What do you think?
Rate this book
Rasidi Ticket
Autobiography By Amrita Pritam
148 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1976
264 people are currently reading
3328 people want to read
About the author
Amrita Pritam
370 books467 followersAmrita Pritam (Punjabi: ਅਮ੍ਰਿਤਾ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਮ, امرتا پریتم ) was considered the first prominent woman Punjabi poet, novelist, and essayist. She was the leading 20th-century poet of the Punjabi language, who is equally loved on both the sides of the India-Pakistan border. With a career spanning over six decades, she produced over 100 books, of poetry, fiction, biographies, essays, a collection of Punjabi folk songs and an autobiography that were translated into several Indian and foreign languages.
She is most remembered for her poignant poem, Aj Aakhaan Waris Shah Nu (Today I invoke Waris Shah - "Ode to Waris Shah"), an elegy to the 18th-century Punjabi poet in which she expressed her anguish over massacres during the partition of India in 1947. As a novelist, her most noted work was Pinjar (The Skeleton) (1950), in which she created her memorable character, Puro and depicted loss of humanity and ultimate surrender to existential fate. The novel was made into an award-winning eponymous film in 2003.
When British India was partitioned into the independent states of India and Pakistan in 1947, she migrated from Lahore to India, though she remained equally popular in Pakistan throughout her life, as compared to her contemporaries like Mohan Singh and Shiv Kumar Batalvi.
Known as the most important voice for the women in Punjabi literature, in 1956, she became the first woman to win the Sahitya Akademi Award for her magnum opus, a long poem, Sunehe (Messages). She received the Bhartiya Jnanpith, one of India's highest literary awards in 1982 for Kagaz Te Canvas (The Paper and the Canvas). The Padma Shri came her way in 1969 and finally, Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian award in 2004, and in the same year she was honoured with India's highest literary award, given by the Sahitya Akademi (India's Academy of Letters), the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship given to the "immortals of literature" for lifetime achievement.
She is most remembered for her poignant poem, Aj Aakhaan Waris Shah Nu (Today I invoke Waris Shah - "Ode to Waris Shah"), an elegy to the 18th-century Punjabi poet in which she expressed her anguish over massacres during the partition of India in 1947. As a novelist, her most noted work was Pinjar (The Skeleton) (1950), in which she created her memorable character, Puro and depicted loss of humanity and ultimate surrender to existential fate. The novel was made into an award-winning eponymous film in 2003.
When British India was partitioned into the independent states of India and Pakistan in 1947, she migrated from Lahore to India, though she remained equally popular in Pakistan throughout her life, as compared to her contemporaries like Mohan Singh and Shiv Kumar Batalvi.
Known as the most important voice for the women in Punjabi literature, in 1956, she became the first woman to win the Sahitya Akademi Award for her magnum opus, a long poem, Sunehe (Messages). She received the Bhartiya Jnanpith, one of India's highest literary awards in 1982 for Kagaz Te Canvas (The Paper and the Canvas). The Padma Shri came her way in 1969 and finally, Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian award in 2004, and in the same year she was honoured with India's highest literary award, given by the Sahitya Akademi (India's Academy of Letters), the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship given to the "immortals of literature" for lifetime achievement.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews
August 7, 2013
The book begins like any regular book with amrita pritam “resurrecting time” i.e. narrating her story from the beginning (from her parents ‘premarriage’ days). And in 39 pages encapsulates 41 years of her life highlighting certain events of her personal life as well as the socio-political situation. Till here the book is quite interesting however by the end of the mentioned section she decides to do some ‘people-thrashing’, mainly from the world of ‘Punjabi’ literature (she chooses the word ‘contemporaries’) who have been unfair to her mainly out of jealousy or one lame reason or the other, one of the major being her reputation as an enchantress (though she assures us that it is completely baseless, however married men and bachelors alike can’t help falling for her ). Initially it was a strong sense of sympathy that I felt but soon enough the entire thing started getting on my nerve. She devotes the next section to ‘literary/cultural exchanges’ i.e. places she visited as a writer representing India, her books that got translated and the ones she translated etcetera. This section apart from the difficult names is very interesting. However shedecides to return to ‘people thrashing’ again in the next part (actually she does it every now and then) and she sways between being subtle and outright mercurial. She also returns to another aspect of her life regularly, Sahir (the love of her life) and Imroz (her life partner) and Sajjad (it’s a ‘complex’ friendship) in that order. The poor first husband Pritam, like her daughter hardly finds any mention in the book. The relationship she shared with these three men are profound and each in its own way very beautiful however Amritaji like many other things overdwells on Sahir a bit too much, she can’t stop gushing about him till a point comes when one starts to think it’s an eulogy on ‘love’s labour lost’ and not an autobiography on amrita pritam. However after Sahir’s death the void left by him is taken up by(and surprisingly so) none-other-than our then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Amrita also indulges in moral and philosophical topic throughout the book, the philosophical part ranges from amateur to fathomable to incongruous to abstruse to plain rambling where as her sense of morality is flexible and she is not one to follow the inane rigid social systems, she values honesty and truth over everything else. Perhaps the best part of the book is the writer herself and the dedication and love she has towards art in general and her art( the metaphor of the pen is used numerous times and beautifully, in fact it is her pen is the only ‘thing’ she wants beside her when she dies) in particular. She goes into detailed description of this art, which for her is madness, divine, dreamlike and mundane all at the same time. It is in fact what(according to her) has helped her live through all the crests and troughs of life. No doubt she is an artist par excellence. This is my first encounter with her work however the snippets of her work that impregnates her autobiography are proof of spectacular literally endeavour. I look forward to reading more of her work.
