Ismat Chughtai: Pioneering Feminist Voice in Urdu Literature
Image Courtesy: Google Doodle
Ismat Chughtai (21 August 1915 – 24 October 1991) an Indian Urdu novelist, short story writer, liberal humanist, and filmmaker. From the 1930s onward, she extensively explored themes such as female sexuality, femininity, middle-class manners, and class struggles, often from a Marxist standpoint. Employing a style characterized by literary realism, Chughtai established herself as a significant voice within 20th-century Urdu literature. In 1976, she received the Padma Shri from the Government of India in recognition of her contributions.
Life and Career
Beginnings (1915–41) Ismat Chughtai was born into the family of Nusrat Khanam and Mirza Qaseem Baig Chughtai. She was the ninth among ten children—having six brothers and four sisters.[1] Due to her father’s career as a civil servant, the family frequently relocated. Chughtai spent her formative years in cities like Jodhpur, Agra, and Aligarh. Most of her childhood was spent with her brothers, as her sisters had married at a young age. She attributed her personality’s development to the influence of her brothers, particularly her second-oldest brother, Mirza Azim Beg Chughtai, who was also a novelist. The family eventually settled in Agra after her father’s retirement from the Indian Civil Services.
Noteworthy Publications on Ismat Chughtai Several works have explored Ismat Chughtai’s life and legacy, including:
- “Ismat: Her Life, Her Times” by Sukrita Paul Kumar, published by Katha, New Delhi, 2000. ISBN 81-85586-97-7.
- “Ismat Chughtai, A Fearless Voice” by Manjulaa Negi, published by Rupa and Co, 2003. ISBN 81-29101-53-X.
- “Torchbearer of a literary revolution.” The Hindu, Sunday, May 21, 2000.[1]
- “Ismat Chughtai – Pakistan-India (1915–1991)” in World People, May 5, 2006.
Award and Legacy
On August 21, 2018, Google commemorated her 107th birthday with a Google Doodle.
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