Kaba-e-Hindostan: Exploring Ghalib’s love for Benares

Aparna Banerji

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Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, March 29

Bazicha-e-Atfal Hai Duniya Mere Aage

Hota Hai Roz Tamasha Mere Aage

(The world is like a child’s game in front of me, every day this act is played out in front of me)

While the world popularly and limitedly views Ghalib as a lovelorn Urdu romantic poet, a documentary called ‘Kaba-e-Hindostan’ introduced the city populace to various hitherto unknown aspects of the poet – his disdain for uptight religiosity, his issues with religion, his ability to make fun of himself and above all- his deep love for city of Benares and the Ganga.

A unique initiative by the Hans Raj Mahila Maha Vidyalaya in conjunction with film producer Beenu Rajpoot, the film brought to the fore Ghalib’s poignant and lasting connection with the holy city of Benares in the form of the film based on his Persian Masnavi Charagh-e-Dair. It was in 1827 that an ailing Mirza Ghalib - while on a boat ride journey towards Calcutta – caught his fancy to the city of Benares – choosing to stay there for months – and creating his most famous of the 11 Masnvis penned by him.

As the camera traversed through blue-skied, sun-kissed banks of Benares, scholars like Pawan Verma, Waseem Ahmed Bukhari recently deceased actor Tom Alter shed light on various aspects of the poet, interspersed with his places of abode, his various manuscripts and his ghazals crooned by the Late Jagjit Singh. As Alter informed – Ghalib’s “tanz ka ishara sirf auron ki taraf nahi, sabse zyada apni taraf hota tha”(Ghalib’s poetry made fun not just of others but most of all himself).

Excerpts from an interview with filmmaker Beenu Rajpoot:

You are a fashion designer, how did you develop interest for films?

I started with filmmaking six years ago. I have already made five to six films. My first film was ‘Born to Dance’ on my Guru, the Kathak exponent Shovana Narayan. She is a very inspiring person. After that I made ‘Wall of Valour’ which is based on the martyrs of Central Armed Police Forces. After these I began work on – Ka’ba-e-Hindostan – the film has already been launched in four to five places including Benares and Delhi.

How far does your fascination with Ghalib go – how did you think of making the film?

I’m a big fan of Ghalib, but unfortunately I don’t know how to speak Urdu or Persian. Once I saw a performance of Shovana Ji on ‘Charagh-e-Dair’, based on the Persian Masnavi of Ghalib – his passionate take on his love for Benares. I heard these interesting two lines of the Masnavi (a Masanavi is a poem based on independent, internally rhyming lines) during her performance and asked her what these meant. The moment I hear the meaning of the Masnavi, I conceived of an idea do more research on the subject. So I started the research almost one-and-a half year before the film began to be shot and I have received a very good response for it.

Tell us something about the documentary?

The film talks about the Ghalib’s passion for the holy Hindu city. His poetry and ethos is steeped in the Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb – we can say what the poet wrote about the Benares denotes the true Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb. Ghalib was a Muslim, immersed in the beauty of Benares longing to stay there captured by its beauty. Despite being a Muslim, eulogising Hindu rituals and culture in his couplets. The entire idea is beautiful. It’s a profound example of the coming together of two cultures. Ghalib was a huge fan of ‘Hindostan’.

So our documentary emerged as a strong message to the society and to the Hindu and Muslim bonhomie.

With the information regarding the poet scattered in such different places, how difficult was your research?

We researched for one-a-and-a-half year for the project - which was tricky to begin with, since I did not know either Urdu or Persian. I carried out research at the Ghalib Institute Delhi and the Rampur Raza Library. Both these places have a treasure on Ghalib. I went through his manuscripts wherever I could find them, and also took suggestions from experts and scholars following which the final structure of the documentary emerged.