You could think of her as someone who tries to preserve a fading world — or to chronicle a changing one. Rakhshanda Jalil joins Amit Varma in episode 365 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about literature, language and loss.
Also check out:
1. Rakhshanda Jalil on Twitter, Wikipedia, The Wire, Scroll and Amazon.
2. But You Don’t Look Like a Muslim — Rakhshanda Jalil.
3. Invisible City: The Hidden Monuments of Delhi — Rakhshanda Jalil.
4. Urdu: The Best Stories of Our Times — Edited & translated by Rakhshanda Jalil.
5. Liking Progress, Loving Change — Rakhshanda Jalil.
6. Preeto and Other Stories: The Male Gaze in Urdu — Rakhshanda Jalil.
7. A Rebel and Her Cause: The Life and Work of Rashid Jahan — Rakhshanda Jalil.
8. Shahryar: A Life in Poetry — Rakhshanda Jalil.
9. Release and Other Stories — Rakhshanda Jalil.
10. The Temple and The Mosque — Premchand (translated by Rakhshanda Jalil).
11. Fear, Depression in Indian Muslims Is Palpable Even Among Those Who Are ‘Privileged’ — Rakhshanda Jalil.
12. In New India, a Muslim Rose Smells Different From a Hindu Rose — Rakhshanda Jalil.
13. Aaliya Waziri’s essay about her mother Rakhshanda Jalil.
14. Being Muslim in India — Episode 216 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Ghazala Wahab).
15. Hussain Haidry, Hindustani Musalmaan — Episode 275 of The Seen and the Unseen.
16. The Many Cities of Delhi — Episode 172 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Rana Safvi).
17. The Age of Average — Alex Murrell.
18. Order Without Design — Alain Bertaud.
19. Asar–us–Sanadid — Syed Ahmed Khan.
20. Basu Da’s Bombay.
21. Pushpesh Pant Feasts on the Buffet of Life — Episode 326 of The Seen and the Unseen.
22. The Refreshing Audacity of Vinay Singhal — Episode 291 of The Seen and the Unseen.
23. Stage.in.
24. Yogendra Yadav on why he was named Salim.
25. The Elephant in the Room — Kay Ryan.
26. Who Broke Our Republic? — Episode 163 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Kapil Komireddi).
27. Malevolent Republic — Kapil Komireddi.
28. The Incredible Curiosities of Mukulika Banerjee — Episode 276 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Mukulika Banerjee).
29. The Pathan Unarmed — Mukulika Banerjee.
30. Khwaab Baaki Hai — Ale Ahmad Suroor.
31. Uneasy Lies the Head — Mayank Austen Soofi.
32. The Gita Press and Hindu Nationalism — Episode 139 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Akshaya Mukul).
33. Gita Press and the Making of Hindu India — Akshaya Mukul.
34. Chhodo Kal Ki Baatein — Song from Hum Hindustani.
35. Tu Hindu Banega Na Musalman Banega — Song from Dhool Ka Phool, with lyrics by Sahir Ludhainvi.
36. The Importance of the 1991 Reforms — Episode 237 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Shruti Rajagopalan and Ajay Shah).
37. The Forgotten Greatness of PV Narasimha Rao — Episode 283 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Vinay Sitapati).
38. The Life and Times of Montek Singh Ahluwalia — Episode 285 of The Seen and the Unseen.
39. Why Freedom Matters — Episode 10 of Everything is Everything.
40. Who gains from the new Maternity Benefit Act Amendment? — Devika Kher.
41. Here’s What’s Wrong With the Maternity Benefits Act — Suman Joshi.
42. The Right to Property — Episode 26 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Shruti Rajagopalan).
43. Fixing Indian Education — Episode 185 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Karthik Muralidharan).
44. Women at Work — Episode 132 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Namita Bhandare).
45. The Loneliness of the Indian Woman — Episode 259 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Shrayana Bhattacharya).
46. Ibn-e Safi on Amazon.
47. Suyash Rai Embraces India’s Complexity — Episode 307 of The Seen and the Unseen.
48. Personal Libraries — Rakhshanda Jalil’s book collection.
49. Charles Dickens, Mills and Boon, Georgette Heyer, Barbara Cartland, Jean-Paul Sartre, James Hadley Chase, Northrop Frye and TS Eliot.
