They went on to defend themselves in the Lahore Court and were absolved of the charges later. “After marrying Begum Jaan, he deposited her in the house with all his other possessions and promptly forgot about her.”. But Chughtai does not portray her as a helpless woman but rather gives her the agency to find pleasure on her own terms. A period drama, the film is based on Ismat Chugtai's most celebrated story "Lihaaf" (published 1942). Begum has no choice but to get married off and "installed" in Nawab's house. “Men always will be men” the story of Quilt prove this Idiom 100% correct, Nawab Sahab was a Homosexual but not ready to accept this publicly, it shows two thing, 1st : Nawab Sahab fear for Society 2nd : Nawab Sahab’s patriarchy attitude, “We will talk about Nawab Sahab’s patriarchy attitude” he maintain two personalities. The unfolding of homosexual pleasure in a dysfunctional Muslim household is based on the nonreproductive premise of the relationship shared between the Nawab and his wife. The elephant stopped shaking and the quilt came down”. Then Rabbu a household servant enter in her life, she had a great therapy of massage which made Begum Jaan happy and satisfy. A distraught and dejected Begum Jaan’s body aches at every joint in the absence of her personal masseuse until the narrator innocently offers her help to Begum Jaan to scratch her back. This story was published in 1942 and is about homosexuality. Homosexuality is still one of the most controversial issues in India, so choosing this theme was a brave step by Ismat Aapa. Thus the story also brings in questions of child sexual abuse. The homosexual underpinnings of his social life strategically veiled from the hetero-normative society, goes unnoticed. The fact that Chughtai’s artfully concealed metaphorical description of female homosexuality is what brought censure upon her, summoning her to court is what establishes that female sexual desires hold much more of a threat to the conventional social formations than the idea of male homoeroticism. Written in 1941, it was published in ‘. This is preventive step to curb #abuse Communication also ki…. Here story ends Here story ends. Kapoor & Sons. It brought much notoriety upon her but towards the end of her life she was quite distressed by the fact that none of her other works received as much recognition as Lihaaf did. Written in 1941, it was published in ‘Adaab-E-Latif’ some time in 1942. Her most popular and controversial story Lihaaf (The Quilt)dealt with this issue and is now considered a groundbreaking piece of narrative in Urdu Fiction. The unfolding of homosexual pleasure in a dysfunctional Muslim household is based on the nonreproductive premise of the relationship shared between the Nawab and his wife. Lihaaf: The Quilt (2019) A period drama, the film is based on Ismat Chugtai’s most celebrated story “Lihaaf” (published 1942). Grasped by a sense of failure from her tiring attempts, Begum Jaan is reduced to a pitiable condition. His only pleasure and desire, that remains unspoken of, is derived from providing an ‘open house’ for his male ‘students’. But Chughtai does not portray her as a helpless woman but rather gives her the agency to find pleasure on her own terms. Instead of apologizing, Chughtai chose to contest this charge and although the case dragged on for two years in Lahore, in the end she won the trial. Known for her radical and antithetical ideas, in a time when even mentioning the word ‘homosexual’ was a taboo, Chughtai dared to create narratives around the theme of homosexuality. The elephant stopped shaking and the quilt came down. The fact that Chughtai’s artfully concealed metaphorical description of female homosexuality is what brought censure upon her, summoning her to court is what establishes that female sexual desires hold much more of a threat to the conventional social formations than the idea of male homoeroticism. A story ahead of its times This pre-independence story deals with the suffocating life of a wife in a feudal society. Lihaaf tells the story of Begum Jaan who is married to an old Nawab Saheb ‘of ripe years’, belonging to a rich Muslim household, imprisoned in the same house by the regressive customs and patriarchal shackles of marriage imposed on a woman, made to suffer a life of  isolation because her husband “tucked her away in the house with his other possessions and promptly forgot her”. The Nawab had no interest whatsoever in his wife’s life, or desires; she was merely a social stamp for the society’s acceptable standards of a heteronormative