ALIF (Umera Ahmed)- Novel Analysis by Shoby

ALIF (Umera Ahmed)-Novel Analysis by Shahbaz Ali Naqvi (Shoby)

I am a 90's kid and many of us have grown reading Umera Ahmed. The name that is synonymous to some unforgettable stories with almost immortal characters. Well right from Haasil to La'Haasil, from Main Ne Khawabon Ka Sheher to Sehar Ik Ista'ara Hai, from Meri Zaat Zara e benishaan to Shehr e Zaat, from Mann o Salwa to Iman Umeed or Muhabbat and from the exceptional saga PEER e KAAMIL (saww) to relatively new epic Aks. I shall continue with mentioning the names of those epic write ups that we have been cherishing for so long and the list may not be concluded. So, let us summarize our discussion and focus on our primary object today. The latest offering by one of the legendary writers of our time Ms. Umera Ahmed, which she has tentatively titled as ALIF.

Do you know the meaning of ALIF. No, not that meaning which everyone "else" is telling us. I am talking about the Real meaning of Alphabet ALIF. ALIF, the very first ALPHABET of ISM of the CREATOR of everything (ALLAH). Get ready for the goosebumps now. While teaching the meaning of Bismillah al-Rahman alRahim, IMAM JAFER SADIQ (asws) said,  “ALIF is the Blessings [ala] of ALLAH over His Creatures from the bounty of our Guardianship [wilayah]. (Reference Book: KITAB AL TOWHID by Sheikh Sadooq, Page Number 237). So, all the BLESSINGS of our CREATOR ALLAH PAK are hidden in the meanings of LETTER "ALIF". Let me pause this discussion here and will resume the same somewhere in the middle of the review to give more insight about its relation with the novel ALIF.

ALIF (novel) is a combination of a plethora of  larger than life stories (and we know that it is the signature of Umera Ahmed to present larger than life tales). At one side, we get to see a maverick film director's journey from spiritual to materialistic and then reverting to his very own shade of nature (being spiritual). On the other side, we confront with a very common (read basic) story of an actress who went on to gain the triumph. Then there is a journey of a veteran actress who chooses ONE from the lot. And then there are two calligraphers both have a different dimension of love (ISHQ) to explore.

Now let us analyze the pertinent protagonists of the story. Qalb e Momin, being the talk of the town as the hit machine of Lollywood has been portrayed, just the way he was supposed to. Starting off with the grey side of his character, someone who knows the worth of being the only film maker with all commercially successful films under his banner, the hallmarks of his character from being rude & straight forward to arrogant and then his coming of age to sensible and noble person, he is undoubtedly, another gem of a character, penned by Umera. I found visible impact of different shades from Umera's earlier characters including Salaar Sikander (PEER e KAAMIL saww) and Sherdil (Aks) in this character. Character of Momina is crystal clearly written by the author. Various aspects of the character depict her struggle and continuous battle with the life. From an unsure struggling actress (Not A Wanna-Be but struck by luck), to an Academy award winner, her personality has been shaped by all the downs of the life with not even a hint of success negatively impacting her persona.

If we talk about the characters of Abdul ALI, Sultan, TAHA Abdul ALI and Husn e Jahan, I must say that the author has penned one of the most solid author backed characters this time. ABDUL ALI, heir of one of most cherished genre of calligraphy. His ancestors were considered the legends of this art form and they have painted/ calligraphed nothing but ALLAH (HIS ASMAA and Ayaat e Mubarka). His only dream was, to see his only Son (Taha) a true successor of his family heritage. Then comes Sultan, a make-up artist and a die-hard lover of Husn e Jahan, who can do anything for the love. Talking about Husn e Jahan, once a diva, a cherished actress who decides to marry a calligrapher cum dancer just in the love of SUPREME. Let us not forget probably the most pertinent character of Qalb e Momin in his childhood. A 10 years old kid, who has the strongest bonding with ALLAH. He loves to interact with ALLAH through postal medium. Innocence brought with the rock solid belief on ALLAH has been his biggest trait.

