Listen with Irfan

Epi 9, 10, 11 and 12

A 24 Episodes Radio Documentary conceived and produced by Raza Ali Abidi for BBC in 80s

Curated as a podcast in 6 parts of approx 1 hour each by Irfan

A hunt for the treasure of knowledge and wisdom. Raza Ali Abidi traveled all over the subcontinent in search of books and libraries and discovered some well preserved and some ignored collections. Here he narrates many amazing stories about the books left by our fore-fathers. Here you will hear several foremost scholars talking about this valuable treasure.

Audio Courtesy: Raza Ali Abidi's YouTube Channel

Image Courtesy: Cover of the published (first in 1985) book contains this Radio Documentary, Sang-E-Meel, Publications, Lahore

Cover Art: Irfan

Epi 5, 6. 7 and 8

A 24 Episodes Radio Documentary conceived and produced by Raza Ali Abidi for BBC in 80s

Curated as a podcast in 6 parts of approx 1 hour each by Irfan

A hunt for the treasure of knowledge and wisdom. Raza Ali Abidi traveled all over the subcontinent in search of books and libraries and discovered some well preserved and some ignored collections. Here he narrates many amazing stories about the books left by our fore-fathers. Here you will hear several foremost scholars talking about this valuable treasure.

Audio Courtesy: Raza Ali Abidi's YouTube Channel

Image Courtesy: Cover of the published (first in 1985) book contains this Radio Documentary, Sang-E-Meel, Publications, Lahore

Cover Art: Irfan

Epi 1,2,3 and 4

A 24 Episodes Radio Documentary conceived and produced by Raza Ali Abidi for BBC in 80s

Curated as a podcast in 6 parts of approx 1 hour each by Irfan

A hunt for the treasure of knowledge and wisdom. Raza Ali Abidi traveled all over the subcontinent in search of books and libraries and discovered some well preserved and some ignored collections. Here he narrates many amazing stories about the books left by our fore-fathers. Here you will hear several foremost scholars talking about this valuable treasure.

Audio Courtesy: Raza Ali Abidi's YouTube Channel

Image Courtesy: Cover of the published (first in 1985) book contains this Radio Documentary, Sang-E-Meel, Publications, Lahore 

Cover Art: Irfan

Recorded on April 4, 2022, Via Clubhouse app and Zoom H6

Irfan and Pramod Singh in conversation with Hamama tul Bushra

Hamama tul Bushra

Trained as a graphic designer in Pakistan, Bushra earned her Master’s degree in Art History from the University of Missouri, Kansas City in the United States. While pursuing her doctorate, Bushra realized she could not ignore her passion for art and returned to painting. Today, in addition to her commercial work, Bushra practices a unique style of figurative painting defined by stylized forms carefully preserving and highlighting the soul and personality of each subject.

Bushra’s Modiglianesque female forms are enhanced by their peculiar personality and characteristics, which are questionable in society. For instance, the way her female sits, the blatant way in which she stares at the viewer, and the ease of self-confidence is reflected in her body language. These are uncomfortable and forbidden features that are still unacceptable in our society.

Bushra picks her subject directly from her surroundings but shows what is hidden and forbidden beneath these characters. She celebrates the binary tension of society by painting in simple forms, filling them with bright colors. This embodies the real essence of life which is simple and colorful.

Text courtesy : Hamama Tul Bushra – Rungg Art Gallery

Image Courtesy: Hamama tul Bushra's Instagram page.

Cover Art: Irfan

Punjabi Song Digitized from the magnetic cassette.

Singer: Surinder Kaur

Courtesy: HMV

Cover art: Irfan

An excerpt from an off broadcast from BBC mid 90s. 

Closing announcement Onkarnath Shrivastava

Courtesy: BBC Hindi

Recorded, preserved and Presented by Irfan

Cover Art: Irfan

Irfan recites Diary notes of Rajkamal Nayak (SNA Awardee Theatre Director) which he took between 1985-1987 while working with B.V. Karanth

B.V. Karanth

Babukodi Venkataramana Karanth (19 September 1929 – 1 September 2002) was a film and theatre personality from India. Throughout his life he was director, actor and musician of modern Indian theatre both in Kannada as well as Hindi, and one of the pioneers of Kannada and Hindi new wave cinema. He was born in Dakshina Kannada.

He was an alumnus of the National School of Drama (1962) and later, its director. He has directed many successful plays and has directed award-winning works in Kannada cinema. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri.

Text (Bionote Karanth) Courtesy: Wikipedia

Text Diary Notes (by Rajkamal Nayak) Courtesy: Natrang, 73

Cover Photo (Karanth ji with Nayakji 1985) Courtesy: FB profile of Rajkamal Nayak

Cover Art: Irfan

Conceived and Produced by: Irfan

Recorded in New Delhi on 21 June 2016

Irfan talking to the playwright, actor and theatre director Suman Kumar on actor's preparations and h/is/er responsibilities.

