Why is the art of Urdu calligraphy dying?

Urdu script seen in the documentary

Some time back, Sanket Avlani had a chance to tag along with a friend to meet artists, who practise Urdu calligraphy, in Purani Dilli. The katibs (calligraphers) not only gave them a glimpse into their writing style but also highlighted the reason for it fading out. "They believe the language has suffered because it is often linked to a particular people, religion or agenda," recollects Avlani.

Keen to delve deep into the origins and history of the language, he set out to shoot a 20-minute documentary with cinematographer Vikas Maurya. They visited the Rajasthan Arabic Persian Research Institute, one of the few institutes in India offering a certified course in Urdu, located in Tonk, a city that's a few hours away from Jaipur. They also filmed interviews with well-known Urdu calligrapher Qamar Dagar and Amir Waseem Ahmad, a professor at Urdu Academy in Delhi, who are striving to keep the art alive.

Amir Waseem Ahmad, a contemporary calligrapher in Delhi

Step into the future
The documentary will play on loop at The Urdu Exhibit, hosted by Design Fabric and G5A next week. The exhibition marks the launch of Design Fabric's third issue, featuring artworks themed on Urdu in collaboration with 15 artists, photographers and designers. These include Jatin Kampani, Aashim Tyagi, Farhan Hussain, Aun Raza and Aman Makkar. "The exhibition brings together poetry, visual art, design and new media art - all engaging in a political narrative relevant in our times," says Anuradha Parikh, founder and artistic director at G5A Foundation for Contemporary Culture.

Sanket Avlani

On display will be eight photographs that reinterpret Urdu poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz's timeless classic, Before You Came, along with illustrations that show you what the Urdu script will look like in 2050. For instance, one work showcases how popular social media sites and search engines like Facebook and Google would have Urdu versions, while another displays how Urdu has been revived and turned into inspiration for other languages. The team also plans to curate a line-up of Urdu poetry performances.

Artist Zeenat Kulavoor and Madhuvanthi Mohan of Design Fabric stand by the mural created in Shakti Mills Compound

Soak in a mural
One of the highlights of the exhibition is Pehle Aap, a collaborative project between Mumbai-based artist Zeenat Kulavoor and Karachi-based self-taught street artist Sanki King (nee Abdullah Ahmed Khan). "He's like the Banksy of Pakistan. The idea is to have a conversation between the two cities through wall murals," informs Madhuvanthi Mohan, creative producer at Design Fabric. The project kicked off with Kulavoor painting a mural on a wall in Shakti Mills Compound. King responded to it by creating a mural that interprets a couplet by his favourite Pakistani poet, Jaun Elia, in Karachi. Mohan adds, "In response, Zeenat is in the process of painting another mural that interprets a verse of her favourite Urdu poet. It will be ready for the guests to see on the day of the exhibition. We also plan to extend the project to other artists and launch it as a movement soon."