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Imran Series #4
Bhayanak Aadmi/بھیانک آدمی
Originally published under Jasoosi Duniya Series as # 49. Later counted under Imran Series as #4.
74 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1956
14 people are currently reading
332 people want to read
About the author
Ibn-e-Safi
257 books191 followersIbn-e-Safi (also spelled as Ibne Safi) (Urdu: ابنِ صفی) was the pen name of Asrar Ahmad (Urdu: اسرار احمد), a best-selling and prolific fiction writer, novelist and poet of Urdu from Pakistan. The word Ibn-e-Safi is an Arabian expression which literally means Son of Safi, where the word Safi means chaste or righteous. He wrote from the 1940s in India, and later Pakistan after the partition of British India in 1947.
His main works were the 126-book series Jasoosi Dunya (The Spy World) and the 120-book Imran Series, with a small canon of satirical works and poetry. His novels were characterized by a blend of mystery, adventure, suspense, violence, romance and comedy, achieving massive popularity across a broad readership in South Asia.
More information about Ibn-e-Safi can be found on http://www.ibnesafi.info and http://www.wadi-e-urdu.com/
Most of the original first edition title images of his novels on goodreads.com were obtained from Wadi-e-Urdu.com website.
His main works were the 126-book series Jasoosi Dunya (The Spy World) and the 120-book Imran Series, with a small canon of satirical works and poetry. His novels were characterized by a blend of mystery, adventure, suspense, violence, romance and comedy, achieving massive popularity across a broad readership in South Asia.
More information about Ibn-e-Safi can be found on http://www.ibnesafi.info and http://www.wadi-e-urdu.com/
Most of the original first edition title images of his novels on goodreads.com were obtained from Wadi-e-Urdu.com website.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 26, 2012
Remember him, Mogambo... and Amrish Puri who played it to the T in Shekar Kapoor's Mr. India. Javed Aktar says in the blurb of this book that the character was inspired from "Safi's [...] penchant for villains with striking names like Gerald Shastri and Sang Hi .... taught me the importance of creating larger-than life characters like Gabbar and Mogambo as a scriptwriter" Now we know the inspiration behind two of Hindi cinema's most memorable villain characters.
I woke up to Ibn -e-Safi with this book and I have become a fan, of the writer and his creation, Imraan. The two stories, The Mysterious Sounds and The Dangerous Man, form part of the mysteries titled the Imraan series.
One more detective character added to my list of favourites. Our detective, Imraan, is described as a loaf, who is lazy and crazy quite the opposite of our so called arrogant Mr. Sherlock Holmes. Others consider him stupid that in turn becomes Imraan's trump card to being unnoticed. Even his father, "Rehman Sahib, the Director General of Intelligent Bureau, thought of him as half-crazy, ox-witted and stupid among other things." He couldn't believe that Imraan was the brain behind solving many of the unsolved cases the bureau was investigating.
I chose this book because for two reasons, one the name, The Dangerous Man, who does not love dangerous mysterious men, and two, it is a translation. However, what came out of the book is a surprise: For one, it had not one but two stories, two mysteries at that, three, the blurb had recommendations by two eminent people I admire, Agatha Christie and Javed Akhtar and four, this particular translation is the first official authentic one, says its translator - Taimoor Shahid and publisher Random House.
Talk about ignorance about our own writers who published excellent literary works, had a sustained readership and fan following, inspired larger than life popular characters on screen and still stay invisible because they wrote in regional languages; the reason, they were rarely translated into a lingua franca such as English or Hindi! Or it could be my ignorance of books and writers of my country in the regional tongue because I don't read Urdu.
"I don't know Urdu but have knowledge of detective novels in the subcontinent. There is only one original writer - Ibn-e-safi." - Agatha Christie
I woke up to Ibn -e-Safi with this book and I have become a fan, of the writer and his creation, Imraan. The two stories, The Mysterious Sounds and The Dangerous Man, form part of the mysteries titled the Imraan series.
One more detective character added to my list of favourites. Our detective, Imraan, is described as a loaf, who is lazy and crazy quite the opposite of our so called arrogant Mr. Sherlock Holmes. Others consider him stupid that in turn becomes Imraan's trump card to being unnoticed. Even his father, "Rehman Sahib, the Director General of Intelligent Bureau, thought of him as half-crazy, ox-witted and stupid among other things." He couldn't believe that Imraan was the brain behind solving many of the unsolved cases the bureau was investigating.