March 8, 2018
مصنفہ کی یہ کتاب جو مجھے ان کے سب ناول اور کہانیاں پڑھ کہ پڑھنی چاہیے تھی میں نے سب سے پہلے پڑھ لی شاید برسوں بعد اس کو دوبارہ پڑھوں کیونکہ۔
مجھے تیسری بار بھی امرتا سے محبت ہو رہی ہے وہ محبت جس میں کشش ، حسن سے بھی ذیادہ ہے عجیب کشش ہے جو ایک ادیب کو ادیبہ سے ہوتی ہے یا جزبات کا سراب ہے جس میں عمر کی کوئی قید نہیں
امرتا جب لکھتی ہے تو یادوں کے خمار کی بھینی بھینی خشبو میں لکھتی ہے جس میں نہ تو مکمل ڈوبتی ہے نہ ہی سرآب ہوتی ہے۔۔۔۔یادوں کے مہین سفر میں ملکوں کے سیر کرتے ہوئے ماضی میں جانا اور اسے حال میں لانا خوب آتا ہے گو سب کچھ آپ کے سامنے ہو رہا ہے
کچھ خواب ہیں دھندلے جس کو امرتا پوری زندگی پورا کرنا چاہتی تھی ان میں سے اک خواب ساحر ہے کچھ حسرتیں ،کچھ شکوے ،کچھ خواب میں خواب اور کچھ خصوط جن میں حیا کی سی لزت اور درد شامل ہے سب سے بڑھ کے وہ ان گنے چنے لوگوں میں سے ہے جو محبت اور شادی کو الگ الگ تصور کرتے ہیں
مجھے تیسری بار بھی امرتا سے محبت ہو رہی ہے وہ محبت جس میں کشش ، حسن سے بھی ذیادہ ہے عجیب کشش ہے جو ایک ادیب کو ادیبہ سے ہوتی ہے یا جزبات کا سراب ہے جس میں عمر کی کوئی قید نہیں
امرتا جب لکھتی ہے تو یادوں کے خمار کی بھینی بھینی خشبو میں لکھتی ہے جس میں نہ تو مکمل ڈوبتی ہے نہ ہی سرآب ہوتی ہے۔۔۔۔یادوں کے مہین سفر میں ملکوں کے سیر کرتے ہوئے ماضی میں جانا اور اسے حال میں لانا خوب آتا ہے گو سب کچھ آپ کے سامنے ہو رہا ہے
کچھ خواب ہیں دھندلے جس کو امرتا پوری زندگی پورا کرنا چاہتی تھی ان میں سے اک خواب ساحر ہے کچھ حسرتیں ،کچھ شکوے ،کچھ خواب میں خواب اور کچھ خصوط جن میں حیا کی سی لزت اور درد شامل ہے سب سے بڑھ کے وہ ان گنے چنے لوگوں میں سے ہے جو محبت اور شادی کو الگ الگ تصور کرتے ہیں
January 4, 2019
This is a collection of her diary pages, a few of her poems, and analysis of what used to appear in her dreams. Felt like the skeleton of an autobiography, published while "in progress".
Heavy on prose and beautiful usage of Hindi, it lacked content to establish her relationships before delving further into what she thought of those relationships. (Not even her first husband and their divorce!) After midway, felt irked by the numerous appearances of her dreams and their detailed descriptions. The author also revealed these dreams were documented while she was consulting a psychiatrist in her early years. A few other sections were lifted as paragraphs from her travel diary.
So whatever material was available with her got published without any additional efforts.
Would love to read if another edition is published completing "fill in the blanks".
Will read her novel Pinjar, because the movie was awesome!
Overall: Not recommended. Could be read as an addendum to a biography.
P.S.: Secret Santa gift of 2018 :)
Heavy on prose and beautiful usage of Hindi, it lacked content to establish her relationships before delving further into what she thought of those relationships. (Not even her first husband and their divorce!) After midway, felt irked by the numerous appearances of her dreams and their detailed descriptions. The author also revealed these dreams were documented while she was consulting a psychiatrist in her early years. A few other sections were lifted as paragraphs from her travel diary.
So whatever material was available with her got published without any additional efforts.
Would love to read if another edition is published completing "fill in the blanks".
Will read her novel Pinjar, because the movie was awesome!
Overall: Not recommended. Could be read as an addendum to a biography.
P.S.: Secret Santa gift of 2018 :)
Read
April 22, 2014My lifetime favorite....Zindagi ki kahani itani si hai...ek rasidi ticket ke peechhe bhi likho toh kaafi hai...!
April 21, 2022
ಲಡಾಯಿ ಇತ್ಯಾದಿ ಕೆಲವು ಪ್ರಕಾಶನದ ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳ ಕೊಳ್ಳಬಾರದು ಎಂಬ ನಿರ್ಧಾರ. ಒಂದು ಅವರ ರಾಜಕೀಯ ಪ್ರೊಪಗಾಂಡಕ್ಕಾಗೇ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ತರುವ ರೀತಿ. ಇನ್ನೊಂದು ಅದೇ ಸವಕಲು ವಿಷಯಗಳ ಚರ್ವಿತ ಚರ್ವಣ ನಿರೂಪಣೆ. ಕನ್ನಡ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯಿಕ ಜಗತ್ತನ್ನು ಮುಂದೆ ಹೋಗದಂತೆ ತಡೆಯುತ್ತಿರುವುದರಲ್ಲಿ ಇಂತಹ ಪ್ರಕಾಶನಗಳ ಪಾತ್ರ ಬಹಳಷ್ಟಿದೆ.
ಅನುವಾದ ನನಗೆ ಅಷ್ಟು ಹಿಡಿಸಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಅತಿಯಾದ ಭಾವುಕತೆಯ ಹಳೇ ಬಟ್ಟೆ ಹಿಂಡಿದ ಹಾಗಿರುವ ಅನುವಾದ.
ಅನುವಾದ ನನಗೆ ಅಷ್ಟು ಹಿಡಿಸಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಅತಿಯಾದ ಭಾವುಕತೆಯ ಹಳೇ ಬಟ್ಟೆ ಹಿಂಡಿದ ಹಾಗಿರುವ ಅನುವಾದ.
June 14, 2014
Raseedi Ticket is a sort of an autobiography of Amrita Pritam. She keeps to the chronology of events more or less. Her story is laid out in a series of episodes that she feels were important in her life. So we hear about how her mother married her father, the genesis of her name, her mother's death, her disillusionment with god at that moment, why she took to writing, when she first met Sahir etc.
Although it does not read like a cohesive story, we do get an idea of what her life was like. She speaks about her relationship with Sahir, her relationship with the Pakistani writer Sajjad Haider and of course, her dream companion, Imroz. She recounts episodes in her life featuring these men. She is completely honest about how she feels about them, and gives out no sleazy details, just as it should be.
She recounts an incident about Haider. One day at a party Haider was offered a plate of Imarti rather pointedly. His hostess was obviously trying to make a joke about his relationship with Amrita, playing on the similarity between 'Imarti' and 'Amrita'. When the hostess offered the plate of Imarti again, Haider said 'The one you are trying to refer to here, I love her and adore her.' That shut the hostess up.
Then she writes about the incident that gave birth of a lovely song. One evening, after her affair with Sahir was long over, she went with Imroz to see him. They sat till long in the evening, drinking whiskey. After they left, Sahir could not sleep and spent the night drinking pouring whiskey into the three glasses by turn and drinking. That night he wrote his beautiful nazm which were later used in the film "Dooj Ka Chand".
Mehfil se uth jaane walon
tum logon par kya ilzaam
Tum abaad gharon ke wasi
Main awara aur badnaam
mere saathi khali jaam
There are chapters devoted to her dreams and how she believes they are an omen and often a solution to the problems she faced at the time. Her spirituality was eclectic. She believed in Sikhism, sufis of various types, sadhus and sants who were rumoured to have special powers.
She is true to herself as a woman, and believes in telling the truth as she knows it. The few poems and nazms that she showcases in the book are breathtaking. She tells about how she got inspiration to write her famous poem "Ajj Akhan Waris Shah noon". She also talks about the acclaim the poem received all over. In Pakistan, where there is a special festival takes place on the theme of Waris Shah, her poem is recited and enacted to.
Her other poem, "Mata Tripta Da Sapna", ran afoul of the Sikh clergy. They were mortified that anyone could write so about the mother of Guru Nanak. Amrita says that one winter night, she got a phone call from her son. She had run out of a warm razai to hear the phone. Exchanging a few words with her son made her feel warm all over. She remembered what it was like carrying this child in her womb. She was an ordinary woman bearing an ordinary child. What did Mata Tripta feel like carrying a divine baby like Guru Nanak?