institution. ... which implicitly has homosexual overtones, was taken for granted. The film inter weaves the plot of same sex relationship between Begum and her masseuse and the trial that Ismat underwent after being slapped with … Yet the Nawab has a ‘strange hobby’. The patriarchal society conditions women against the expression of their sexuality. This description, in many ways, serves to create a gender binary, placing Rabbu in a masculine frame of character and Begum Jaan in a more feminine role. The patriarchal society conditions women against the expression of their sexuality. This article attempts to discuss the work of Ismat Chughtai (1911-1991) one of the most eminent Urdu writers of the 20th century who was known for her path breaking writings through which she explored social and sexual themes in a period when it was considered taboo for such issues to be out in the public discourse even … It would establish the notion in people’s minds that a homosexual individual is necessarily a pedophile and sexual predator. Originally published at www.literatureguide.in. It was Rabbu who “rescued her from the fall”. The story of Lihaaf  takes its readers behind the curtain, playing in the shadows of same-sex desire, and lifting the veil off of the forbidden desires of women in Muslim households. The story narrated from a little girl’s perspective deliberately avoids an explicit articulation of the Nawab’s preoccupation. Lihaaf redefines the relationship between a lesbian identity, the Muslim household and the patriarchal institution. Firstly, Rabbu’s absence from the Zenana becomes the reason for the unsuspecting, confused young narrator to end up in the arms of her beguiling aunt. Begum Jaan the lead female character of Quilt married a rich Nawab who had great reputation in society but was a Homosexual, because he was Nawab, he can’t share this secret to anyone, he knew that once society find him as a homosexual, he will lost all the reputation which his ancestor earn. He never allow Begum Jaan to go outside the house, there is only one difference between Begum Jaan and the statue of her house that Begum Jaan could cry on her situation but statue can’t. Gay sometimes also refers to the culture of homosexual men and women (as in "gay history"), to things perceived by others to be typical of gay people (as in "gay music"), or to same-sex more generally (as in "gay marriage"). Instead of giving in to the regressive customs of a patriarchal institution only by virtue of a legal relationship she shared with her husband, she goes on to paint a new image of a woman who is sexually liberated taking advantage of the segregated space in the household where she was ‘installed’ like a furniture by the Nawab. Chughtai artfully engages with questions of religious morality mediating it through the character of Nawab Saheb. The strong illusions of religiousness have translated to the morality of his social life in the eyes of the world underlined by references to his lack of sexual hedonism. These are not boys who are described as naughty, quarrelsome robust kids but fair-faced and ‘slender-waisted’ young boys in ‘perfumed, flimsy shirts’. The same aversion to addressing sexuality in general can be seen even now. Muhammad Hasan Aksari’s Chai ki pyali, 1942 which made subtle gestures to female homosexuality and rekhtis written by male poets did not invoke much criticism. Plot Summary | Add Synopsis The shadow of the elephant cast on the wall is used to subtly imply the physical relationship of the two women under the quilt. So we can imagine that how much difficult it will be for Ismat Chughtai to write about the subject of Homosexuality on that time. Talking to children regarding s…, RT @jyotigoyal08: @pinthecreep Communication has vital role in safety of kids. ”. Firstly, Rabbu’s absence from the Zenana becomes the reason for the unsuspecting, confused young narrator to end up in the arms of her beguiling aunt. This description, in many ways, serves to create a gender binary, placing Rabbu in a masculine frame of character and Begum Jaan in a more feminine role. Ismat Chughtai’s short story ‘Lihaaf’ became disputable as soon as it was published due to its homosexual theme. Lihaaf is an exposé of same sex relationship in a Muslim household. She rediscovered sexual pleasure, the fulfillment of her own desires in Rabbu’s sensual oil massages, in her touch. Begum Jaan would have glimpses of them in their perfumed, flimsy shirts and feel as though she was being raked over burning embers!” — Quilt, Ismat Chughtai. The film raises themes of