50. Exile and the Kingdom — Albert Camus.
51. Waiting for Godot — Samuel Beckett.
52. The Art of Translation — Episode 168 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Arunava Sinha).
53. The Life and Times of Jerry Pinto — Episode 314 of The Seen and the Unseen.
54. Danish Husain and the Multiverse of Culture — Episode 359 of The Seen and the Unseen.
55. Ranjit Hoskote is Dancing in Chains — Episode 363 of The Seen and the Unseen.
56. Sara Rai Inhales Literature — Episode 255 of The Seen and the Unseen.
57. Raw Umber : A Memoir — Sara Rai.
58. The Death of Sheherzad — Initizar Husain (translated by Rakhshanda Jalil).
59. Leo Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoyevsky.
60. Drown — Junot Diaz.
61. Mehroom — Raman Negi.
62. Hindi Nationalism — Alok Rai.
63. Saare Jahaan Se Achha — Rakesh Sharma speaks to Indira Gandhi.
64. Premchand on Amazon and Wikipedia.
65. The Nature and Purpose of Literature — Premchand’s presidential address at the First All India Progressive Writers’ Conference, 1936.
66. The Progressive Writer’s Movement.
67. Kashi Ka Assi — Kashinath Singh.
68. Patrice Lumumba.
69. Testaments Betrayed — Milan Kundera.
70. Hum Jo Tarik Rahon Mein Mare Gae — Faiz Ahmad Faiz.
71. The Tragedy of Our Farm Bills — Episode 211 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Ajay Shah).
72. Aag Ka Dariya (River of Fire) — Qurratulain Hyder.
73. Rahman Abbas on Amazon, Wikipedia and Twitter.
74. Tambih — Shahryar.
75. Bol — Faiz Ahmad Faiz.
76. Hum Dekhenge — Faiz Ahmad Faiz.
77. Hum Dekhenge — Faiz.
78. Krishan Chander, Qurratulain Hyder and Ismat Chugtai.
79. Rekhta.
80. The Paradise of Food — Khalid Jawed (translated by Baran Farooqi).
81. Sturgeon’s Law.
82. Imposter Syndrome.
83. ‘How We Spend Our Days Is How We Spend Our Lives’ — Amit Varma.
84. Pride and Prejudice — Jane Austen.
85. Mirza Ghalib on Rekhta.
86. Faiz Ahmad Faiz on Rekhta.
87. Mujhse Pahli Si Mohabbat Meri Mahbub Na Maang — Faiz Ahmad Faiz.
88. Hindostan Hamara — Edited by Jan Nisar Akhtar.
1. Rakhshanda Jalil on Twitter, Wikipedia, The Wire, Scroll and Amazon.
2. But You Don’t Look Like a Muslim — Rakhshanda Jalil.
3. Invisible City: The Hidden Monuments of Delhi — Rakhshanda Jalil.
4. Urdu: The Best Stories of Our Times — Edited & translated by Rakhshanda Jalil.
5. Liking Progress, Loving Change — Rakhshanda Jalil.
6. Preeto and Other Stories: The Male Gaze in Urdu — Rakhshanda Jalil.
7. A Rebel and Her Cause: The Life and Work of Rashid Jahan — Rakhshanda Jalil.
8. Shahryar: A Life in Poetry — Rakhshanda Jalil.
9. Release and Other Stories — Rakhshanda Jalil.
10. The Temple and The Mosque — Premchand (translated by Rakhshanda Jalil).
11. Fear, Depression in Indian Muslims Is Palpable Even Among Those Who Are ‘Privileged’ — Rakhshanda Jalil.
12. In New India, a Muslim Rose Smells Different From a Hindu Rose — Rakhshanda Jalil.
13. Aaliya Waziri’s essay about her mother Rakhshanda Jalil.
14. Being Muslim in India — Episode 216 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Ghazala Wahab).
15. Hussain Haidry, Hindustani Musalmaan — Episode 275 of The Seen and the Unseen.
16. The Many Cities of Delhi — Episode 172 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Rana Safvi).
17. The Age of Average — Alex Murrell.
18. Order Without Design — Alain Bertaud.
19. Asar–us–Sanadid — Syed Ahmed Khan.
20. Basu Da’s Bombay.
21. Pushpesh Pant Feasts on the Buffet of Life — Episode 326 of The Seen and the Unseen.
22. The Refreshing Audacity of Vinay Singhal — Episode 291 of The Seen and the Unseen.
23. Stage.in.
24. Yogendra Yadav on why he was named Salim.
25. The Elephant in the Room — Kay Ryan.
26. Who Broke Our Republic? — Episode 163 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Kapil Komireddi).
27. Malevolent Republic — Kapil Komireddi.
28. The Incredible Curiosities of Mukulika Banerjee — Episode 276 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Mukulika Banerjee).
