Mushtaque B Barq
Life is a drama in and of itself, with numerous characters ingrained within each of us until we are discarded as history. A common man performs and ignores his role unconsciously, whereas a writer creates a stage for his own conscious attempts to realize his subconscious impulses in order to extend his creative life; thus, he never dies but leaves the marks on the velvety floor of human memories, which, in turn, preserves his contribution in the recesses of hearts for succeeding generations. The characters that a storyteller creates on the stage or on the pages of a collection either inspire or haunt the viewer like a nightmare because these characters, in some way or another, carry our shades and shadows. We recognize our psyche’s ability to imagine lesser gods in us to satisfy irrational and rational desires. When treated by the likes of Syed YaqoobDilkash, the flip side of the fiction on stage is that every story appears as an exposed ingredient on the plate we usually ignore at the well stretched table, which either twitches our ear lobes or penetrates deep into the very core of existence to unveil barbaric hypocrisies within us. Who should except the author know the facts about the titles he selected for his literary works like MaleKhashWateZaroor, a collection of Kashmiri stage dramas featuring Male KhashWateZaroor, Abuse, Maier GaieKhale, and ArtcheKaile. AiesKotGatchevand Band MakanusManz .A conscious choice or volition, as carried down by Syed YaqoobDilkash in the above-mentioned literary works, denotes the action of body, mind, and energy, which further constitutes an institution that serves a sensitive author to draw attention to the central paradox of life.
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Syed YaqoobDilkash, an eminent Radio Playwright, director and actor was born at ShishgariMohallaKhanyar on 3rd March 1954 and passed away on 10th March 2023.He started his theatre activities in 1974 under the banner Shaheen Theatre. His literary acumen has produced worthy collections including:Metyai Kai Deyahy (1976), TaqleeqGatcheWatis (1979) and Siyaah (1985). His dramatic collection is colossal which truly gives us an idea of his literary spectrum which has almost covered essential themes that he had observed around him moving along. His famous plays include: Tem Lob Laal (1979), Rate Mogul (1980), Baiz Gar( 1985), GurTeTabaile (1986), Sarab (1998), Daichiegam (1999), PhalveinToor(1997), Vane Mout andZulmaat (2000) and GaashGov Band (2001). Apart from above mentioned he has performed on the stage as director/ actor for Bar Mutchrav (1980), AesTeChePakan (1981), DaiedCheBalaan( 983), Ade Phale Arman (1985) and GaashPhool(1988).
He was noted among his contemporaries for adorning his short stories with allegory since he was heavily inspired by philosophy and psychology. He would incorporate his knowledge and expertise into his masterpieces in such a way that they became his trademark. Developing symbols and metaphors calls for a thorough comprehension of the topic, which Syed YaqoobDilkash possessed to mark his name.
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Shakeel-ur-Rehman, his contemporary, shared that his play Ade Phale Armanwas staged when the author was a student at Islamia College Srinagar, and it has been the only play staged till date by the students of the said college. The set of the play was prepared by then-famous set designer for Doordarshan, namely John Maxlobo. According to Shakeel-ur-Rehman, Syed YaqoobDilkash was a serious writer who would bring something out of nothing and give his characters a pulse to survive longer.
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The author has written many other telefilms as well, which include ZameenCheAsaan, Panjira, AkwuhimSaadi, etc. His literary contribution is too long to be mentioned in this piece, but it is pertinent to mention that the author’s literary works have enriched radio, television, and print media as well; thus, his creative capabilities have proven that he has been one of the prolific writers who knows how to present his works on different fronts for the best yield.
Farooq Masoodi, a reputed film maker and writer paid rich tribute to his friend in these words: “He was one of a kind. He was a noble soul. He was a good playwright, but what set him apart from others was his radiant face and an ever-pervading smile. His smile was the greatest gift that God had given him. Try wearing that smile on a glowing face constantly, and you will know how difficult that is in these troubling times. Very few people are as fortunate as Yakoob was. Why do I feel he must have disarmed the angels when they arrived to take his account? Yakoob was a walking, talking ATM that distributed a never-ending charity because smiling at your brother is SadaqaJariya. So said the Prophet. O’ what a good slave he was of the Prophet! May Allah bless his soul.
Chairman Kalidas Theatre and a famous Television director ShabirMujahid reveals: Syed YaqoobDilkash had a versatile and multidimensional personality. His death is a big loss in the field of art and culture. As a short story writer and a dramatist, he has earned a name. He had a unique technique, and his craft of writing was different, with powerful subjects that depicted human and social problems. I can say he was the only writer in Kashmir who would use a lot of abstract themes in his plays, television plays, and radio plays.
RajestKaul, a reputed media personality and contemporary of Syed Yaqoob, while paying his tribute, writes: YaqoobDilkash, a writer with modern sensibilities and a unique perspective, had deep insight into human character. He had a magical pen and a creative mind. He chiseled characters from the complexity of life. His infectious smile was a mix of happiness and confidence. ‘We will miss you, Dilkash’.
May God grant eternal peace to the departed noble soul.
Dr. AyashArif, a reputed director, producer, and actor, writes in his tribute that “Syed YaqoobDilkas was a man of letters. His plays and fiction writing are rich enough to rely on them. He further writes that Syed Yaqoob was an institution who would create a scene out of nothing on the stage and was open to a lot of experimentation. The symbolic expression of his thoughts had been something which was not everybody’s cup of tea. I feel proud to direct his one of his master pieces BandMakanusManz. His death is a big loss to our fraternity.” May Allah grant his soul eternal peace.
Syed YaqoobDilkash’s friend and contemporary Mushtaq Mehdi regarded him as a great writer who would bring life to his fiction writing. Paying glowing tribute to his friend, he went on to say that YaqoobDilkash would never harmed anyone because he was naturally calm and assured. His writing was densely packed with philosophical ideas.
Bashir Dada, a well-known actor and poet, claimed that for the first time, Bashir Budgami asked him to work on the script ofZameenCheAsaan for YaqoobDilkash, which later became the biggest hit. He continued by saying that the storyline fascinated him since it flowed naturally, and he played the role of a maniac. As he interacted with YaqoobDilkash to formalize the function, the author took him to the mental asylum to observe the suffering of the mentally challenged men in the cell. In addition to this tale, Bashir Dada added that YaqoobDilkash was a man who would pour philosophy into his characters’ veins in order to make the audience think and reflect for months together.
I never really saw Syed YaqoobDikash, but his literary works are still around, and I regret not seeing him despite the fact that his residence is only a brief drive away. But I hope that this tribute will serve as a sign of respect for the legend.
Mushtaq B.Barq is a Columnist, Poet and Fiction Writer. He is the author of “Feeble prisoner, “ Wings of Love” and many translation works are credited to the author like “ Verses Of Wahab