She also writes a heartfelt ode to her constant companion Imroz. He gave her space and provided support to her always.
Amrita's prose is poetic and full of metaphors and imagery. I have read some books of hers in the past, but I am afraid I remember little of those. I really need to get a book of her poems and some novels.
It is rather a coincidence that I ordered a book called Women who run with the Wolves, and then read books by authors like Ismat Chugtai, Krishna Sobti and Amrita Pritam. These are women who ran with the wolves. They did not care for the slots that the society had created for women. Their lives and their literature were firmly on the side of women who walked on the wild side.
In their age and times they spoke up for all kinds of women. Most of all, they sympathised with the women who were shunned by the genteel people.
"Within each woman there lives a powerful force, filled with good instincts, passionate creativity, and ageless knowing. She is the Wild Woman, who represents the instinctual nature of women."
The quote is from the Estes' book, Women who run with the Wolves. In my mind, Chugtai, Pritam and Sobti (and other authors who are ranked right up there with them) were those kind of women. Maybe because of the support they got from their socialist ideology, or from the forum of like-minded people, or their natural instincts, these women broke the societal barriers with their writings.
These women deserve to be read over and over again, and no book lover should have to travel too far to find a book written by them.
Although it does not read like a cohesive story, we do get an idea of what her life was like. She speaks about her relationship with Sahir, her relationship with the Pakistani writer Sajjad Haider and of course, her dream companion, Imroz. She recounts episodes in her life featuring these men. She is completely honest about how she feels about them, and gives out no sleazy details, just as it should be.
She recounts an incident about Haider. One day at a party Haider was offered a plate of Imarti rather pointedly. His hostess was obviously trying to make a joke about his relationship with Amrita, playing on the similarity between 'Imarti' and 'Amrita'. When the hostess offered the plate of Imarti again, Haider said 'The one you are trying to refer to here, I love her and adore her.' That shut the hostess up.
Then she writes about the incident that gave birth of a lovely song. One evening, after her affair with Sahir was long over, she went with Imroz to see him. They sat till long in the evening, drinking whiskey. After they left, Sahir could not sleep and spent the night drinking pouring whiskey into the three glasses by turn and drinking. That night he wrote his beautiful nazm which were later used in the film "Dooj Ka Chand".
Mehfil se uth jaane walon
tum logon par kya ilzaam
Tum abaad gharon ke wasi
Main awara aur badnaam
mere saathi khali jaam
There are chapters devoted to her dreams and how she believes they are an omen and often a solution to the problems she faced at the time. Her spirituality was eclectic. She believed in Sikhism, sufis of various types, sadhus and sants who were rumoured to have special powers.
She is true to herself as a woman, and believes in telling the truth as she knows it. The few poems and nazms that she showcases in the book are breathtaking. She tells about how she got inspiration to write her famous poem "Ajj Akhan Waris Shah noon". She also talks about the acclaim the poem received all over. In Pakistan, where there is a special festival takes place on the theme of Waris Shah, her poem is recited and enacted to.
Her other poem, "Mata Tripta Da Sapna", ran afoul of the Sikh clergy. They were mortified that anyone could write so about the mother of Guru Nanak. Amrita says that one winter night, she got a phone call from her son. She had run out of a warm razai to hear the phone. Exchanging a few words with her son made her feel warm all over. She remembered what it was like carrying this child in her womb. She was an ordinary woman bearing an ordinary child. What did Mata Tripta feel like carrying a divine baby like Guru Nanak?
She also writes a heartfelt ode to her constant companion Imroz. He gave her space and provided support to her always.
Amrita's prose is poetic and full of metaphors and imagery. I have read some books of hers in the past, but I am afraid I remember little of those. I really need to get a book of her poems and some novels.
It is rather a coincidence that I ordered a book called Women who run with the Wolves, and then read books by authors like Ismat Chugtai, Krishna Sobti and Amrita Pritam. These are women who ran with the wolves. They did not care for the slots that the society had created for women. Their lives and their literature were firmly on the side of women who walked on the wild side.
In their age and times they spoke up for all kinds of women. Most of all, they sympathised with the women who were shunned by the genteel people.
"Within each woman there lives a powerful force, filled with good instincts, passionate creativity, and ageless knowing. She is the Wild Woman, who represents the instinctual nature of women."
The quote is from the Estes' book, Women who run with the Wolves. In my mind, Chugtai, Pritam and Sobti (and other authors who are ranked right up there with them) were those kind of women. Maybe because of the support they got from their socialist ideology, or from the forum of like-minded people, or their natural instincts, these women broke the societal barriers with their writings.
These women deserve to be read over and over again, and no book lover should have to travel too far to find a book written by them.
August 19, 2018
First Admission: If a Punjabi, may be the rating would have gone high. The reason is that even in the translation (translated by Krishna Gorowara) there were many passages that read like poetry. I can only imagine to what poetic heights the original version would have taken the Punjabi readers.
Second Admission: The reader should have been very much acquainted with the writings of Amrita Pritam and the landscape of Punjabi literature of her times. In most of the places, there are references to many of her novels, shorts stories and poems. Being equipped with just the four of her novellas, I could not relish most of her lovely rambles about her works. But the references to whatever I have read by her, opened the possibility for new insights. The novellas shone all the more high.
Also she rants much about the criticism of her contemporaries. Amrita was obviously a controversial figure - She had married at an early age and after mothering two kids she divorced (divorce was seen to be an evil in the traditional Sikh society of her times). What more she openly expressed her love for a fellow poet (a Muslim). Though she never married she always expressed openly about her love for this man. Later she chose a ma (another Muslim) who was eight years younger than her to be her partner. Besides accusing her of promiscuity Amrita also smoked and drank alcohol. In a traditional society a woman engaging in such activities resembled a woman of loose character. Only from her rant we come to know to what extent she had been sullied in the Punjab literary circles. One who followed regularly Amrita and her writings would appreciate such rants or would be in a better position to understand her.
Third Admission: From the jottings one gets the idea that Amrita was a voracious reader. She read world literature. She quotes many writers from around the globe. It is only natural because she had the desire to translate at least five poems and stories from whichever country she visited. And she visited quite a many of them.
Fourth Admission: There were also many of her translated poems. Some of them shone well. Some others did not hit the bull's eye. Or at least that is how it seemed to me. Obviously, in the original her poems (she is widely acknowledged for her poems) might have sounded original and local. In translation, it somehow lost its sheen.
Second Admission: The reader should have been very much acquainted with the writings of Amrita Pritam and the landscape of Punjabi literature of her times. In most of the places, there are references to many of her novels, shorts stories and poems. Being equipped with just the four of her novellas, I could not relish most of her lovely rambles about her works. But the references to whatever I have read by her, opened the possibility for new insights. The novellas shone all the more high.
