Daily Times

Three friends Gul Shair Butt, Dr Sara Naqvi and Dr Munaza Yaqub who are also the admirers of poet, writer and filmmaker Gulzar meet after two years and discuss their lives in the light of the plot built by the three characters Mahinder, Maya and Sudha from the movie/drama titled “Ijaazat’ by famous poet Gulzar.

The book titled ‘Ijaazat’ is published by Afzaal Ahmad of Sang-e-Meel Publications, Lahore based on the trio’s dialogue. Gulsher is presently attached with University of Sargodha but his research on Gulzar’s works is evident from his college days; ‘Gulzar Awaz Main Lipti Khamoshi’ from PU’s LLB Days, later translated as ‘Gulzar – The speaking silence’ etc. Dr Sara Naqvi is a psychiatrist. She is a widely travelled lady and is transferring her research in human attitudes and feelings in the shape of two books. Dr Munaza Yaqub is Associate Professor in English Department at International Islamic University, Islamabad. She is also Director in ‘Critical Thinking Forum’. Her doctorate is from the University of North Carolina, Washington US. She has authored two books titled ‘Women in Executive Leadership’ and ‘Nurturing Creativity in Literature’.

Before reviewing the dialogue as presented in this book, let us know a little about the hit movie Ijaazat. It is one of those movies which I have watched more than once. It is a 1987 Indian Hindi-language musical romance film directed by Gulzar, based on a Bengali story, Jatugriha by Subodh Ghosh. Mahinder is in love with Maya and would like to marry her but Maya is a woman of the twentieth century and does not believe in the bondage of marriage. She however likes to continue having a relationship. Mahinder’s family pressures him into getting married, and he finally gives in and marries another woman namely Sudha, a character played aptly by Rekha. Mahinder is unable to get Maya out of his mind despite that Sudha shares the moments her husband has spent with his lover Maya. The situation cannot continue this way and his marriage with Sudha ends up with a formal separation. Years later, Mahinder and Sudha meet at a railway station in heavy rainfall with delay in rail arrival. Both are stuck in a waiting room and recognise each other. The conversation leads to sharing their experiences after their separation. However, Sudha keeps on behaving like his wife, giving him his towel and clothes before he goes in the washroom. Sudha receives shocking news that Maya had died while driving a motorbike with a scarf strangling her neck. That was the reason of Mahinder’s first heart attack. There is another shocking experience that Sudha is received on the platform by her husband, a character played by Shashi Kapoor in the morning.

Gulzar’s poetry is set to music by RD Burman and sung by Asha Bhonsle in captivating tunes. According to Gulsher the poetry and tunes help in extending the storyline like Sudha’s ‘Khali Haath Shaam Aai Hei, Khaali Haath Jaye Gi’ and Maya’s ‘Geela Mun Bister Kei Paas Para Hei Woh Bhijwa Do, Mera Woh Samaan Lauta Do’.

Gulsher receives a call on a Sunday from Dr. Munaza in his village to meet him. Gulsher read a dialogue from the movie Ijaazat stating that he received her call after such a long time that it seemed when they met last like 600 BC before when Gotham Buddha was alive. He asked Munaza to bring Dr. Sara Naqvi with her who had also shown desire to meet. On her observation that Gulsher had some silver in his hair and had increased his weight, he responded in by quoting Gulzar’s poetry, ‘Ba’ad Barson Kei Yun Milain Jaise/Jhatpate Main Chiragh Rakhte Ho/Tanpure Pei Haath Rakhte Hue/Chandni Bharne Lagi Hei Baalon Main/Umr Tum Pei Haseen Lagti Hei’ (Meeting after a gap it seems that you have kept the approaching darkness lit with a lamp. With Tanpura playing in the background, noticing that white appeared in your hair. Still ageing process had suited you). On each move by the trio Gulzar’s poetry fits like visit to Sain Basheer’s tomb who used to cook for kids and didn’t eat himself, who gave all the money to a needy person saying that let yourself be treated with half the money and start earning with the other half. Gulzar’s dialogue was pasted on a wall ‘Tumhare Saath Bhi Nahi Reh Sakti Hun Aur Tumhare Bina Bhi Nahi Reh Sakti’ (Cannot live with you and also cannot live without you).

Dr Munaza stated that Anuradha Patel could not justify the role of a mature new woman Maya on which Gulsher disagreed that an innocent girl when confronted with mature happenings in her life was aptly portrayed by her like Rekha and Naseeruddin Shah justified their roles. Imagery present in Gulzar’s poetry had enhanced the impact in the movie of various turns in the story like meeting on the platform by Sudha and Mahinder on a rainy night.

How can a novel be given the shape of a screenplay is displayed by reading the Manzarnama of this movie with the comments of Gulzar that how can a novel be transformed into screenplay despite that many movies had different screenplays from the same story like Anarkali, Mughal-e-Azam and Devdas in many versions etc. The complete screenplay forms part of the book under review from pages 41 to 134.

In the chapter titled ‘Jiye Jaana Bhi Kaya Riwayat Hei’ (what a tradition it is to continue living) Gulsher tries to dig out the start of the story as the story narrated is in the flashbacks. That is the natural way. One discusses the daily happenings and goes back in his/her thinking process (Page 135). It started when Mahinder says No! No! to his grandfather that he didn’t have another girlfriend. Sudha’s departure is shown on the pretext that she left the house as she felt that she had come in-between Mahinder and Maya’s love. Mahinder’s heart attack and exchange of harsh words with Maya led Maya to drive recklessly and die in an accident and Sudha re-marrying in desperation and Mahinder left alone in the end were the corollaries of No! No! Munaza disagreed on the note that no single character can be attributed to the tragedy that fell on the three main characters. Their destinations, actions and results are so much interconnected that one cannot single out one character for the tragedy. German philosopher Schopenhauer is quoted here that despite right intentions our desires and actions are not in our hands. Gulsher quotes Aristotle who thinks that the hero is a Nobel person but makes a mistake because of some flaw within his personality.

Chapter ‘Aise Aai Hei Teri Yaad Achanak’ (suddenly I reminisced you) Maya’s character is discussed by the trio. Gulsher is of the opinion that Maya is in such a mental state of mind that she herself does not realise that her efforts to unite Mahinder with Sudha become the reason of their estrangement. She makes such an effort as she belonged to a broken family. She had to run and find refuge in somebody else’s arms to get away from her home’s problems. Chapter titled ‘Ik Khat Main Lipti Raat’ (a night engulfed in a letter) surrounds Maya’s letter ‘Mera Kutch Samaan Tumhare Paas Para Hei’ (some of my luggage is still left with you).

After deliberations as to whom this book should be attributed to, it was agreed that it should be attributed to the people who love Gulzar.

The writer is the recipient of the prestigious Pride of Performance award. He can be reached at doc_amjad@hotmail.com