MY NEW BOOK: " THE BRIGHT STARS OF THE FOGGY NIGHTS"

                                         

THE BRIGHT  STARS OF THE  FOGGY NIGHTS....( Stories From Kashmir ) By AVTAR MOTA

Avtar Mota's New book is available on Amazon worldwide . The book shall be published in India in March 2025 . Presently available for US dollars 15( fifteen )  or equivalent in USA ,Canada ,Australia  UK, France, Netherlands,Denmark,Sweden  , Japan,Italy and many more countries,at following links:-

1 USA

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DWMJMWMJ

2 UK

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DWMJMWMJ

3 Canada

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0DWMJMWMJ

4 Australia 

https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0DWMJMWMJ

5 France 

https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B0DWMJMWMJ

6 Netherlands 

https://www.amazon.nl/dp/B0DWMJMWMJ

Book Overview  by  Amazon 

The book has fascinating stories about many stalwarts from the fields of art, literature, theatre and social life who remained mostly unsung. The essays come as tributes and reveal the human side of these personalities apart from their immense contribution. People covered in this book include Sardar Santokh Singh ( pioneer of commercial art in Kashmir ), Vasudev Reh ( a visually handicapped poet ), Makhan Lal Mahav ( poet of humour and satire ), V R Khajuria ( stalwart sculptor ), Susham Sharma ( a dedicated theatre artist ), Farooq Nazki ( poet and broadcaster ), Vijay Suri ( writer , director and actor ), Bhushen Kaul ( Baroda trained artist ), Pandit T K Jalali ( composer and vocalist ), Som Nath Zutshi ( short story writer ), Chaman Lal Hakhoo ( writer and broadcaster ), Dr Girja Dhar , Akhtar Mohiuddin (writer ), Pran Nath Butt ( artist ), Saif ud din Kitchloo ( freedom fighter ), Hari Kashmiri ( cinema ), Prof Jay Lal Kaul ( scholar , translator and educationist ) , Dr Ved Kumari Ghai ( Sanskrit scholar ), T N Ganjoo ( scholar , astrologer and Indologist ), Noor Mohammad Kitab ( book publisher ) and Jagan Nath Saqi ( radio and theatre artist ).

The book gives the reader some interesting and engaging anecdotes about some highly creative personalities from Kashmir. The author has also included some artists from Jammu province in this compilation. The author succeeds in creating interest in every story with his unique style and gripping narrative which makes his reader not only travel with him but also become a part of the happenings conveyed truthfully and passionately. The one-to-one interviews and many nostalgic memories of the author set the tone and flow for many stories. This tone and flow brings everything alive in a manner that is easily identifiable by his reader. This book is going to prove of immense utility to people who intend to research the "Social Life" of the Kashmir valley. Parvez Dewan (IAS ), author and former Tourism Secretary (Government of India ) 'calls Avtar Mota,’ ”The foremost chronicler of the social history of Kashmir’.

EXCERPT FROM THE ESSAY  "SUSHAM  SHARMA: A LIFE  DEDICATED  TO  THEATRE" .....

And Susham Sharma told me this :-

“ Yes Avtar Ji I have many fond memories of the play based on Ved Rahi’s story “ AALEY “ OR “ CALLINGS “ that I performed in Lahore in 2005 before a mammoth  audience . It was a solo performance. It was based on the tragedy of partition .The play was directed by Deepak Ji, a very talented director of our theatre group. Rangyug or my theatre group was there on an invitation from Madiha Gauhar’s Ajoka theatre. Noted theatre personality M K Raina, classical dancer Sonal Man Singh and Kewal Dhaliwal from Amritsar had also been invited. If I remember correctly, it was what they said “PANJ PAANI THEATRE FESTIVAL“at Lahore. In fact Madiha had come to Jammu with her troupe and performed a well scripted play “BULLA“at Abhinav theatre. During that time, she had a detailed interaction with us at Rangyug. She also watched us perform some plays .That was the meeting point .For me, the Lahore trip remains unforgettable to this day. At the play venue in Lahore, I came to know that the audience included many Dogri speaking elders who had migrated to Pakistan from Mast Garh, Sarajaan Di Dakki and other localities of Jammu city .The nostalgia made many eyes moist. I could feel the sighs of the audience and the satisfying thunderous applause in between while I performed. And when the play was over, the doyen of theatre in this subcontinent, Late Uzra Butt walked up to the stage and hugged me. I vividly remember her words, “You did a great job Beta. It was electrifying.” Those words still reverberate in my ears. Liaqat Jafri Ji and Ravinder Kaul Ji also were in our troupe. Ravinder Kaul introduced us to the Pakistani audience in a very emotional style quoting Ali Sardar Jafri’s immortal lines:-

“Tum aao gulshan e Lahore se chaman bardosh, 

Hum aayein subah e Banaras ki roshini lekar, 

Himalya ki hawaaon ki taazigi lekar,

Aur oss ke baad yeh poochhein ki kaun dushamn hai? “ .

( Avtar Mota )

CHINAR SHADE by Autarmota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.

Based on a work at http:\\autarmota.blogspot.com\.