Also she rants much about the criticism of her contemporaries. Amrita was obviously a controversial figure - She had married at an early age and after mothering two kids she divorced (divorce was seen to be an evil in the traditional Sikh society of her times). What more she openly expressed her love for a fellow poet (a Muslim). Though she never married she always expressed openly about her love for this man. Later she chose a ma (another Muslim) who was eight years younger than her to be her partner. Besides accusing her of promiscuity Amrita also smoked and drank alcohol. In a traditional society a woman engaging in such activities resembled a woman of loose character. Only from her rant we come to know to what extent she had been sullied in the Punjab literary circles. One who followed regularly Amrita and her writings would appreciate such rants or would be in a better position to understand her.
Third Admission: From the jottings one gets the idea that Amrita was a voracious reader. She read world literature. She quotes many writers from around the globe. It is only natural because she had the desire to translate at least five poems and stories from whichever country she visited. And she visited quite a many of them.
Fourth Admission: There were also many of her translated poems. Some of them shone well. Some others did not hit the bull's eye. Or at least that is how it seemed to me. Obviously, in the original her poems (she is widely acknowledged for her poems) might have sounded original and local. In translation, it somehow lost its sheen.
December 2, 2023
Rasidi Ticket by Amrita Pritam is the collection of her important life events. Although it is touted as her biography, the stories do not follow the chronology. Pritam has written about events which touched her and shaped her personality. Through these anecdotes, you come to know about various facets of her personality- her longing for Sahir, her relationship with Imroz, her hopes, her ideologies etc. The way she has described each and every event leaves an impression on your mind. I personally felt a little underwhelmed while reading the book. It could be because I expected a lot from the book. But it is definitely a one-time read.
August 31, 2011
Also, saw a M. S. Saathyu play based on this book. Play was ok - to me both narrative and the lead actress did not do the justice. They made Amrita seem like a woman who spent all her life in longing and despair of the unattainable.(The book mentions Sahir only about twice or thrice but play pays too much attention to Sahir.) Though love, longing and despair were true - but Amrita's life is much more than that. She was woman who lived on her terms in an age where it was hard to. She was a great writer - try reading 'Pinjar' in original - how words can twist your heart, you can learn from there. Amrita was very well-travelled for her time - as a writer she travelled Europe, Asia and so many other countries that may be dots on world map but are indelible marks in world literature.
In the book, you learn about her friendships, relationships interspersed with her verses and thoughts on some characters. Book is actually a collection of snippets from her life. The book title means 'revenue stamp' - it has a famous story behind. Khushwant Singh had told her that your life story can be written on the back of a revenue stamp. As it turned out, Amrita's memoir was one of the most translated books.
Two of her famous poems that I love are 'Ajj aakhan waaris shah noo kiton qabran vichon bol!' and 'mein tennu fir milengi'.
P.S - Khushwant Singh later translated Amrita Pritam's 'Pinjar' and I also found a rude, uncharitable obituary of Amrita Pritam (only one of such kind) by him in Outlook - http://www.outlookindia.com/article.a... It is highly amusing.
In the book, you learn about her friendships, relationships interspersed with her verses and thoughts on some characters. Book is actually a collection of snippets from her life. The book title means 'revenue stamp' - it has a famous story behind. Khushwant Singh had told her that your life story can be written on the back of a revenue stamp. As it turned out, Amrita's memoir was one of the most translated books.
Two of her famous poems that I love are 'Ajj aakhan waaris shah noo kiton qabran vichon bol!' and 'mein tennu fir milengi'.
P.S - Khushwant Singh later translated Amrita Pritam's 'Pinjar' and I also found a rude, uncharitable obituary of Amrita Pritam (only one of such kind) by him in Outlook - http://www.outlookindia.com/article.a... It is highly amusing.
January 5, 2019
Perennially incorrect Khushwant Singh had once allegedly quipped that Amrita Pritam’s life story is so small, it can be written at the back of a revenue stamp and this book is Amrita Pritam’s response to his sarcasm and thus it is titled - Raseedi Ticket.
And what a life-story this is. Read in Hindi, this is a roller coaster ride and covers her life with Sahir &
Imroze and other men and women in her life.
Pick this beauty in Punjabi or Hindi and may this book change you as well.
And what a life-story this is. Read in Hindi, this is a roller coaster ride and covers her life with Sahir &
Imroze and other men and women in her life.
Pick this beauty in Punjabi or Hindi and may this book change you as well.
Read
April 22, 2014I have researched on this book with a perspective on women writer's predicament in telling the truth of their lives via autobiography....!It is an ideal narration of a girl-child's growth and emergence into a revolutionary thinker and protest writer.
September 5, 2019
Khushwant Singh once told Amrita Pritam that the story of her life was so tiny that it could be written at the back of a revenue stamp which is also called Raseedi Ticket in Hindi. Today, I completed her autobiography 'Raseedi Ticket'.
Reading about Amrita's life and her love for Sahir was like living her life and experiencing all sort of emotions she experienced in her life as a child, lover and an author.
Reading about Amrita's life and her love for Sahir was like living her life and experiencing all sort of emotions she experienced in her life as a child, lover and an author.
March 1, 2020
Amrita Pritam is not just a good writer but the life she led in the time she lived is also inspiring for a lot. Her life and her memories are there in this book. The context of the novels and poems she has written are in this book. She too has mentioned how certain characters came into existence and so on.
Imagine a woman married with two kids in a relationship with a 6 year younger man longing for another man in the 60s or 70s in conservative Indian society. Yes, Amrita Pritam lived that life. Miroj was 6 years younger than Amrita and Sahir Ludhyanwi was the man she longed for while she was in a relationship with Miroj.
Raseedi Ticket is a reply Amrita wrote to the person who claimed that Amrita's life story can fit in a small-sized Train Ticket (Raseedi Ticket). It's an amazing read.
Imagine a woman married with two kids in a relationship with a 6 year younger man longing for another man in the 60s or 70s in conservative Indian society. Yes, Amrita Pritam lived that life. Miroj was 6 years younger than Amrita and Sahir Ludhyanwi was the man she longed for while she was in a relationship with Miroj.
Raseedi Ticket is a reply Amrita wrote to the person who claimed that Amrita's life story can fit in a small-sized Train Ticket (Raseedi Ticket). It's an amazing read.
April 22, 2018
Amrita has written her storey with not much details but enough for the reader to know her feelings, passions, disappointments, love, tragedies, political ideology, refusal to submit to society norms, nurturing and maternal side to her all which celebrates her womanhood. She truly is proud to be a woman, proud to love deeply, proud to rebel and not afraid to express herself. She has encouraged me to read more of her stories and write again.
September 26, 2020
वर्तमान सामाजिक रूल्स को लांघने के लिए बहुत ऊँची कूद की जरुरत होती है। जो इस ऊँची कूद के लिए दौड़ लगाते हैं वे चोट-चपेट लगते-लगवाते एक नई ऊँचाई को छू लेते हैं। अब प्रश्न ये है कि ऐसी दौड़ कौन लगाता है ?