I chose this book because for two reasons, one the name, The Dangerous Man, who does not love dangerous mysterious men, and two, it is a translation. However, what came out of the book is a surprise: For one, it had not one but two stories, two mysteries at that, three, the blurb had recommendations by two eminent people I admire, Agatha Christie and Javed Akhtar and four, this particular translation is the first official authentic one, says its translator - Taimoor Shahid and publisher Random House.
Talk about ignorance about our own writers who published excellent literary works, had a sustained readership and fan following, inspired larger than life popular characters on screen and still stay invisible because they wrote in regional languages; the reason, they were rarely translated into a lingua franca such as English or Hindi! Or it could be my ignorance of books and writers of my country in the regional tongue because I don't read Urdu.
"I don't know Urdu but have knowledge of detective novels in the subcontinent. There is only one original writer - Ibn-e-safi." - Agatha Christie
June 24, 2018
Irrespecive of the title, and what rating I give, I love his work.
Ibn-e-safi, the person who introduced me to the world of suspense and thriller at young age of six (ish).
Growing up, it was a challenge to get hold of his books. Thanks to the people who put a lot of effort to digitize all his books.
Since past three years, i read all his 150+ books, Imran Series and Jasoosi Duniya, at least once in a quarter. Yes, that is how much I like his work. Sue me, if it is wrong.
Ibn-e-safi, the person who introduced me to the world of suspense and thriller at young age of six (ish).
Growing up, it was a challenge to get hold of his books. Thanks to the people who put a lot of effort to digitize all his books.
Since past three years, i read all his 150+ books, Imran Series and Jasoosi Duniya, at least once in a quarter. Yes, that is how much I like his work. Sue me, if it is wrong.
July 20, 2013
IBN-E Safi is not an unfamiliar name for anyone with an interest in Urdu detective fiction. After all, he has been called the Arthur Conan Doyle of the subcontinent. The Imran series, perhaps the most popular short-novel series in Urdu literature, is a prime example of his creativity. The popularity of the series can be well measured from the fact that even after Safi’s death, it was continued by numerous writers, and although not as brilliant, they are still widely read by fans addicted to the characters. Recently, Random House, India, started publishing the English translations of these novels. The Dangerous Man is the second book published by Random Hose and contains two novellas translated by Taimoor Shahid, Mysterious Screams and A Dangerous Man.
Safi blends mystery with humour, espionage, law enforcement, science fiction and fabulous drama. Brutal murders, beautiful women, dangerous international criminals, cunning disguises and an unbeatable crime-solving genius are the hallmarks of Imran series. They provide thrills, chills and solid entertainment. The novels are fun, short, and easy to get through and provide modern readers a sense of what Karachi was like in the 1960s.
Mysterious Screams, as is evident from the title, is about an old mansion in which a man long believed to have died returns and starts living. It also involves a young romantic American who receives an antique casket from the girl of his dreams who appears out of nowhere and quickly disappears. The connection between these two seemingly unrelated incidents is
established by none other than the protagonist, Ali Imran, a detective with a PhD in criminology from Oxford. And in The Dangerous Man Imran nabs the criminals with the help of a socialite, Roshi.
Imran’s character is, as always, wonderfully written. At times appearing fantastically confused and at other times insane, Imran hides his sharp intellect with childlike behaviour. But his carelessness also depicts his disdain of social “norms” and “accepted” behaviour. Michel Foucault has said that society has a monopoly on determining whether a person is sane or mad. Sometimes, what is defined as madness is nothing more than a slight deviation from the set norms of a particular society. This theory is demonstrated as Imran solves crimes while mocking seemingly intelligent people by his foolishness.
Imran is also creative and witty and his dialogues and antics help maintain interest through meandering storylines. However, the most articulate puns that Imran is so famous for lose their strength in translation sometimes. What kindles the imagination of readers in Urdu may not always sound as good in English if translated literally. For instance, in Urdu “baita” is sometimes used not in the sense of “son” but as a term of ridicule. Similarly, “grandfather of Plato” does not sound as funny as “Aflatoon ka dada”. Moreover, the original title of the second novel is “Bhayanak Admi” which should have been translated as “Frightful Man” rather than “Dangerous Man”.
For those who have read the original texts in Urdu, it is inevitable to compare the translations with the original writing and often the reader is left with a gaping hole that could not be bridged by the fluent English text which is the product of this activity of translation. For some, this might just be nostalgia but if we examine the issue we can see that a long piece of writing, like a novel, is not just a total of its sentences; it is the psychological experience created by a piece of writing. The problem is not of the translator failing to create readable text. Rather, the humour, the colloquialism, the culturally specific terms with unique semantics cannot be translated literally and expected to create the same mental edifice for the reader. The kind of rush and pleasure generated by reading Ibn-e Safi in Urdu is not as sharp in the English translation.
