Musafir Ki Diary

19 July, 1938- Khwaja Ahmad Abbas is in Tokyo where he meets the Urdu professor Nurul Hasan Birlas, his wife and a young woman. He writes 'Zaban e Yaar Mun Turki, Wa Mun Turki Namee Danum' in her autograph book. She just laughs it off. Abbas is intrigued by the amount of interest Japanese have in their religion Shinto, shrines and martyrs. He observes: religious faith will not be able to dominate hunger and death for ever. He describes Japanese obsession with nationalism as a dangerous development, leading to war and human catastrophe. And, then he prays India must never reach this level of nationalism.

'Musafir Ki Diary' is based on a travelogue in Urdu (1938) by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, the legendary journalist, screenwriter and filmmaker.

This podcast is presented by Pervaiz Alam and produced by Achala Sharma for Cineink in association with Khwaja Ahmad Memorial Trust.

15 July, 1938- Khwaja Ahmad Abbas has reached the Japanese city of Kobe where he stays at India Lodge, managed by Mrs and Mr Sahai. He reports on destruction caused by the ongoing war between China and Japan. He also notices floods have wreaked havoc on several Japanese cities. But he is heartened by the Indian students leading a campaign to clean the city.

'Musafir Ki Diary' is based on a travelogue in Urdu (1938) by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, the legendary journalist, screenwriter and filmmaker.

This podcast is presented by Pervaiz Alam and produced by Achala Sharma for Cineink in association with Khwaja Ahmad Memorial Trust.

KA Abbas wrote 74 books, 90 short stories, 3,000 journalistic articles and several plays, besides writing and directing award-winning films.

After spending his last evening in Shanghai, Khwaja Ahmad Abbas is on his way to Japan- the country he thinks is behind the suffering of all Chinese people. As he enters Japan, he sees Japanese custom officials confiscating any material that has any thing to do with revolution or politics, including books and articles. His journalistic instinct paid off. He knew this would happen. So, he had already dispatched his articles for publication through the postal service on ship.

'Musafir Ki Diary' is based on a travelogue in Urdu (1938) by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, the legendary journalist, screenwriter and filmmaker, known for directing films such as Dharti Ke Lal, Bambai Raat Ki Banhon Mein, Do Boond Pani, Pardesi, Saat Hindustani and Shehar Aur Sapna

This podcast is presented by Pervaiz Alam and produced by Achala Sharma for Cineink in association with Khwaja Ahmad Memorial Trust.

As Khwaja Ahmad Abbas spends his last evening in Shanghai, he observes there is a large population of Muslims in Shanghai who are nationalists just like the other Chinese but quite liberal as well. They drink alcohol and yet follow their religion. Abbas finds the Chinese Theatre a bit primitive and as bad as the Hindustani Theatre.

'Musafir Ki Diary' is based on a travelogue in Urdu by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, the legendary journalist, screenwriter and filmmaker, known for writing films such as Neecha Nagar, Awara, Bobby and Hina.

This podcast is presented by Pervaiz Alam and produced by Achala Sharma for Cineink in association with Khwaja Ahmad Memorial Trust.

Khwaja Ahmad Abbas is convinced that the Japanese have been committing war crimes against the Chinese population. He is horrified to see lots of women have been forced to work as 'taxi dancers' and sex workers.

'Musafir Ki Diary' is based on a travelogue in Urdu by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, the legendary journalist, screenwriter and filmmaker. This podcast is presented by Pervaiz Alam and produced by Achala Sharma for Cineink in association with Khwaja Ahmad Memorial Trust.

Abbas wrote India's longest-running column in the Bombay Chronicle which later shifted to Blitz, and ran with continuity for 52 years, starting in 1932 and ending only with the writer’s death in 1987.

Veteran journalist, novelist and filmmaker, Khwaja Ahmad Abbas shares his views on the conflict between Japan and China as he visits Singapore and Hong Kong in 1938. Nehru asks Indian workers in these two cities to support the Chinese cause, writes Abbas.

Based on a travelogue 'Musafir Ki Diary' in Urdu by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, this podcast is presented by Pervaiz Alam and produced by Achala Sharma for Cineink in association with Khwaja Ahmad Memorial Trust.

Renowned journalist, novelist and filmmaker Khwaja Ahmad Abbas spends his second day on the ship, reading Pearl S Buck, writing a novel and watching Flying Fish as he leaves Colombo for Singapore.

Presented by Pervaiz Alam, Musafir Ki Diary is produced by Achala Sharma for Cineink in association with Khwaja Ahmad Memorial Trust.

Abbas won a Palme d’Or at Cannes for his screenplay, Neecha Nagar.

The Beginning of My Journey I Seventeen Countries in 5 Months I Cost 3,500 Rupees

At the age of 24, Khwaja Ahmad Abbas set out on a journey that would take him to 17 countries in 5 months as he left for Shanghai on 28th June, 1938.

KA Abbas wrote 74 books, 90 short stories, 3,000 journalistic articles and several plays. He directed classics like Dharti Ke Lal (1946), and eventually received National Film Awards for Shehar Aur Sapna (1963), Do Boond Pani (1971) and Saat Hindustani (1969)- the film which gave India's superstar Amitabh Bachchan his first role in films.  

Presented by Pervaiz Alam, Musafir Ki Diary is produced in association with Khwaja Ahmad Memorial Trust by Achala Sharma for Cineink.