Meet Your Kavinaama Hosts

What draws you to poetry, and how does it inspire you?

 

Poetry, for me, is the ultimate fusion of language, philosophy, logic, rhythm, and emotion. It demands mastery over each of these elements for it to truly resonate. Its brevity, yet boundless depth, is what makes it so powerful capturing entire worlds in just a few lines.

 

"एक हिचकी में कह डाली सब दास्तान

हम ने क़िस्से को यूँ मुख़्तसर कर लिया"

(In a single hiccup, I narrated the entire tale;

I condensed the whole story in just a few words.)

Poetry also inspires me to see the world through multiple lenses to embrace ambiguity and explore the profound "what-ifs" of existence.

 

As Mirza Ghalib muses:

"ना था कुछ तो ख़ुदा था, कुछ ना होता तो ख़ुदा होता

डुबोया मुझ को होने ने, ना होता मैं तो क्या होता"

 

(If nothing existed, there was God; if nothing had existed, there would still be God.

It was my existence that drowned me; had I not existed, what would I have been?)

 

Or as Jaun Eliya reflects:

"इतना ख़ाली था अंदरूँ मेरा

कुछ दिन तो ख़ुदा रहा मुझ में"

 

(My soul was so vacant

That, for a few days, even God resided in me.)

 

Poetry, thus, is not merely an art form, it is a mirror to the self, a map of the human condition, and a window into the infinite.

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What role do you play in the podcast, and what excites you most about it?

 

I'm a co-host with Burair at Kavinaama, where we delve into the deeper layers of poetry, couplets, and stories. Together, we explore their cultural, historical, and philosophical contexts — unpacking the emotions and ideas woven into each line.

What excites me most is the process of dissecting a poem layer by layer: starting with the language, then peeling back to reveal the poet's personal quirks, influences, and intentions. Sometimes, we might miss the mark or interpret it differently, but that’s part of the charm. We embrace the ambiguity, knowing that even when we get it wrong, we offer our audience a fresh perspective and a meaningful exploration.

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Share a favorite poem, poet, or a line that resonates with you and why.

At different stages of my life, I’ve been drawn to different poets and their works. As my taste and understanding of poetry have evolved, so have the lines and verses that resonate with me.

Lately, I’ve been reading Allama Iqbal, whose profound plea for divine justice strikes a chord

 

"रोज़-ए-हिसाब जब मेरा पेश हो दफ़्तर-ए-अमल

आप भी शर्मसार हो मुझ को भी शर्मसार कर"

(On the Day of Judgment, when my book of deeds is presented,

Let even You be ashamed, and make me ashamed as well.)

 

Here, Iqbal’s daring vulnerability — asking God to hold Himself to the same standards — reflects a rare and bold spiritual defiance, which makes this couplet unforgettable.

 

I’m also inspired by Jaun Eliya, whose raw, unfiltered honesty about self-identity is both piercing and relatable

 

"ठीक है ख़ुद को हम बदलते हैं

शुक्रिया मशवरत का चलते हैं"

(Fine, I’ll change myself,

Thank you for your advice.)

 

This couplet is a subtle yet powerful reflection on the pressure to conform, laced with Jaun's characteristic sarcasm and defiance.

 

Lastly, Jigar Muradabadi’s uplifting couplet serves as a reminder of resilience and hope

 

"जो तूफानों में पलते जा रहे हैं

वो दुनिया बदलते जा रहे हैं"

(Those who are nurtured by storms

Are the ones changing the world.)