Echoes of Kaifi

g_prithwish@dnaindia.net

Actor  Shabana Azmi, who along with husband Javed Akhtar, released father Kaifi Azmi’s album of poems titled Kaifiyat (recited by the late poet and includes 30 tracks) on May 10, said that she could relate every situation in her life to his poems.

Incidentally, the album was launched to mark the veteran’s sixth death anniversary.
Shabana who has been actively working for AIDS patients, women and slum dwellers says, “When I work for women, I remember my father’s poem Aurat, which he had written 60 years ago. It is still relevant now,” she says quoting the following lines from it,
“Jannat aik aur hai jo mard ke pahluu mein nahin (there is another paradise, which is not by the side of men),

Uski aazaad ravish par bhi machalnaa hai tujhe (on its free pathways too you have yet to pirouette),

Uth meri jaan mere saath hi chalnaa hai tujhe (get up, my love, you have to walk with me).”

 She adds, “When I work for the slum dwellers and construction workers, I’m reminded of my father’s poem Makaan.” The poem talks about the plight of construction workers, whom a security guard keeps out of the very building they helped build.

Having grown up in an ambience seeped in Urdu poetry what does Shabana think of  modern lyrics? “Times are changing and our lyrics are also going through a transition. Lyrics are now not as reflective or respectful as they were. But there’s no point sitting and moaning about what we have lost. It’s the result of globalisation. But I believe things will change and we will go back to our roots.”