homosexuality and freedom of speech that our society is grappling with even today. Synopsis: A period drama, the film is based on Ismat Chugtai’s most celebrated story “Lihaaf” (published 1942). The narrator also goes to describe the working class roughened and darkened body of the maid, comparing it to the glowing skin of Begum Jaan, trapped inside the house,  never blemished by the sun. There was huge uproar at that time for the theme of this book, which even got her summoned to the court on charges of obscenity. A small, immature girl is narrating the story so there are many double meaning word such as, “when I put a quilt over myself its shadows on the wall seem to sway like an elephant”. Chughtai courted controversy for the story, which touches upon the themes of homosexuality. One of the themes happened to be on gay rights. “Begum Jaan…,” I could barely form the words out of fear. Amid protests, 'Fire' released in India in 1998. “It was a special oil massage that brought life back to the half-dead Begum Jaan”. if Nawab Sahab was a homosexual then he should not marry but who force him to marry? Yet the Nawab has a ‘strange hobby’. Tying them together would inevitably colour the opinion of the majority against an already oppressed sexual minority. The film raises themes of homosexuality and freedom of speech that our society is grappling with even today. Also, this serves as a reminder of the pederastic practices of the Nawab, because it is mentioned that Rabbu’s son had also sought help from the Nawab and received many gifts from him but had then fled for reasons known to none. Begum Jaan, confined to a life of solitude and subjugation, did everything in her power to divert the attention of her husband from the ‘firm-calved, supple-waisted boys’ but she failed in all her attempts. One day Amiran mother was going to Agra for some work and she can’t left her daughter alone in house due to her aggressive behaviour so she decide to left Amiran in Begum Jaan home for some days. The film raises themes of homosexuality and freedom of speech that our society is grappling with even today. It spoke of female sexuality defining the sexual needs of a woman, and also went many steps ahead ascertaining a conscious choice of an alternative sexuality instead of the conventional heteronormative behaviour. He kept an open house for students—young, fair and slender-waisted boys whose expenses were borne by him”. What is your take on the impact of mass media on communicating #SexEducation to kids?… https://t.co/1UNh7rD4I1, RT @Sushmita4Rights: @pinthecreep A2. The film inter weaves the plot of same sex relationship between Begum and her masseuse and the trial that Ismat underwent after being slapped with a case of obscenity on publishing the story. When Rabbu leaves to visit her son, who had supposedly refused the hospitality of the Nawab, for an indefinite period, there is a nasty turn of events. In Quilt writer also talked about matter of marriage. These are not boys who are described as naughty, quarrelsome robust kids but fair-faced and ‘slender-waisted’ young boys in ‘perfumed, flimsy shirts’. A woman can be more than something that just exists in a … The unfolding of homosexual pleasure in a dysfunctional Muslim household is based on the nonreproductive premise of the relationship shared between the Nawab and his wife. One day what happened that Amiran pull out the quilt of Begum Jaan. The Nawab had no interest whatsoever in his wife’s life, or desires; she was merely a social stamp for the society’s acceptable standards of a heteronormative institution. The two women’s difference in class status is what enables them to get close to each other physically (giving Rabbu access to Begum Jaan’s body in order to facilitate and sustain the sexual relationship). He kept an open house for students—young, fair and slender-waisted boys whose expenses were borne by him, ”. Chughtai launches an attack into the society’s perception of a ‘diseased condition’ that homosexuality was considered to be without explicitly mentioning it. Lihaaf Summary by Ismat Chughtai - The story is a ‘terrifying’ memory of an unnamed narrator that happened during her childhood. In the era of its publication, Lihaaf was possibly the first time a reader was exposed to the two themes. The themes of sensuality were not a rarity in Urdu literature. It is, at the same time, also symbolic of the confusion around the understanding of same-sex desire around that time. Thus, the pretentious virtuosity of the Nawab is established from the absence of heterosexual relations in his life. For her writing Ismat gain a title “Rebellion”, during her life she faced lots of criticism from her parents, relatives and society but she never stop herself to write. This is another theme that is seminal not just to this story, but to most of Chughtai's works. In that age peoples consider Homosexuality as a crime so for the sake of society he married Begum Jaan but never build sexual relation with her. 