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7 Dishonouring his legacy: Sahir Ludhianvi’s handwritten notes, letters, poems and photographs were found from a scrap shop in 2019 in Mumbai
Renu Sud Sinha
Born Abdul Hayee a hundred years ago, he called himself Sahir (meaning sorcerer, wizard, enchanter and magician) when the world started taking note of the magic of his words. As was the literary tradition those days, like Urdu poets Majrooh (Sultanpuri), Josh (Malihabadi), Firaq (Gorakhpuri), Daag (Dehlvi), he added the city of his birth as takhallus (pen-name) and a magician was born. In the preface to his book, ‘Sahir: A Literary Portrait’ (2019), Surinder Deol calls him ‘a mystery wrapped in an enigma’.
This book celebrates the composite culture of India that gave birth to and nurtured the Urdu ghazal
Gopi Chand Narang’s study of the form links it to a flourishing liberal climate in the country.
English readers have loved Russian classic writers, the French naturalists, and the Latin American greats without even bothering to know the names of their English translators.
The Translator’s Invisibility, the famous title of Lawrence Venuti’s 1995 book, can best represent the outstanding effort of Surinder Deol in making Gopi Chand Narang’s exposition of the history, beauty, and formal intricacies of the ghazal a memorable affair and yet remaining unsung.