Hazaar Dastaan
By Riaz Shahid Aaj
ISBN: 978-969-648-048-6
298pp.

Hazaar Dastaan is a lost gem, rediscovered by writer and publisher Ajmal Kamal. The original edition of the novel, published in 1955, was picked up by a friend of Ajmal’s from a footpath bookshop in Lahore’s Anarkali market. The novel was written two years before Shaukat Siddiqi’s classic Khuda Ki Basti (1957). Penned by the legendary dialogue writer/director/producer Riaz Shahid, it was lost for years, and has been finally republished 51 years after Riaz Shahid’s death in 1972. It takes the reader to an era lost in time.

Initially a journalist who worked for a brief period with the legendary Agha Shorish Kashmiri at Chataan, Riaz soon joined Mian Iftikharuddin’s Progressive Papers Limited (PPL) before venturing into movies. As a prolific scriptwriter, a rebellious writer and a maverick filmmaker, he managed to carve out a niche for himself in Lollywood — his films Shaheed, Khamosh Raho, Firangi, Aag Ka Darya, Zarqa, Yeh Aman and Gharnata can be placed among the top 20 Urdu films of all times.

It was Raiz’s love for news and this particular novel that impressed the legendary poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz. As the editor of PPL’s Pakistan Times, Faiz convinced the young Riaz to work in films, as the revolutionary poet noticed the much-required spark for it in his writings.

Published in the year when the greatest Urdu short story writer Saadat Hassan Manto breathed his last in Lahore, Hazaar Dastaan is dedicated to those unfortunate enough not to complete their education because of poverty. Riaz considered the ‘lack of education’ as the root cause of all the ills in society, since only a handful of people managed to get educated and grab the most influential jobs.

A long-lost Urdu novel about the Lahore of the 1950s by one of Pakistan’s top filmmakers has been rediscovered and republished

Set in the 1940s and ’50s, Hazaar Dastaan carries the pain, agony and suffering of a common man and his struggles to make ends meet. Other than such problems, the novel also addresses social injustice.

Fayyaz, the protagonist of the story, had to abandon his studies due to his father’s untimely death. Set during the time of Independence, the novel takes the reader back to the days when Hindus and Muslims lived in harmony in Lahore. With a widowed mother, a younger brother and a little sister to support, Fayyaz starts working as a mechanic in a workshop, yet the thirst of completing his education keeps him feeling restless and uneasy. The changes that occur in the young Fayyaz’s psyche have beautifully been captured by the writer. Along the way, Fayyaz befriends Majid, a short story writer who had migrated from Kashmir to Lahore at the time of Partition.

The novel’s characters, be it Bundo Nai, Hanif Gavayya, Seth ‘Q’ Din, the gorgeous Safia, or her mother Ustani Ghulam Fatima, have all been described so well that one can clearly visualise them. One example is Qaimdeen, who used to sell eggs on the railway platform and, after Independence, became known as Seth ‘Q’ Din.

The story takes its readers to the streets of yore, where electricity, technology and traffic were scarce but peace was abundant. The Lahore of the ’50s comes to life as painted by Riaz. He tells you about the work and problems faced by residents of the walled city. He addresses the dirty politics being played in the name of religion. He writes about the opium being sold at shrines.

Amid the book’s pages, you can catch the whiff of coffee in the famous Pak Tea House on the Mall, almost taste the sweets of Anarkali Bazaar, hear the voices in the Neela Gumbud area and enjoy tonga trips, even though you may not have ever been near a horse. It’s all there … the cinema culture, the railway station and the romance of post-Independence Pakistan.

Safia, the girl who nearly elopes with Fayyaz, can also be visualised easily. The way she sets secret dates with Fayyaz might take you back to your teenage days. The reader can feel the texture of the walls as Fayyaz walks through the uneven streets of the old city. And the main city of Lahore is like a trip abroad for the protagonist.

He experiences a different life out there. Be it meeting the influential Asif or visiting a casino, following Majid on the broken dreams he has carried with him from Simla or dodging the jamuns outside Bagh-i-Jinnah, Riaz Shahid’s words sound magical.

In the days before the laying of telephone lines, two friends could easily gather for a rendezvous without any fuss, and the descriptions of their meetings would surely bring a smile to readers’ lips. The writing style of Riaz, who was barely in his early 20s then, shows the maturity of a man who had complete command over the topics he discussed in the book. He has written about being jailed, about running around in courts of law and about living in poverty with such authenticity that one would think that he has experienced it all.

The first film directed by Riaz was Susraal in 1962, and it was shot mostly in the walled city. Starring Alauddin, Laila, Diljeet Mirza, Lehri and Yusuf Khan (Riaz Shahid’s friend from college), the film revolves around the problems of the poor. It had a better ending than Hazaar Dastaan, which has an ending which is much closer to reality.

The novel may not be considered among the top ones in Urdu, but it surely has something magical about it.

The reviewer writes on old films and music and loves reading books. X: @suhaybalvi

Published in Dawn, Books & Authors, January 21st, 2024