'Tum Akeli Nahi' “Begum Jaan” because she was a women, “to be a women is more difficult to be a Homosexual”, “One did not know when Begum Jaan’s life began, whether it was when she committed the mistake of being born or when she came to the Nawab’s house as his bride, climbed the four-poster bed and started counting her days. LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Brokeback Mountain, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Her presence in his life was completely dismissed and forgotten by him. The film inter weaves the plot of same sex relationship between Begum and her masseuse and the trial that Ismat underwent after being slapped with a case of obscenity on publishing the story. Parents should also be…, Thank you everyone to have participated in this tweetchat. Grasped by a sense of failure from her tiring attempts, Begum Jaan is reduced to a pitiable condition. She rediscovered sexual pleasure, the fulfillment of her own desires in Rabbu’s sensual oil massages, in her touch. “No one had ever seen a nautch girl or prostitute in his house”. She uses the imagery of an elephant to portray a young girl’s sense of confusion. She is a Political Science graduate who completed her Masters in Women’s Studies from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. The controversy surrounding Lihaaf emerged due to the representation of unadulterated female desire, sexuality, and queerness. Through the eyes of the little girl, she lays bare the hypocrisy and pretentiousness of the ‘virtuous’ upper-class elitist male garbed in religious rituals symbolising piety. But Ismat Chughtai’s carefully chosen artful words presented in a tongue-in-cheek manner hint at the ‘sordid’ reality underneath this righteous behaviour. Reading Ismat Chughtai as Archive: Themes in the short story Lihaaf. It not only spoke of alternatives for sexually repressed women in a patriarchal world but was also an attack on this world which was in turn shocked and understandably so, out of it’s own self-absorption. Lihaaf is not only one of Ismat Chughtai’s most celebrated works but was also one of the most controversial, for which she was summoned to court on charges of obscenity. ‘Lihaaf’ won its case in the Lahore high court. Amiran a teen age girl is narrating all this event that what she witnessed when she visited Nawab Sahab house. One Day when Rabbu went to meet her son in city, Begum Jaan was crying in pain of itching (this is the sign of sexual need of Begum Jaan) so she try to satisfy herself by Amiram but because she was not young and mature like Rabbu she afraid and runaway. Setting: 1941 India ... Quilt (Lihaaf) is the most controversial and most … The memory pops up when she … The Role of Young People in the Fight Against Climate Change, The Cobra Effect: When Solutions Make Problems Worse, There’s More to Workplace Diversity Than Eliminating Hiring Bias. While his homosexual exploits with young boys continued in the same household under the pretence of his so-called pedagogical endeavours, it was only his wife’s relationship with her maid that became a subject of whispered conversations. The homosexual underpinnings of his social life strategically veiled from the hetero-normative society, goes unnoticed. When Rabbu leaves to visit her son, who had supposedly refused the hospitality of the Nawab, for an indefinite period, there is a nasty turn of events. Chughtai covers up her homoerotic theme in the story smartly, with a lihaaf (a quilt) of euphemism by purposely using a child’s point of view to the topic of homosexuality that is unknown to her. #NationalGirlChildDay2021 https://t.co/jp39hl8xRr, On #nationalgirlchildday Safecity urges you to come together and raise voice so every girl in India get equal oppor… https://t.co/aPsg8wKaQu, The US Chief Technological Officer, Megan Smith says, "Violence destroys confidence and it destroys people." Instead of giving in to the regressive customs of a patriarchal institution only by virtue of a legal relationship she shared with her husband, she goes on to paint a new image of a woman who is sexually liberated taking advantage of the segregated space