Renowned novelist and playwright, Fatima Surayya Bajia leaves behind a towering legacy

The famous Urdu playwright belonged to an auspicious family of artists who made a name for themselves and so did she. When news regarding the death of Fatima Surayya Bajia broke, those who were familiar with her written plays on PTV and novels were left grieving. Fatima lost the battle against throat cancer and left behind a legion of fans who were left in mourning.

Fatima was born on 1st September 1930 at Karnatak, India and was the eldest of nine siblings. She became an expert in various languages such as Urdu, Arabic, Persian and English literature. Surprisingly, she did not attend any renowned school or institutions but received her education privately at home through tuitions. She migrated to Pakistan along with her family on September 18, 1948 after the fall of Hyderabad state.

After the demise of her father, the responsibility of taking care of her siblings fell on Bajia. Among her siblings, Anwar Maqsood went on to become another famous playwright and lyricist as well as a prominent media personality. Her younger sister Zubeida is a skilled chef and conducts cooking shows on a private channel. Another younger sister of her named Zehra Nigah became a renowned poetess.

The names of her famous plays include Shama, Zeenat, Aagahi, Ana, Afshan and Aroosa. A trademark and significant feature among her plays was the fact that she depicted and portrayed the culture or time period in the setting through her writings.