"Why is the Urdu Ghazal Popular Even Today?" what makes its durability? A Talk by Dr. Fakhre Alam, Associate Professor, Department of Urdu, Khaja Mohiuddin Chisti Urdu, Farsi, Arabic University, Lucknow. Tuesday, June 2, 2015 at Lamakaan, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad at 7.00 pm.

The Urdu Ghazal as a poetic form has continued to fascinate successive generations of poetry lovers in the sub-continent. It has remained the most pre-eminent and popular form of poetic expression in Urdu. What makes the Ghazal tick? How have poets in different ages expressed themselves in this seemingly compressed form, some of them becoming immortal through their creative use of themes, language, images, symbols and metaphors? How has the Urdu Ghazal evolved from the times of Quli Qutub Shah, Wali and Siraj, to the age of Mir and Sauda, to its zenith during the era of Ghalib and Momin, to the period of daaGh and Ameer Minai, to the twentieth century represented mainly by AsGhar, Hasrat Mohaani, Faani and Jigar, as also to some extent by Firaq and later by Khumaar and Shahryar, among several others?

What was the influence of some of the path-breaking movements such as the Progressive Writers' Movement spearheaded by Faiz, Kaifi, Majrooh, MaKhdoom and others on the Urdu Ghazal? These questions among others, will feature in Dr. Alam's talk.

Dr. Fakhre Alam is a distinguished scholar, critic, poet and academic of Urdu and Faarsi literature. He has published numerous articles and is the editor and author of several books.

Entry - Free.