Singer Shyamamani Patnaik performs at Rabindra Mandap in Bhubaneswar. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Nov. 30: The couplets written by legendary 20th century Urdu poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz were recited by his followers in the city on the occasion of the poet’s birth centenary.

The programme, held at Rabindra Mandap on Tuesday evening, featured different segments dedicated to Faiz’s life and works.

Aptly titled Last Night after one of Faiz’s most famous lines in Urdu, Raat yun dil mein, the first phase of the evening was a ghazal recitation session where this poetry was presented in three different ways by classical singers of different generations.

In this poem, Faiz portrays the magic of his beloved’s memory that struck him last night and changed his world to a colourful and blissful place.

A young Abhimanyu Sahu started the poetic journey, rendering the poetry as a ghazal in a Ghulam Ali style. The Hindustani classical singer composed the well-known lines in a striking tune.

The recital was taken to a higher level by vocalist Parthasarathi Panigrahi, son and disciple of eminent musician Pandit Raghunath Panigrahi. He had composed the ghazal based on a classical raga and added fine alaaps to give the romantic poetry the classical touch.

The final rendition was rendered by the noted classical vocalist Shyamamani Patnaik cast a spell on her listeners by singing the ghazal in the perfect traditional style despite her background in Odissi music.

“It was amazing that the same song was presented in three different ways by the three singers. But, each time it allowed us to enjoy the timeless lyrics by Faiz,” said Debadutta Mohanty, a viewer.

An audio-visual programme, dedicated to the poet, was also screened at the event, organised by the Odisha Urdu Academy. It depicted the Faiz’s poetry with fitting visuals and showcased the different versions of Raat yun dil mein sung over the years in albums and films by well-known artistes such as Nayaara Noor, Abbas Ali Khan, Sifar Aik, Mohammed Rafi and Asha Bhonsle.

The poet was born in Pakistan in 1911, but, because of his communist views, expressed in his poetry, faced an exile and lived in India for a long time.

“He was always known as a poet from the sub-continent and not from any particular country here. He was deeply influenced by revolutionary poet Iqbal,” said filmmaker Mahmood Hussain, who, as a student, had the opportunity to interact with Faiz.