Jashn-e-Rekhta, featuring Javed Akhtar, Mahira Khan and others, is to be held at Zabeel Park from January 27-28.
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI – Celebrated Urdu literary fest, Jashn-e-Rekhta, is poised to captivate Dubai. The cultural extravaganza, starting January 27, promises two days filled with luminaries from the Urdu literary world, presenting an engaging blend of poetry, talk shows, ghazals (songs), and storytelling.
Making its international debut in London just three months ago, Jashn-e-Rekhta has been captivating the hearts and minds of Urdu connoisseurs in India for the last eight years.
Commencing at Dubai’s Zabeel Park, the festival kicks off with a thought-provoking panel discussion titled ‘Urdu Tehzeeb aur Rishton ki Lazzat Ki Lazzat’, (The Delight of Urdu Culture and Relationships.) Renowned Bollywood lyricist and poet Javed Akhtar, along with Pakistani human rights activist Arfa Sayeda Zehra, will engage in conversation with Adeel Hasmi, a Khaleej Times report said on Tuesday.
The panel discussion will be followed by ‘Dozakh’ (Hell), a stage rendition of Ismat Chughtai’s Urdu play, and a soul-stirring Sufi concert ‘Naghmo’n ki Maseehaii’ by Ustad Shafqat Ali Khan. The evening’s highlight will be ‘Raqs-e-Naa Tammam,’ portraying the life of the legendary singer Noor Jehan.
‘Shab-e Rafta’ (Night of departure), an enchanting session of Sufi music is scheduled for the evening.
The concluding day features a compelling talk show with Pakistan’s film industry’s iconic couple, Sameena Peerzada and Usmaan Peerzada, who, having been married for 48 years and together for 50 years, share their journey through numerous challenges. This will be followed by ‘Kahaani se Kirdaar Tak’, an interactive session featuring Pakistani actress Mahira Khan and veteran Indian actress Shabana Azmi, in conversation with the renowned Indian filmmaker and actor Shekhar Kapur.
Next on the agenda is ‘Main Koi Aisa Geet Gaau’n,’ (I will sing a song like this), a masterpiece project entwining poetry, songs, narration, and music, featuring Javed Akhtar, Meiyang Chang, and Jahnvi Shrimankar with a live band.
The pinnacle of the literary fest is the grand international mushaira (poetic evening) titled ‘Gehan aur Dhoop,’ showcasing acclaimed poets such as Anwar Shaoor, Farhat Ehsad, Zehra Nigah, Shakeel Azmi, Abbas Tabish, among others.
Sanjiv Saraf, founder of Rekhta Foundation, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Urdu, said that the UAE, especially Dubai, is a global events destination and its cosmopolitan character has broadened the scope of Urdu as a popular medium of speech.
“In choosing Dubai, we embrace the city’s thriving Urdu-speaking community, a testament to the rich demographic diversity in the heart of the UAE. In the current geopolitical climate, Jashn-e-Rekhta in Dubai stands out as a beacon of cultural unity, transcending political divides and fostering connections through the universal language of poetry and shared cultural heritage,” The Khaleej Times report quoted him as saying.
Dubai is presently witnessing an Urdu renaissance, hosting more mushairas than any other place on the globe. Organisers affirm that Jashn-e-Rekhta, held under the patronage of Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nayhan, Minister of Tolerance and Co-existence, guarantees a rich cultural fusion, weaving the essence of the Urdu language, its literature, and culture into the cosmopolitan fabric of the UAE for the very first time.
A turnout of 15,000 people is anticipated.
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File photo courtesy: Khaleej Times