या तो वो जिसे वर्तमान समाज / परिवार ने एकदम से दमघोंटू माहौल में डाल दिया हो या फिर जिसमें एक अल्हड़ फ़क़ीरपना हो या फिर वो जो साधना से उन चीजों को देख पाता है जिसे उस वक्त के लोग नहीं देख पा रहे हों।
अमृता प्रीतम जी की व्यक्तिगत कहानी कुछ ऐसी-ही प्रतीत होती है।
उनके पेरेंट्स के एन्ड से देखें तो उनका जीवन भी एक आम मध्यमवर्गीय सामाजिक ढांचे से हट कर था। उनकी बुआ की कहानी भी। अमृता को गढ़ने वाली हवा और मिट्टी कई रंगतों के रहे होंगे। और इन बाह्य चीजों के साथ-साथ उनकी अपनी आंतरिक प्रतिभा का योगदान। ऐसे लोग अपने अंदर भी अपने आप से जल्दी एक साम्य नहीं बिठा पाते। इस आंतरिक बवंडर से उत्पन्न मनोस्थिति को अक्सरहां एक कुशल मनोचिकित्सक के सहायता की आवश्यकता पड़ ही जाती है। लेकिन चोटिल होते, गिरते-पड़ते ये वर्तमान बॉउंड्री को फांद ही लेते हैं और उस ऊंचाई से जिन चीजों को देख-समझ पाते हैं वो एक आम मध्यमवर्गीय समाज के द्वारा बनाये गए सही और गलत की परिभाषा के परे होता है।
अमृता प्रीतम का नाम आते ही लोगों के ध्यान में उनकी आत्मकथा रसीदी टिकट और उनके जीवन के दो पुरुष ही ध्यान में आते हैं।
रसीदी टिकट तो एक पतली सी पुस्तिका है। लेखिका ने खुद ही बाद के संस्करण में इसे ट्रिम कर दिया है; कई लोगों का नाम इसलिए हटा दिया क्योंकि उन्हें अहसाह हुआ कि इन सब का ज़िक्र गैर-जरुरी है।
मुझे इस पतली पुस्तक में जो काम की चीज़ लगी, वो है --- उनके बाकि कृतियों की जानकारी और उनके लिखे जाने की पृष्ठभूमि की थोड़ी जानकारी। लेखिका के व्यक्तिगत जीवन के बारे में पढ़कर मेरा एक ही रिमार्क होगा --- "अच्छा ! ऐसा भी होता है !"
ऑटोबायोग्राफी से शत-प्रतिशत ईमानदारी की उम्मीद रखना कुछ ज्यादा-ही उम्मीद पालने के सामान है। वैसे भी हर व्यक्ति की सच्चाई relative ही है; फ्रेम ऑफ़ रिफरेन्स पर डिपेंड !
इसी पुस्तक से उनकी एक उक्ति यहाँ उद्धरित करना चाहूँगा :- "सोचती हूँ, काश ! मेरी यह किताब भी उन हाथों में न जाए, जिन्हें इसके एक-एक अक्षर को मिट्टी में लथेड़ना है।"
नोट : ऐसे "घोड़े" की कहानी देख-सुन कर अगर एक "नकलची गधा" भी दिवार फांदने को दौड़ लगाये तो वो बस बार-बार दिवार से टकराकर अपनी दुर्गति ही कराएगा।
रेटिंग : साढ़े तीन बटे पाँच।
या तो वो जिसे वर्तमान समाज / परिवार ने एकदम से दमघोंटू माहौल में डाल दिया हो या फिर जिसमें एक अल्हड़ फ़क़ीरपना हो या फिर वो जो साधना से उन चीजों को देख पाता है जिसे उस वक्त के लोग नहीं देख पा रहे हों।
अमृता प्रीतम जी की व्यक्तिगत कहानी कुछ ऐसी-ही प्रतीत होती है।
उनके पेरेंट्स के एन्ड से देखें तो उनका जीवन भी एक आम मध्यमवर्गीय सामाजिक ढांचे से हट कर था। उनकी बुआ की कहानी भी। अमृता को गढ़ने वाली हवा और मिट्टी कई रंगतों के रहे होंगे। और इन बाह्य चीजों के साथ-साथ उनकी अपनी आंतरिक प्रतिभा का योगदान। ऐसे लोग अपने अंदर भी अपने आप से जल्दी एक साम्य नहीं बिठा पाते। इस आंतरिक बवंडर से उत्पन्न मनोस्थिति को अक्सरहां एक कुशल मनोचिकित्सक के सहायता की आवश्यकता पड़ ही जाती है। लेकिन चोटिल होते, गिरते-पड़ते ये वर्तमान बॉउंड्री को फांद ही लेते हैं और उस ऊंचाई से जिन चीजों को देख-समझ पाते हैं वो एक आम मध्यमवर्गीय समाज के द्वारा बनाये गए सही और गलत की परिभाषा के परे होता है।
अमृता प्रीतम का नाम आते ही लोगों के ध्यान में उनकी आत्मकथा रसीदी टिकट और उनके जीवन के दो पुरुष ही ध्यान में आते हैं।
रसीदी टिकट तो एक पतली सी पुस्तिका है। लेखिका ने खुद ही बाद के संस्करण में इसे ट्रिम कर दिया है; कई लोगों का नाम इसलिए हटा दिया क्योंकि उन्हें अहसाह हुआ कि इन सब का ज़िक्र गैर-जरुरी है।
मुझे इस पतली पुस्तक में जो काम की चीज़ लगी, वो है --- उनके बाकि कृतियों की जानकारी और उनके लिखे जाने की पृष्ठभूमि की थोड़ी जानकारी। लेखिका के व्यक्तिगत जीवन के बारे में पढ़कर मेरा एक ही रिमार्क होगा --- "अच्छा ! ऐसा भी होता है !"
ऑटोबायोग्राफी से शत-प्रतिशत ईमानदारी की उम्मीद रखना कुछ ज्यादा-ही उम्मीद पालने के सामान है। वैसे भी हर व्यक्ति की सच्चाई relative ही है; फ्रेम ऑफ़ रिफरेन्स पर डिपेंड !
इसी पुस्तक से उनकी एक उक्ति यहाँ उद्धरित करना चाहूँगा :- "सोचती हूँ, काश ! मेरी यह किताब भी उन हाथों में न जाए, जिन्हें इसके एक-एक अक्षर को मिट्टी में लथेड़ना है।"
नोट : ऐसे "घोड़े" की कहानी देख-सुन कर अगर एक "नकलची गधा" भी दिवार फांदने को दौड़ लगाये तो वो बस बार-बार दिवार से टकराकर अपनी दुर्गति ही कराएगा।
रेटिंग : साढ़े तीन बटे पाँच।
April 28, 2021
निःशब्द
March 6, 2019
This read of mine is inspired by #Soni - a movie recently released on #netflix. Towards the end of movie the senior protagonist gifts this book to Soni to seek inspiration on how women have been fighting the system and are together in a sense across the boundaries of time and age.
I loved the movie but I especially proud of this read of mine as it was in Hindi. We have had some great Indian Writers from different regions of India. Our literature is not yet mainstream though. I believe it is more because of our neglect and being inconsiderate of anything in our own language. We have forgotten to read and write in our own language.
