Contents
Ismat Chughtai
Writing candid Urdu fiction about women, class and desire, including Lihaaf.
Lihaaf · Terhi Lakeer
- Born
- Unknown
- Birthplace
- Badaun, India
- Died
- 24 October 1991
More people
Ismat Chughtai
Ismat Chughtai was an Indian Urdu writer and screenwriter associated with the Progressive Writers’ movement. Her fiction challenged polite silences around domestic life, sexuality and social hierarchy.
Early life
Large family
Grew up among nine siblings and regarded her writer brother Azeem Beg as a mentor.
Education
Pursued higher education despite family resistance and trained as a teacher.
Career
- 1930s
Progressive writing
Became involved with the Progressive Writers’ movement.
- 1939–1942
Early publication
Published plays and stories, including Lihaaf.
- 1940s onward
Cinema
Wrote for films alongside her literary career.
- 1976
Padma Shri
Received India’s civilian honour for her contribution to literature.
Selected work
Lihaaf
A story of a neglected woman, narrated through a child’s incomplete understanding.
Terhi Lakeer
A novel following a woman’s development within changing social expectations.
Kaghazi Hai Pairahan
Autobiographical writing about childhood, education and becoming a writer.
Beyond work
Obscenity case
Faced prosecution over Lihaaf and was acquitted.
Creative partnership
Married filmmaker Shahid Lateef and collaborated with him in cinema.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Further source: rekhta.org ↗Photo: Unknown author Unknown author. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