in the household where she was ‘installed’ like a furniture by the Nawab. However with the child, the absence of consent is conspicuous and is not justified as a valid expression of sexual frustration. Lihaaf, of course, is the first story which springs to mind when we think of Ismat Chughtai. It brought much notoriety upon her but towards the end of her life she was quite distressed by the fact that none of her other works received as much recognition as, takes its readers behind the curtain, playing in the shadows of same-sex desire, and lifting the veil off of the forbidden desires of women in Muslim households. The film inter weaves the plot of same sex relationship between Begum and her masseuse and the trial that Ismat underwent after being slapped with a case of obscenity on publishing the story. You all will familiar with this typical Bollywood dialogue. Quilt (Lihaaf) is the most controversial and most popular work by well-known Urdu writer of Indian Sahitya (Literature) “Ismat Chugtai”, story of Quilt is about homosexuality, which is still one of most controversial issue in India. Later, charges of … Chughtai artfully engages with questions of religious morality mediating it through the character of Nawab Saheb. Titas Ghosh is the Program and Outreach Officer at Delhi. Ismat Chughtai does not explicitly state the relationship Begum Jaan and Rabbu shared under the quilt; it is felt in the references and understood through the metaphors. Lihaaf not only re-presented the unspoken but also brought to light the taboo subject of female sexuality and the presence of female desires in a heteronormative marriage. I would like to give some example of Bollywood movies which banned by censor board of India due to the intense scene of Homosexuality and other issues of society. “Begum Jaan…,” I could barely form the words out of fear. Begum Jaan our heroine also suffer because of Nawab Sahab and his family’s hollow reputation. It spoke of female sexuality defining the sexual needs of a woman, and also went many steps ahead ascertaining a conscious choice of an alternative sexuality instead of the conventional heteronormative behaviour. It was Rabbu who “. Her presence in his life was completely dismissed and forgotten by him. ”. A story that breaks away from the traditional role of women, explores homoerotic themes and at the same time shadows abuse and prejudices within its layers. But Ismat Chughtai’s carefully chosen artful words presented in a tongue-in-cheek manner hint at the ‘sordid’ reality underneath this righteous behaviour. However, when Ismat Chughtai, a female author touched on the theme of … THE NARRATOR-  INVISIBLE SEXUALITIES TO IMMORAL SEXUALITIES The visual of the elephant in the room was as disturbing for the little girl as it was for the readers of the time. 1st : for society he was a Nawab who had good reputation in society. She uses the imagery of an elephant to portray a young girl’s sense of confusion. Thus the Zenana becomes a space for the expression of subversive desires, desires that a woman is forbidden to have, desires that are hidden under the quilt, and thus making the quilt an important symbol for the forbidden desires to slip into familiar spaces. What about those who can’t ‘have a go’ in Scott Morrison’s Australia? The shadow of the elephant cast on the wall is used to subtly imply the physical relationship of the two women under the quilt. On the face of it, there seems to be nothing wrong with providing help to nubile, young boys. The description itself holds an unhealthy ring to it. Sacrificing for a Dream Doesn’t Feel Like Sacrifice. This inequality in marriage not only symbolises the submissiveness and oppressed status of women but in this case, was also the impetus and motivation behind the commencement of Begum Jaan’s homoerotic relationship with her masseuse, Rabbu to fulfill her own sexual needs. “Deposited” this word deposit generally use for a non–living things, so it is clear that she was just a compulsion for Nawab Sahab, he marry her to save his real identity of Homosexual. “Nawab was” but who suffer ? A lot of references to homosexuality in males were made in classical poems and masnavis. The theme of the narrative, before the emergence of a strong public queer movement in India, was not just a taboo but even the existence of which was not acknowledged, or mentioned in the ‘polite’ society. Nawab Sahab was too old than Begam Jaan but why her parents marry her daughter to a person who had no match with her daughter? 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