Guftagoo with Intizar Hussain

Intizar Hussain is a renowned Pakistani Urdu fiction writer. He was born on December 7, 1923 in Dibai, Bulandshahr, India, and migrated to Pakistan in 1947. He gained a master's degree in Urdu and another in English literature. He writes short stories and novels in Urdu, and also columns for newspapers in English.

He has received many awards in Pakistan, India and the Middle East and has also been nominated for the "Man Booker International Award" in 2013. "The Seventh Door" and "Leaves" are among his books translated into English. He has translated works from English to Urdu. His writings include "Basti", "Hindustan Se Aakhri Khat", "Agay Samander hai", "Shehr-e-Afsos", "Jataka Tales" and "Wo Jo Kho Gaye". He also writes literary article in Dawn. He started his career in newspapers, including Mashriqe.

Anchor: Irfan

00:32 Introduction to Intizar Hussain, Journalist, Writer, Novelist, Story Teller, Urdu, Next generation after Bedi and Manto, 'Basti', Evolved a new form of storytelling
01:57 Interview begins
02:11 Subhai town in Bulandshahr district closer to Aligarh, Holi, Diwali, Ramleela, Dussehra, Azaan, Mandir bells, Bhajan, Hapur, Father taught Arabic and English at home, Missionary College by a Hindu reformist
06:54 Heard about Partition in Third year B A, 20 Years old when partition happened, finished M A in 1946, Lahore
08:21 Meerut, U P Muslims, all leaders leaving for Pakistan
10:15 Break
10:55 Interview resumes
11:31 Lahore, Nai Adab, Nostalgia for his town after Partition, Krishan Chander, Bedi, Manto, Ismat Chugtai, Interest in Daastaan, 'Betaal Pachisi', 'Alif Laila', 'Kathasaritsagar', 'Mahabharat', 3 phases in his stories: Nostalgia in the first, Daastaan and Sufi story telling in the second, and pre Islamic story telling in the third, 'Jataka Tales', Buddha, 'Tilismi', all 3 strands in Urdu Fiction his inspiration
19:30 Break
19:49 Interview resumes
20:05 I like all three phases, Chander, Bedi, Chekhov, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Maghribi Riwaaz, 'Mahabharat', 'Jataka Tales', 'Alif Laila'
21:34 Nostalgia for the past
22:24 'Kathasaritsagar', Maghribi technique, 19th century rationalism and realism, Free Association of 20th century, Symbolism in his technique, 'Kathasaritsagar', Peacocks dying due to nuclear testing in India and Pakistan, 'Mornama', 'Mahabharat'
24:35 Writing against the government
25:13 My stories read by literate people, therefore interested in its source of inspiration
25:53 Writes columns on social evils
26:14 I write in newspapers