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PODCAST

Urdunama

Bollywood songs turn us all into Grammy award-winning bathroom singers! But wait, do you know the meaning of every word you sing? Especially the ones in Urdu? On Urdunama, our host Fabeha Syed takes one word at a time and breaks it down for you. Be it the protest poetry of Faiz, or Sameer"s 90s nostalgia, we have it all. If you like Urdu and poetry, this podcast is for you!

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All Episodes

13:01

Nayyara Noor's Gentle Melodies And the Gems She'll be...

Urdunama ·

2022/08/26

Legendary Pakistani singer Nayyara Noor passed away on 20 August in Karachi. She'll be remembered for her genteel nature and her simplicity that made her stand apart from her peers. As her fans across the globe mourn this huge loss, we take a look at her journey from Guwahati to Karachi, and how she became the voice for some of Faiz's iconic nazms. Tune in!

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14:05

'Mohe Panghat Pe...': This Janmashtami, a Lyrical Ode...

Urdunama ·

2022/08/19

Lord Krishna's Bhakti surpasses geographical, social, and religious realms. While almost all languages in India have their own odes to Lord Krishna, perhaps such Urdu literature is lesser known. This Janmashtami, we look at how one can find the gems of Krishna Bhakti written by some of the prominent Urdu poets such as Maulana Hasrat Mohani, Nazeer Akbarabadi, and Hafeez Jalandhari. Tune in!

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12:55

Secularhythm: Exploring Secularism Through Urdu Poetry

Urdunama ·

2022/08/13

To understand the idea of secularism, going back to books is often considered a better way. Yet, those who love poetry swear by some of the gems written in Urdu and revere them as antidotes to hatred or any socio-cultural chaos. So, to prove the point that poetry can cure most ills, we turn to poets like Mir Taqi Mir and Mirza Ghalib in this special episode of Urdunama with Fabeha Syed. Tune in as we attempt to find our Secularhythm through some verses. Tune In!

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15:05

Secrets of Kahkashaan, And Lessons In Humility And...

Urdunama ·

2022/07/30

From detecting evidence of clouds on a planet for the first time to being able to see Jupiter with its moon in a 'new light', the $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope is hailed as the most powerful space science telescope ever built. This will enable the scientists to study even the distant galaxies with the help of not only the images but also the detailed data. The telescope is engineered for ground breaking discoveries, thereby changing the future of astronomy. To celebrate this historic

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14:42

Remembering Bhupinder Singh: From His Guitar Riffs to...

Urdunama ·

2022/07/23

Bhupinder Singh, the man with a velvet voice that could tend to a broken heart or reassure an anxious mind, passed away on 18 July 2022. Apart from being a celebrated singer, he was also a talented guitarist. From Madan Mohan to RD Burman, his beautiful partnerships gave the music industry some gems that it would continue to cherish for years to come. But if it wasn't for Pancham, we would not have gotten a youthful guitarist in Bhupinder Singh. Do you remember the songs with some of his iconic

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21:12

'Naqaab' in Poetry and How Love Lifts the Veil Off...

Urdunama ·

2022/07/16

Naqaab, meaning a veil or parda, has often been the source of poets' anxieties and ecstasies, both. Why? Because behind that veil is their lover who is so beautiful that the idea of witnessing the beauty is overwhelming and that is what makes them write about the mystery that hides behind the naqaab. In this episode, Fabeha Syed reads some of the ashaar by poets like Chakbast Brij Narayan, Shakeel Badayuni, and Jalil Manikpuri, among others. Tune in.

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18:22

Looking at 'Bewafai' Through Poetry, How Infidelity...

Urdunama ·

2022/07/09

As understood by this famous quote by Lord Byron, "wives in their husbands' absences grow subtler, and daughters sometimes run off with the butler", any form of disloyalty, or bewafai comes from absence. Urdu poet Ahmad Faraz also once wrote that because the separation was intense, the poet had to resort to doing the act of disloyalty, probably for the first time. Is qadar musalsal thin shiddatein judai ki Aaj pehli baar us se maine bewafai ki But the question is, why do people cheat? The answer is

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13:22

'Baarish' And Some Gems From Urdu Poetry For Rainy Days

Urdunama ·

2022/07/02

'Baarish' is a Persian word that means rain, downpour, or something that is in abundance. It symbolises many different things, depending on the context. It could be a union, longing, suffering, or just life in general. It is in the way that 'barsaat' affects us that we decide what it means to us. Poets also have their own interpretations of 'baarish'. In other words, rain fuels an artist's creativity. Music, perhaps, is a great example of such creativity. Whether it's pining for one's lost love or

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18:38

'Janwaristan' – Let's Read George Orwell's 'Animal...

Urdunama ·

2022/06/24

"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." “The only good human being is a dead one." "Man serves the interests of no creature except himself." “If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear." These are some of the lines of British essayist, journalist, and novelist George Orwell's famous satirical novella Animal Farm. The book tells the story of a group of farm animals who dream about equality and a world where they live

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13:40

World Music Day: Here's How ‘Mauseeqi’ Can Make Our...

Urdunama ·

2022/06/17

Shakespeare's play Twelfth Night begins with Duke Orsino saying, "If music be the food of love, play on." It's perhaps a famous reminder of how important music is in our lives – be it to express love, to deal with a painful heartbreak, living in a moment of euphoria, or even protesting against oppression – music helps in communicating every emotion in any language. On this World Music Day, we listen to songs and read Urdu poetry on mauseeqi, meaning music. From Dilawar Figar's nazm

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23:53

World Day Against Child Labour: What's a World...