Ibn-e Safi wrote around 250 novels and, amazingly, almost each one became a bestseller. These stories engaged the interest of the readers for several decades starting from the 1950s up till the 1980s.
His works are an unusual amalgam of ‘popular’ and ‘literary’ writing although the two domains are considered mutually exclusive by many literary critics. The plot, too, often appears dated — with certain characters and circumstances very peculiar to an era that no longer exists. But the message contained in Ibn-e Safi’s works is still relevant to Pakistan’s sociopolitical scenario, that of upholding law and order. Patriotism and fighting despair are presented as strengths to be inculcated. He tells us that the uncertainty of future breeds crimes. He shows us that brilliance of mind, commitment to the job and dedication are values that always pay off.
Maybe it is time the Imran series is adapted to modern times as Sherlock Holmes is being adapted for the television.
Published: http://beta.dawn.com/news/756614/revi...
Safi blends mystery with humour, espionage, law enforcement, science fiction and fabulous drama. Brutal murders, beautiful women, dangerous international criminals, cunning disguises and an unbeatable crime-solving genius are the hallmarks of Imran series. They provide thrills, chills and solid entertainment. The novels are fun, short, and easy to get through and provide modern readers a sense of what Karachi was like in the 1960s.
Mysterious Screams, as is evident from the title, is about an old mansion in which a man long believed to have died returns and starts living. It also involves a young romantic American who receives an antique casket from the girl of his dreams who appears out of nowhere and quickly disappears. The connection between these two seemingly unrelated incidents is
established by none other than the protagonist, Ali Imran, a detective with a PhD in criminology from Oxford. And in The Dangerous Man Imran nabs the criminals with the help of a socialite, Roshi.
Imran’s character is, as always, wonderfully written. At times appearing fantastically confused and at other times insane, Imran hides his sharp intellect with childlike behaviour. But his carelessness also depicts his disdain of social “norms” and “accepted” behaviour. Michel Foucault has said that society has a monopoly on determining whether a person is sane or mad. Sometimes, what is defined as madness is nothing more than a slight deviation from the set norms of a particular society. This theory is demonstrated as Imran solves crimes while mocking seemingly intelligent people by his foolishness.
Imran is also creative and witty and his dialogues and antics help maintain interest through meandering storylines. However, the most articulate puns that Imran is so famous for lose their strength in translation sometimes. What kindles the imagination of readers in Urdu may not always sound as good in English if translated literally. For instance, in Urdu “baita” is sometimes used not in the sense of “son” but as a term of ridicule. Similarly, “grandfather of Plato” does not sound as funny as “Aflatoon ka dada”. Moreover, the original title of the second novel is “Bhayanak Admi” which should have been translated as “Frightful Man” rather than “Dangerous Man”.
For those who have read the original texts in Urdu, it is inevitable to compare the translations with the original writing and often the reader is left with a gaping hole that could not be bridged by the fluent English text which is the product of this activity of translation. For some, this might just be nostalgia but if we examine the issue we can see that a long piece of writing, like a novel, is not just a total of its sentences; it is the psychological experience created by a piece of writing. The problem is not of the translator failing to create readable text. Rather, the humour, the colloquialism, the culturally specific terms with unique semantics cannot be translated literally and expected to create the same mental edifice for the reader. The kind of rush and pleasure generated by reading Ibn-e Safi in Urdu is not as sharp in the English translation.
Ibn-e Safi wrote around 250 novels and, amazingly, almost each one became a bestseller. These stories engaged the interest of the readers for several decades starting from the 1950s up till the 1980s.
His works are an unusual amalgam of ‘popular’ and ‘literary’ writing although the two domains are considered mutually exclusive by many literary critics. The plot, too, often appears dated — with certain characters and circumstances very peculiar to an era that no longer exists. But the message contained in Ibn-e Safi’s works is still relevant to Pakistan’s sociopolitical scenario, that of upholding law and order. Patriotism and fighting despair are presented as strengths to be inculcated. He tells us that the uncertainty of future breeds crimes. He shows us that brilliance of mind, commitment to the job and dedication are values that always pay off.
Maybe it is time the Imran series is adapted to modern times as Sherlock Holmes is being adapted for the television.