29. The Pathan Unarmed — Mukulika Banerjee.
30. Khwaab Baaki Hai — Ale Ahmad Suroor.
31. Uneasy Lies the Head — Mayank Austen Soofi.
32. The Gita Press and Hindu Nationalism — Episode 139 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Akshaya Mukul).
33. Gita Press and the Making of Hindu India — Akshaya Mukul.
34. Chhodo Kal Ki Baatein — Song from Hum Hindustani.
35. Tu Hindu Banega Na Musalman Banega — Song from Dhool Ka Phool, with lyrics by Sahir Ludhainvi.
36. The Importance of the 1991 Reforms — Episode 237 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Shruti Rajagopalan and Ajay Shah).
37. The Forgotten Greatness of PV Narasimha Rao — Episode 283 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Vinay Sitapati).
38. The Life and Times of Montek Singh Ahluwalia — Episode 285 of The Seen and the Unseen.
39. Why Freedom Matters — Episode 10 of Everything is Everything.
40. Who gains from the new Maternity Benefit Act Amendment? — Devika Kher.
41. Here’s What’s Wrong With the Maternity Benefits Act — Suman Joshi.
42. The Right to Property — Episode 26 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Shruti Rajagopalan).
43. Fixing Indian Education — Episode 185 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Karthik Muralidharan).
44. Women at Work — Episode 132 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Namita Bhandare).
45. The Loneliness of the Indian Woman — Episode 259 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Shrayana Bhattacharya).
46. Ibn-e Safi on Amazon.
47. Suyash Rai Embraces India’s Complexity — Episode 307 of The Seen and the Unseen.
48. Personal Libraries — Rakhshanda Jalil’s book collection.
49. Charles Dickens, Mills and Boon, Georgette Heyer, Barbara Cartland, Jean-Paul Sartre, James Hadley Chase, Northrop Frye and TS Eliot.
50. Exile and the Kingdom — Albert Camus.
51. Waiting for Godot — Samuel Beckett.
52. The Art of Translation — Episode 168 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Arunava Sinha).
53. The Life and Times of Jerry Pinto — Episode 314 of The Seen and the Unseen.
54. Danish Husain and the Multiverse of Culture — Episode 359 of The Seen and the Unseen.
55. Ranjit Hoskote is Dancing in Chains — Episode 363 of The Seen and the Unseen.
56. Sara Rai Inhales Literature — Episode 255 of The Seen and the Unseen.
57. Raw Umber : A Memoir — Sara Rai.
58. The Death of Sheherzad — Initizar Husain (translated by Rakhshanda Jalil).
59. Leo Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoyevsky.
60. Drown — Junot Diaz.
61. Mehroom — Raman Negi.
62. Hindi Nationalism — Alok Rai.
63. Saare Jahaan Se Achha — Rakesh Sharma speaks to Indira Gandhi.
64. Premchand on Amazon and Wikipedia.
65. The Nature and Purpose of Literature — Premchand’s presidential address at the First All India Progressive Writers’ Conference, 1936.
66. The Progressive Writer’s Movement.
67. Kashi Ka Assi — Kashinath Singh.
68. Patrice Lumumba.
69. Testaments Betrayed — Milan Kundera.
70. Hum Jo Tarik Rahon Mein Mare Gae — Faiz Ahmad Faiz.
71. The Tragedy of Our Farm Bills — Episode 211 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Ajay Shah).
72. Aag Ka Dariya (River of Fire) — Qurratulain Hyder.
73. Rahman Abbas on Amazon, Wikipedia and Twitter.
74. Tambih — Shahryar.
75. Bol — Faiz Ahmad Faiz.
76. Hum Dekhenge — Faiz Ahmad Faiz.
77. Hum Dekhenge — Faiz.
78. Krishan Chander, Qurratulain Hyder and Ismat Chugtai.
79. Rekhta.
80. The Paradise of Food — Khalid Jawed (translated by Baran Farooqi).
81. Sturgeon’s Law.
82. Imposter Syndrome.
83. ‘How We Spend Our Days Is How We Spend Our Lives’ — Amit Varma.
84. Pride and Prejudice — Jane Austen.
85. Mirza Ghalib on Rekhta.
86. Faiz Ahmad Faiz on Rekhta.
87. Mujhse Pahli Si Mohabbat Meri Mahbub Na Maang — Faiz Ahmad Faiz.
88. Hindostan Hamara — Edited by Jan Nisar Akhtar.
Amit Varma and Ajay Shah have launched a new video podcast. Check out Everything is Everything on YouTube.
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Episode art: ‘Change’ by Simahina.