Urdunama ·

2022/06/10

'Masoomiyat' means innocence, and the word has often been associated with something pure and free of blemishes. Sometimes, poets have described their lovers as 'masoom' to praise the beauty of their childlike innocence, while at other times, the word has been used to refer to a lost childhood. On the occasion of World Day Against Child Labour, we chose the theme of innocence to remind ourselves that it's only by safeguarding innocence that we can dream of building a better tomorrow. Tune in as host

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13:35

From 'Pal' to 'Yaaron', KK's Music Was Poetry of...

Urdunama ·

2022/06/03

Indian playback singer Krishnakumar Kunnath's passing has left his fans across the globe with a deep sense of loss. The musician, whose soundtracks encapsulate the very essence of our college lives, died of a heart attack hours after he delivered his final performance in Kolkata. KK, who started his career as a sales executive, has over 3,000 jingles to his credit. The first taste of success for him, however, came with the album 'Pal', which was released in 1999. The singer had never looked back

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15:44

Taj Mahal: A Symbol of Love, Beauty, and Urdu Poetry

Urdunama ·

2022/05/28

Taj Mahal, a symbol of love, is recognised worldwide and is marvelled at for its architectural genius. This 17th-century heritage building reminds us of a love that prompted a Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, to build a mausoleum for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who had died in childbirth. This architectural expression of love, Taj Mahal, has also been the subject of a perennial debate that it was built on the site of a Hindu temple, 'Tejo Mahalaya,' and that it represents Islamic aggression on a Hindu

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13:31

Not All Fires Are Bad, Keep Some 'Atish' Burning For...

Urdunama ·

2022/05/21

A heat wave is sweeping through northern parts of India as the temperatures are hitting news records almost every other day. This summer season is testing us and the scorching heat has sent most of us in a frenzy. In the true spirit of the old adage "necessity is the mother of all invention", a lot of us have also devised innovative ways to keep ourselves cool. But in poetry, sultriness is but a metaphor to the fire or the aatish in our heart – our deepest desires and dreams that keep us

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15:13

When Life Poses a 'Pasoori', Here's How To Solve It

Urdunama ·

2022/05/14

Pakistani singers Ali Sethi and Shae Gill's song Pasoori has spread like wildfire. This is the song that is said to have united music fans across India and Pakistan who simply can't stop humming or grooving to it. But what does pasoori mean? It is a Punjabi word that means a dilemma or a conflict that makes us go back and forth on a decision or action. It refers to a situation in which we find ourselves in a mental or physical chaos. In Urdu, pasoori could be loosely translated to kashmakash

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12:47

Gaining Wisdom and Knowledge, And the 'Irrfan' We All...

Urdunama ·

2022/04/30

It's been two years since the passing away of actor Irrfan Khan, and we can't help but wonder how names have an impact on what a person becomes. Irfaan means knowledge, wisdom. It's the power and wisdom that Irrfan exuded in all of his performances that made him a legend. So, in this episode of Urdunama we celebrate the man Irrfan for his irfaan, and the power he exerted on his craft. Tune in as Fabeha Syed reads some of the gems of Urdu poetry that focus on the importance of knowledge, wisdom,

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14:08

Ikhtilaaf and Ittifaaq - It's In the Conflict That We...

Urdunama ·

2022/04/23

Ikhtilaaf meaning conflicts or disagreements, are unavoidable in a heterogenous environment. One can say that sometimes disagreements might even be healthy and necessary for a synthetized view of the world. But there are also times when ikhtilaaf can deteriorate harmony. At such moments, a sense of ittifaq which means unity or concurrence, can help overcome the differences between people. Both ikhtilaaf and ittifaq together perpetuate the social progress of a civilization when people pick the

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14:18

Marriage, Happiness, Joy, And What It Means to be...

Urdunama ·

2022/04/16

Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor's wedding festivities have set off a frenzy in Bollywood. As fans across the country follow the news of this marital union of two of India's celebrated stars, we found it only apt to give some thought to the word 'shaadi' or marriage, which finds its roots in the Persian word 'shaad', which means happiness and joy. There is a lot that has been expressed in the shaad as well as na-shaad (unhappy) state of being of poets. In this episode of Urdunama, Fabeha Syed reads

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17:09

Lessons in 'Parhez' - How Self-Restraint is the...

Urdunama ·

2022/04/09

Navratri and Ramzan both come with a set of rules of dos and don'ts. Sure, it's time for fasting and self-cleansing but it's not just about what we eat or when we eat rather, it's a life altering phenomenon that focuses on discipline. As Greek philosopher Plato is believed to have said, "Abstinence is the surety of temperance", it is 'Parhez' or abstinence that trains us to patiently endure. In this episode of Urdunama we explore what Parhez means to poets. Tune in as we read Ismail Merathi,

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14:13

Tame Your 'Taish' - A Poetic Reminder To Those With A...

Urdunama ·

2022/04/02

Oscars 2022 made history with its many firsts – three female hosts for the first time, an actor with hearing impairment bagged the Best Actor Oscar for the first time, first openly queer actor of colour won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Yet, it is the Will Smith-Chris Rock 'slapgate' from the Oscars that overshadowed all of this. It is often advised that one shouldn't take any extreme decisions out of anger. Surely, it's okay to be angry, sometimes perhaps even necessary, but how should

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