To be honest, it was quite difficult to give all these sub-plots an equal opportunity to blossom but hats off to Umera for handling the subject matter so delicately that you never miss a beat. You have no time to get distracted and bored as the proceedings operate so smooth, they do not allow you to derange and divert your thought process. At the heart of the mega plot, all these sub-plots are built, arranged and managed so evenly that you always look for what’s coming next. (Not after the ecstasy but in the plot :-) )

I am in no doubt to say that Umera has written ALIF in her very own signature style. The same sort of writing technique, for which she is famous. The treatment of Qalb e Momin childhood's part resembles to that of Chirya's in Aks. I love the way she expressed his relationship with ALLAH and steps to further strengthen this relationship (making a handmade postal box and writing letters). Somewhere I feel, I would have loved it even more, if he was shown writing a letter after his character’s make-over turn around, may be just to show his innocence shade of his character.

Dialogues in ALIF are pitch perfect. "Jo Tum Chor Ke Ai Ho woh dunya hai... Jo main chor betha hoon WOH ALLAH Hai..." Goose Bumps… hai na??? You always get to read a stunner in every paragraph. It was an amazing feel to see the magic sprinkling out from the same real Umera Ahmed's monologues. “Is ke kaantey hata diye hain main ne ta ke aap ki ungliyan zakhmi na hon... reminded me of “Aap ke paon bohat haseen hain... Inhain zameen per na utaiye ga, meley ho jaey ge” from Kamal Amrohi’s 20th Film-Fare winner Pakeezah. Similarly “aaj tumhain gaey 423 din ho gaey hain” made me recall another classic, theek kehtey ho tum dev… sirf dus saal from Sir Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s epic Devdas.

Now let me try to bridge the gap and create a sync between the real meaning of ALIF and the proceedings of this novel. As I mentioned earlier, according to the saying of IMAM JAFER SADIQ (asws), ALIF (ALPHABET) represents the BLESSINGS of ALLAH, which HE bestowed upon us (and every creation) due to the Wilayat of MUHAMMAD (saww) o AAL e MUHAMMAD (saww). In novel ALIF, we get to see several personalities, where everyone is dealing with this BLESSING in a diverse manner. At one hand Qalb e Momin becomes proud & arrogant, whereas on the other hand, Momina absorbs all the fame with utmost grace. Same goes for Husn e Jahan and Taha but ABDUL ALI is a bit affected negatively, which he later on realizes and tries to rectify.

Coming towards the scene creation, once again, she has proved her mettle here. There are many scenes in the novel, where you are spell bound by her masterstrokes. My picks are Death Scene of Jahangir, Scene where Momin discusses film on spirituality with screenplay writers and the scene, where Sultan comes to meet Husn e Jahan in Turkey.

Sultan: Main Pakistan se Turkey aa gaya aap ke liye… Aap ne chaey ka aik cup tak na piaya…

Husn e Jahan: Chaey ke liye aik cup doodh hai… Us se chaey baney gi to Momin raat ko kiya piye ga … Doodh piye bagher neend nahi ati usey…

Above all my most favorite scene of the novel is the dance sequence featuring Taha performing Rumi Dance on the stage and Husn e Jahan dancing at the back of the stage.

“This, my friends, is called the Sama—the dance of the whirling dervishes. From this day on, dervishes of every age will dance the Sama. One hand pointed up to the sky, the other hand pointing down to earth, every speck of love we receive from God, we pledge to distribute to the people.” (40 Rules of Love by Elif Shafaq). I felt like Taha and Husn e Jahan were doing the very same thing. Spreading love all around, the love they have gained from the CREATOR.

We all know that Umera Ahmed is best at imagery. From scenic locales of a Turkish sub-urb village to glitz & glamour filled life of a city with celebrities involved in the narration, from calm & content place of ABDUL ALI and Master Ibrahim to the house of struggling Momina in a mediocre place, everything is penned so authentically. Thank you Umera for not concluding the whole story in a mediocre way. If you would have made Qalb e Momin and Momina a happily everafter living lovey dovey couple at the curtains, it would have dented the story especially the primary theme of the novel. Leave everything for ONE and then you will be BLESSED with a need for Nothingness, something much above than Self Actualization (in the Maslow’s Needs Hierarchy).

