If A Letter Could Outlive...!!. Review on Ammi Letter To A Democratic Mother - Saeed Mirza

Would that phone call have changed the course of events? I don’t think so, but it might have been some solace to you. As for me, it would have been nice to hear your voice one last time. Perhaps this letter is being written because of that missed call there are so many things I need to talk to you about.

Saeed Akhtar Mirza writes a letter to his Ammi (mother) who passed away on 7th February 1990, reminiscing her, recollecting the events from his childhood to the growing up days, filling her with events which happened in her absence from 1990 to 2008; depicting her character against all the events and wondering about her take or reaction every now and then. The book brings out a son’s bonding and belief in his mother, even after her death.

Ammi

Ammi or Jahanara belongs to the illustrious Pathan family of Quetta, an apple of her father’s eye; Jahanara is a bold girl and probably the only one who can dare to speak in presence of her father.

Nusrat Beg is a Mughal scholar and the brother-in-law of her youngest uncle who had dared to marry out of the family.On his visit to his sister he comes across Jahanara and saves her life in process.

Amanullah Khan(Jahanara’s father) rethinks about the proposal, which he had earlier rejected to marry his daughter to a poor muslim scholar, and asks Jahanara to take a decision. And henceforth Jahanara becomes Begum Jahanara to Nusrat Beg addressed as Baba by the author.

Here on begins a journey of two people who were unknown to each other yet always belonged together .Begum Jahanara gives away her life of leisure and riches to be with an uncommon yet intelligent scholar. She believes in him and his unusual dreams and provides a support to him in all instances , be it good or bad. She fondly tells him on their first night “…even if seeing more of the sky would bring pain,it would still be better than living in a well”.

Ammi’s character is displayed of a strong Islamic woman ,rooted to her religion and belief and yet gazing towards the sky for growth and change. She shuns away her burqa, she contributes in her husband’s professional doings right from scriptwriting ,to concocting a secret recipe for a cold drink and making home-made kulfis for decent living;the mealtime is always being a feast because of her , sewing dresses for them at home, in short she is the driving force of the family; In an instance the author states that how the whole household became morose when her mother was in mourning for four days on the death of her father.

In their earlier years of marriage she regularly attends the classes of her husband to learn and also takes up the Urdu language against her own language Pashto. They have intellectual discussions and she carefully grasps all the knowledge imparted by him.

During the years she has been shown as a mother who carefully tends the needs of her children. Though she is a strict disciplinarian she has been shown as a democratic person, respecting and giving space to all religions and beliefs. They celebrate Christmas with same vigor as they celebrate Id. She happily accepts two of her kids being married to Hindus and Saeed whom she fondly addresses as Saddu to marry a Christian. She possesses tolerance towards all caste and creed and the author is shown lamenting on the loss of democracy on her grave during ’93 Mumbai riots, telling her “The city doesn’t deserve you Ammi”..

The Letter

The letter begins with Saeed sincerely apologizing to his mother for his failure to make the telephone call on the night before her demise. He puts down the fact that they were so many things he failed to say to her or which he wanted her to know and hence the letter sprang into life.

And thereon he embarks on journey right from his parents meeting to the present day.

For sometimes he goes nostalgic on the various instances of his early childhood memories and sometimes on the situations of the country which was on the verge of freedom and the post freedom blues. He talks about their struggles to make a decent life in the times of new developing economy. In an instance he lays down the example of how a multinational company wiped off a small scale industry of India. He brings down the fact that how he was allowed by a free minded mother to take admission in a Film Institute against the traditional norms. And encouraged him to make films of social awareness.

For few places he uses the Sufi tales of Mulla Naseeruddin which bring out the character of the tale being narrated.

The period mentioned after the demise of his mother appears a bit gloomy and cheerless, when he talks about the bearings of the whole world. Referring to:

~The ’93 bomb blasts in Mumbai

~The Ram Janambhoomi movement and the rising of BJP where he wonders that how low have we sunk as a country .

~The few instances he picked up from his travel in the country while making his documentaries; some of them are really heartrending like the case where he mentions an Adivasi woman feeding her grandchild an alcoholic drink mahua and a chutney made of ants or a truck driver who specifically got a painting of Sohni-Mahiwal made behind his truck to spread love in the terror-stricken country.

~The 9/11 saga and the post instances.

~The Turkish DNA.

~The footsteps of the scholar of East wherein he reveals some unknown yet surprising facts.

~The September ’06 Pope Benedict’s pronouncement on Islam and the rage which followed it.

The finality of the letter is his last conversation with his dad or Baba on his life spent with Ammi and the strength with which she supported him throughout.

He has dedicated the book to his Baba Farhat Akhtar Mirza probably Nusrat Beg being his pet or middle name.

Saeed Akhtar Mirza is a renowned filmmaker and has movies like Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho! (1984), Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyon Ata Hai (1980), Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro (1989) and Naseem (1995), which won two National Film Awards in 1996, to his credit. He also made the popular TV series Nukkad.

Ammi..is his first book and an extremely decent attempt in writing. Though it’s an autobiographical novel, the distinct feature is the way he has detailed his mother’s role in shaping up his life and shaping him up in a liberal and democratic individual. The book maybe divided into two parts –one before her demise and another post her demise.

It’s a wonderful account of a strong lady who gave away an old an established tradition of burqa way back in 1938, henceforth bringing in a mini revolution.

He carefully assesses the situation of the whole world and mulls on all the integral issues, giving a detailed account to his mother and time and again wondering what would her take been on a situation. Through and through the book only conveys the fact that:

The strength of a generation lies in the hand which rocked its cradle.