Daily Times

Mustansar Hussain Tarar is a popular name in literary and television circles of Pakistan. He was born in Ghakhar Mandi on March 1, 1939 at his maternal grandparents’ house but he was raised in Lahore with his other family members. His parents hailed from Mandi Bahauddin. Rehmat Tarar, his father operated a small agricultural seed store by the name of “Kisan & Company” that later flourished into a big brand in that field. Sometimes I used to say hallo to Mustansar on his store in Gowalmandi, Lahore many years ago.

Mustansar Tarar studied in Lahore. He was often embarrassed when he was asked by his fans as to how to pronounce his first name. The schools he went to were Rang Mahal Mission High School and Muslim Model High School. For graduate studies he joined the prestigious Government College, Lahore. The he went to London, UK. While abroad he spent much of his time watching movies, hanging out with friends and reading books. In 1958, he attended the World Youth Festival in Moscow and wrote a book named Fakhta based on his experience. It was a novelette about the horrors of war in the backdrop of Moscow of Soviet Era. Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi declared it a classic of Urdu Literature.

There are many shades of excellence Mustansar has earned in his lifetime, one being TV anchor. About the golden era of Morning Shows, Site Mainstream says ‘Mustansar Hussain Tarar, also known as our country’s Chacha Jee, set the groundwork for a wholesome TV show host back in 1988, launching ‘Subha Bakhair’ the first-ever morning show in Pakistan. His target audience mainly comprised kids who would sit back to watch his show every morning before going to school, and he was lively at his interaction with this young audience. Subah Bakhair was not only entertaining but also an informative show, catering for every section of the society from children to adults, women to men, literature to art to history lovers, etc. I remember vividly that my programme idea ‘Dais Pardais’ comprising life and works of poets residing abroad used to be telecast in Mustansar’s morning show. He would be gracious enough to say a few lines of appreciation about each episode of the programme to enhance its viewership. I found him a very large hearted person due to these gestures of appreciation. As popular host, Mustansar Hussain Tarar has hosted many programmes for PTV and other channels as well as in Lok Virsa programmes. PTV’s Live Morning transmission, a Punjabi Music show namely “Aj Di Shaam”, PTV Pride Show, Music Nights need special mention.

Mustansar’s another stint on a private TV Channel was his show ‘Shadi Online’. It was a matrimonial show conceived to organize matchmaking for couples. It ran for more than 150 episodes and later was turned into an online Matrimonial Website. Tarar was selected as the host due to the trust people, especially parents, had in him. Such was the reputation Mustansar had earned. Some parents confessed that they allowed their daughters to participate in this program only because Tarar hosted the programme and they trusted him. As An Actor Mustansar Hussain Tarar started acting in television plays from 1967 onwards and ended up acting in 400 plays. The plays were the classics such as “Siraj-ud-Duola”, Ashfaq Ahmed’s “Aik Mohabbat Sau Afsane”, Anwar Sajjad’s “Suraj Ko Zara Daikh”, Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi’s “Aik Chehra Kai Chehray, Sadaf Meer’s “Aakhir-e- Shab” and Riaz Batalvi’s series “Aik Haqeqat Aik Afsana”. The latter was the most popular drama series of its time, in which Tarar’s portrayal was that of a journalist.

We have mentioned about his acting capabilities but his contributions as a writer of TV Plays are also immense. He wrote his first PTV drama “Adhi Raat Ka Sooraj” in 1974 directed by Arif Waqar. His other famous plays include “Shehpar”, “Sooraj Kay Sath Sath”, “Kailash” and “Saheb Sarkar”. He also wrote a Punjabi play “Channan Tay Darya” which was telecast on a private channel.

Another worth mentioning Facet of Mustansar’s contributions to the electronic media is his hosting of the 1988 Election Transmission. Mehtab Akbar Rashidi, Tariq Aziz and Khush Bakht Shujat were his co-hosts in the transmission which lasted three days. It was liked by the viewers because of Tarar’s cheerful compering and discussions with the co-hosts as well as the viewers. Mustansar Hussain Tarar also introduced the term “Election City” which was the name he gave to the extravagant set which was setup for the transmission. This term is still used by many TV channels during elections.