Final words, let me confess that before ALIF, last novel of Umera Ahmed (Aab e Hayat) was not up to the mark, considering two primary things. First thing first, it was projected as a sequel to cult classic PEER e KAMIL (saw) but it miserably failed to have the same impact as of its predecessor. Secondly, considering Umera is at the prime of her writing carrier and Aks was a mind boggling read, Aab e Hayat fell short of my expectations in many ways (Read my review on Aab e Hayat at my blog Shobywood for reasons and details). But looks like in ALIF, Umera Ahmed has made a gigantic come back with all the success already written on the wall. Obviously, till date, PEER e KAAMIL (saw), Mann o Salwa, Aks and Haasil are my favorites and ALIF has not beaten their fan following as far as my views are concerned but yes, ALIF is a winner in every domain, if it is not compared with Umera’s earlier classics. As a matter of fact, I have not watched a single episode of dramatized version of ALIF and I really don’t want to watch it. Don’t want to spoil my mood if drama version couldn’t do justice with its written piece. Yes, I am not at all a fan of Pakistan’s current drama/ film industry. Leaving you guys with this from my one of the favorite seasons Penny Dreadful (Season One).

I have never seen, so much nothing…

Look closer… Recognize the pattern of nature

…THE END…

PS: This review is the property of Shahbaz Ali Naqvi and blog Shobywood. No part of this review is allowed to be reproduced without consent of Shahbaz Ali Naqvi, however blog link can be shared anywhere.

Aba e Hayat Review Breaks All The Records...

Aba e Hayat Review Breaks All The Records...

Alhamdo LILLAH...

I am thrilled to announce that my Review on Umera Ahmed's latest Urdu novel Aab e Hayat has broken all previous records at my blog #Shobywood.

Within less than two days of its update at the blog, Aab e Hayat review managed to get more than 11 thousand views at the blog link. I cant thank you all enough for this appreciation.

Keep visiting shobywood.blogspot.com for more reviews on novels, books, music and movies...

Regards,
Shahbaz Ali Naqvi

Aab e Hayat Concludes- Novel Analysis by Shoby

Aab e Hayat Concludes- Novel Analysis by Shoby

Almost a decade ago, she gave Urdu digest readers a sheer treat in the form of her mega blockbuster novel Peer e Kaamil (saww). Not only the story line & dialogues of the same were appreciated by masses but the two protagonists Salaar Sikander & Immama Hashim became huge success. So much so that quite literally everyone who read Peer e Kaamil went crazy for the 150+ IQ containing mind boggling hero and that extremely powerful female character Immama. 

Apart from normal digest readers, Peer e Kaamil was so successful that it managed to gather the attention of non digest readers too. People from various walks of life who enjoy good reads gave it at least one chance to be read and that one reading was more than enough to instantly make it one of their all time favourites.

Let me tell you what was this much so special that made Peer e Kaamil almost everyone's favourite. First & foremost, the beautiful journeys of two distinct characters Immama & Salaar from the astray path to the righteous one. Umera Ahmed had an impressive strong hold over the story right through all the episodes. She never let the reader look anywhere else and made many of us almost glued to the imagery pictured by her through beautiful words.

Few years ago, she announced the sequel to Peer e Kaamil which was tentatively titled as Aab e Hayat and since the inception, it started getting real attention from all of those who have read the earlier instalment. It is safe to say that without any doubt, Aab e Hayat is till date the most anticipated, the most hyped & the most anxiously awaited Urdu digest novel. Now let us see, has Umera Ahmed been successful in giving us the same level of greatness in the part two.

First episode of Aab e Hayat enlightened us with the fact that Aab e Hayat is like a set of cards. So obviously one has to follow each & every move to reassemble the pieces of jigsaw puzzle. My previous tweets/ Facebook posts bears the witness that I was simply bowled over by the introductory episode.

"Sakoon Kahin nahi hai... Jo cheez dunya mein hain hi nahi, usey kiya dhoondna" gave me goosebumps in real literal terms and I geared myself up to witness something bigger, something greater than the part one. It obviously raised the bar of hopes more than hundred times.