Raseedi Ticket is an autobiography of Amrita Pritam - a female who has taken some really bold steps for her time and for today's time too I believe. This was not only as part of her work but her personal life too. She embodied her work and her life story has also become a poem of hers in a way. I was amazed to read how far and wide Indian literary scene was spread in her own time. The places and people that she talks about are right out of a story book. If the literary scene is still that widespread I know zilch about it. Who are bunch of most soulful and sort after poets of our times? Now the poerty of rare and few soulful songs is all we are left with? I would like to believe more in my ignorance than doubt the richness of our literary talent but I need to look for these people urgently.
Works of Amrita Pritam have seen a lot of bans in her time. I was amazed to know how freedom of speech has always been a powerful weapon and how the people in power try their best to keep it in check. To put in her words “shabd bhi hawa ki hi tarah koi bhi fasla tai jar sakte hain, sheheron k bhi, aur is duniya se us duniya tak k bhi.“
I loved the movie but I especially proud of this read of mine as it was in Hindi. We have had some great Indian Writers from different regions of India. Our literature is not yet mainstream though. I believe it is more because of our neglect and being inconsiderate of anything in our own language. We have forgotten to read and write in our own language.
Raseedi Ticket is an autobiography of Amrita Pritam - a female who has taken some really bold steps for her time and for today's time too I believe. This was not only as part of her work but her personal life too. She embodied her work and her life story has also become a poem of hers in a way. I was amazed to read how far and wide Indian literary scene was spread in her own time. The places and people that she talks about are right out of a story book. If the literary scene is still that widespread I know zilch about it. Who are bunch of most soulful and sort after poets of our times? Now the poerty of rare and few soulful songs is all we are left with? I would like to believe more in my ignorance than doubt the richness of our literary talent but I need to look for these people urgently.
Works of Amrita Pritam have seen a lot of bans in her time. I was amazed to know how freedom of speech has always been a powerful weapon and how the people in power try their best to keep it in check. To put in her words “shabd bhi hawa ki hi tarah koi bhi fasla tai jar sakte hain, sheheron k bhi, aur is duniya se us duniya tak k bhi.“
October 25, 2017
अमृता जी की ये आत्मकथा लिखी तो गई है गद्य रूप में पर पूरी तरह से पद्य का नशा देती है। उन्होंने अपने जीवन की सारी पीड़ाएँ यहाँ खोल के रख दी हैं और उनकी प्यार की कथा भी। अपने जन्म के पूर्व की घटनाओं से शुरुआत करके अमृताजी सारे जीवन की उन घटनाओं का ज़िक्र करती हैं जिन्होंने उनके दिल पर गहरी छाप छोड़ी; चाहे वो उनके माता-पिता हों, या कोई दोस्त, उनका इश्क़ हो या उनके साथी कलमकार, यहाँ तक कि दूसरे मुल्कों के वो शायर और शायरा भी जिनकी ज़ुबान भी अमृता नही समझती पर उनसे एक ज़ाती राब्ता होता है।
इस किताब में अमृता जी के चाहने वालो को एक मौका मिलता है कि बिना किसी दूसरे किरदार के पर्दे के वो सीधे अपनी अमृता से उसकी दिल की सुनें, और उसका दिल दर्द से भरा है। इस किताब के ज़रिए ये दर्द अनायास ही हमारे दिल मे उतर आता है।
मैं बहुत छोटा था जब अमृता जी नही रहीं और अब कहीं जाकर उनका लिखा पड़ता हुं; एक ज़ाती राब्ता हो उनसे जैसे, ऐसा लगता है।
इस किताब में अमृता जी के चाहने वालो को एक मौका मिलता है कि बिना किसी दूसरे किरदार के पर्दे के वो सीधे अपनी अमृता से उसकी दिल की सुनें, और उसका दिल दर्द से भरा है। इस किताब के ज़रिए ये दर्द अनायास ही हमारे दिल मे उतर आता है।
मैं बहुत छोटा था जब अमृता जी नही रहीं और अब कहीं जाकर उनका लिखा पड़ता हुं; एक ज़ाती राब्ता हो उनसे जैसे, ऐसा लगता है।
September 29, 2018
Amrita Pritam is a popular punjabi poet, writer and essayist. Her writing is popular in India and Pakistan. Khushwant Singh told Amrita Pritam that the story of ur life is small and it can be written on the back of a revenue ticket. These ignited her and to write her autobiography. Partition of the country also came in her life time and undergoing this trauma has brought vivid human feeling to her life and writing. She has written about Imroz, her partner who has helped her to develop confidence in life and face challenges head on. She has written about her children who understand her living with Imroz and take life as it is. About Sahir Ludhianvi mention is brief. It is worth reading book.This is worth reading autobiography. A person is easily able to connect with her story.
February 1, 2021
" आधी रोटी ; पूरा चांद - पर उस दिन तक हम दोनों को सपना- सा भी नहीं था कि वक्त आएगा, जब हम दोनों मिलकर जो रोटी कमाएंगे आधी - आधी बांट लेंगे । "
' Raseedi ticket ' is an open, honest expression of the internal dilemmas, feelings, emotions, dreams and not mere exhibit of external events. Reading this book is like opening up an album of pictures and Amrita is the one turning the pages and sharing the anecdotes. The book reads like poetry.
It follows a non-linear style of narration and Amrita deliberately weeds out the 'insignificant events' which includes her relationship with her spouse.
Also, one should be well-versed with her other works in order to get a better insight.
' Raseedi ticket ' is an open, honest expression of the internal dilemmas, feelings, emotions, dreams and not mere exhibit of external events. Reading this book is like opening up an album of pictures and Amrita is the one turning the pages and sharing the anecdotes. The book reads like poetry.
It follows a non-linear style of narration and Amrita deliberately weeds out the 'insignificant events' which includes her relationship with her spouse.
Also, one should be well-versed with her other works in order to get a better insight.
October 29, 2017
Amrita has cut open her heart for the world to see; the heart out of which grow flowers of various forms and memories, a heart which spills out venom and nightmares. You read and an unusual woman, an iconoclast stares back at you and you resonate with her Sahir, you wish for her Imroz. Certain mentions and paragraphs are too intense for the heart to bear out and Raseedi Ticket makes a little home for itself in the loneliest nooks of your incomplete existence; someday like Amrita, I too shall....
September 18, 2017
One of the deepest and most eloquent Urdu books, which has meaning , thoughts and passion. This is what happens when you try to fathom a sea of words in a book of pages!
As the story goes Khushwant Singh once told Amrita Pritam that the story of her life was so inconsequential and tiny that it could be written at the back of a revenue stamp. Keeping this joke in mind, Amrita Pritam penned her autobiography and entitled it 'Raseedi Ticket', or The Revenue Stamp.
As the story goes Khushwant Singh once told Amrita Pritam that the story of her life was so inconsequential and tiny that it could be written at the back of a revenue stamp. Keeping this joke in mind, Amrita Pritam penned her autobiography and entitled it 'Raseedi Ticket', or The Revenue Stamp.
October 9, 2018
Raseedi Ticket (Revenue stamp) is an autobiography of Amrita Pritam. But it isn't in a chronological order, it's like reading her daily journals, letters and interpreting her dreams. Beautifully written, it focuses more on emotions and inner feelings than outer events. Major section of it deals with her love for Sahir and Imroz.
