Literary criticism: Intizar Hussain’s work appreciated

LAHORE:

Local critics often overlook the references to Hindu and Buddhist mythology, while Indian critics often sidestep the Pakistani nationalism in the writing of Intizar Hussain, said literary critic Dr Amjad Tufail on Sunday evening.

Reading an essay at a special event organised by the Halqa Arbab-i-Fanoon-i-Latifa, Tufail said that the critics need to look at Hussain’s writing as a whole, otherwise they would fail to grasp its meaning.

The topic for the evening was ‘Khawab aur basharat kay darmian Intizar Husain ka fun’ and the author in question was in attendance. Writers Masood Asher, Ahmed Aqeel Robi, Zahid Dar, Ikramullah, Altaf Hussain Qureshi, Eraj Mubarak and Zaman Khan also actively contributed to the discussion.

Tufail said Hussain was so popular that he qualified as a literary giant, of the sort that Hussain had himself said that one should be wary of. “Now Intizar should be afraid of his popularity,” he said, to much amusement.

He praised Hussain as a cultural and social historian.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 5^th,  2011.