Kolkata: The West Bengal Urdu Academy has postponed a four-day festival that was scheduled to celebrate the contribution of Urdu to Hindi cinema. The event, titled Urdu in Hindi Cinema, was to begin on August 31 and continue till September 3.
The decision came hours before the inaugural session. In an official statement, Academy Secretary Nuzhat Zainab said the programme was being put off due to “unavoidable circumstances.” She did not give any further explanation.
Sources indicated that the state government intervened after some Islamic organisations objected to the presence of lyricist Javed Akhtar, who was invited as a guest. The groups, including Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind and the Wahyain Foundation, expressed reservations over Akhtar’s public identification as an atheist. The government was reportedly keen to avoid any potential tension in an election year and decided to postpone the programme rather than disinvite him.
Organisers said the event was planned as a rare cultural initiative highlighting Urdu’s role in shaping the songs, dialogues, and scripts of popular Hindi films. Besides Akhtar, noted filmmaker Muzaffar Ali was also scheduled to participate.
Ghazala Yasmin, member of the Academy’s governing body and faculty at Aliah University, said that efforts would continue to ensure the event takes place later with wider participation and outreach. The Academy has not announced a new date but assured that the celebration of Urdu’s literary and cultural excellence will go ahead at a more suitable time.