Site Goodreads add that though the origin of Mustansar’s fame is usually considered to be his established and decorated career as a writer, he can also be recognized as the foremost endorser for tourism projects in Northern Areas of Pakistan, having exorbitantly increased the array of tourist exposure to the areas by becoming both a mountaineer and an adventure author who uses these locations as backdrops for his storylines.

Mustansar Hussain’s literary proficiency as an author often overshadows the fact that he has been an active mountaineer for a very extensive period of time. He embarked upon several painstaking and challenging tasks such as the ascension of K-2 and the surpassing of the treacherous “Chitti Buoi” Glacier among others. More significantly, both of Mustansar Hussain’s professions often intertwine and relate, since he uses his experiences on his expeditions as travelogues. Tarar’s first book Nikley Teri Talash Main, a travelogue of Europe, was published in 1971. He has so far over 80 titles to his credit which include many genres of literature; travelogues, novels, short stories and collection of his newspaper columns and television dramas. He has been one of the best-seller fiction writers of Pakistan.

Mustansar was born in ‘Jokalian’ a small town in Punjab, Pakistan in March 1939. He spent his early childhood in the village and moved to culturally rich Lahore, witnessed the independence of Pakistan in 1947 and the events that took place at Lahore.

Mustansar is popular among masses for his travels, fiction writing and oratory power. He has held many one-man shows for many TV Channels. He is praised by the bo0oks seller on footpath opposite Pak Tea House, Lahore in the same manner as places are named after him in mountains where he went. Heer Malik observes on Mustansar’s novel ‘Pyar Ka Pehla Sheher’ that it is one of the most interesting romantic novels. It is a story about pure and innocent love. The author tries to delineate two points through this novel. First, anyone can fall in love since it is the rite of everyone. Love has never reserved itself for beautiful or physically fit people rather everyone falls in love once or many times in their life. It just happens and sees no boundary, country, nationality etc. Sana adds that the story follows Pascal and Sanaan through Paris, with its rich and vivid history. It’s written in Tarar’s classic travelogue script that touches on themes of love, disability, and the innate human desire for stability. It explores the idea of travel, both physical and mental, and our self-imposed barriers. In this novel Tarer mixes his interests in travelling, observing and fiction.

Mustansar earned international fame for writing more than 80 books in diverse genres both in Urdu language. He has done a lot of work in Punjabi language for television. His first book was a travelogue of Europe published in 1971 by the title of Nikley Teri Talaash Main, dedicated to his youngest brother, Mobashir Hussain Tarar. This followed a period during which he travelled in seventeen European countries, and spearheaded a new trend of travelogues in Urdu literature. So far he has over forty travelogues (‘Safar Nama’ in Urdu) to his credit.

His latest books published by famous publishers Sang-e-Meel Publications are ‘Roop Behroop’, Sheher Khaali Koocha Khaali, Tarar Naama 7, Sanam Kada Cambodia, Vietnam Tere Naam, Tarar Naama 6, Diary of a Vagabond, Lahore Awargi, Haraamosh Naqaabil-e-Faraamosh and Mantiq Ul Tair Jadeed. I shall reproduce my book review of his famous book Mantiq Ul Tair Jadeed below.

Mustansar Hussain Tarar’s newest book is about physical and mental transformations. In my already published review on June 03, 2019 I wrote “Café Tilla Jogian’s top comprises a sanctuary for jogis. Located about 20 miles off Jhelum, this top is 3,200 feet above sea level. This was one of the oldest religious centers of northern India. In olden days it was called Tilla Gorakh Naath, Jogi Tilla or just Tilla. Then people also called it Tilla Balnaath. The latter was disciple of mythical Gorakh Naath. Mustansar Hussain Tarar’s central character is Musa Hussain who despite getting old used to climb this hill. Nobody questioned him whether he had stepped on a burning shrub and then why thousands of years later he desired to step up on the mountain! – Page 15. Had the Ten Commandments written on Toor’s slates vanished that he desired to climb another hill? Perhaps he is in doubt that those commandments are no longer applicable to the modern day. Then he was not the same Musa who had a stick in his hand, He only had a paint brush in his hands and he desired to paint the scenery.

