Tribute paid to Amjad Islam Amjad

Speakers describe him as the most important writer of his era

ISLAMABAD:

The iconic Pakistan Television drama serial ‘Waris’, depicting rural life became the identity for veteran writer, playwright and poet Amjad Islam Amjad.

The writer said this during a "Meet the Writers" event where he talked about his life and regrets. The event had been organised by the Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL).

Tracing his writing roots, Amjad said that he was always fond of writing stories ever since he was a child.

In seventh grade, he recalled how he wrote a 78-page-long play.

The teacher appreciated my efforts and at the same time I was made the editor of the school magazine "Nishan Manzil", he said. Later, he dabbled in poetry and it started getting published in magazines such as "Kandil" and "Chitan".

What followed, Amjad said, were some of his most productive years, where over four to five years he continuously wrote prose, plays and articles, all of which regularly found spots in publications.

When he joined university, he quickly became the chairman of the local literary society apart from helming editorial duties at the university's magazine, "Mahwar".

“I also had an affiliation with the ‘Halqa Arbab-e-Zauq’ where I met many senior writers,” Amjad said, adding that he then began to concentrate on writing drama series in 1974.

I was given many awards for my literary services while the dramas received 16 graduate awards, he said.

This led him to write the play ‘Waris’. After it was produced for television in 1979, it propelled him to stardom. So popular was the drama, he said, that it was also dubbed into Chinese.

Later, Amjad said, he wrote a series called "Aik Haqeeqat, Aik Afsana" which was well-received as well.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 22^nd, 2020.