Hyderabad: A conservative society is every woman’s nightmare, and it was no different for the famous artist Fatima Ahmed (86) who decided about five decades ago to leave her hometown of Hyderabad and move to Bombay. While she was struggling, the artist-writer built her career in the city of dreams and never looked back on her family or the city where she was born.
“I have absolutely no regrets about my life and my decisions. I was never interested in marriage, so I never got married, ‘says Fatima, recalling her life. At 86, he currently lives in a nursing home in Hyderabad. A stroke in 2017 partially paralyzed her. However, that is not what this story is about. Fatima’s life story is one of those that might serve as a reminder to us how free life can be, if you are brave enough to disrupt or escape the social burden.
Just after the university, the artist, whose work has been exhibited in various places in India, Fatima decided to leave her hometown and move to Bombay. There is no telling what her life would have been like if she had not left Hyderabad. ‘My parents are both deceased, and my sisters were also much older, all married. I did not want it, so I decided to leave, ”recalls Fatima, who visited her hometown only once after she moved.
Her work as an artist speaks for itself, as she gained recognition and work at Pune early in her career. Fatima is someone everyone wants to talk about because of her accomplishments, but will never be a woman most parents would ask their daughters to follow. Why? Because she simply chose to follow her own path. A young woman who decides not to get married, and to follow her own path, especially as an artist, would have been unthinkable in the fifties.
Her paintings also depict how she feels. Her art, for example, contains women who look fine but at the same time radiate power or strength.
Life of freedom
But Fatima not only left, but also did what she wanted to do. It would be difficult to imagine that Hyderabad is still a conservative society where families collectively tell their youth, especially women, what to do. Freedom, as they say, is relative. Even today, many girls, or young women, are still not allowed to walk out of their homes. Some of them often cannot even choose what they want to study, while others are desperately studying to simply get married.
And Fatima Ahmed wanted none of that. She would not allow society to derail her hopes and dreams. A student of Hyderabad’s College of Fine Arts, and the author also had to face difficult opportunities as her course was not something that many considered.
Just like today, Fatima also faced mockery in a way. But if talented people gave up hope and listened to society, this world would never see the many miracles it has. And the work of the 86-year-old shows as well. Between 1967 and 2006, Fatima’s paintings were exhibited in art galleries in Bombay, Delhi, Hong Kong, London, Mauritius and elsewhere. ‘I also lived in London for some time and even two months in Paris. This is one of my favorite places, ‘she reminds her.
More importantly, in Bombay, Fatima Ahmed also spent time with famous writers such as Ismat Chugtai and Ali Sardar Jafri. ‘I translated the work of Ismat Chugtai into English. This was difficult as her Urdu was different from ours as she was from UP. But I finally did it, ”Fatima Ahmed recalls with a smile. The artist’s life is symbolic of the patriarchy that violates the woman’s freedom, the moment someone acts against the norm.
She pinned down In Haleem’s words, which is essentially her life story; about how she as a young woman chose to rebel and live on her own terms. It can be noted that Fatima’s father was wealthy: he was a district collector in the former state of Hyderabad during the last Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan (1911-1948).
Call for help – What you can do
Fatima Ahmed needed financial help at 86 today as her savings are being used to pay medical bills. The artist wants to sell some of her works that are at her dealer in Mumbai. Those among our readers who are interested in helping her can contact nilouferbilimoria@gmail.com, or can even contribute directly to her account. Details:
Name: Fatima Ahmed
Account number: 27011046411
Bank Name: Standard Chartered Bank
Statistics Sweden: Kalyani Nagar Pune
IFSC code: SCBL0036091
Source: The Siasat Daily