GHADI GHADI
By Gulzar. Illustrated by Allen Shaw
Jugnu Prakashan, 2024, pp. 19, ₹ 110.00
HAKEEM ‘ANTA GAFIL’
By Gulzar. Illustrated by Allen Shaw
Jugnu Prakashan, 2024, pp. 23, ₹ 120.00
PAHELIYAN
By Gulzar. Illustrated by Allen Shaw
Jugnu Prakashan, 2024, pp. 25, ₹ 130.00
JAB DHOOP BHI HO AUR BAARISH BHI…
By Gulzar. Illustrated by Priya Kurien
Jugnu Prakashan, 2024, pp. 19, ₹ 110.00
It is always a delight to read Gulzar sahab’s verses. Be it his delicate lines that tug at the heartstrings or the ones that stir up a storm within, the magic lies in his pen; and he wields it with rare mastery. A creator of verses, he has always had a gift for drawing out emotions with effortless ease, regardless of the gender of his intended readers. In this collection of short books for children, he turns that gift towards the young with warmth and tenderness, and the result is writing that seems to breathe with life. The collection brims with both energy and a quietude that only Gulzar sahab can conjure.
And that is precisely what makes this collection so remarkable: Gulzar sahab manages to inhabit the world of a child without losing his poetic depth. When I received this batch of books, I felt transported back to a world that I was once familiar with, but am not in touch with any more. It also brought home an important truth— when we were growing up, there were hardly any books, in Hindi or even in English, which felt tailor-made for Indian children. That paucity is finally being undone, and I am heartened to see such independent books now exist; books a child can sit with, wander into, and be utterly lost in.
Of the eight books, seven have been illustrated with care and exuberance by Allen Shaw. Each book carries a distinct style; none repeats patterns or techniques. Yet, all bear the unmistakable mark of his hand. Allen has translated the texts into an engaging world of colour and imagination, and the result is visual splendour. Together, verses and images combine to create a magical space into which a child can wander and remain immersed. From crows who mimic humans and set up their own court of law (Ye Kauve Kaale-Kaale!), to an ode to tails where the poet delights in a variety of them (Poonchh), to playful nonsensical verses that are a joy to swim through (Ootpataang), to the musings of a two-year-old negotiating the logical, rule-bound world of adults (Do Hi Baras Ke Ho…), to reflections on time (Ghadi Ghadi), to the appearance of an unforgettable character, a forgetful yet endearing man (Hakeem ‘Anta Gafil’), and finally to one of my favourites from childhood—riddles (Paheliyan), Allen and Gulzar sahab together craft a dazzling, inventive world for children. It is a world so inviting that even I find myself tempted to step into it. These books are a collector’s delight, and I cannot imagine parting with them.
Among these, there is one that I suspect will remain closest to my heart: Jab Dhoop Bhi Ho Aur Barish Bhi…. Here, Gulzar sahab revisits a traditional folk saying: when it rains while the sun shines, the jackals are getting married. Priya Kurien’s brilliant illustrations bring this tale to life. The sun shower—scientifically so baffling—finds in this saying a playful and magical explanation for children. I, for one, grew up hearing it. I remember listening wide-eyed, and whenever the sun showered, I would smile at the thought of jackals celebrating a wedding. Even today, I hold on to that explanation, illogical as it may be, because it is stitched into the fabric of my childhood. Gulzar sahab stirred that memory again, and Priya’s inspired illustrations finally gave form to the images I had long carried in my mind.
For what is childhood if not a vast valley of imagination, where the mind gallops like a horse set free?