Published: http://beta.dawn.com/news/756614/revi...
February 4, 2014
This was one of the most coolest detective book I've ever read.Imran is a smart detective. He has his own way of fooling others and getting the case solved. In a very awesome way he captures the true murderer.I loved both of the stories.They were quite fascinating.I loved the mystery and they way genius *Imran* solves it.
Want to read
February 27, 2019Synopsis: includes two novellas, Mysterious Screams about a man who reappears, and A Dangerous Man about a prostitute in trouble.
December 13, 2013
I was lucky to get two stories under this title and after a fairly thrilling ride of the first, was soon caught into the fold of a seldom-heard-never-read desi noire for what was the second story. There is an adrenaline rush to Ibn-e-Safi's books that is hard to miss, an overpowering thrill that makes you miss your heart beats. Imran is not your fairly handsome smart ass detective, not like Sherlock or Arsene Lupin, he's good looking alright (or is it just my imagination?) but utterly goof. And that's what makes him highly pragmatic at solving his cases.
One of the Pakistani writers I'm proud to have read and loved, Ibn-e-Safi was the only crime fiction novelist of his times. Awfully glad for Random House India to have translated it for sucker for English readers like me.
One of the Pakistani writers I'm proud to have read and loved, Ibn-e-Safi was the only crime fiction novelist of his times. Awfully glad for Random House India to have translated it for sucker for English readers like me.
September 23, 2013
this is I want to try
November 22, 2018
an okay read
November 16, 2025
ٹھیک ہے۔
اچھا تو ایک بات چند دن پہلے سمجھ آئی۔ میرا دوست ابن صفی کا بہت مداح ہے۔ اس نے کافی تگ و دو کے بعد کرنل فریدی اور عمران سیریز کے ناول جمع کئے ہیں۔ عرصہ سے بضد تھا کہ میں یہ ناول پڑھوں۔ اس کے کہ ے پر پہلے کرنل فریدی سیریز پڑھی۔ خود ہی ناول دے بھی جاتا اور خود ہی لے بھی جاتا۔ ابھی پچاس کا ہونے کے باوجود بچوں کی طرح ناراض ہو جاتا ہے جب میں کسی ناول پر تنقید کرتا ہوں۔ اس سب کے باوجود اب عمران سیریز پڑھا رہا ہے۔
جی تو بات کہاں سے کہاں نکل گئی، لیکن پس منظر بھی ضروری تھا۔ مجھ پر اس کی محبت کا عقدہ اس طرح کھلا جب میں نے ایک ہاتھ آئی اشتیاق احمد کی کتاب پڑھی جو میں نے کبھی آٹھویں جماعت میں پڑھی تھی۔ وہ کتاب مجھے وقت میں پیچھے لے گئی اور مجھے آس پاس سے بیگانہ کر دیا۔ مجھے ایسا محسوس ہو رہا تھا کہ جیسے میں اپنے سکول کی لائبریری میں بیٹھا وہی کتاب پڑھ رہا ہوں۔ اور اسی کشمکش میں ہوں کہ لائبریری کا پیریڈ ختم ہونے سے پہلے کتاب مکمل کر لوں۔
اب وہ ناول جو بچوں کے لئے لکھا گیا تھا اس بڑھاپے میں عجیب سا لگا لیکن اس کو میں نے پانچ ستارے ہی دیئے کیونکہ اس وقت ناول کی کہانی یا پلاٹ سے زیادہ وقعت ان یادوں کی ہے جو یہ ناول اپنے ساتھ لایا تھا۔ یہی ناول تھے جن کی وجہ سے مطالعے کی عادت پڑی اور آج تک قائم ہے۔ اسی طرح ابن صفی کے مداحوں کے احساسات ہونگے۔
