EP 01: Ismat Chughtai by Saadat Hasan Manto

The legendary Urdu writer Saadat Hasan Manto (1912-1955) wrote only one sketch before the partition of India in 1947. And, that was the profile of his contemporary and friend, Ismat Chughtai (21 August 1915 – 24 October 1991), who has been regarded as one of the most influential fiction writers in both India and Pakistan. Ismat became a sensation during Manto’s time with stories such as ‘Lihaaf’, ‘Puncture’, ’Daayen’, ‘Saas’, ‘Genda’, ‘Neera’, ‘Uff Ye Bacche’ and ’Til’. Her novel ‘Terhi Lakeer’, a semi-autobiographical tale of a fiery-spirited, middle-class Muslim girl bent on exploring the shape and nature of consuming desire, has been acknowledged a literary masterpiece

Both Manto and Chughtai faced court cases on the charges of being obscene for explicitly exploring the themes of sexuality.

Pervaiz Alam, who worked with All India Radio in Delhi and BBC Hindi/Urdu services in London, presents the podcast ‘Ganjay Farishtay’, produced by Cine Ink, UK.