In Search of Pakistan Series
Dancing with Rumi
The mainstream Pakistani cinema
according to Iqbal
Workshop by Khurram Ali Shafique
Sunday April 24, 2016
11 am to 3 pm
at Hast o Neest Institute of Traditional Studies & Arts, 3, Iftikhar Ahmed Malik Road, Shariff Colony, Canal Park, Gulberg II, Lahore
About seven centuries ago, the Muslim world welcomed its greatest poet and thinker, Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi. Poets, musicians and artists coming after him busied themselves with the task of transmitting his message to the masses in diverse regions through catchy songs and popular love stories. Hence we had in our region such masters as Ameer Khusro, Waris Shah, Bhittai, Sachal Sarmast and many others.
The foremost disciple of Rumi in modern times was Iqbal, through whom the message of Rumi became reinterpreted as a powerful philosophy for transforming individuals and societies. After the death of Iqbal, his followers busied themselves with the task of taking his message to the masses through channels such the mainstream cinema – catchy songs and popular love stories just like the Sufi minstrels of the past.
Unfortunately we have remained almost completely unaware of this aspect of our uniform culture. This workshop is an attempt to fill the gap by treating cinema as an expression of art, literature and culture, exploring the mainstream cinema of Pakistan as a channel through which the message of Iqbal not only reached the masses but continued to evolve through ‘consensus’ of the society.
The workshop is for everyone – whether you know a lot about Iqbal or whether you know nothing at all. Clips from memorable movies, interesting activities and discussions will be used in the workshop.
About the resource person
Khurram Ali Shafique is best known as an Iqbal scholar and has received the Presidential Iqbal Award for his work, Iqbal: an Illustrated Biography. He is the author of more than twenty books in English and Urdu including works about the life and work of Iqbal, biographies, literary criticism and textbooks. He also offers online courses in Iqbal Studies through Marghdeen Iqbal Studies Centre, which he founded in 2011.
Registration Procedure
To register for the workshop, please send your name and contact number to raazia.attique@gmail.com.
Registration Fee: Rs 1000/-
Student Discount: Rs 500/-
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