To me, Aab e Hayat primarily dealt with next few episodes that Salaar & his family went through. The very first phenomenon that confronted Salaar and Immama was a bit harshness in their maternal life. Aab e Hayat moved forward from this part to the #Congo episode where Salaar helped a local leader to reveal the political gimmicks of global institutions who work in third world countries in the name of their development & betterment, however in real they gain their mean benefit out of the misery of these countries. When the Congo episode was over, we saw Salaar starting a new financial system to the world which is 100% free of interest and while he was planning & inaugurating the things, there came the biggest shock for him & the family as he was diagnosed with the rear form of brain cancer.

Amidst all this, we saw how Immama carried on with the domestic life with upbringing four children. Three being their own and one that was adopted after the tragic incident happened at the village where Salaar was doing some welfare work. Aab e Hayat also dealt with the personal lives of Jibreel, Anaya, Humain and the adopted one Raeesa.

Let me clarify one thing straight forward, Aab e Hayat is Umera's attempt to explore new dimensions in the lives of Sinkanders. Unfortunately somewhere in the middle, the novel lost the charm. Although Umera was writing it in her very own style but still that one X-factor was seemingly found missing from the writing. That plethora of characters somehow made mess of a thing in the epicentre of the story.

I got distracted from the proceedings somewhere in the middle while reading Aab e Hayat. However the urge to know what actually Umera Ahmed want to say this time compelled me to follow the journey of Aab e Hayat. No matter, Aab e Hayat disappointed me big rimes in its overall treatment, yet I can now safely make a point that Umera Ahmed was successful in managing to bring back the story to life in its concluding parts.

Peer e Kaamil was so vocal & loud as far as modification of belief systems are concerned. Aab e Hayat was humble, yet discussed the change in overall behavioural systems. One can simply not 110% agree or disagree with Umera Ahmed for the narrative part of the novel. So not being diplomatic, apart from few episodes, Aab e Hayat has turned out to be a mediocre writing if we compare it from its predecessor.

Aab e Hayat is curtains now, however one character of Humain Sikander will definitely be remembered by many of us for many aspects. I loved whenever he was shown talking & doing stuff in his very own manner. From his childhood till the time he was targeted to be murdered, each one of his move deserves an appreciation. 

Although Umera has clarified that the "Turrap ka Patta" is a symbolic representation of the ongoing challenges that man has to face all through his life, yet a normal reader needs a logical ending. Aab e Hayat has left several questions unanswered. What has happened to the future of Salaar-Humain's strategic partnership. Was Salaar successful in replacing the traditional banking finance system with  the newly introduced Islamic ysstem of financing through his entrepreneurial skills. What happened in the end is still a mystery... I summarise it by saying that Aab e Hayat, to me worked as a half-roasted delight...

Aab e Hayat (Episode 16)- Review by Shoby

Aab e Hayat (Episode 16)- Review by Shoby

Lets set the things right from the start. Aab e Hayat is on the verge of a modification in terms of its treatment. As many of us have been thinking, Umera is lingering on the novel without any visible drama occurring in between, this episode is the answer.

First sequence is probably the most dejected one till date. Hameen reveals that Jibreel cries out daily in nights due to something which he knows as well but will not disclose as he has promised it with him. Later on Salaar tells Amama that Jibreel knows about his illness and is trying to find cure of his disease. When Amama asks, what did Jibreel said to him. He utters, "Papa! Main aap ko martey huey nahi dekh sakta".

Yet another dimension regarding Salaar's character is revealed. he has been writing his auto biography and wants Amama to publish it if result of operation comes otherwise. Salaar gives it the title of "Taash" whereas Amama wants to give it the title of "Aab e Hayat".

Scene where Hameen hugs Jibreel to finish his anger is cute. "Tumhain pata hai, main bacha hoon" assures us that Hameen is still a kid at least with respect to his biological age.

Salaar along with his five other partners inaugurates first ever Global Islamic Investment Fund named as SIF (Samar Investment Fund).

Amama decides to be with Salaar during his surgery and meanwhile asks Jibreel to take care of siblings. That one moment when Jibreel notices white hairs on Amama's head is literally full of sorrow. "Woh is ki zindagi ke haasil o mehsool ka sab se behtareen, sab se munaafa bakhsh hissa tha".