Musa Hussain was not impotent. He did everything possible to get children. He even went to the shrine of Ling Shah near Sheikhpura to pray for off-springs. On advice of one of his models who had become pregnant after twenty years, went to the well of Puran Bhagat on the borders with India. It was the same Puran whose hands and feet were cut by Raja Rasalu on the complaint of his wife who was in love with her step son. Puran was thrown in well. Many eras passed and Balnath Jogi passed near the well, restored his hands and feet and brought him to Tilla Jogian – Page 36. Puran is known as a children giving Jogi. Musa Hussain’s wife refused to accompany him to such shrines. She was an established writer in Arts. So Musa Hussain came alone to Tilla.

Tarer paints another scene in December when it was all quiet in the deserts, wilderness and uninhabited lands. Whatever lay inside oceans, lands, mines etc. was silent. All the insects were motionless. Nobody protested. Then a sound of fluttering of wings of some birds was heard. Birds started coming into existence. One was from the ribs of Kapil Wastu’s prince Gotum’s ribs. Another escaped the fire in the shrubs at Toor’s mountain. They started their journey for discovering new truths. Where ever such birds existed they were unhappy. A bird built a nest on the cross of Christ its nest. His decoration was Ibn-e-Maryam. If nobody listened to her hue and cry then in what shape it existed! The bird flew in its search – Page 21.

All these birds are related to one another like beads of one thread. In that case how is it possible that one of them kept on lying in a deep well where Tahira laid? Qurat ul Aain Tahira was strangled to death for the crime of love and thrown in a well – Page 27. This bird remained knitted in her dress like a silk thread in cotton ones. This bird was custodian of Tahira’s poems. If Yousuf was thrown in a well, some caravan peeps in to save him. If it is Puran, then Balnath passes by but Tahira’s crime was that she was a woman and nobody came to save her.

Mustansar Tarer’s novel is way different than the other novels written by his contemporaries or even him. In wake of centuries old dilemma of discovering the truth of who we are and why do we exist and who created us, he uses the imaginary birds related to the three ancient religions and goes beyond to touch Krishen, Buddha, Hallaj, Baba Guru Nanak, Mira Bai and Tilla Jogian and birds related to folklore. It is philosophical in nature and expression. It is devoid of typical plot and characters of a novel the readers are used to read. Here we look for our identity. The novel may entice to test the tolerance level of our society. The readers may or not agree to some of the truths as discovered by Tarer’s birds! All the sacred books that dawned in this world gave a ray of hope such that masses are not despondent. Imam Mehdi is to appear who shall destroy all the badness. Christ shall come down from the skies and all the followers shall become sheep of this herdsman. Another Mahatma Budh in the shape of Bodhi Satwa shall dawn to remove all the pains of the people – Page 39. Tarer has written in detail about the sickness, visit to Tilla again by Musa Hussain, his physical and mental transformation, his meeting with the birds who returned from their respective sojourns and their desire to fly again. Their shapes had changed. On the mountain of Qaaf they looked the same but now their faces had changed barring their beaks.

Tarar has quoted Sura-e-Namal Ayet No. 16 in which it is stated that Suleman was the descendent of Daud and the language of birds was taught to us as everything bestowed upon us by His will. Tarer’s book is dedicated to Murshid Attar who whispered birds’ language in his ear. Sufi Saint Sachal Sarmast had said “Mera Yaar Lakhon Main Aik Hei/Arif Aur Ashiq Hei Aur Naam Attar Hei/Tu Bhi Agar Ishq Karna Chahe Tau/Waslat Nama Aur Mantaq AlTair Sun Lei’ Raakh is considered Tarar’s most representative novel and is believed to be more of an autobiography in the form of a novel as the protagonist Mushahid bears a sharp resemblance with Mustansar Hussain Tarar. The story develops around Mushahid’s life in his country, Pakistan. The best part of this creative endeavour is that threads of personal and combined misfortunes weave a plot to an enormous scale where tragedy of a person becomes the tragedy of a nation. This novel introduces many tragic images from Pakistan’s history like burning of the entire Shahalmi Gate inside the walled city of Lahore mostly inhibited by Hindus which was reduced to ashes during the partition riots in 1947.

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