Manto’s Toba Tek Singh, Krishan Chander’s Mian Beevi in Zia Mohyeddin’s Inimitable Voice
There were many similarities between Saadat Hasan Manto and Krishan Chander. Apart from the fact that they both wrote prolifically in Urdu, they wrote film scripts in Bombay, were co-employees at the All India Radio (AIR) and shared similar left-leaning political ideas. They also shared Bhagat Singh — who adorned the walls of Manto’s room, Darul-Ahmar, and Krishan Chander was a part of Singh’s revolutionary group which led to him being imprisoned.
The two writers met for the first time when Manto arrived in Delhi for his AIR job and headed to Chander’s residence in Tees Hazari, where the latter, a teetotaler, perhaps tasted alcohol for the first time in his life having not the heart to dampen the spirits of his guest. Manto tried to convince Chander to leave Delhi and move to Bombay, but by next morning responded with “to hell with Bombay; stop this rubbish, send for some whiskey.”
Chander was allowed the opportunity to read Manto’s short stories, which he took out from his leather bag that also contained a bottle of Solan whiskey. Allowed because, as Manto, divulged in the conversation, not even his father was privy to his writings. More about this can be found in Ayesha Jalal’s The Pity of Partition which can be bought from here.
While not much remains in form of recorded interviews, YouTube provides us, in the thespian Zia Mohyeddin’s voice, two excellently rendered short stories by the writers — -Chander’s Mian Beevi and Manto’s Toba Tek Singh.
Toba Tek Singh by Saadat Hasan Manto
Saadat Hasan Manto’s tragicomic story about a time immediately post partition when the Indian and Pakistani governments decide to exchange those in their asylums across borders.
Mian Beevi by Krishan Chander
Krishan Chander’s funny story about a couple without kids in a neighbourhood overpopulated with nasty children and nosy parents.