When languages make a comeback

Let's start with a few facts to get a better understanding. As many as 2.62m Indians reside in the UAE, followed by 1.21m Pakistanis. And most of them speak Hindi and Urdu. Yet, these languages are inadequately represented in the art circle of the UAE, or so is the complaint. I've attended just a handful of shows and have been looking forward to more events in these languages. Let's run through a few promising highlights.
At the time of going to Press, Dastaan-e-Khusro was scheduled to celebrate the life of Sufi musician, poet and scholar Hazrat Ameer Khusro on December 12. A Poetic Strokes' event, the combination of Dastangoi (Urdu storytelling) and music was held at Dubai's Pakistan Association auditorium. On December 6, an exclusive screening of Pakistan Chowk -­ a documentary exploring the urban intervention by architect and heritage consultant Marvi Mazhar to bring the pre-partition era chowk back to its former charm - was held at Cinema Akil, Alserkal Avenue. It was part of Aleph, a travelling festival put together by Qissa' Go and Aleph Collective. They also held an open-mic session themed, The Etymology of Urdu Language, on December 7 to experience the sounds of not just Urdu, but also of its compatriots, contributors, and those it has contributed to. Another name often and aptly applauded for its devotion to popularise the use of Urdu among people from UAE and the sub-continent is Bazm-E-Urdu. In September 2019, their Dubai arm honoured achievers who had worked to promote the language, while also holding a musical tribute to the famous poet, Kaifi Azmi. A series of events was also hosted at the 2019 Sharjah Children's Reading Festival (SCRF).
Moving on to Hindi, Yaar Julahe (Dec 16-18, The Junction, Alserkal Avenue), a dance-theatre production by Xpression Art, promises to be a must-watch. Written and directed by Mahua Krishnadev, it is based on the story of Kabir Das, the 15th Century revolutionary poet known for his poetry on peace, philosophy and humanism. Twice a month on alternate Tuesdays, a bunch of home-grown desi comedians have begun to gather to make one laugh at stuff that only desis can understand. Aptly called Khichdi nights, the informal evening, presented by COMX events, is free-to-attend, with chai and samosas on the house. The first one was held last Tuesday. You can catch their next session at the Dashing Dazzler Dance Studio, Karama on December 17.
Haste Reh Jaoege (December 21, The Junction, Alserkal Avenue and written and written and directed by Saif Khan) will be a comedy about a man named Rahil and the events that take place to change his life. Looking at the calendar, I can say things are beginning to look up.
A few groups to follow:
· Qissa' Go, a theatre collective focused on promoting, preserving and celebrating South Asian languages and literature. qissa-go.com
· Theatrewallahs, promoting theatre in Hindi; facebook.com/theatrewallasdubai
· Poetic Strokes invites artists, performers, musicians, poets and writers from South Asia to contribute to the art scene in the UAE and wider Middle East; facebook.com/PoeticStrokes
· Bazm-E-Urdu, a non-profit organisation, devoted to promoting the use of Urdu; facebook.com/bazmeurdu.org1
purva@khaleejtimes.com