Bald Angel

#16 sac

2/ I got a different impression. An essay written by Ismat Chughtai mentioned that he went to Bombay and or got involved in film scripts since they paid better and were appreciated. Manto thought that books were on their way out as a medium. Ismat mentions that he had a family and wanted to support them well.

also, dair aye durust aye. I think it is a good think that in a world which tends to view Islamic history or the cultural diaspora of the Indian Muslim to be about a bunch of cheerless super conservative fanatics, there is a thread of irreverance and outrageousness, that we the post generation liberals can appreciate. So it is the french moi must thank? never mind.

sac:

how about delivering on that parveen shakir article?... hud ho`gaee soosti ki:)

...t

Sac’s observation that Manto “was primarily read for the titillation value” may be correct in view of the fact that what else was available in those days for cheap ‘kicks and thrills’. However, the fact remains that the first time I heard about “Khol Do” was in the first year of my intermediate (Faculty of Science) program. Our English Composition teacher discussed the story quite in detail in the class. I also remember that he critically appreciated Faiz’s “Chand Roz Aur Meri Jaan Faqt Chand Hi Roz” in the class line by line. He tried to prepare us to discriminate cheap works from the classy ones.

Manto’s critics and the supporters were equally prominent in the Urdu literature as I mentioned in the sketch. Maulana Tajwar Najeebababadi was one of the witnesses who testified against Thanda Ghosht and Faiz was among those who testified in favor of Manto. It’s true that those who sought cheap thrills found aplenty in Manto’s stories but they didn’t count for much as literary critics.

Regarding the motivation for him to go to Bombay and try his luck in the film industry was nothing unusual. The likes of Sahir Ludhianvi and Shakeel Badauni were there also for the same reason. Although Manto didn’t last “Aath Din (eight days)” in the film industry like his movie of the same name, Sahir and Shakeel elevated the film industry to new heights.

Undoubtedly, Manto was inspired by the French literature as sac has pointed out. He started his writing career by translating foreign literature and then in due time when the creative spark fired him, he took off on his own. One of the works that he translated was called ‘Vera’ if I remember correctly. Having said all this, it shouldn’t detract in any way from his unique style and great skills because he didn’t indulge in plagiarism.

He was truly a multidimensional personality.

Mohammad Gill

MG,

Good effort. Had hoped to tune in earlier, but have been dodging the guillotine on another thread.

Since a lot of issues regarding Manto have alreadty been discussed, i will add my two bits on a couple of issues. I am by no means a Manto scholar, so do take it as a dilletante`s raw comments.


1) Regarding Manto`s uneven body of work, and the charge against him that he diluted Urdu, is a fairly widespread charge.

I feel this has always been an issue with language writers. Manto`s historic value is primarily hinged on the fact that he wrote raw, underbelly-of-society, kind of stories ...the kind that hallowed Urdu had kept outside its holy precints. Urdu, as I understand, was jolted by the earthiness or in Manto`s case, soiled language Manto used when depicting the life on the streets.

While the jolt to the ordodoxy of Urdu is not unimaginable, the fact remains that Manto discovered, or at least more consistently probed an aspect of life that his language till then did not seem capable of accepting. In that sense, like Shakespere, he
stretched the language to better and more truly reflect the character of the world that he was depicting. And it is here that a lot of Urdu writers of the time and later, found the language of his works eschewing the ornamentary trellises of Urdu, a literary apostate. He was what the Bard from Stratford upon Avon was to them...``an upstart crow.``

2) Manto got part of the fame he did because his works consistently probed a subject...or subjects...not much plumbed in his language. But, there is no denying that being the first, and an accomplished one at that, he cleared ground for Urdu. I am unfortunately not familiar with Urdu writing enough to say this authoritatively, but Manto still has few peers in Urdu.

It is also here that a lot of translators of Manto tend to feel inadequate. Because, I suspect, like many other Indian languages, the translators have a more contemporary understanding of the language that they translate into, than the language they translate from. And in the fear that they might mess up a iconic master, they come up with word equivalents that suggest a fear and awe of the master...

In Khalid Hasan`s own translation that you quote in the very begining, is a nice example.

``In my tonsorial parlor there is no comb, shampoo, or hair -curling machine. ``

Tonsuring parlour...and hair curling machine...is like calling a radio a radiogram...and a Fridge a refrigerator. If you notice, Manto himself used more contemporary words...often vaulting over the Pure Urdu grounds into the pidgin...Hindi...laced language of the streets. But his translators are afraid to match his pioneering spirit. This is one reason a lot of translation gets so much flak...because they transmogrify the work...and actually remake a ``modern, pioneer`` in the mould of a unnatural, ``unalive`` language. Translations tend to locate the work into an older, artificial language than the real work was in its original laguage.

re saimashah#17:

I thought that`s what I wrote. Maybe I wasn`t clear enough?

re t #18:

How can I say no to you :) But ``Is tazkary mein kuch parda nasheenon key naam aatey hein........kian karey``

re freethinker #19:

I agree with most of what you say. My intention was simply to point out there were other considerations besides the literary merit of Manto`s work that propelled him to where he is. The VCR took off not because people were watching Wuthering Heights on it but because they were(and still are) watching porn.

re HN #20:

I don`t think its possible to translate works from one language to the other. There are exceptions that prove the rule but by and large its like eating Purdue chicken. There is no flavor. One might as well be eating cardboard. If there are translators who can capture every nuance of the original author, they are probably good enough to write on their own.

later
-sac

Are most talented young writers in Pakistan choosing to write in English rather than Urdu these days?

I read a collection of Manto`s short stories he was an interesting writer.

Sac, 21

“I don`t think its possible to translate works from one language to the other.”

Still, thank goodness for those who can translate well. If it weren’t for the English translation of Madam Bovary, I wouldn’t have read one of my all time favorite stories, or wouldn’t have known the brilliance and the profundity of Par Lagerkvist.

Btw, it’s the blunders like translating “Farishtay” as “Angel” and not “Angels” that puts one off. There I agree with you!

Okay, correction to my post...

It occurred to me that Gill sahib may be referring to Manto as ``Bald Angel`` and not to Manto`s book ``Gunjay Farishtay``. If that`s the case, I aplogize...

#12

I am aware of Pitrus`s Kal Saweray jo meri ank khuli, and I might be confusing the titles with Manto`s Story, the title of which was on a similiar premise. Anyways maybe you can enlighten me about the right title, the story was a narrator`s walk through the newly partioned Pakistan and a description of the optimism, Manto uses the sentence ``Pakistan Zindabad`` as a metaphor for overiding the reality of Partition with Patriotic fervour.

Rgds

W

#12

I am aware of Pitrus`s Kal Saweray jo meri ank khuli, and I might be confusing the titles with Manto`s Story, the title of which was on a similiar premise. Anyways maybe you can enlighten me about the right title, the story was a narrator`s walk through the newly partioned Pakistan and a description of the optimism, Manto uses the sentence ``Pakistan Zindabad`` as a metaphor for overiding the reality of Partition with Patriotic fervour.

Rgds

W