Tajdar Adil is widely known for quality productions and his creative strength for poetry. Among piles of newspapers and a shelf full of his favourite books, he happily gives time to be on the Hot seat to share his views with us.

“I was born into a family that possessed books more than anything else in the world. The inspiration was obviously from my father, Saba Akbar Abadi. You name any great man of letters, and he or she must have been to our home once or twice. My father was my ideal personality and my immediate mentor. Surprisingly enough, I started with writing prose while my elder brother, Sultan Jameel Naseem, took off with poetry but both ended up with different tastes. I became a poet and he became a fictionist. He has four fiction books to his credit,” says Tajdar Adil.

Born in 1954 in Agra, his family migrated to Pakistan. He did his masters, first in Economics and then in Mass Communications from University of Karachi in 1982. Earlier, he had joined PTV service in 1973.

Born and raised among writers and books, it was quite natural for him to develop a very strong taste for reading. He read through almost all the Urdu classics available and would also read Urdu literary journals Naqoosh, Saaqi, Qund (published from Mardan) and many others with great interest. He has little taste for English books but he is all praise for Persian literature. However, he intends to soon read Shantaram and The Da Vinci Code, the current best selling fiction.

“Once my father told me that if one doesn’t know Persian, one has no right to be an Urdu poet. I made him translate Rubaiyat of Umar Khayyam. There is a strong need for translating world literary masterpieces currently produced into Urdu. Hamza Shinwari, Baba-e-Pashto ghazal, translated 50 ghazals of my father into Pashto and my father in return rendered the same number of Hamza Baba’s Pashto ghazals into Urdu. I gave the name to their efforts as Ishteraaq, which is still unpublished. Great writers and researchers should continue this tradition for national integration,” Tajdar Adil suggests.

His maiden short story Apnay Galeee Mein Ajnabee was published in Siara Digest in 1964 when he was in Grade Four. About his reading habit he says, “I have a strong passion for two things — three hours compulsory reading and to do my professional job with full sincerity and dedication. Presently, there are some twelve books that I am reading turn by turn. I have lost the count of how many books I have read so far. I not only read but also try to digest. Unfortunately, our youngsters have either little or no taste for reading. Their preferences and inclinations are different,” he regrets.

He had published a trio collection of his father, brother and his own verses titled Isbaat in 1991. His own poetry collection Maat Huneytak came out in 1982 which was so appreciated by poetry lovers that it ran into eight reprints. “My next poetry collection Terey Naam is ready for printing,” he informs.

Among his favourite reads are Mukhtar Masood’s books Safar Naqeeb, Lauh-e-Ayyam, Awaaz-e-Dost and the short stories collections of Masood Mufti — Chehray, Khehlonay, Ragey Sung, Muhaddab Sheeshah and Rayzay. But Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s Naqshe Farayadi is his favourite read. He doesn’t agree with some people’s lame excuse for having no time for reading books. “When you have passion for it you must squeeze out time to satisfy it, otherwise you are not a man of strength,” Tajdar Adil argues.

Regarding the strength of PTV dramas he observes, “PTV is once again on the right track, with the quality of drama showing improvement. Quality production is the hallmark of the PTV golden traditions.” Being GM PTV, he is rightly doing the job of integrating different cultures and languages practised and spoken in Pakistan through various programmes. Tajdar sees greater satisfaction in folk music.

“There is a real mass appeal and strength in the folk music of Punjabi, Sindhi, Balochi, Brahvi, Sariaki and Pashto. The spellbinding voices of Ustad Abdul Sattar, Alan Faqeer, Tufial Niazi, Ustad Juman, Pataanay Khan, Abida Parveen, Attaullah Isakhelvi, Alam Lohaar, Khial Muhammad and many other folk singers have won the hearts of millions of people. I like Beethoven’s symphonies but our own folk music is outstanding. I have a taste for classical music as well. In fact, I listen to all kinds of good music. But I have no all-time favourite singer, presently my favourite singers are Zeek Afridi and Humayoun Khan. There is need for new experiences in music. Unless it is done, variety in music shall remain a farfetched thing. Most newcomers wish to become music celebrity overnight,” he maintains.

“Pop music touches the body while folk music pricks the soul,” says Tajdar. He also fondly names Kishore Kumar, Shamshad Begum, Lata Jee, Asha, Muhammad Rafi, Mehdi Hasan, Ghulam Ali, Nusrat Fateh Ali khan, and Madam Noor Jahan and Nayyara Noor as singers whose voices appeal to him. Peshawar Sey Merey Khatir Dundasa Laanah of Javed Akhtar is his favourite song.

Talking about films he frankly says, “I have never been a regular cine buff but I spare sometime out of my crowded agenda to watch movies on TV. We should admit that we are lagging far behind in the art of film making. The Hollywood film makers have fantasised realism and vice versa, but we are yet to achieve this goal. People in our film industry needs hard work, keeping in view our own environmental and cultural context. We are a confused nation on many counts. We most often dot and pride on our past achievements only but do not look into the future. Our film industry has done much.” He believes that the pair of Muhammad Ali Bhai and Zeba contributed immensely to the Pakistani film industry.

About English movies, Tajdar says, “Tom Hanks is an incredibly successful film star. Saying you don’t like Tom Hanks is like saying you don’t like mom, God, or apple pie.” He also believes that the classics of Dilip Kumar like Shakti, Mughal-e-Azam, Devdas, Andaaz, Babul, Deedar, Aan, Nia Dawar, Kohinoor, Raam aur Shaam, Ganga aur Jamuna and Azaad are simply unforgettable. “Dilip Kumar is my all-time favourite,” informs Tajdar Adil.

He considers the reciprocal exhibition of Pak-Indian movies as a good omen for cementing cultural ties between the two countries. “Films should not be a source of entertainment only, but they should bring about a remarkable change in the outlook of the people. And this can only be done when film makers are aware of the genuine problems and issues of the masses. Every media should bring about a positive change,” the soften spoken Tajdar Adil concludes.

FAVOURITE BOOK: Naqash-e-Farayadi

FAVOURITE WRITERS: Mukhtar Masood and Masood Mufti

FAVOURITE MOVIE: Many

FAVOURITE ACTOR: Dilip Kumar

FAVOURITE SINGER: Zeek Afridi and Humayoun