MASNAVI: “QUDSIA MAHAL”
This Masnavi (a story in poetic form), “Qudsia Mahal,” is written by my uncle and renowned writer of the Indian Film Industry, (the late) Mr. Vajahat Mirza Changezi.
This Masnavi is based on the historical facts surrounding Badshah Naseeruddin Haider and his wife Qudsia Mahal. According to Mirza Sahab, the purpose of this Masnavi is to preserve those archaic words and phrases (proverbs), which were still colloquially use till the early 20th century. It was not possible to write these words and phrases in any other form of Urdu Poetry, other than as a Masnavi.
It has taken a number of years to compose and revise this Masnavi, it involved editing, by hand, with an Urdu calligraphy pen. The final copy of this Masnavi was carried by Mirza Sahab to Karachi. This PDF is a scanned copy of his original hand written manuscript; it has 2414 Ashaar (couplets).
Beside some Ashaar in the manuscript are (X) or (C) marks. These indicate Ashaars, that he had either deleted or changed in the final copy.
Mr. Vajahat Mirza had penned many cinema classics such as Gunga Jamna, Mother India, Moghul e Azam, Kohinoor, Love and God, Shikast, Leader, Yahudi, Aurat, and Roti etc.
Expressing his grief over Mirza Sahab’s passing, thespian Dilip Kumar, talking to Screen Weekly , said “It was sad to learn the news about the death of this prolific writer with a mastery of pen on varied styles of language and dialogue writing. I had a close association with Mirza Saheb who wrote 'Kohinoor' and 'Ganga Jumna'. The remarkable thing about him was that he wrote with great ease and had a penchant for charecterisation and dramatic thrust. In 'Ganga Jumna', the rural Bhojpuri idioms in dialogue writing was the exclusive work of Mr. Mirza's pen. In him we have lost a remarkably talented writer who was never put to a suitable and full use."
Veteran writer, Ali Raza, paying his tribute said, “Vajahat Mirza taught what screenplay writing was to many writers of his time. He was also a great poet but his collection remained unpublished."
While leaving for Karachi, Mirza Sahab had given two complete scripts to our family, which we have got registered with the Film Writers Association:
1 - Indersabha ( Paristan)
2 - Sham e Awadh
A collection of his religious poetries has already been typed and will be published soon, Insha'allah. In the end of this book I have included our Shajrah (or family tree) originating from the great Changez Khan . We hope that the lovers of Urdu Classical Poetry will appreciate his work and pray for his soul to rest in peace in heaven, Aameen.
Mirza Jamal Asghar Changezi