It has references to most of her work and she shares what inspired her to write those particular pieces. It's like an overview of all her works.
It has references to most of her work and she shares what inspired her to write those particular pieces. It's like an overview of all her works.
October 21, 2015
امرتا پریتم کی پہلی کتاب پڑھی ..امید ہے ان کی سوانح حیات سے ان کی مزید تحاریر سمجھنے میں آسانی ہو گی __
جا بجا بہت شکوے کئے اپنے ہم عصر پنجابی ادیبوں اور شعرا کے روئیوں کی لیکن ادبی لحاظ سے ایک منفرد تحریر تھی _
جا بجا بہت شکوے کئے اپنے ہم عصر پنجابی ادیبوں اور شعرا کے روئیوں کی لیکن ادبی لحاظ سے ایک منفرد تحریر تھی _
August 16, 2015
"आज एक तारा गिरता हुआ देखा, वह विश्वास का तारा था।"
Amazing, a life that was way ahead of times. Emotions so deep that one cannot help getting lost in it.
After a long time read a book in a single sitting ..
Amazing, a life that was way ahead of times. Emotions so deep that one cannot help getting lost in it.
After a long time read a book in a single sitting ..
January 9, 2022
Not liked it . No coherency in chapters , doesn't fit into a autobiographical frame.
November 17, 2022
आत्मकथा पढ़ने का एक अलग आनंद है. जब कभी हम आत्मकथा पढ़ने बैठते हैं तो एक बना बनाया ढांचा दिमाग में होता है. लिखने वाले का बाल्यकाल, किशोरावस्था, शिक्षा, कर्मजीवन, निजी-जीवन, कुछ असफलताएँ, कुछ पछतावे और अंततः कुछ उपलब्धियाँ. लेकिन अमृता प्रीतम ने अपना पूरा जीवन ही किसी तय किये हुए ढांचे में नहीं जिया तो उनकी आत्मकथा लाज़िम है कि ऐसे किसी भी ढांचे से बाहर होनी ही थी.
अमृता जी की लेखनी में पद्य और गद्य का अद्भुत समागम है. कब वो बात करते करते कविता कहने लगतीं हैं और कब कविता के बीच कोई गहरी बात कह जाती हैं ये समझना कठिन है. रसीदी टिकट एक ऐसी ही गद्य रचना है जिसमें कविता का रस है. ये आत्मकथा कालक्रमबद्ध नहीं है. कभी बचपन की बातों के बीच इमरोज़ आ जाते हैं, और कभी साहिर की बातों के बीच पुराने सपने. अमृता जी के पूरे जीवन के बारे में जानने से ज़्यादा उनके अधूरे हिस्सों को जानने की किताब है रसीदी टिकट. ये जितना कहती है, उससे ज़्यादा छुपा ले जाती है.
लेकिन मेरे ख़याल से किताब की ख़ूबसूरती इस बात में है कि इसे पढ़ते हुए इसमें जिन लोगों का ज़िक्र है उन्हें जानने की ख़्वाहिश होने लगती है, चाहे वो साहिर हों, इमरोज़ हों, या हों सज्जाद हैदर. कई छोटी बड़ी घटनाओं का ज़िक्र है लेकिन हर वाक़ये को जैसे शुरू कर के अधूरा छोड़ दिया गया है. किताब में हर जगह हो कर भी न होने का एहसास है, शायद कुछ वैसा ही जैसा अमृता के निजी जीवन में भी रहा है.
अमृता जी की लेखनी में पद्य और गद्य का अद्भुत समागम है. कब वो बात करते करते कविता कहने लगतीं हैं और कब कविता के बीच कोई गहरी बात कह जाती हैं ये समझना कठिन है. रसीदी टिकट एक ऐसी ही गद्य रचना है जिसमें कविता का रस है. ये आत्मकथा कालक्रमबद्ध नहीं है. कभी बचपन की बातों के बीच इमरोज़ आ जाते हैं, और कभी साहिर की बातों के बीच पुराने सपने. अमृता जी के पूरे जीवन के बारे में जानने से ज़्यादा उनके अधूरे हिस्सों को जानने की किताब है रसीदी टिकट. ये जितना कहती है, उससे ज़्यादा छुपा ले जाती है.
लेकिन मेरे ख़याल से किताब की ख़ूबसूरती इस बात में है कि इसे पढ़ते हुए इसमें जिन लोगों का ज़िक्र है उन्हें जानने की ख़्वाहिश होने लगती है, चाहे वो साहिर हों, इमरोज़ हों, या हों सज्जाद हैदर. कई छोटी बड़ी घटनाओं का ज़िक्र है लेकिन हर वाक़ये को जैसे शुरू कर के अधूरा छोड़ दिया गया है. किताब में हर जगह हो कर भी न होने का एहसास है, शायद कुछ वैसा ही जैसा अमृता के निजी जीवन में भी रहा है.
August 18, 2020
And I will meet you yet again~
August 31 is Amrita Pritam’s 101th birthday. And I had the honour of reading her autobiography in Hindi this month. I took the entire 18 days to read a 150 page book because I just couldn’t get myself out of her world.
She is known to be a feminist before feminism was even a recognised word but I find her more as a poet who bleeds in pain, who understands love and the one who unabashedly talked about her feelings.
From Sahir to Imroz, to Alka her own character from her books, to her friendship with Shagufta; Amrita ji has opened her wounds for the world to see and what a magical journey it has been. To read her, to grieve with her and to love, laugh and live her life.
She has given me every reason to read more of her books.
August 31 is Amrita Pritam’s 101th birthday. And I had the honour of reading her autobiography in Hindi this month. I took the entire 18 days to read a 150 page book because I just couldn’t get myself out of her world.
She is known to be a feminist before feminism was even a recognised word but I find her more as a poet who bleeds in pain, who understands love and the one who unabashedly talked about her feelings.
From Sahir to Imroz, to Alka her own character from her books, to her friendship with Shagufta; Amrita ji has opened her wounds for the world to see and what a magical journey it has been. To read her, to grieve with her and to love, laugh and live her life.
She has given me every reason to read more of her books.
August 5, 2022
Rasidi ticket is like a small ticket for the journey of life of Amrita Pritam
It's beautiful written. Poignant yet lovely.
It's beautiful written. Poignant yet lovely.
