The acclaimed Urdu and Hindi writer from Allahabad exposes how poverty forced him to ghostwrite 1,065 novels
NEW DELHI – In the decades before television became a household staple in India and Pakistan, millions turned to novels filled with mystery, romance, and detective tales for entertainment. One Muslim writer’s story reveals the untold hardship and exploitation faced by many like him during that time. Mujawar Hussain, a prolific Urdu and Hindi author from Allahabad, has exposed the difficult truth behind the 1,065 novels he ghostwrote for Hindu publishers, many under pseudonyms.
Now in his elderly years but still sharp, Hussain shared his painful journey of writing stories for survival rather than pride. “The number of such books combined is 1,065,” he told Clarion India recently. “But the books I consider a source of pride are my research paper, Elements of National Unity in Urdu Poetry, and a collection of my religious essays,” he said.
Hussain’s writing career began in the 1950s when major publishers churned out fiction in bulk to satisfy growing demand. Muslim writers like him were often paid meagre sums to produce thick novels under pseudonyms for Hindu authors and publishers, including names such as Janardan Prasad Jaiswal, Shambhu Prasad Jain, Ashok BA, and the mysterious “Neqab Posh Bedi.” Hussain estimates he wrote 30 to 32 novels under Bedi’s name alone.
“Some of them were non-Muslims,” Hussain said, naming former students turned authors. “I wrote in their names because I had to. The money kept my family alive.”
His words underline the economic hardship faced by many Indian Muslims, forced to work behind the scenes without recognition while Hindu publishers reaped profits. Hussain recalls the pressure of poverty pushing him to write constantly. “I remember those days when I’d enter the house, and my wife would tell me food and drinks would last until the next evening. I’d sit down with a pen, write, and hand over the manuscript to the publisher. I’d take money — 30 rupees at first, then 60, then 100, and finally up to 2,500 rupees. With that, household expenses were met.”
Hussain’s experience highlights the sidelining of Muslim talent in the Indian literary scene, where Hindu publishers held most of the power. “That forced me,” he said. “The memory of that time is painful, and the work was painful. After that, I put down the pen.”
He also revealed working for Nikhat Publications, famous for publishing the works of legendary Urdu detective novelist Ibne Safi. When Ibne Safi’s manuscripts stopped coming to India due to political tensions between India and Pakistan, Hussain was asked to fill the void by writing novels under his name. “When I realised the institution was going to close, I started writing under his name,” he said. “I wrote very few novels in Urdu under his name — half partridge, half quail, meaning some was his, some I mixed.”
In Hindi, Hussain wrote extensively in Ibne Safi’s style, including the novel The Barrister’s Wife, though he remains uneasy about these works. “Even now, I don’t feel good about them,” he admitted. “I didn’t consider them a source of pride.”
Despite his difficult path, Hussain’s academic achievements stand tall. He earned an MA in Urdu in 1958 with two gold medals, a silver medal, a Victoria Gold Medal, and another prize he cannot recall. “No one has ever scored higher than me,” he said proudly. Yet this success did not shield him from the economic hardship that forced him into ghostwriting.
Dr Ayesha Khan, a literary historian specialising in the pre-television literary world, explains that Hussain’s story reflects a larger pattern of exploitation faced by Muslim writers. “Many Muslim authors like Mujawar Hussain were sidelined, forced to write under pseudonyms or for others to survive,” she said. “Hindu publishers often held the power, dictating terms and profiting from their work.”
Hussain’s reflections carry a sense of regret. Quoting a poem, he said, “Remembering the past is a punishment.” He sees much of his commercial writing as a compromise born of necessity, not passion. “Due to the compulsion of circumstances, I wrote some books that I do not consider a source of pride,” he said. “I was writing incessantly.”
Today, Hussain hopes that sharing his story will reveal the struggles of Muslim writers who toiled behind the scenes while others took credit. “I wrote for survival,” he said quietly. “But I want people to know the real story behind those books.”
