Renowned
film
and
stage
actress
Shabana
Azmi
was
in
Bangalore
on
August
12
for
a
special
screening
of
Kaifinama,
a
film
made
on
her
illustrious
father
and
poet,
the
late
Kaifi
Azmi.
The
film,
directed
by
Sumantra
Ghoshal,
paints
a
lovely
picture
of
the
life
and
times
of
Kaifi
Azmi,
whose
real
name
was
Sayyid
Akhtar
Hussein
Rizvi.
The
legendary
poet-lyricist
was
not
just
a
writer,
but
also
a
Comrade
till
his
last
breath,
a
visionary,
and
a
social
worker
who
worked
towards
woman
empowerment
-
much
like
what
he
preached
through
his
famous
poem
Aurat
wherein
he
urges
the
wife
to
walk
beside
him
(and
not
behind
him)
in
the
journey
of
life.
The
Kaifinama
event
was
held
at
the
newly
opened
Bangalore
International
Centre
(BIC),
in
association
with
the
Museum
of
Art
and
Photography
(MAP),
Bengaluru.
Shabana
Azmi
interacted
with
the
audience
consisting
of
some
well
read
and
distinguished
people
at
the
BIC
and
spoke
about
her
father
Kaifi
Azmi
and
mother
Shaukat
Kaifi
with
utmost
fondness
and
reverence.
The
acclaimed
actress
read
out
the
famous
poems
or
sher
of
Kaifi
Azmi
Sa'ab,
which
were
translated
into
English
by
Sumantra
Ghoshal
live
for
the
only
too
pleased
audience.
Post
the
interaction,
a
screening
of
Kaifinama
was
held
exclusively
for
the
patrons.
Another
discussion
followed
with
Shabana
Azmi,
Sumantra
Ghoshal
and
the
audience,
moderated
by
Aakar
Patel,
Executive
Director,
Amnesty
International
India
and
an
acclaimed
journalist-columnist.
Kaifi
Azmi
was
born
on
January
14,
1919
in
Azamgarh,
Uttar
Pradesh,
in
the
Hindi
and
Urdu
heartland
of
India.
Kaifinama
is
in
celebration
of
the
centenary
year
of
Kaifi
Azmi.
There
will
be
another
screening
of
the
Kaifinama
film
in
Bangalore
on
August
13.
It
will
be
held
at
the
Forum
Shantiniketan
Mall
(East
Bangalore),
along
with
an
interaction
with
Shabana
Azmi.
Kaifinama
is
produced
by
the
Mijwan
Welfare
Society
(MWS),
a
non-governmental
organisation
(NGO)
run
by
the
Azmi
family,
which
works
towards
upliftment
of
rural
India
with
a
focus
on
the
girl
child.
In
Bengaluru,
Shabana
Azmi
threw
light
upon
how
through
the
MWS,
Kaifi
Azmi
worked
towards
changing
the
mindset
of
families
towards
the
girl
child.
Shabana
Azmi
informed
at
the
event
that
through
their
schools
and
training
centres,
Mijwan
has
been
able
to
bring
about
women
empowerment
and
more
confidence
in
school-going
girls,
who
were
earlier
married
off
at
the
age
of
12
in
rural
India.
Mijwan
is
just
one
of
the
things
that
a
multi-faceted
personality
like
Kaifi
Azmi
contributed
to
society,
naming
the
NGO
after
the
village
he
grew
up
in.
Kaifinama
the
film
showcases
this
and
other
aspects
of
the
great
poet's
life,
including
his
early
days
of
Urdu
shayari
(poetry)
and
his
love
story
with
Shaukat.
Made
in
documentary
format,
Kaifinama
is
pleasing
to
the
eye
and
the
ear.
A
good
watch
for
connoisseurs
of
Urdu
poetry
and
the
culturally
conscious.