Rekhta, a prominent Indian website dedicated to promoting the Urdu language, is facing backlash for presenting renowned poets in comic book character roles.
Recently, the platform shared images of famous Urdu poets reimagined as superheroes on its official Instagram and Facebook page, using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create these portrayals.
The poets featured in these images included Mirza Ghalib as Superman, Allama Muhammad Iqbal as Iron Man, Faiz Ahmed Faiz as Captain America, and Junoon Elias as Doctor Strange.
Other poets, like Parveen Shakir, were portrayed as Black Widow, while Akbar Allahabadi was reimagined as Deadpool.
Additionally, Habib Jalib appeared as Winter Soldier, Majrooh Sultanpuri as Hawkeye, Nasir Kazmi as Spider-Man, and Josh Malihabadi as Hulk.
The images also featured their famous verses, and some users appreciated the creativity and imagination behind presenting legendary poets as such characters.
But it didn’t sit well with most users, as they condemned it, calling it distasteful and a defamation of literature and artists.
Criticism poured in on Rekhta’s post, with one user, Reza Haider, remarking, “This is the pinnacle of disrespect. Every field seems to be in decline.”
Another user expressed astonishment, questioning, “It’s shocking to see such content being posted on the official social media accounts of a serious literary platform like Rekhta.”
Zahida Hindi expressed strong disapproval, stating, "It's condemnable. It's defamation of literature and artists. It can never be accepted."
Ali Syed Saeed emphasized the importance of respecting literary heritage, writing, "The poet is our heritage, so we must respect these people."
Despite the criticism, a few users offered their own suggestions, proposing that Tehzeeb Hafi be portrayed as Shazam and John Elia as Captain America.
Additionally, some readers noted the absence of the renowned Pakistani poet Ahmed Faraz, with one asking, "Where is Ahmed Faraz Sahab?" Others suggested famous characters for him, with one user commenting, "Missing Ahmed Faraz as Thor
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