Send us Fan MailAug 21, 2020 was Padma Shri Ismat Chughtai's 125th birth anniversary. One of India's most prominent authors, Ismat Chughtai has written countless stories, novels, and even films, but none more controversial at its release in 1942 and popular after than LIHAAF. Written as a first person narrative, Lihaaf is a 'terrifying' memory of the narrator from her childhood. Lihaaf is a landmark portrayal of an insulated life of a neglected wife as seen from a little girl's eyes. Chughtai was inspired to write the story upon hearing of the rumored affair of a begum and her masseuse in Aligarh, the story chronicles the sexual awakening of Begum Jan following her unhappy marriage with a nawab. The cleverly portrayed reference to homosexuality in the story got Chugthai summoned by the Lahore High Court to defend herself against the charges of "obscenity". She was exonerated but detested the media coverage of the whole incident, which in her view weighted heavily upon her subsequent work; "Lihaaf brought me so much notoriety that I got sick of life. It became the proverbial stick to beat me with and whatever I wrote afterwards got crushed under its weight."According to her memoir, Chughtai made her peace with the whole fiasco, having met the woman who had inspired Begum Jan a few years after the publication of Lihaaf. She felt greatly rewarded when the begum told her that Lihaaf had "changed her life and it is because of her story now she was blessed with a child".Narrator: Sareeka MalhotraEditing and mixing by: Anitha DixitSome of the music composed by: Sandeep KhuranaSupport the showSubscribe to Naatak Radio on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Jio Saavn or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also listen to our library of over 100 episodes on our website at naatak.org/naatakradio/Love the show? Consider supporting the show here.

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