And look here is the most anticipated turn of the story. Something that we all have been waiting for since so long. Something that could really turn the tables for the tale of Aab e Hayat. Here is Umera Ahmed with her very own class for which she is famous. His father dies when he was 10. He fell in love at the age of 11. And he can be no one else than Jibreel.

Spell Bee contest scene appears at the end of the episode and as I predicted earlier, it features Hameen and Raeesa.

I sum up the review by saying only one sentence. Undoubtedly this one was the most emotional episode of Aab e Hayat. Thumbs up Umera Ahmed. It will be so interesting to read the story post Salaar's operation.

Aab e Hayat (Episode 15)- Review by Shoby

Aab e Hayat (Episode 15)- Review by Shoby

Episode 15 of Aab e Hayat revolves around the biggest tragedy that Salaar & his family are going through and rightly so. You will find lots of emotional scenes & dialogues in it with bereaved moments.

It takes off with a lengthy scene of the dramatic revealing of Salaar's illness in front of Sikander Usman (Salaar's father) and Amama. Just before the big secret reveals, Umera Ahmed prepares the readers with a light moment where Hameen generously gives all the toys of Anaya, Raeesa & Jibreel to charity in the school citing the reason "Charity is not a sin". Just to set the records straight, Hameen's talks now a days mostly revolves around whether a particular phenomenon belongs to the definition of sin or not.  

Sikander Usman gets to know about the illness of Salaar through one of his contacts and he tries to contact Salaar who doesn't find the bravery to face his father at the high moment. Sikander unknowingly tells Amama about this and as expected she gets shock. (I believe "shock" is not a right word for her emotional outburst. She was literally jolted by this news). Umera's words are like the perfect representation of the situation, "Wahan Pichtawa tha, Yahan Be'yaqeeni".

Upon asking why he always make him get worried, Salaar responds to his father saying, "Is baar to main ne kuch nahi kiya papa". Absolute stunner of a sentence, where Umera has beautifully depicted one hell of a torture Salaar has been going through. 

Amama cries in front of Salaar and her pain & hopelessness is pretty much evident when she asks, "Salaar! Tum theek ho jao ge na"??? Pain, mental suffering, distress & hopelessness was visible in this pseudo-hope containing sentence.

On another note, Salaar's illness is badly effecting his dream project of "an independent global Islamic banking system". His prime investors are turning down the idea and leaving their organizing group which has caused almost 70% of decline in the initial capital. This further enhances Salaar's anxiousness & worries.

As Amama got news about the illness from Sikander on call, Hameen feels that dada is suffering from cancer and asks Jibreel about the same. Even thoough Jibreel tried his level best by asking him not to disclose the secret, he eventually tells it to Raeesa (Chunni) who in response utters "WOW". Hameen almost scolds her for her apparently unexpected response and say, "Tumhain kehna chahiye tha Oh My GOD..." Yes, this is Hameen for you and one & only Hameen could have said it.

Umera Ahmed never looks preachy when she delivers yet another important message. Food for thought given in this episode lies in the monologue, "Hum woh sarey kaam pehley kar lena chahtey hain, jo humarey nafs ko pasand hain. Woh sarey kaam zindagi ke akhri hissey ke liye chor ker rakh detey hain, jo ALLAH ko pasand hain". Lots of lessons to be learnt here. Well done Umera.

Amama & Jibreel gets a bit of time while packing where Jibreel delivers an excellent response when he says "Hope" is the thing that he love the most in QURAN PAK".

At the end of the episode, Salaar gets to know that Jibreel is aware of his illness and when he sees his 9 odd year child crying he instantly decides to go for the first surgery. Family always comes first and Salaar takes a right decision here.

This episode did not took the proceedings much further & lacks the pace, however it is understood as such an episode was necessary in the plot where Salaar's family particularly Amama's reaction was presented in front of us. I am not worried that not much developments were made in the story as far as this particular episode is concerned. However I am feeling next couple of episodes will also focus on Salaar's illness & probably his treatment.

Here I am signing off with get well soon wishes for Salaar & a humble request to Ms. Umera Ahmed. Dear Ms. Umera Your fans still feel gloomy & sad when they recall the ending of your epics like Amar Bail & Mann o Salwa, So one request, please this time, save the protagonist.