Daily Times

Syed Imtiaz Ali Taj was born on October 13, 1900. His birth anniversary came and quietly passed by. There were no mentions on radio or TV. His family stayed quiet, but they remember the trauma of his assassination on April 19, 1970.

It was Ms Anjum Ahmed, Principal, and Farzana Mujib, Senior Vice Principal, distinguished educationists of Learning Alliance, Lahore, who remembered that Syed Imtiaz Ali Taj was born in October, and planned a commemorative programme with the students. Ms Mujib has always had a computer-like memory, which reminds her of the important dates related to persons she likes and respects.

Persons of the stature of Syed Imtiaz Ali Taj are very few in the history of the nation. Taj’s contributions are immense, and astonishingly selfless. A living nation would treasure the memory and works of such a personality. This is what the Learning Alliance is trying: keep Taj’s memory green in the minds of the younger generation.

I was fortunate to have a close association with Mr Taj and I take this opportunity to share some aspects of his life and personality.

Mr Taj was the son of Shams-ul-Ulema, Syed Mumtaz Ali, a contemporary of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan. Mr Ali had a difference of opinion with Sir Syed, in the matter of the campaign for education for Muslims in India after the fall of the Mughal Empire. Muslims were under pressure, and treated with suspicion as part of the defeated Mughal government. The image could only be rehabilitated by good planning and modern education for Muslims, and therefore, Sir Syed wanted an educational institution for Muslim boys, and succeeded in setting up the Aligarh University. Mumtaz Ali wanted the Muslim girls to be educated, but for Sir Syed, this was not on priority or even desirable at that time. The difference of opinion grew; Mumtaz Ali decided to do whatever he could do. He moved from Deoband, his hometown, to Lahore and decided to establish a publishing house, dedicated to provide education and understanding of contemporary life for women and children. He set up the historical Dar-ul-Ishaat Punjab, at Railway Road, and started to publish Tehzib, the first monthly magazine for women in the late 19th century, and Phool, a weekly for children. This was in addition to books on religion, literature, and educational subjects. The reach and acceptability of Dar-ul-Ishaat’s publications was amazing. Most Muslim households subscribed and bought these.

Mumtaz Ali was a religious scholar with a progressive approach; this fact became a subject of research for Ms Gail Minault, a scholar at the University of Texas, USA. Among the several hundred titles published by the publishing house, and its press, some that are fondly remembered are Paisa Library Series, Phool Geet, and Imtiaz Pachheesee. The editorial work was done by Mumtaz Ali’s young wife, Mohammadi Begum, whom he married after the unfortunate demise of his first wife. Mohammadi Begum encouraged the young Imtiaz to write at a very young age. She affectionately called him ‘Taj’. In time Taj was to grow into one of the greatest writers in the subcontinent.

Syed Imtiaz Ali Taj was so engrossed in his creative work that he did not bother about his family’s wealth, which was enjoyed by other members. Mr Taj kept riding a bicycle for a long time! He wrote consistently, and was the backbone of his publishing house. Later, he was engaged in filmmaking.

During his studies at the Government College, Lahore, Mr Taj’s best friend was S A Bokhari ‘Patras’. They participated in dramatic works together. But perhaps not well known is the fact that Mr Taj’s play Anarkali was the basis of the story of the first international film made in Lahore in collaboration with a German company, UFA. The name of the film was Loves of a Mughal Prince. Both Mr Taj and Mr Patras acted in it. This was just the beginning. Later, Taj became a major filmmaker, writer and director. The super hit film Khandan was written by him, and it was the debut of the legendary Noor Jehan as a heroine. His other hits included Suhag Ka Daan, Dhamki, Gulnar, and, of course, Anarkali, which was made several times, including as Mughal-e-Azam in India.

Mr Taj’s works cover a very wide range. Even after his sad demise, 43 years ago, scholars in Pakistan, USA, UK and India are trying to collect and save his works. His works are translated in several languages, including English, Japanese and Russian. One scholar, Dr Salim Malik, stands out, who has made it his life mission. Dr Malik did his doctoral thesis on Anarkali, and continued his research. He collected Mr Taj’s one-act plays, critical essays and plays for children. Dr Malik has also collected over 100 of Mr Taj’s short stories. He insists that Mr Taj was an established writer, acknowledged by legends like Munshi Prem Chand, before Anarkali was written in 1922. Dr Malik is also working on collecting Mr Taj’s long plays, film scripts and translations. I extend a helping hand as far as I can.

Recently, a series of plays titled “Taj Classics” was telecast by Hum TV, which was directed by his youngest grandson, Ali Tahir. This included Mr Taj’s famous play Sitara, which is no less than Anarkali in my opinion.

This short article can do no justice to Syed Imtiaz Ali Taj or his works. His pioneering work with Radio Pakistan is unforgettable. His dedicated social work to recover abducted women during the turmoil of partition brought praise from Mahatma Gandhi. Then is his great research, compiled in 17 volumes by collecting, correcting, and commenting on the first Urdu drama and all classic dramas up to 1947, in addition to his publishing of hundreds of Urdu classical works. Who but Imtiaz Ali Taj could have taken up such challenges! His total dedication, integrity, honesty and humility remain unmatched. He deserves to be remembered. But the list of his contributions is still incomplete!

The writer is the former CEO Pakistan National Council of the Arts; Chairman Fruit processing Industries; Chairman UNESCO Theatre Institute Pakistan and COO ICTV, USA. He is the author of Melluhas of the Indus Valley 8000 BC to 500 BC. He can be reached at naeemtahir37@gmail.com