एक्टिंग एक क्राफ्ट है ? या इसे आर्ट कहना चाहिए ? एक एक्टर को किन किन ढंके-छुपे सवालों से जूझना चाहिए और एक्टिंग थियरीज़ के सभी आम और ख़ास पहलू किन ज़रूरी बिंदुओं की तरफ इशारा करते हैं ? और एक्टर को अपने विकास के लिए किन बातों से नज़रें नहीं चुराना चाहिए? ... यही सब बातें हैं जो मैंने खुद एक कुशल रंगकर्मी  सुमन कुमार से की हैं।

सुमन कुमार 1993 में दिल्ली के राष्ट्रीय नाट्य विद्यालय आ गए थे जहां से उन्होंने नवाज़ुद्दीन सिद्दीकी, स्वानंद किरकिरे, सुब्रत दत्ता और गीतांजलि कुलकर्णी के साथ रंगकर्म की शिक्षा ली है।  1996 में सुमन कुमार डेनमार्क गए जहां हैंस एंडरसन की कहानियों पर आधारित नाटकों की प्रस्तुतियां कीं।

सुमन कुमार ने 1998 के साल में लंदन के माउंट व्यू थियेटर स्कूल से थियेटर डिजाइन का कोर्स किया फिर दिल्ली लौटने के बाद नेशनल स्कूल ऑफ ड्रामा के एक्सचेंज प्रोग्राम के तहत यहां पढ़ाते रहे और विविध रंग गतिविधियों के केंद्र में रहे। आजकल वो संगीत नाटक अकादमी और कत्थक केंद्र दिल्ली में महत्वपूर्ण पदों पर हैं और कलाकर्म के विविध पक्षों पर न सिर्फ विचार मंथन में संलग्न हैं बल्कि कला गतिविधियों के विस्तार को अमली जामा पहनाने में भी अग्रणी भूमिका निभा रहे हैं।

Photo and Cover Art: Irfan

Recorded on the magnetic tapes and cassette recorder. 24 November 2000, Kanpur UP (Hiss regretted in sound)

Syed Mohd Yamin (Born 8 February 1937, Koda Jahanabad, Fatehpur) joined Churk Cement Factory as an electrician and spent his major part of life in Gurma Khadan, Gurma Markundi as not only the employee of the UPSCC but also as a guide, mentor and vanguard of his fellow workers.

Irfan talked to his father Syed Mohd Yamin almost 2 decades ago in the process of documenting memories and legacy.

आज है 27 मार्च 2022 जब मैं ये गुफ्तगू आपके लिए जारी कर रहा हूँ जो 21 - 22 साल पहले मैंने अपने अब्बू के साथ रिकॉर्ड की थी। मेरे पिता सैयद मोहम्मद यामीन, जिन्होंने अपनी लगन, परिश्रम और सूझबूझ के दम पर न सिर्फ अपना और अपने परिवार का भविष्य संवारा बल्कि जिस सीमेंट फैक्ट्री में काम करते हुए वो रिटायर हुए वहां के मज़दूरों और सहकर्मियों के संघर्षों में कदम ब कदम साथ रहे। उनकी अक़्ल औ हुनर के चर्चे आज भी आम हैं जो देश के विभिन्न क्षेत्रों में बसे उनके पुराने दोस्त और सहकर्मी अपने बच्चों को सुनाते हैं।

यह सब उन्होंने अपनी जीवन यात्रा में कैसे हासिल किया और कैसे एक औद्योगिक बसावट ने उन्हें बदला और नया इंसान बनाया, यही सब बातें हैं जो आप इस गुफ्तगू में सुनेंगे।

यहाँ हम बहन भाई लोग खुद को बहुत ख़ुशक़िस्मत समझते हैं कि आज भी अब्बू की मोहब्बत ओ शफ़्क़त का हाथ हमारे ऊपर है। हम उनकी सेहत और खुशहाली के लिए हर पल दुआ करते हैं।

और यहां यह बात भी छूट न जाए कि मेरे अंदर जो भी कुछ अच्छाइयों के अंश बच रहे हैं वो अब्बू के भी दिए हुए हैं और जो बुराइयां हैं वो मेरी कमज़ोरियों का हासिल है।

Photo: Abaan

Cover Art: Irfan

Research and Script: Irfan

Voices: Irfan, Sadia Rahman, Munish Sharma, Rizwana Ashraf and Virendra Kaushik

Produced by Munish Sharma for AIR's ESD