November 24, 2018
“जिंदगी की कहानी इतनी सी है... एक रसीदी टिकट के पीछे भी लिखो तो काफी है ।”
रसीदी टिकट अमृता प्रीतम की जीवनी के रूप में चिंतित है, परन्तु यह उनके जीवन की महत्वपूर्ण घटनाओं का संग्रह है। घटनाएं जो उन्हें छू गयी... घटनाएं जिन्होंने उनके व्यक्तित्व को आकार दिया
“भले ही कहानी के हर पात्र के साथ लेखक का गहरा साझा होता है, पर एक दूरी हर साझे का हिस्सा होती है।”
“लेखक दो तरह के होते हैं - एक जो लेखक होते हैं, और दूसरे, जो लेखक दिखना चाहते हैं। जो हैं, दिखने का यत्न उनकी आवश्यकता नहीं होता।”
इन घटनाओं से आपको उनके व्यक्तित्व के विभिन्न पहलुओं के बारे में पता चल जाता है- साहिर के लिए उनकी ख्वाहिशें, इमरोज़ के साथ उनका रिश्ता, उनकी आशा, उनकी कमजोरियाँ आदि। जिस तरह से उन्होंने प्रत्येक घटना का वर्णन किया है, वह आपके दिमाग पर एक छाप छोड़ देता है।
“परछाइयां बहुत बड़ी हक़ीकत होती हैं। चेहरे भी हक़ीकत होते हैं। पर कितनी देर ? परछाइयां, जितनी देर तक आप चाहें.....चाहें तो सारी उम्र। बरस आते हैं, गुज़र जाते हैं, रुकते नहीं, पर कई परछाइयां, जहां कभी रुकती हैं, वहीं रुकी रहती हैं......”
इस किताब को पढ़ना एक ऐसे बुखार से गुजरना है जो आपको नायिका की जिंदगी की हर सच्चाई से रूबरू करा देता है। बगैर बुखारी ताप के उन तक पहुंचना नामुमकिन है।
“कुछ घटनाएं बहुत ही थोड़े समय के बाद रचना का अंग बन जाती हैं, पर कुछ घटनाओं को कलम तक पहुंचने के लिए बरसों का फासला तय करना पड़ता है।”
हमने अमृता और साहिर के किस्से सुने है पर किताब में साहिर का जिक्र केवल दो या तीन बार है। हालांकि अमृता और साहिर के प्यार, लालसा और निराशा की बात सच है लेकिन अमृता का जीवन उससे कहीं अधिक है।
“अमृता बताती हैं कि किस तरह साहिर लाहौर में उनके घर आया करते थे और लगातार सिगरेट पिया करते थे। अमृता को साहिर की लत थी। साहिर का चले जाना उन्हें नाकाबिल-ए-बर्दाश्त था। अमृता का प्रेम साहिर के लिए इस कदर परवान चढ़ चुका था कि उनके जाने के बाद वह साहिर के पिए हुए सिगरेट की बटों को जमा करती थीं और उन्हें एक के बाद एक अपने होटो से लगाकर साहिर को महसूस किया करती थीं। ये वो आदत थी जिसने अमृता को सिगरेट की लत लगा दी थी।”
“दीवानेपन के अंतिम शिखर पर पैर रखकर खड़े नहीं रहा जा सकता, पैरों पर बैठने के लिए धरती का टुकड़ा चाहिए।”
अमृता जी ने लेखक के रूप में उन्होंने यूरोप, एशिया और कई अन्य देशों की यात्रा की जो विश्व मानचित्र पर बिंदु हो सकते हैं लेकिन विश्व साहित्य में अविश्वसनीय अंक हैं।
अमृता जी ऐसी महिला थी जो उस वक़्त में अपनी शर्तों पर रही जब ऐसा सोच पाना भी मुमकिन नहीं था। यदि आपको अमृता का लेखन पढ़ना है तो आप 'पिंजर' पंजाबी में पढ़ने का प्रयास करें - शब्द आपके दिल को कैसे मोड़ सकते हैं, आप वहां से सीख सकते हैं।
रसीदी टिकट अमृता प्रीतम की जीवनी के रूप में चिंतित है, परन्तु यह उनके जीवन की महत्वपूर्ण घटनाओं का संग्रह है। घटनाएं जो उन्हें छू गयी... घटनाएं जिन्होंने उनके व्यक्तित्व को आकार दिया
“भले ही कहानी के हर पात्र के साथ लेखक का गहरा साझा होता है, पर एक दूरी हर साझे का हिस्सा होती है।”
“लेखक दो तरह के होते हैं - एक जो लेखक होते हैं, और दूसरे, जो लेखक दिखना चाहते हैं। जो हैं, दिखने का यत्न उनकी आवश्यकता नहीं होता।”
इन घटनाओं से आपको उनके व्यक्तित्व के विभिन्न पहलुओं के बारे में पता चल जाता है- साहिर के लिए उनकी ख्वाहिशें, इमरोज़ के साथ उनका रिश्ता, उनकी आशा, उनकी कमजोरियाँ आदि। जिस तरह से उन्होंने प्रत्येक घटना का वर्णन किया है, वह आपके दिमाग पर एक छाप छोड़ देता है।
“परछाइयां बहुत बड़ी हक़ीकत होती हैं। चेहरे भी हक़ीकत होते हैं। पर कितनी देर ? परछाइयां, जितनी देर तक आप चाहें.....चाहें तो सारी उम्र। बरस आते हैं, गुज़र जाते हैं, रुकते नहीं, पर कई परछाइयां, जहां कभी रुकती हैं, वहीं रुकी रहती हैं......”
इस किताब को पढ़ना एक ऐसे बुखार से गुजरना है जो आपको नायिका की जिंदगी की हर सच्चाई से रूबरू करा देता है। बगैर बुखारी ताप के उन तक पहुंचना नामुमकिन है।
“कुछ घटनाएं बहुत ही थोड़े समय के बाद रचना का अंग बन जाती हैं, पर कुछ घटनाओं को कलम तक पहुंचने के लिए बरसों का फासला तय करना पड़ता है।”
हमने अमृता और साहिर के किस्से सुने है पर किताब में साहिर का जिक्र केवल दो या तीन बार है। हालांकि अमृता और साहिर के प्यार, लालसा और निराशा की बात सच है लेकिन अमृता का जीवन उससे कहीं अधिक है।
“अमृता बताती हैं कि किस तरह साहिर लाहौर में उनके घर आया करते थे और लगातार सिगरेट पिया करते थे। अमृता को साहिर की लत थी। साहिर का चले जाना उन्हें नाकाबिल-ए-बर्दाश्त था। अमृता का प्रेम साहिर के लिए इस कदर परवान चढ़ चुका था कि उनके जाने के बाद वह साहिर के पिए हुए सिगरेट की बटों को जमा करती थीं और उन्हें एक के बाद एक अपने होटो से लगाकर साहिर को महसूस किया करती थीं। ये वो आदत थी जिसने अमृता को सिगरेट की लत लगा दी थी।”
“दीवानेपन के अंतिम शिखर पर पैर रखकर खड़े नहीं रहा जा सकता, पैरों पर बैठने के लिए धरती का टुकड़ा चाहिए।”
अमृता जी ने लेखक के रूप में उन्होंने यूरोप, एशिया और कई अन्य देशों की यात्रा की जो विश्व मानचित्र पर बिंदु हो सकते हैं लेकिन विश्व साहित्य में अविश्वसनीय अंक हैं।
अमृता जी ऐसी महिला थी जो उस वक़्त में अपनी शर्तों पर रही जब ऐसा सोच पाना भी मुमकिन नहीं था। यदि आपको अमृता का लेखन पढ़ना है तो आप 'पिंजर' पंजाबी में पढ़ने का प्रयास करें - शब्द आपके दिल को कैसे मोड़ सकते हैं, आप वहां से सीख सकते हैं।
Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews