# Ismat Chughtai

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Indian writer and filmmaker (1915–1991)

Ismat Chughtai Born (1911-08-21)21 August 1911 Budaun, United Provinces, British India Died 24 October 1991(1991-10-24) (aged 80) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India Occupation Writer filmmaker essayist Language Urdu Alma mater Aligarh Muslim University Genre Short stories novel plays Notable works Works of Ismat Chughtai Spouse Shaheed Latif Children Seema Sawhny Sabrina Lateef

Part of a series on Progressive Writers' Movement Members Urdu writers Sajjad Zaheer Ahmed Ali M. D. Taseer Hajrah Begum Rashid Jahan Razia Sajjad Zaheer Abdul Aleem Faiz Ahmad Faiz Majaz Ahmad Faraz Ismat Chughtai Saadat Hasan Manto Kaifi Azmi Jan Nisar Akhtar Shamim Karhani Shahid Ahmad Dehlvi Josh Malihabadi Sahir Ludhianvi Majrooh Sultanpuri Ghulam Mustafa Tabassum Ibn-e-Insha Ali Sardar Jafri Akhtar ul Iman Majnun Gorakhpuri Firaq Gorakhpuri Sibte Hassan Habib Jalib Ale Ahmad Suroor Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi Akhtar Husain Fikr Taunsvi Habib Tanvir Salma Siddiqui Krishan Chander Khatir Ghaznavi Muhammad Ali Siddiqui Sulaiman Areeb Hameed Akhtar Shaukat Siddiqui Salaam Machhalishahari Aziz Qaisi Khawar Rizvi Hajra Masroor K. A. Abbas Mohiuddin Qadri Zore English writers Mulk Raj Anand Debiprasad Chattopadhyaya Bengali writers Somen Chanda Pramod Ranjan Sengupta Bishnu Dey Punjabi writers Ustad Daman Amrita Pritam Ahmad Rahi Hindi writers Premchand Kashmiri writers Mahjoor Rehman Rahi Dinanath Nadim Amin Kamil Pran Kishore Kaul Ghulam Nabi Khayal Ghulam Rasool Santosh Marathi writers Mama Varerkar Notable works Angarey Atish Paray Twilight in Delhi Manto Ke Afsanay Dhuan Related Organisations Communist Party of India Indian People's Theatre Association v t e

**Ismat Chughtai** (21 August 1911 – 24 October 1991) was an Indian Urdu novelist, short story writer, [liberal humanist](/source/Humanism) and [filmmaker](/source/Filmmaker). Beginning in the 1930s, she wrote extensively on themes including [female sexuality](/source/Female_sexuality) and [femininity](/source/Femininity), [middle-class](/source/Middle_class) gentility, and [class conflict](/source/Class_conflict), often from a Marxist perspective. With a style characterised by [literary realism](/source/Literary_realism), Chughtai established herself as a significant voice in the [Urdu literature](/source/Urdu_literature) of the twentieth century, and in 1976 was awarded the [Padma Shri](/source/Padma_Shri) by the [Government of India](/source/Government_of_India).

## Biography

### Early life and career beginnings (1911–41)

Ismat Chughtai was born on 21 August 1911 in Badayun, [Uttar Pradesh](/source/Uttar_Pradesh) to Nusrat Khanam and Mirza Qaseem Baig Chughtai; she was the ninth of ten children—six brothers and four sisters.[1] The family moved frequently as Chughtai's father was a [civil servant](/source/Indian_Civil_Services); she spent her childhood in cities including [Jodhpur](/source/Jodhpur), [Agra](/source/Agra), and [Aligarh](/source/Aligarh)—mostly in the company of her brothers as her sisters had all got married when she was still very young. Chughtai described her brothers' influence as a key factor that shaped her personality during her formative years. She thought of her second-eldest brother, Mirza Azim Beg Chughtai (also a novelist), as a mentor. The family eventually settled in Agra, after Chughtai's father retired from the Indian Civil Services.[2]

Chughtai received her primary education at the [Women's College](/source/Women's_College%2C_Aligarh) at the [Aligarh Muslim University](/source/Aligarh_Muslim_University) and graduated from [Isabella Thoburn College](/source/Isabella_Thoburn_College) with a [Bachelor of Arts](/source/Bachelor_of_Arts) degree in 1940.[3] Despite strong resistance from her family, she completed her [Bachelor of Education](/source/Bachelor_of_Education) degree from the Aligarh Muslim University the following year.[2] It was during this period that Chughtai became associated with the [Progressive Writers' Association](/source/Progressive_Writers'_Association), having attended her first meeting in 1936 where she met [Rashid Jahan](/source/Rashid_Jahan), one of the leading female writers involved with the movement, who was later credited for inspiring Chughtai to write "realistic, challenging female characters".[4][5] Chughtai began writing in private around the same time, but did not seek publication of her work until much later.[5]

When I started writing, there was a trend -- writing romantic things or writing like a Progressive. When I started to write, people were very shocked because I wrote very frankly [...] I didn't write what you'd call "literarily." I wrote and do write as I speak, in a very simple language, not the literary language.

— Chughtai on her early writings, in a 1972 interview with *Mahfil*.[6]

Chughtai wrote a drama entitled *Fasādī* (*The Troublemaker*) for the Urdu magazine *Saqi* in 1939, which was her first published work. Upon publication, readers mistook it as a play by Chughtai's brother Azeem Beg, written using a [pseudonym](/source/Pseudonym).[7] Following that, she started writing for other publications and newspapers. Some of her early works included *Bachpan* (*Childhood*), an autobiographical piece, *Kafir* (*Infidel*), her first short-story, and *[Dheet](/source/Dhee_(TV_show))* (*Stubborn*), her only [soliloquy](/source/Soliloquy), among others.[8] In response to a story that she wrote for a magazine, Chughtai was told that her work was [blasphemous](/source/Blasphemy) and insulted the [Quran](/source/Quran).[9] She, nonetheless, continued writing about "things she would hear of".[9]

Chughtai's continued association with the Progressive Writers' Movement had significant bearings on her writing style; she was particularly intrigued by *[Angarey](/source/Angarey)*, a compilation of short-stories written in Urdu by members of the group including Jahan, [Sajjad Zaheer](/source/Sajjad_Zaheer), Sahibzada Mahmuduzaffar and [Ahmed Ali](/source/Ahmed_Ali_(writer)). Other early influences included such writers as [William Sydney Porter](/source/William_Sydney_Porter), [George Bernard Shaw](/source/George_Bernard_Shaw), and [Anton Chekhov](/source/Anton_Chekhov).[9] *Kalyān* (*Buds*) and *Cōtēn* (*Wounds*), two of Chughtai's earliest collections of short stories, were published in 1941 and 1942, respectively.[8]

Chughtai's first [novella](/source/Novella) *Ziddi*, which she had written in her early twenties was first published in 1941. The book chronicles the love affair between a woman, who works as domestic help in an affluent household and her employer's son. Chughtai later discussed the similarity in themes and style of the novel with the works of the romantic novelist [Hijab Imtiaz Ali](/source/Hijab_Imtiaz_Ali), citing her as another early influence. Commentators have praised the novella, both for its "compelling prose"[10] and for providing "[glimpses] into a world where women try to break out of the shackles created by other women, rather than men".[11] Critic and short story writer [Aamer Hussein](/source/Aamer_Hussein), in a 2015 retrospective review, likened Chughtai's "oracular voice, which didn't comment or explain, but studded the narrative with poetic observations" to that of American author [Toni Morrison](/source/Toni_Morrison).[10] *Ziddi* was later translated into English as *Wild at Heart* and adapted into a [1948 feature film of the same name](/source/Ziddi_(1948_film)).[1]

### Niche appreciation and transition to film (1942–60)

After completing her Bachelor's of Education degree, Chughtai successfully applied for the post of headmistress of an Aligarh-based Girls school. There, she met and developed a close friendship with [Shaheed Latif](/source/Shaheed_Latif), who was pursuing a master's degree at the [Aligarh Muslim University](/source/Aligarh_Muslim_University) at the time.[7] Chughtai continued to write for various publications during her stay at Aligarh. She found success with such short-stories as *Gainda* and *Khidmatgaar* and the play *Intikhab*, all of which were published during the period.[12] She then moved to Bombay in 1942 and began working as an Inspectress of schools.[7] Later that year, she married Latif, who was now working as a dialogue writer in [Bollywood](/source/Bollywood), in a private ceremony. [Khwaja Ahmad Abbas](/source/Khwaja_Ahmad_Abbas) was the legal witness to the ceremony.[1][13]

Chughtai garnered widespread attention for her short-story *[Lihaaf](/source/Lihaaf)* (*The Quilt*), which appeared in a 1942 issue of *Adab-i-Latif*, a [Lahore](/source/Lahore)-based literary journal.[2] Inspired by the rumoured affair of a *begum* and her masseuse in Aligarh, the story chronicles the sexual awakening of Begum Jan following her unhappy marriage with a *nawab*.[4] Upon release, *Lihaaf* attracted criticism for its suggestion of [female homosexuality](/source/Female_homosexuality) and a subsequent [trial](/source/Trial), with Chughtai being summoned by the [Lahore High Court](/source/Lahore_High_Court) to defend herself against the charges of "obscenity".[14] Fellow writer and member of the Progressive Writers' Movement [Sadat Hassan Manto](/source/Sadat_Hassan_Manto) was also charged with similar allegations for his short-story *Bu* (*Odour*) and accompanied Chughtai to Lahore.[15] Both Chughtai and Manto were exonerated.[16]

The trial, which took place in 1945, itself drew much media and public attention and brought notoriety to the duo. Chughtai fared better in the public eye, having garnered support from such fellow members of the Progressive Writers' Movement as [Majnun Gorakhpuri](/source/Majnun_Gorakhpuri) and [Krishan Chander](/source/Krishan_Chander). Regardless, she detested the media coverage of the whole incident, which in her view weighted heavily upon her subsequent work; "[*Lihaaf*] brought me so much notoriety that I got sick of life. It became the proverbial stick to beat me with and whatever I wrote afterwards got crushed under its weight."[15]

We stood face to face during a dinner. I felt the ground under my feet receding. She cruised through the crowd, leaped at me and took me in her arms [...] I felt like throwing myself into someone’s arms and crying my heart out. She invited me to a fabulous dinner. I felt fully rewarded when I saw her flower-like boy. I felt he was mine as well. A part of my mind, a living product of my brain. An offspring of my pen.

— Chughtai on her meeting with the woman who was the inspiration behind *[Lihaaf](/source/Lihaaf)*

Chughtai, however, is known to have made her peace with the whole fiasco, having met the woman who had inspired Begum Jan a few years after the publication of *Lihaaf*. The woman told Chughtai that she had since divorced her husband, remarried and was raising a child with her second husband. Chughtai's biographers recall the meeting between the two women in *Ismat: Her life, Her times*: "[Chughtai] felt greatly rewarded when the begum told [her that *Lihaaf*] had changed her life and it is because of her story now she was blessed with a child".[17] Chughtai, who had been apprehensive about the meeting at first, later expressed her delight in a *[memoir](/source/Memoir)*, writing, "flowers can be made to bloom among rocks. The only condition is that one has to water the plant with one's heart's blood".[4]

Chughtai's quasi-autobiographical novel *Tedhi Lakeer* (*The Crooked Line*) was released in 1943.[8] She was pregnant with her daughter during the time. She recalled the difficult circumstances facing her during her work on the novel, in a 1972 interview with *Mahfil: Journal of South Asian Literature*: "[It was] during the war that I wrote my novel *Terhi Lakeer*, a big, thick novel. I was sick then, pregnant with my daughter. But I was always writing that novel".[6] The book chronicles the lives of the Muslim community, women in particular, in the backdrop of the waning [British Raj](/source/British_Raj).[18] Chughtai's exploration of the "inner realms of women's lives" was well received by critics who variously described her work in *Tedhi Lakeer* as "probing and pertinent"[19] and "empowering".[20] She herself recalled her [creative process](/source/Creative_process) in the 1972 interview, saying she found inspiration from the small incidents that she would witness around her and even the personal conversations that took place amongst the women in her family, "I write about people I know or have known. What should a writer write about anyway"?[6]

In the years following their wedding, Latif also introduced Chughtai to the Hindi film industry.[12] She began writing scripts in the late 1940s and made her debut as a screenwriter for Latif's drama film *[Ziddi](/source/Ziddi_(1948_film))*. Starring [Kamini Kaushal](/source/Kamini_Kaushal), [Pran](/source/Pran_(actor)), and [Dev Anand](/source/Dev_Anand) in his first major film role, *Ziddi* became one of the biggest commercial successes of 1948. It was based on the 1941 eponymous short story; Chughtai had rewritten the narrative in form of a screenplay for the production.[13][21] She then wrote the dialogue and screenplay for the 1950 romance drama film *[Arzoo](/source/Arzoo_(1950_film))*, starring Kaushal and [Dilip Kumar](/source/Dilip_Kumar). Chughtai expanded her career into [directing](/source/Film_direction) with the 1953 film *Fareb*, which featured an [ensemble cast](/source/Ensemble_cast) of Amar, Maya Daas, [Kishore Kumar](/source/Kishore_Kumar), [Lalita Pawar](/source/Lalita_Pawar), and [Zohra Sehgal](/source/Zohra_Sehgal). Having again written the screenplay based on one of her short stories, Chughtai co-directed the film with Latif.[21] Upon release, both *Arzoo* and *Fareb* garnered positive response from the audience and performed well at the box-office.[22]

Chughtai's association with film solidified when she and Latif co-founded the production company Filmina.[8] Her first project as a filmmaker was the 1958 drama film *Sone Ki Chidiya*, which she wrote and co-produced. Starring [Nutan](/source/Nutan) and [Talat Mahmood](/source/Talat_Mahmood) in lead roles, it told the story of a [child actor](/source/Child_actor), who was abused and exploited over the course of her career. The film was well received by audiences and the success translated directly into a rise in Chughtai's popularity, as noted by writer and critic Shams Kanwal.[23] *Sone Ki Chidiya* has been described as a significant production for "[chronicling] a heady time in Indian cinema" and showcasing the "grime behind the glamour" of the film industry.[24] Nutan, who garnered a good response for her performance in the film, herself described it as one of her favorite projects.[25] Also in 1958, Chughtai produced the Mahmood-[Shyama](/source/Shyama_(Hindi_actress)) starrer romance drama *Lala Rukh*.[26]

Chughtai continued writing short-stories during the time despite her commitment to film projects. Her fourth collection of short-stories *Chui Mui* (*Touch-me-not*) was released in 1952 to an enthusiastic response.[27] The [eponymous](/source/Eponymous) short-story has been noted for its "pertinent dissection of our society"[28] and contesting the venerated tradition of [motherhood](/source/Motherhood), especially its equation of [womanhood](/source/Ideal_womanhood).[8] Rafay Mahmood highlighted, in a 2014 editorial, the relevance of the story in the twenty-first century. *Chui Mui* was adapted for stage by [Naseeruddin Shah](/source/Naseeruddin_Shah) as a part of a commemorative series *Ismat Apa Kay Naam*, with his daughter Heeba Shah playing the central character in the production.[28]

### Success with writing novels (1961–90)

Beginning in the 1960s, Chughtai wrote a total of eight novels, the first of which was *Masooma* (*The Innocent Girl*), published in 1962.[8] The film follows the life of a young actress, Nilofar, who is forced to work as [call girl](/source/Call_girl) to sustain her family once her father abandons them. Set in the Bombay of 1950s, the novel delves into the themes of [sexual exploitation](/source/Sexual_exploitation) and [social](/source/Social_injustice) and [economic injustice](/source/Economic_inequality).[29][30][31] Her next work, the 1966 [novella](/source/Novella) *Saudai* (*Obsession*) was based on the screenplay of 1951 film *Buzdil*, which she co-wrote with Latif.[32] Commentators have noted that *Saudai* could never shed its structure and still read like a screenplay despite Chughtai's efforts.[33]

Following a lukewarm reception for both *Masooma* and *Saudai*,[2] Chughtai received significant praise for her fifth novel *Dil ki Duniya* (*The Heart Breaks Free*).[33][10] Reviewing the novel, observers have placed it second only to *Tedhi Lakeer* in the canon of her work.[10][34] The novel follows the lives of a varied group of women living in a conservative Muslim household in [Uttar Pradesh](/source/Uttar_Pradesh). *Dil Ki Duniya*, much like *Tedhi Lakeer*, is autobiographical in nature as Chughtai drew heavily from her own childhood in [Bahraich](/source/Bahraich), Uttar Pradesh. Comparing the two, Hussein says, "if *Tedhi Lakeer* impressed me with its boldness, range and its credentials as a major novel, *Dil ki Duniya*'s influence would linger with me forever, and I'd find its thematic and stylistic echoes in my own stories".[10]

In the early 1970s, Chughtai wrote two novels, *Ajeeb Aadmi* (*A Very Strange Man*) and *Jangli Kabootar* (*Wild Pigeons*) that made use of her knowledge of the [Hindi film industry](/source/Hindi_film_industry), which she had been a part of for the last couple of decades.[32][35] *Jangli Kabootar*, which was first published in 1970, follows the life of an actress and was partially inspired from a real-life incident that had occurred at the time.[36] Chughtai's grandson, filmmaker Aijaz Khan had expressed his interest in a making a feature film based on story in a 2015 interview with the *[Mumbai Mirror](/source/Mumbai_Mirror)*: "would like to make one of her stories, *Jangli Kabootar* [as the story has] always fascinated me."[37]

*Ajeeb Aadmi* similarly narrates the life of Dharam Dev, a popular [leading man](/source/Leading_man) in Bollywood and the impact that his extra-marital affair with Zareen Jamal, a fellow actress has on the lives of the people involved. The novel was said to have been based on the affair between frequent co-stars [Guru Dutt](/source/Guru_Dutt) and [Waheeda Rehman](/source/Waheeda_Rehman); Dutt was married to [playback singer](/source/Playback_singer) [Geeta Dutt](/source/Geeta_Dutt) and the couple had three children at the time.[35] While there are several allusions to real-life figures including [Meena Kumari](/source/Meena_Kumari), [Lata Mangeshkar](/source/Lata_Mangeshkar), and [Mohammed Rafi](/source/Mohammed_Rafi), members of the Dutt family and Rehman are never explicitly named.[35] Chughtai said of *Ajeeb Aadmi*: "[In the novel], I go into [...] why girls run after him and producers like him, and the hell they make for these men and for their wives. The novel, which was released in the early 1970s, was praised for its bold nature and candour."[38]

Mumbai-based writer and journalist, [Jerry Pinto](/source/Jerry_Pinto) noted the impact of *Ajeeb Aadmi*'s initial release saying, "There hadn't been a more dramatic and candid account of the tangled emotional lives of Bollywood before this."[38] Writing for the *[Khaleej Times](/source/Khaleej_Times)* in 2019, Khalid Mohamed echoed the sentiment. He called the book a first of a kind tell-all book about the Hindi film industry, one that was "an eye-opener even for the know-alls of Bollywood". Mohamed also made a detailed note of Chughtai's candid style of writing, saying that she had an "instinctive gift for relating stories frankly and fearlessly".[39]

### Later years, critical reappraisals and subsequent acclaim (1990s and beyond)

Chughtai was diagnosed with [Alzheimer's disease](/source/Alzheimer's_disease) in the late 1980s, which limited her work thereafter.[40] She died at her house in Mumbai on 24 October 1991, following the prolonged illness.[41] Chughtai was known to have been averse of getting a burial, the common funeral practice in Islam. Rakhshanda Jalil quotes one of Chughtai's conversations with [Qurratulain Hyder](/source/Qurratulain_Hyder), a friend and contemporary writer in *An Uncivil Woman: Writings on Ismat Chughtai*, "I am very scared of the grave. They bury you beneath a pile of mud. One would suffocate [...] I'd rather be cremated."[42] As per most accounts, Chughtai was cremated at the [Chandanwadi crematorium](/source/Chandanwadi%2C_Mumbai), in accordance with her last wishes.[41][43]

Following the translation of numerous of her works into English, a renewed interest in the Urdu literature of the twentieth century, and subsequent critical reappraisals, Chughtai's status as a writer rose.[a] Critical reappraisals for her works began with rereadings of *[Lihaaf](/source/Lihaaf)*, which in the intervening years has attached a greater significance; it was noted for its portrayal of the insulated life of a neglected wife in the [feudal society](/source/Indian_feudalism) and became a landmark for its early depiction of sex, still a taboo in modern [Indian literature](/source/Indian_literature).[47] *Lihaaf* has since been widely anthologised and has become one of Chughtai's most appreciated works.[1]

With more of her work being made available for reading to a wider audience over the years, criticism centered around the limited scope of Chughtai's writing has also subsided. In a 1993 retrospective piece, Naqvi also countered the perceived scope of Chughtai's writings, saying that her work was "neither confined to nor exhausted" by the themes central to *Lihaaf*: "she had much, much more to offer".[7] She separately cited the example of *Jangli Kabootar*, which was one of the first novels in Chughtai's cannon to explore the theme of [infidelity](/source/Infidelity). Naqvi highlighted how despite having established herself as a significant voice in Urdu literature by this time, Chughtai still remained keen on probing new themes and expand the scope of her work.[32]

*Tedhi Lakeer*, which has come to be regarded as Chughtai's [magnum opus](/source/Magnum_opus) is now considered to be one of the most significant works of [Urdu literature](/source/Urdu_literature) by commentators and various media outlets.[9][18][48] Critic and dramatist [Shamim Hanfi](/source/Shamim_Hanfi) gives it highest praise, saying that the novel, its first half in particular, matches up to the highest standards of [world literature](/source/World_literature).[49] Hussein comparably calls it one of the best novels of Urdu language and notes that Chughtai combines all her literary influences and her own [lived experiences](/source/Lived_experiences) to create a radical text. He likened the novel's framework to that of a *[bildungsroman](/source/Bildungsroman)* and praised its examination of the nationalist and feminist issues of the period.[10] Commentators have also compared Chughtai's writing style in the novel to that of French writer and intellectual [Simone de Beauvoir](/source/Simone_de_Beauvoir), based on the duo's [existentialist](/source/Existentialism) and [humanist](/source/Humanism) affiliations.[8][10]

## Influences and writing style

Chughtai was a [liberal Muslim](/source/Liberal_islam) whose daughter, nephew, and niece were married to Hindus. In her own words, Chughtai came from a family of "[Hindus](/source/Hindus), [Muslims](/source/Muslims) and Christians who all live peacefully".[50] She said she read not only the [Qur’an](/source/Qur%E2%80%99an), but also the [Gita](/source/Gita) and the [Bible](/source/Bible) with openness.[50]

Chughtai's short stories reflected the cultural legacy of the region in which she lived. This was well demonstrated in her story "Sacred Duty", where she dealt with social pressures in India, alluding to specific national, religious and cultural traditions.[51]

In Chughtai's formative years, Nazar Sajjad Hyder had established herself an independent feminist voice, and the short stories of two very different women, [Hijab Imtiaz Ali](/source/Hijab_Imtiaz_Ali) and [Rashid Jehan](/source/Rashid_Jahan), were also a significant early influence.[52]

Many of her writings, including *Angarey* and *Lihaaf*, were [banned](/source/Banned) in South Asia because their [reformist](/source/Reformist) and [feminist](/source/Feminist) content offended conservatives (for example, her view that the [Niqab](/source/Niqab), the veil worn by women in Muslim societies, should be discouraged for Muslim women because it is [oppressive](/source/Oppressive) and [feudal](/source/Feudal)).[53][54]

## In popular culture

- In the 2018 biopic of [Saadat Hasan Manto](/source/Saadat_Hasan_Manto) titled, [Manto](/source/Manto_(2018_film)), her character is portrayed by [Rajshri Deshpande](/source/Rajshri_Deshpande).[55]

- A 2019 Indian Hindi-language period drama film, Lihaaf: The Quilt is based on the story and stars [Anushka Sen](/source/Anushka_Sen), [Tannishtha Chatterjee](/source/Tannishtha_Chatterjee), [Mir Sarwar](/source/Mir_Sarwar), [Sonal Sehgal](/source/Sonal_Sehgal), Shoib Nikash Shah, Namita Lal, and [Virendra Saxena](/source/Veerendra_Saxena). It was directed by Rahat Kazmi.[56]

### Publications on Ismat Chughtai

- *Ismat: Her Life, Her Times*. Sukrita Paul Kumar, Katha, New Delhi, 2000. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [81-85586-97-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/81-85586-97-7).

- *Ismat Chughtai, A Fearless Voice*. Manjulaa Negi, Rupa and Co, 2003.81-29101-53-X.

- "Torchbearer of a literary revolution". The Hindu, Sunday, 21 May 2000.[\[1\]](https://web.archive.org/web/20060621011400/http://www.hinduonnet.com/2000/05/21/stories/1321017u.htm)

- Kashmir Uzma Urdu weekly, Srinagar, 27 December 2004, 2 January 2005.[\[2\]](http://www.milligazette.com/Archives/2005/01-15Feb05-Print-Edition/011502200561.htm)

- "Ismat Chughtai – Pakistan-India (1915–1991)", World People, 5 May 2006.[\[3\]](https://web.archive.org/web/20071024221325/http://word.world-citizenship.org/word/index.php/wp-archive/473)

- [Eyad N. Al-Samman, "Ismat Chughtai: An Iconoclast Muslim Dame of Urdu Fiction", *Yemen Times*, 13 April 2009](https://web.archive.org/web/20110608071043/http://www.yementimes.com/defaultdet.aspx?SUB_ID=29684)

## Tribute

On 21 August 2018, [Google](/source/Google) celebrated her 107th birthday with a [Google Doodle](/source/Google_Doodle).[57]

## Works

Main article: [List of works by Ismat Chughtai](/source/List_of_works_by_Ismat_Chughtai)

## Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1948 Shikayat – Dialogue writer 1948 Ziddi – 1950 Arzoo – 1951 Buzdil – 1952 Sheesha – 1953 Fareb – Also co-director 1954 Darwaza – 1955 Society – 1958 Sone Ki Chidiya – Also producer 1958 Lala Rukh – Also co-director and producer 1966 Baharen Phir Bhi Ayengi – 1973 Garam Hawa – Filmfare Best Story Award (shared with Kaifi Azmi) 1978 Junoon Miriam Labadoor Cameo appearance

## Awards and honours

Year Work Award Category Result Ref. 1974 Terhi Lakeer Ghalib Award Best Urdu Drama Won [58] 1974–75 Garam Hawa National Film Awards Best Story Won Filmfare Award Best Story Won – Government of India State Award – Won 1976 – Indian civilian awards Padma Shri Won [59] 1979 – Andhra Pradesh Urdu Akademi Award Makhdoom Literary Award Won 1982 – Soviet Land Nehru Award – Won [60] 1990 – Rajasthan Urdu Akademi Iqbal Samman Won [60]

## See also

- [List of Indian writers](/source/List_of_Indian_writers)

## References

### Notes

1. **[^](#cite_ref-47)** Sources.[13][44][45][46]

### Citations

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Gopal2012_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Gopal2012_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Gopal2012_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Gopal2012_1-3) Gopal, Priyamvada (2012). [*Literary Radicalism in India: Gender, Nation and the Transition to Independence*](https://books.google.com/books?id=lf8wfOR1058C&pg=PT83). [Routledge Press](/source/Routledge_Press). pp. 83–84. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-134-33253-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-134-33253-3). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20181023181837/https://books.google.com/books?id=lf8wfOR1058C&pg=PT83) from the original on 23 October 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2018.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-parekh_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-parekh_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-parekh_2-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-parekh_2-3) Parekh, Rauf (30 August 2015). ["Essay: Ismat Chughtai: her life, thought and art"](https://www.dawn.com/news/1203638). *[Dawn](/source/Dawn_(newspaper))*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20171206005838/https://www.dawn.com/news/1203638) from the original on 6 December 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Bhandare, Namita (11 November 2014). ["The fine print of the AMU Library row"](http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/9JgfILAahE0gybNT3KUYTM/The-fine-print-of-the-AMU-library-row.html). *[Mint](/source/Mint_(newspaper))*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20171012110602/http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/9JgfILAahE0gybNT3KUYTM/The-fine-print-of-the-AMU-library-row.html) from the original on 12 October 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2018.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-bahuguna_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-bahuguna_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-bahuguna_4-2) Bahuguna, Urvashi (15 August 2017). ["Born on India's future Independence Day, Ismat Chughtai wrote of the world she saw, not aspired to"](https://scroll.in/article/847158/born-on-indias-future-independence-day-ismat-chughtai-wrote-of-the-world-she-saw-not-aspired-to). *Scroll.in*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20171016041432/https://scroll.in/article/847158/born-on-indias-future-independence-day-ismat-chughtai-wrote-of-the-world-she-saw-not-aspired-to) from the original on 16 October 2017. Retrieved 25 April 2017.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-mclain_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-mclain_5-1) McLain, Karline. ["The Fantastic as Frontier: Realism, the Fantastic and Transgression in Mid-Twentiet century Urdu fiction"](http://www.urdustudies.com/pdf/16/14_McLain.pdf) (PDF). [University of Texas, Austin](/source/University_of_Texas%2C_Austin). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20131204045727/http://www.urdustudies.com/pdf/16/14_McLain.pdf) (PDF) from the original on 4 December 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2012.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-mahfil_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-mahfil_6-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-mahfil_6-2) Coppola, Carlo (1972). ["Interview with Ismat Chughtai"](https://dsal.uchicago.edu/books/mahfil/toc.html?volume=8&number=2-3). *Mahfil*. **8** (2–3): 169. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20190801111900/https://dsal.uchicago.edu/books/mahfil/toc.html?volume=8&number=2-3) from the original on 1 August 2019. Retrieved 16 September 2019.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-naqvi_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-naqvi_7-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-naqvi_7-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-naqvi_7-3) Naqvi, Tahira (1993). ["Ismat Chughtai–A Tribute"](https://minds.wisconsin.edu/bitstream/handle/1793/11805/08Ismat.pdf?sequence=2) (PDF). *Annual of Urdu Studies*. **8**. [University of Wisconsin](/source/University_of_Wisconsin). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180426075657/https://minds.wisconsin.edu/bitstream/handle/1793/11805/08Ismat.pdf?sequence=2) (PDF) from the original on 26 April 2018. Retrieved 25 April 2018.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-bano_8-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-bano_8-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-bano_8-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-bano_8-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-bano_8-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-bano_8-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-bano_8-6) Bano, Farhat (2013). ["The emergence of feminist consciousness among Muslim women the case of Aligarh"](https://web.archive.org/web/20180514182257/http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/165149/11/11_chapter%206.pdf) (PDF). [University of Calcutta](/source/University_of_Calcutta). Archived from [the original](http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/jspui/bitstream/10603/165149/11/11_chapter%25206.pdf) (PDF) on 14 May 2018. Retrieved 13 May 2018 – via [Shodhganga](/source/Shodhganga).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-patel_9-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-patel_9-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-patel_9-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-patel_9-3) Patel, Aakar (14 August 2015). ["Ismat Chughtai's fearless pen"](https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/NTt7hWtC5yAWZx0cQCrYAM/Ismat-Chughtais-fearless-pen.html). *[Livemint](/source/Mint_(newspaper))*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180426013313/https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/NTt7hWtC5yAWZx0cQCrYAM/Ismat-Chughtais-fearless-pen.html) from the original on 26 April 2018. Retrieved 25 April 2018.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-hussein_10-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-hussein_10-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-hussein_10-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-hussein_10-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-hussein_10-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-hussein_10-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-hussein_10-6) Hussein, Aamer (4 August 2015). ["How long can a river be held back by a dam?"](http://kindlemag.in/how-long-can-a-river-be-held-back-by-a-dam/). *[Kindle Magazine](/source/Kindle_Magazine)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180904131437/http://kindlemag.in/how-long-can-a-river-be-held-back-by-a-dam/) from the original on 4 September 2018. Retrieved 17 September 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-afif_11-0)** Afif Siddiqi, Shams (5 September 2014). ["The realm of the heart"](https://www.telegraphindia.com/opinion/the-realm-of-the-heart/cid/320085). *[The Telegraph](/source/The_Telegraph_(Calcutta))*. Retrieved 19 September 2019.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-gupta_12-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-gupta_12-1) Gupta, Neeta. ["The Short Stories"](https://sol.du.ac.in/mod/book/tool/print/index.php?id=855). [School of Open Learning](/source/School_of_Open_Learning). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180506035620/https://sol.du.ac.in/mod/book/tool/print/index.php?id=855) from the original on 6 May 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2018.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-popularity_13-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-popularity_13-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-popularity_13-2) Kumar, Kuldeep (20 January 2017). ["Remembering a trailblazer"](http://www.thehindu.com/books/Remembering-a-trailblazer/article17069451.ece). *[The Hindu](/source/The_Hindu)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180514182254/http://www.thehindu.com/books/Remembering-a-trailblazer/article17069451.ece) from the original on 14 May 2018. Retrieved 8 May 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-mitra_14-0)** Mitra, Ipshita (28 September 2012). ["The same-sex appeal in literature"](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/books/features/The-same-sex-appeal-in-literature/articleshow/10569100.cms). *[The Times of India](/source/The_Times_of_India)*. Retrieved 7 May 2018.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-asaduddin_15-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-asaduddin_15-1) Asaduddin, M (1 April 2012). ["Dude, it's not lewd"](https://web.archive.org/web/20180507090721/https://www.telegraphindia.com/1120401/jsp/7days/story_15319777.jsp). *[The Telegraph](/source/The_Telegraph_(Calcutta))*. Archived from [the original](https://www.telegraphindia.com/1120401/jsp/7days/story_15319777.jsp) on 7 May 2018. Retrieved 7 May 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-shamsie_16-0)** Shamsie, Muneeza (27 November 2016). ["The feminist voice of Ismat Chughtai"](https://epaper.dawn.com/DetailImage.php?StoryImage=27_11_2016_461_001). *[Dawn](/source/Dawn_(newspaper))*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180507085638/https://epaper.dawn.com/DetailImage.php?StoryImage=27_11_2016_461_001) from the original on 7 May 2018. Retrieved 7 May 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-sadiq_17-0)** Paul Kumar, Sukrita; Sadique, Sadique (2000). [*Ismat: Her Life, Her Times*](https://books.google.com/books?id=fcJjAAAAMAAJ&q=ismat:+her+life,+her+times+edited+by+sukrita+paul+kumar+%26+sadique+katha). Katha Books. p. 65. