Gulzar, the well-known poet and lyricist, is also an excellent story teller. Those who have seen his movies like Ijaazat or the more recent Maachis would agree that he is a master at story telling. Raavi Paar is a collection of short stories that touch your soul like a breeze and leave an impression on your heart like footprints on sand. ‘Gulzar’ was the only reason I picked up this book.
Simple style and easy-to-comprehend language are the highlights of Gulzar’s stories. There is a strong local flavour in his writing and the themes are strongly rooted in Indian culture and history. However, the spirit and emotions that are conveyed are universal. Fear, love, friendship, loneliness etc that are inseparable parts of human consciousness are portrayed through his characters. The characters are easily identifiable and real. There is no sense of the fantastic or un-real but the situations are so life-like and the human reactions so humane that the un-real element creeps in uninhibitedly.
Gulzar, the poet, makes his presence felt all the time. There is an easy flow and rhythm to the stories and they are inter-linked not by a character or theme but with the very fact that the crux of all the stories is the human mind. Instead of directly unveiling the political or social truths behind the dramas of life, Gulzar takes the readers en route human sub-conscious mind and the truth then revealed is not limited to one single person. It becomes universal and all encompassing.
For those who enjoy the earthy touch, the lyrical mysticism and the elusive surreal element of Gulzar movies will definitely like the short stories in Raavi Paar, especially the title story, which narrates an interesting episode of the author’s life. Except for this story none of the others are autobiographical. Enriching and enticing, this book would make good two hour reading.