seen begging for applause in Mushaira. Even the senior and established poets do so. Why?
You need a long speech to back poor poetry. I hate this practice. I always say to my poet friends, ‘Come and read out poetry straight away instead of preparing a background and begging for applause. If your ash’ar have it, the audience will be forced to appreciate it and applaud it. But lame verses always need a backing.
People say you are a brag.
Well, I have got a big mouth. I don’t hesitate in saying whatever I feel like saying at any moment. If I know I write better poetry, than hundreds of other poets, what is wrong in saying it? I am a simple straightforward man.
Is it true that Mushaira has kept Urdu alive in this country?
It’s difficult to say that Mushaira has kept alive Urdu but it is definitely keeping alive the poets. A number of poets rely only on Mushaira for their sustenance. It’s the only source of their income and they are leading luxurious lives on it.
You also write prose?
Yes, I love writing prose.
If you were to choose between prose and poetry, what will you pick?
I would go for prose. Poetry can also be done in prose. But it is very difficult to speak your heart out in ghazal. It has its limits.
What do you do in spare time?
I read the Qur’an, offer namaz and I also sleep in my spare time.