میں نے پھر اپنے دوست سے معذرت کی اس کو کھانے پر لے گیا اور وہاں ہم اپنے اپنے بچپن کی یادوں کو یاد کرتے اور ایک دوسرے کو بتاتے رہے۔ یعنی تیس سال کی دوستی میں پہلی بار مل بیٹھنے کا اس قدر لطف آیا۔ یہ سب بھی تو ان ہی ناولوں اور مصنفین کی وجہ سے ہوا۔ اللہ تعالیٰ ان کو غریق رحمت فرمائے۔
کتاب کا تجزیہ تو نہ ہوا یہ تو دل کی باتیں ہو گئیں۔
اچھا تو ایک بات چند دن پہلے سمجھ آئی۔ میرا دوست ابن صفی کا بہت مداح ہے۔ اس نے کافی تگ و دو کے بعد کرنل فریدی اور عمران سیریز کے ناول جمع کئے ہیں۔ عرصہ سے بضد تھا کہ میں یہ ناول پڑھوں۔ اس کے کہ ے پر پہلے کرنل فریدی سیریز پڑھی۔ خود ہی ناول دے بھی جاتا اور خود ہی لے بھی جاتا۔ ابھی پچاس کا ہونے کے باوجود بچوں کی طرح ناراض ہو جاتا ہے جب میں کسی ناول پر تنقید کرتا ہوں۔ اس سب کے باوجود اب عمران سیریز پڑھا رہا ہے۔
جی تو بات کہاں سے کہاں نکل گئی، لیکن پس منظر بھی ضروری تھا۔ مجھ پر اس کی محبت کا عقدہ اس طرح کھلا جب میں نے ایک ہاتھ آئی اشتیاق احمد کی کتاب پڑھی جو میں نے کبھی آٹھویں جماعت میں پڑھی تھی۔ وہ کتاب مجھے وقت میں پیچھے لے گئی اور مجھے آس پاس سے بیگانہ کر دیا۔ مجھے ایسا محسوس ہو رہا تھا کہ جیسے میں اپنے سکول کی لائبریری میں بیٹھا وہی کتاب پڑھ رہا ہوں۔ اور اسی کشمکش میں ہوں کہ لائبریری کا پیریڈ ختم ہونے سے پہلے کتاب مکمل کر لوں۔
اب وہ ناول جو بچوں کے لئے لکھا گیا تھا اس بڑھاپے میں عجیب سا لگا لیکن اس کو میں نے پانچ ستارے ہی دیئے کیونکہ اس وقت ناول کی کہانی یا پلاٹ سے زیادہ وقعت ان یادوں کی ہے جو یہ ناول اپنے ساتھ لایا تھا۔ یہی ناول تھے جن کی وجہ سے مطالعے کی عادت پڑی اور آج تک قائم ہے۔ اسی طرح ابن صفی کے مداحوں کے احساسات ہونگے۔
میں نے پھر اپنے دوست سے معذرت کی اس کو کھانے پر لے گیا اور وہاں ہم اپنے اپنے بچپن کی یادوں کو یاد کرتے اور ایک دوسرے کو بتاتے رہے۔ یعنی تیس سال کی دوستی میں پہلی بار مل بیٹھنے کا اس قدر لطف آیا۔ یہ سب بھی تو ان ہی ناولوں اور مصنفین کی وجہ سے ہوا۔ اللہ تعالیٰ ان کو غریق رحمت فرمائے۔
کتاب کا تجزیہ تو نہ ہوا یہ تو دل کی باتیں ہو گئیں۔
December 4, 2019
Why didn't I read it earlier
November 12, 2020
عمدہ کردار ، بہترین منظر نگاری۔ کہانی میں سسپنس اتنا خاص نہیں تھا لیکن کہانی کا پلاٹ اچھا تھا۔
January 23, 2025
بھیانک آدمی (جاسوسی دنیا#49/عمران سیریز#4)
از: ابن صفی
ابن صفی کے عمران سیریز سے یہ پہلا ناول ہے جسے میں نے جاسوسی دنیا سیریز کے انچاسویں نمبر کے طور پہ پڑھا۔
عمران کے کردار میں لاابالی اور شوخی کا عنصر نمایاں دکھائ دیا ہے۔ اور ساتھ ہی اس کی احمقانہ بہادری بھی پیش کی گئ ہے۔
کہانی یوں تو کچھ خاص نہیں تھی، بہرحال پھر بھی مطالعہ کر کے اچھا وقت گزرا۔
از: ابن صفی
ابن صفی کے عمران سیریز سے یہ پہلا ناول ہے جسے میں نے جاسوسی دنیا سیریز کے انچاسویں نمبر کے طور پہ پڑھا۔
عمران کے کردار میں لاابالی اور شوخی کا عنصر نمایاں دکھائ دیا ہے۔ اور ساتھ ہی اس کی احمقانہ بہادری بھی پیش کی گئ ہے۔
کہانی یوں تو کچھ خاص نہیں تھی، بہرحال پھر بھی مطالعہ کر کے اچھا وقت گزرا۔
December 10, 2015
Maybe something is lost in translation...
July 9, 2019
It's like our friendly neighborhood police is on steroids. Equally funny and amusing. And thrill is guaranteed in every chapter.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews