Lahore: Veteran actor Shabana Azmi and her husband Javed Akhtar participated in the 4th International Faiz Festival held in Pakistan
The three-day festival, which started on Friday, is being held at Alhamra Arts Council in Lahore.
In the inaugural session, 'Kaifi Aur Faiz', Azmi remembered her parents, stage actor Shaukat Azmi and poet Kaifi Azmi, and how they met at a mushaira in Feb 1947 at Hyderabad that marked the start of their romance.
"Our house, though a small one, was an assembling place of literary giants such as Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Josh Malihabadi and Firaq Gorakhpuri. Though I did not understand poetry but the atmosphere of those sittings used to be great," she recalled.
She said during her childhood her family lived in a place which was the hub of the members of the Communist Party of India.
"There was a small room in which we used to live. The red flag of the Communist Party was part and parcel of that building."
She also talked about Kaifi's writing process of film songs and said a track of her film "Arth", "Koi Ye Kaisay Bataey Keh Who Tanha Kiun Ha", was written by her father in simple language but it had deep meanings.
Azmi said ideology of both the poets -- Faiz and Kaifi -- was the same.
"Both were humanitarian, loved human beings and had great tolerance level," she added.
Her husband, Javed Akhtar, recited his poems - "Waqt", "Naya Hukmnama" and "Ansoo", while she crooned Faiz's famous poem, "Bol Keh Lab Azad Hain Teray".
Faiz's daughter Salima Hashmi said, "Faiz's big wish was to become a test cricketer and to make films. He succeeded in making films, 'Jago Hua Savera' and 'Dur Hai Sukh Ka Gaon', but the latter could not be completed."
After attending the session, the veteran actor left for India via Wagah Border. Akhtar will leave for India on Sunday after attending the programme 'Sunany waloon kay naam (for those who listen)'.