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9788185586977](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9788185586977). Retrieved 18 September 2019.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-famousworks_18-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-famousworks_18-1) ["Ismat Chughtai birth anniversary: A look at her memorable work"](https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/books/ismat-chughtai-birth-anniversary-best-work-5317260/). *[The Indian Express](/source/The_Indian_Express)*. 21 August 2018. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180923003257/https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/books/ismat-chughtai-birth-anniversary-best-work-5317260/) from the original on 23 September 2018. Retrieved 17 September 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-zakaria_19-0)** Zakaria, Rafia (26 October 2013). ["Ismat Chughtai: The inner worlds of educated women"](https://www.dawn.com/news/1051981). *[Dawn](/source/Dawn_(newspaper))*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180420014416/https://www.dawn.com/news/1051981) from the original on 20 April 2018. Retrieved 5 May 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-gautam_20-0)** Gautam, Nishtha (22 August 2015). ["Ismat Chughtai, thank you for being our Tedhi Lakeer"](https://www.dailyo.in/arts/ismat-chugtai-indian-literature-obscenity-laws-twitter-tedhi-lakeer-lihaaf-progressive-writers-movement-india-translation-postcolonialism/story/1/5822.html). *DailyO*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180506103935/https://www.dailyo.in/arts/ismat-chugtai-indian-literature-obscenity-laws-twitter-tedhi-lakeer-lihaaf-progressive-writers-movement-india-translation-postcolonialism/story/1/5822.html) from the original on 6 May 2018. Retrieved 5 May 2018.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-willemen_21-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-willemen_21-1) Rajadhyaksha, Ashish; Willemen, Paul (2014). [*Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema*](https://books.google.com/books?id=SLkABAAAQBAJ&q=ziddi+1948+reviews&pg=PA80). Routledge. p. 80. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781135943189](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781135943189). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180507154108/https://books.google.co.in/books?id=SLkABAAAQBAJ&pg=PA80&lpg=PA80&dq=ziddi+1948+reviews&source=bl&ots=VCZvPExybk&sig=j97JE2LF6X9bLFETFP28LXyZdyM&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwir_If1ofPaAhVBuI8KHYKcDp84ChDoATANegQIBhAB#v=onepage&q=ziddi%201948%20reviews&f=false) from the original on 7 May 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-hyder_22-0)** Hyder, Qurratulain (25 August 2017). ["Ismat Chughtai dared to raise the veil of hypocrisies in Indian society"](https://www.dailyo.in/arts/ismat-chughtai-urdu-literature-short-stories-lihaaf/story/1/18952.html). *DailyO*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180512043621/https://www.dailyo.in/arts/ismat-chughtai-urdu-literature-short-stories-lihaaf/story/1/18952.html) from the original on 12 May 2018. Retrieved 11 May 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-sadique_23-0)** Sadique, Daktar; Paul Kumar, Sukrita (2000). [*Ismat: Her Life, Her Times*](https://books.google.com/books?id=fcJjAAAAMAAJ&q=celluloid+masterpiece+was+Garam+Hawa). Katha Books. p. 92. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9788185586977](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9788185586977). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180512043856/https://books.google.co.in/books?id=fcJjAAAAMAAJ&q=celluloid+masterpiece+was+Garam+Hawa&dq=celluloid+masterpiece+was+Garam+Hawa&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjk3-m-yv7aAhUMwLwKHftRAegQ6AEIJDAA) from the original on 12 May 2018. Retrieved 11 May 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-gahlot_24-0)** Gahlot, Deepa (2015). [*Take-2: 50 Films That Deserve a New Audience*](https://books.google.com/books?id=JEqwDAAAQBAJ&q=sone+ki+chidiya+ismat+chughtai&pg=PT128). Hay House, Inc. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9789384544850](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9789384544850). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180512043858/https://books.google.co.in/books?id=JEqwDAAAQBAJ&pg=PT128&lpg=PT128&dq=sone+ki+chidiya+ismat+chughtai&source=bl&ots=kmaGJ77RtA&sig=8UrcqCQzIys02BpibE6moOi9Js8&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjMj5fJxv7aAhXIw7wKHTzZDRw4ChDoATAFegQIBRAB#v=onepage&q=sone%20ki%20chidiya%20ismat%20chughtai&f=false) from the original on 12 May 2018. Retrieved 11 May 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-nutan_25-0)** ["Forever Nutan"](https://m.rediff.com/movies/2002/feb/05din.htm). *[Rediff.com](/source/Rediff.com)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180512044108/https://m.rediff.com/movies/2002/feb/05din.htm) from the original on 12 May 2018. Retrieved 11 May 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-rukh_26-0)** Somaaya, Bhawana (2016). [*Once Upon a Time in India: A Century of Indian Cinema*](https://books.google.com/books?id=V4PZDQAAQBAJ&q=lala+rukh+ismat+chughtai&pg=RA2-PT120). Random House India. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9789385990403](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9789385990403). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180512181629/https://books.google.co.in/books?id=V4PZDQAAQBAJ&pg=RA2-PT120&lpg=RA2-PT120&dq=lala+rukh+ismat+chughtai&source=bl&ots=cIYjlbmLlu&sig=iv5_gi6I93GRM3_xMSzZdRyyTgU&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjVsdr8z__aAhUOSY8KHaX8DR4Q6AEwGHoECAEQAQ) from the original on 12 May 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-tharu_27-0)** Tharu, Susie J.; Lalita, Ke (1991). [*Women Writing in India: The twentieth century*](https://books.google.com/books?id=OjZYf9Xf9bcC&q=chui+mui+ismat&pg=PA128). [The Feminist Press](/source/The_Feminist_Press). p. 128. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781558610293](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781558610293).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-rafay_28-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-rafay_28-1) Mahmood, Rafay (6 March 2014). ["Ismat Apa Kay Naam: The Shahs take the stage"](https://tribune.com.pk/story/679632/ismat-apa-kay-naam-the-shahs-take-the-stage/). *[The Express Tribune](/source/The_Express_Tribune)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20150909223936/http://tribune.com.pk/story/679632/ismat-apa-kay-naam-the-shahs-take-the-stage/) from the original on 9 September 2015. Retrieved 14 May 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-spectrum_masooma_29-0)** Wadehra, Randeep (7 August 2011). ["Sexploitation, cops and verse"](https://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110807/spectrum/book7.htm). *[The Tribune](/source/The_Tribune)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20160213011515/http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110807/spectrum/book7.htm) from the original on 13 February 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-biblio_30-0)** Jalil, Rakhshanda (12 June 2012). ["Masooma by Ismat Chughtai - A review"](http://hindustaniawaaz-rakhshanda.blogspot.com/2012/07/masooma-by-ismat-chughtai-review.html?m=1). *The Biblio*. Retrieved 16 September 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-asymptote_31-0)** Hussein, Aamer. ["Aamer Hussein reviews Ismat Chughtai's Short Stories"](https://www.asymptotejournal.com/criticism/ismat-chughtais-short-stories/). *[Asymptote](/source/Asymptote_(journal))*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20190624020125/https://www.asymptotejournal.com/criticism/ismat-chughtais-short-stories/) from the original on 24 June 2019. Retrieved 16 September 2019.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-quartret_32-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-quartret_32-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-quartret_32-2) Chughtai, Ismat (2015). [*A Chughtai Quartet: Obsession, The Wild One, Wild Pigeons, The Heart Breaks Free*](https://books.google.com/books?id=1T2SCgAAQBAJ&q=ismat+chughtai+saudai). Women Unlimited. p. 3. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9789385606045](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9789385606045).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-dil_33-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-dil_33-1) ["Four Novellas By Ismat Chughtai Now Available in Collection"](https://www.outlookindia.com/newswire/amp/four-novellas-by-ismat-chughtai-now-available-in-collection/846838). *[Outlook](/source/Outlook_(Indian_magazine))*. 27 June 2014. Retrieved 17 September 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-fournovellas_34-0)** ["Four Novellas By Ismat Chughtai Now Available in Collection"](https://www.outlookindia.com/newswire/story/four-novellas-by-ismat-chughtai-now-available-in-collection/846838). *[Outlook](/source/Outlook_(Indian_magazine))*. 27 June 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2019.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-spectrum1_35-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-spectrum1_35-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-spectrum1_35-2) Sharma, Aradhika (9 December 2007). ["Story of a Genius"](https://m.tribuneindia.com/2007/20071209/spectrum/book1.htm). *[The Tribune](/source/The_Tribune_(Chandigarh))*. Retrieved 30 May 2020.[*[permanent dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*]

