Unmatched Amjad Islam Amjad

The sudden demise of Amjad Islam Amjad came as a shock to the literary circles of Pakistan and also for his countless fans all across the country.

A literary stalwart who was a renowned poet, author and playwright Amjad Islam Amjad was equally comfortable both in drama and poetry. His forte however was playwriting and his TV dramas laid a specific trend that was widely acclaimed and emulated. He passed away at the age of 78 in Lahore though there was no apparent illness he was suffering from.

His death caused a deep vacuum in the annals of poetry and drama that will be almost impossible to fill. He was a constant and adorable presence within literary circles and was greatly loved for his inimitable wit and amicable behaviour. During his long career he gave Pakistan some of its most seminal cultural works. He was considered a knowledgeable and erudite public figure who was not marred by any controversy and his company was largely sought both in Pakistan and abroad.

He broke on to the national screen with his most celebrated TV play known as Waris that was recognised as an adorable mixture of old and new patterns of civic life and the changes place in them. Every installment of this play was eagerly awaited and it assumed an iconic status within the annals of TV dramas. Amjad also penned some other famous plays such Dehleez, Samandar, Raat, Waqt and Apnay Loug. His plays Fishaar and Inkaar were also rated very highly. His impressive voyage of soul-elevating and award-winning compositions covered diverse milestones like Shifting Sands, Ham Us Kay Hain, Sahilon Ki Hawa, Phir Yun Huwa, Zara Phir Se Kehna and Itne Khawb Kahan Rakhun Ga and many others. Very few people knew that he was the spirit behind Bollywood’s super hit track, Man Ki Lagan that gained wide acclaim in 2003 movie Paap whose music was composed by Vital Signs’ Shahi Hassan and comprised the vocal prowess of award-winning singer, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.

Amjad Islam Amjad’s was born on 4 August 1944 in Lahore and his ancestors belonged to Sialkot. He received his earlier education in nearby school and earned a Masters of Arts degree in Urdu literature from Punjab University. He began his career as a lecturer in Government. M.A.O. College Lahore and later worked as a director at Pakistan Television Corporation from 1975 to 1979 and also worked as deputy director in Punjab’s Arts Council in 1975. Amjad Islam Amjad went on to become a celebrated literary figure famed as an intellectual, columnist, writer, critic, poet and playwright both nationally and globally. His works emphasised social injustice, disparity, familial values and their deterioration and self-recognition by all means. Through his writing, he unveiled despotism, dictatorship, democratic periods and depravity of downtrodden sections on a miniature through diverse genres of poetry, prose and dramatic writing style. In the process he presented some soul-searching, self-reckoning realisation of social norms affecting a wide array of fans.

In his career Amjad Islam Amjad authored more than 40 books spanning half a century and was the subject of more than ten more, each written by authors and critics globally renowned in their own right. He received many awards for his literary work and screenplays for television including Pride of Performance in 1987 and a Sitara-e-Imtiaz in 1998. He cultivated a generation of intellectuals through his plays and writings and his poetry became household favourites.

In the golden age of PTV he was judged PTV’s best Playwright for 1980,1984,1998,1999 and 2001. He was also awarded best prose book award from Karachi Arts Council, best writer Nigar Film, Writers Guild Award, 12 PTV Awards, Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi Awards and several others.

Amjad Islam Amjad also excelled in translation of foreign writers and poets and translated the poetry of the African poets in Urdu called Kale Logon ki Roshan Nazmein. He was also conferred Allama Muhammad Iqbal Award for matchless contribution in Urdu literature. He was rated to be a conscientious columnist and feature-writer and his columns were published in newspapers for many years. In 2019 he received the Necip Fazil International Culture and Art Award in Istanbul. The most befitting reward he gained was the public recognition his works received from the people throughout the length and breadth of the country.

His poetry rings through the popular avenues and it is greatly admired by all and sundry. Some of his couplets have entered the public lore and are recited widely.