Amna Mufti is a celebrated author, novelist and playwright. Her current play, ‘Aakhri Station’ as well as ‘Ghughi’ is being aired on television as we speak but Amna has had a strong and illustrious history of writing. Here are a few things to know about Amna, in her own words.
Early life: My early life was very different from most people. I was raised on a remote farm near Sutlej River. As a farm child, I did what all the farm children do. Climbing trees and swimming with cattle and meeting weird people which later turn out to be pichalpairis (witches). I’m joking! The usual. Cycling, gardening, going hunting with my father, riding horses and what not. I have a library of books at my home at my disposal now, which contain both books and music and records and cassettes. I had a little drama group of my own, at home and at school. Life was more than what kids have today in these concrete jungles called big cities.
Early influences: I don’t remember when I learned to read and write. It seems I knew at a very early age. I was inspired by Mir Taqi Mir and Ghalib. I composed my first verse at age six. Ada Jaffrey, Faraz, Iqbal and Faiz were my early favorites and still are. In prose, it has to be Qurat ul Ain Hyder. The one and only.
Some struggles/difficulties you faced during the times you did not get what you were looking for:
I never wanted something from my writings. I never tried to write to amuse or impress someone. I am here to write so I am writing. Sometimes I write for hours. There are days when I write a hundred pages a day. The only barrier I see is a lack of circulation of books at stalls. My readers can never get my books from every stall. They just sell popular literature.
Notable achievements: I am loved by all readers and viewers and this is the greatest achievement and success. I have received three awards – PEN Award on my debut work. A Sahir award from India on my works and a Lux Style Award for Best Screen Writer.
Current projects: I have finished my novel , a surreal novel about water, nature and human evolution. For screen I am writing a play again on a working girl who met a prince charming and refused to marry her on the basis that she don’t want to get married to a prince charming.
Future projects: I will write a novel tracing back my blood line from my house to Pakistan house in Makkah, (which was in fact Hazrat Abu Bakar Siddique’s house).
Message for fans/audiences: Never go with the flow, always choose paths less traveled. You will meet amusing people and see unusual scenes. This is the best life can offer. Stay away from mediocrity. it’s a sin to behave like a sheep in herd. We all are different from each other. Discover yourself and stay as you are not as people want you to be.
Published in Daily Times, March 14th 2018.