A Mumbai event celebrates Urdu poetry through the eternal theme of love

We have named the event Rivayat as we want to celebrate the traditional style of Urdu poetry,” says Traif Niyazi, the MD of Theme Makerz. The organisation is hosting an evening of Urdu recitals this weekend, featuring new and established poets from across the country.

Contemporary Urdu poetry, Niyazi says, tends to focus on current affairs. “But the Urdu poetry of Mirza Ghalib or Meer Taqi Meer was about deep personal emotions.” And so the theme of this event is also love. “We want to celebrate the famous Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb, the love of communities who have been living with each other for centuries,” Niyazi says.

Poet Mannan Faraz from Jabalpur, will also be reciting his work at Rivayat. “Over the years, I have performed in different countries; it is sad that support for Urdu poetry is shrinking in ours,” he says.

Faraz says that performing in Mumbai is particularly special, as a lot of Urdu poetry has been used in Hindi cinema.

AM Turaz, who will be reciting his work at the event too, found Bollywood success with songs like ‘Udi, neendein aankhon se judi’ from the 2010 film Guzarish.

Finding funding is difficult. “But we want to reach out to people and hope that sponsors too realise that Urdu poetry still has a large audience,” says Niyazi.