Author: Muhammad Hadi Ruswa
Translated by: Krupa Shandilya and Taimoor Shahid (from the Urdu (Junun-e-Intezar))
Publisher: Zubaan Books
Pages: 160
The story of Umrao Jaan, the most sought after courtesan in mid-nineteenth century Lucknow, has travelled across generations through literature and cinema.
Originally written and published in Urdu by Muhammad Hadi Ruswa in 1899, the poignant tale of Umrao mirrored the lives of courtesans (tawaifs) in colonial India. Academic research on Umrao Jaan (both novel and the character) led Krupa Shandilya, one of the translators of this novella to discover the existence of a sequel to Ruswa's 'Umrao Jan Ada'; believed to be authored by the courtesan herself.
Umrao Jaan: Unearthing the voice within
Junun-e-Intezaar Yani Fasana'-e Mirza Ruswa (The Madness of Waiting: The Story of Mirza Ruswa) was languishing beneath archives and historical documents in some library and nobody had any knowledge about it. After a struggle of one year, when the translator finally managed to unearth the tattered copy of the cover-less original at the Salar Jung Museum in Hyderabad, India, history came alive and Umrao Jaan was reborn. The new and reformed book cover is a night sky with a crescent moon being stared at by a twinkling star from a distance. Somehow, this canvas suggests a metaphorical meaning too. Umrao Jaan is like the star trying to unravel the darkness usually invisible and hidden beneath the surface of the moon, i.e. her biographer.
Umrao Jan Ada is preceded and followed by two novels: Afsha-e-Raz (The Revelation of Secrets) and Junun-e-Intezar (Madness of Waiting) respectively, and the character of the courtesan develops and evolves in the course of these literary texts. If Afsha-e-Raz credits a brief mention of Umrao as a courtesan blessed with singing talent, the second novel foregrounds her poetic skills and almost places her at par with stalwarts like Mirza Ghalib. It is when Umrao learns that her confidant has betrayed her by publishing the memoirs of her life without her consent that she pledges to expose Ruswa's intimate secrets. Thus, Junun-e-Intezar attributes Umrao the identity of an author. The novella's preface confirms Umrao's anger at being "defamed" and violated as she writes, "...he thinks he has done me a favour by publishing my biography. If indeed this is a "favour" then I know well how it must be returned".
Does Umrao Jaan really have a voice?
As readers, once we join Umrao in her expedition to 'expose' Ruswa's hidden truths; we stumble upon a bunch of letters and series of verses, all addressed and written to his beloved, Sofia. Leaving aside the preface and a few authorial interjections, the narrative structure is such that the story of Ruswa, quite interestingly, turns out to be presented in his own voice and not the narrator's. Are we to then assume that it is in fact Ruswa's own literary design that enables Umrao to have a faint narrative 'voice'? "Yes, it is certainly the case that Ruswa desists from allowing Umrao Jaan a voice in Junun-e-Intezar, but this in keeping with 'sharif' norms of modesty. Umrao Jaan (the character) is very concerned about her modesty, which in this case is premised on her invisibility in the public. Although a courtesan, Umrao Jaan is particular about propriety and maintaining sharif norms that pertain to 'purdah-nasheen' (veiled) women. She wants to expose Ruswa not only because he has betrayed her but also because this is the only way she can re-establish her place in sharif society as a respectable woman rather than a tawaif," explains Krupa Shandilya who is currently reworking her dissertation into a book and wishes to translate Nazir Ahmad's lesser known novel Fasana-e-Mubtala ('The Story of Mubtala', where he compares the 'courtesan' to the 'wife') into English someday.
This novella is a prank!
Blurring all lines of fact and fiction, the date of publication of this novella (original) is imprinted April 1, 1899 (All Fool's Day). This detail is evidence enough to debunk myths of Umrao Jaan's historical existence and dismiss the novella as a playful prank. Nonetheless, it does not take away from the invaluable study that it offers in terms of revisiting the life of a courtesan with empathy sans moral judgment.
Is this recurrence of any relevance today?
How confident were the translators about the reception of this novella and its relevance in the 21st century, we ask? "Given that Umrao Jan Ada has been an iconic text in the South Asian imagination and has been made into three Indian films and one Pakistani TV drama, we thought that folks might want to know about and read Junun as well, and so we decided to publish our translation," explains Krupa, who, along with Taimoor Shahid (responsible for all the legwork in Pakistan after Krupa was denied a visa twice) completed the translation in three months.
This translation is an outcome of commendable research and tremendous hard work. It is a literary product that gives us a chance to feel closer to history, learn a little more about our culture and heritage and above all preserve a fading memory. With elaborate footnotes, annotations and the original Urdu text attached to the translation in the end, 'Madness of Waiting' is an experience 'waiting' to happen!
Translator's note:
Umrao Jaan is a fictional character probably based on the courtesan Kali Umrao.
About the translators:
Krupa Shandilya is assistant professor of women's and gender studies at Amherst College, MA.
Taimoor Shahid is an independent scholar and translator. He works on Urdu literature, archival research and South Asian Cinema.
(Story originally published on August 19, 2013)
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/followceleb.cms?alias=Mirza Ruswa,Krupa Shandilya,Women,Kali,umrao jaan
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