Abdul Hameed | |
|---|---|
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| Born | Abdul Hameed (1928-08-25)25 August 1928 Amritsar, British India |
| Died | 29 April 2011(2011-04-29) (aged 82) Lahore, Pakistan |
| Occupation | Novelist,short story writer, playwright and broadcaster |
| Literary movement | Progressive Writers' Movement |
| Years active | 1955–2011 |
| Notable works | Ambar, Naag & Maria,Tahly Thallay (TV serial),Ainak Wala Jin (1993) (A TV serial for children) |
| Notable awards | Pride of Performance Award by thePresident of Pakistan in 1997 |
Abdul Hameed (Urdu:اے۔ حمید-; 25 Aug 1928 – 29 April 2011) known as A Hameed, was anUrdu fiction writer from Pakistan.[1]He was also known for writing a popular children's TV playAinak Wala Jin (1993) forPakistan Television Corporation which was broadcast on PTV during the mid-1990s. He's also known for hisMaut Ka Taaqub series, a novel for children spread over 300 issues and counting 35,000 pages.[2]
Known by his pen name, A. Hameed, he was anUrdu short story writer, novelist, columnist, and children's author from Pakistan. He established his literary identity with his debut novel Derbay/ڈربے، in 1950 and his first collection of Urdu short stories Manzil, Manzil / منزل منزل in 1952. He started writing Urdu fiction at a time whenSaadat Hasan Manto,Krishan Chander,Rajinder Singh Bedi, Balwant Singh,Quratulain Haider,Mumtaz Mufti,Ashfaq Ahmed, andIsmat Chughtai were the Urdu fiction writers at the forefront of Indo-Pakistan's Progressive Writers Movement.
His other novels include Baarish mein judai /بارش میں جُدائی, Jungle rotay hain/ جنگل روتے ہیں, Zard gulaab / زرد گلاب, Barfbaari ki Raat / برف باری کی رات. He was also known for writing a popular children's TV playAinak Wala Jin (1993) forPakistan Television Corporation which was broadcast on Pakistan TV during the mid-1990s.
Besides writing Urdu fiction, A. Hameed worked as a Feature Writer forPakistan Radio, Lahore Studios from 1947 onward till his retirement. In the 1980s, A. Hameed started writing a Sunday Urdu Column titled "Amritsar ki Yaadein" from the dailyNawai Waqt, Lahore that became very popular, was published in book form by Maqbool Sons Publishers Dyal Singh Mansion,Lahore and was later translated into English by Khalid Hassan. A. Hameed worked for Voice of America, Washington Studios for two years before returning to his home inSamanabad, Lahore. In the mid-1990s, Pakistan TV Lahore Studios producer Hafeez Tahir started broadcasting a Children's TV Drama Serial Ainak Wala Jinn with a screenplay written by A. Hameed that became a blockbuster hit all over Pakistan. This Children's TV Serial was later produced in book format as well. A. Hameed wrote an Urdu Children's Novel Series Ambar Naag Maria that ran into over a hundred novels and was very popular among young Pakistani children.
A. Hameed was born in 1928 inAmritsar, British India toKashmiri parents Khalifa Abdul Aziz and Sardaar Begum. His father wanted to train him as a wrestler. In the last years of World War II, A. Hameed left Amritsar after completing matriculation exam to join his brother-in-law Captain Mumtaz Malik inCeylon where Capt. Mumtaz Malik was a Radio Feature Writer in the British War Propaganda Cell inColumbo, Ceylon/Sri Lanka. After narrating for Radio plays at Radio Ceylon, A. Hameed was sent on a journalistic assignment toRangoon, Burma/Myanmaar. A. Hameed wrote about his days spent in Sri Lanka and Burma during the last years of World War II in his short stories, especially the short story Chaandani aur Jazeeray / چاندنی اور جزیرےAmritsar,British India.[3][4]
He completed his high school education inAmritsar and migrated toLahore at the time of the Partition of British India into Pakistan and India in August, 1947. A. Hameed joinedRadio Pakistan as an assistant script editor.[1]He wrote numerous radio plays broadcast by Radio Pakistan, Lahore Studios.[5] During his stay at Radio Pakistan that lasted till his retirement, A. Hameed started writing short stories, novels, newspaper columns, and children's novels.[3][6]
A. Hameed's first collection of short stories 'Manzil Manzil' received popular acclaim and he became recognized as a realist Urdu fiction writer and member of the Progressive Writers' Movement.[7] Apart from writing short stories and novels, he wrote a Sunday column Amritsar kee Yaadein and later on Lahore kee Yaadein for the dailyNawai Waqt. He also wrote plays for radio and television.[5]
A. Hameed has written more than 200 novels and 100 books comprising Urdu short stories, Urdu novels, Travelogues (Americano), Children's novel series, and Children's TV Drama Serial Ainak wala Jinn.[8][3] In his youth, he was influenced by theProgressive Writers' Movement and especially by the writings of Saadat Hassan MantoManto's quote about A Hameed getting romantic even on seeing a street lamp post andKrishan Chander.[7]Urdu She'r Ki Dastan,Urdu Nasr ki Dastan (in which he has given information about the prose literature of many Urdu prose writers from Banda Nawaz Gesu Daraz to the recent prose writers of Deccan and Gujrat),Mirza Ghalib Lahore Mein andDastango Ashfaq Ahmad are his most famous books.[3][4]
His dramaAinak Wala Jin was popular with children which was aired on PTV during the mid-1990s. It was staged in Drama Theatres inLahore and later turned into a book series for children.[8][5][3] In 1996 he wrote a PTV documentary telefilmOperation Dwarka 1965. Moreover, his fantasy series of 100 novels for children known as theAmbar Naag Maria (series of books) increased his popularity.[8] He was awardedPride of Performance by theGovernment of Pakistan.[3] He is the author of a Series named Mout Ke Taaqob Mia Pursuing the Death this series has three hundred episodesHis dramaAinak Wala Jin was popular with children which was aired on PTV during the mid-1990s.[8][5][3] In 1996 he wrote a PTV documentary telefilmOperation Dwarka 1965. Moreover, his fantasy series of 100 novels for children known as theAmbar Naag Maria (series of books) increased his popularity.[8][3]
First 100 parts titledMaut ka Taaqqub (موت کا تعاقب) (In Pursuit of Death)
Next 100 parts titledAmber, Naag, Maria ki Wapsi (عنبر، ناگ، ماریا کی واپسی) (The Return of Amber, Naag and Maria)
Final parts titledAmber, Naag, Maria Katee Khala Mein (عنبر، ناگ، ماریا کٹی خلا میں) (Amber, Naag and Maria in Space)(Publisher: Shiekh Ghulam Ali & Sons Language: Urdu; Category: Children’s Adventure / Science Fiction; Year: 1960s–1990s)
Abdul Hameed died ofcardiac disease,diabetes andkidney problems on 29 April 2011 at the age of 85.[8][5][3] His funeral was attended by many fellow writers includingAta ul Haq Qasmi and the veteran journalistMujibur Rehman Shami.[8]
