Cinemaazi remembers Ismat Chughtai on her death anniversary

Cinemaazi remembers one of the most popular Muslim woman writer and a doyenne of modern Urdu fiction,Ismat Chughtai on her death anniversary. Born to an affluent family from Badaun, Uttar Pradesh Chughtai began writing in her early teens, her influences came from the stories around her, stories about the society, man and woman, love and despair. Her literary career began with the short story collection Fasadi in 1938. A graduate from Isabella Thoubourn College in Lucknow, in 1940s she got involved in the Progressive Writer’s Association that became the platform to use her creative abilities to advocate for human rights, speaking volumes through her work for liberation and equality. Chughtai explored her unapologetic feminism through her work writing around unconventional themes around gender inequality, same sex relationships and themes rendered taboo, bashing the exploitative patriarchal structures. Her most notable works include Ziddi, Lihaaf, Gainda, Intekhaab, Tehri Lakeer among many others. After moving to Bombay, she contributed to cinema writing screenplays, dialogues and songs for nearly 17 films, notable amongst which areZiddi (1948), Mehfil (1981), Junoon (1978), Garam Hawa (1973). Recipient of the Padma Shri, a national award winner, the fearless writer passed away at her home in Bombay on this day in 1991.