New Delhi,: The second day of Jashn-e-Rekhta 2024 unfolded as a grand tribute to Urdu’s cultural richness, drawing thousands of admirers to a day packed with theatre, poetry, music, and literary dialogue. From moving performances to insightful discussions, the festival once again reaffirmed its standing as the world’s largest celebration of Urdu language and expression.
The day began with a poignant theatrical presentation, “Hue Marr Ke Hum Jo Rusva,” a dramatic reading exploring the final day in the life of the legendary poet Mirza Ghalib, performed with exceptional depth by Shekhar Suman. Simultaneously, Sukhan-Zaar hosted a Rekhta Nishist, bringing together connoisseurs of Urdu literature, followed by an engaging discussion under Bazm-e-Khayaal on “Rasm-ul-khat ka mas’ala”, highlighting challenges and nuances of Urdu, Devanagari, and Roman scripts.
Poetry lovers were treated to an unforgettable Rekhta Mushaira featuring distinguished voices—Wasim Barelvi, Javed Akhtar, Vijendra Singh Parvaz, Hilal Fareed, Shariq Kaifi, among others—filling the afternoon with the cadence and emotional resonance of contemporary and classical Urdu poetry.
The festival’s theatre segment continued to captivate audiences with the play “Ek Lamhaa Zindagi – A Love Story 1938–1979”, written by Nadira Zaheer Babbar, Noor Zaheer, and Juhi Babbar Soni, and performed by Juhi herself. The narrative—an evocative blend of love, revolution, and artistic idealism—deeply moved attendees. Parallelly, culinary heritage took center stage at the session “Rang-e-Zaiqa”, where Sunita Kohli, Sheeba Jairajpuri, and Rana Safvi conversed with Anubhav Sapra on India’s treasured gastronomic traditions.
The evening transitioned into soulful melodies with a mesmerizing Qawwali performance by Dhruv Sangari, followed by two major book launches: “Mera Kaha Hua” by Shariq Kaifi, unveiled by Farhat Ehsas and Khalid Javed, and “Mohabbat Na Samajh Hoti Hai” by Wasim Barelvi, unveiled by Khalil ur Rahman.
A spellbinding Dastangoi performance by Danish Husain brought alive the stirring history of Urdu language and literature, setting the stage for a dazzling musical showcase led by Salim–Sulaiman. The night culminated in “Rang Aur Noor – Urdu Shairo’n Ke Filmi Shahkaar”, a spectacular celebration of Urdu’s golden era in cinema through dance, music, and narrative.
Day 2 of Jashn-e-Rekhta stood as a resounding celebration of Urdu’s timeless charm, leaving audiences enriched, inspired, and eagerly awaiting the festivities to follow.