1. **[^](#cite_ref-36)** ["Obsessions & Wild Pigeons"](https://web.archive.org/web/20200925223857/https://www.speakingtigerbooks.com/books/obsession-wild-pigeons/). *[Speaking Tiger](/source/Speaking_Tiger)*. Archived from [the original](https://www.speakingtigerbooks.com/books/obsession-wild-pigeons/) on 25 September 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-aijaz_37-0)** Iyer, Sanyukta (14 August 2015). ["Ismat Chughtai's grandson turns director"](https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/Ismat-Chughtais-grandson-turns-director/articleshow/48473044.cms). *[Mumbai Mirror](/source/Mumbai_Mirror)*. Retrieved 29 May 2020.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-pinto_38-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-pinto_38-1) ["A Very Strange Man"](https://web.archive.org/web/20201025162919/https://www.speakingtigerbooks.com/books/a-very-strange-man/). *[Speaking Tiger](/source/Speaking_Tiger)*. Archived from [the original](https://www.speakingtigerbooks.com/books/a-very-strange-man/) on 25 October 2020. Retrieved 30 May 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-khalid_39-0)** Mohamed, Khalid (21 March 2019). ["When a book dared to chronicle a doomed Bollywood romance"](https://m.khaleejtimes.com/wknd/bollywood/when-a-book-dared-to-chronicle-a-doomed-bollywood-romance). *[Khaleej Times](/source/Khaleej_Times)*. Retrieved 30 May 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-wire2017_40-0)** ["Remembering Midnight's Magnificent Daughter Ismat Chughtai on Her Birth Anniversary"](https://thewire.in/books/ismat-chughtai-birth-anniversary). *[The Wire](/source/The_Wire_(India))*. 15 August 2017. Retrieved 19 September 2019.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-shah_41-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-shah_41-1) Shah, Noor (15 February 2005). ["Ismat Chughtai — her life and ideals"](http://www.milligazette.com/Archives/2005/01-15Feb05-Print-Edition/011502200561.htm). *[The Milli Gazette](/source/The_Milli_Gazette)*. Retrieved 19 September 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-hyderdailyo_42-0)** Hyder, Qurratulain. ["Ismat Chughtai dared to raise the veil of hypocrisies in Indian society"](https://www.dailyo.in/lite/arts/ismat-chughtai-urdu-literature-short-stories-lihaaf/story/1/18952.html). *DailyO*. Retrieved 19 September 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-tahira_43-0)** Naqvi, Tahira (14 August 2015). ["The Beguiling Ismat Chugtai, Through Her Own Words"](https://thewire.in/books/the-beguiling-ismat-chugtai-through-her-own-words/). *[The Wire](/source/The_Wire_(India))*. Retrieved 19 September 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-kindle_44-0)** Jalil, Rakhshanda (4 August 2015). ["The Crooked Line"](http://kindlemag.in/crooked-line/). *[Kindle Magazine](/source/Kindle_Magazine)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180507222310/http://kindlemag.in/crooked-line/) from the original on 7 May 2018. Retrieved 8 May 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-asaduddinhbl_45-0)** Bhagat, Rasheeda (29 March 2012). ["The powerful isms of Ismat"](https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/columns/rasheeda-bhagat/the-powerful-isms-of-ismat/article22993188.ece). *[Hindu Business Line](/source/Hindu_Business_Line)*. Retrieved 15 September 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-dohath_46-0)** Nair, Malini (15 March 2015). ["Rediscovering the rebel"](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/sunday-times/deep-focus/Rediscovering-the-rebel/articleshow/46571585.cms). *[The Times of India](/source/The_Times_of_India)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20171209231108/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/sunday-times/deep-focus/Rediscovering-the-rebel/articleshow/46571585.cms) from the original on 9 December 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Das1995_48-0)** Kumar Das, Sisir (1 January 1995). [*History of Indian Literature: 1911-1956, struggle for freedom : triumph and tragedy*](https://books.google.com/books?id=sqBjpV9OzcsC&pg=PA348). [Sahitya Akademi](/source/Sahitya_Akademi). p. 348. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-81-7201-798-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-81-7201-798-9).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-magnum_49-0)** ["Who was Ismat Chughtai"](https://indianexpress.com/article/who-is/who-is-ismat-chughtai-5316847/lite/). *[The Indian Express](/source/The_Indian_Express)*. 21 August 2018. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20190415025042/https://indianexpress.com/article/who-is/who-is-ismat-chughtai-5316847/lite/) from the original on 15 April 2019. Retrieved 17 September 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-hanfi_50-0)** ["Shamim Hanfi on Chughtai"](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HlJd2tOtfJw). *[Sahapedia](/source/Sahapedia)*. 11 February 2016. Retrieved 17 September 2019 – via [YouTube](/source/YouTube).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-milligazette.com_51-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-milligazette.com_51-1) ["The Milli Gazette"](http://www.milligazette.com/Archives/2005/01-15Feb05-Print-Edition/011502200561.htm). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20080117111530/http://www.milligazette.com/Archives/2005/01-15Feb05-Print-Edition/011502200561.htm) from the original on 17 January 2008. Retrieved 27 September 2007.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-52)** ["How Ismat Chughtai Stood Up for Freedom of Speech"](https://thewire.in/books/how-ismat-chughtai-stood-up-for-freedom-of-speech). *[The Wire](/source/The_Wire_(India))*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180425032038/https://thewire.in/books/how-ismat-chughtai-stood-up-for-freedom-of-speech) from the original on 25 April 2018. Retrieved 24 April 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-53)** ["Ismat Chughtai"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120107042713/http://www.sawnet.org/books/authors.php?Chughtai+Ismat). SAWNET.org. Archived from [the original](http://www.sawnet.org/books/authors.php?Chughtai+Ismat) on 7 January 2012. Retrieved 11 January 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-54)** ["Remembering Ismat Chughtai, Urdu's Wicked Woman"](https://thewire.in/books/remembering-ismat-chughtai-urdus-wicked-woman). *The Wire*. Retrieved 26 June 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-55)** KK, Satyavrat (8 October 2016). ["Why 'Angaaray' was banned (and what it could teach an Indian author about writing of women and sex)"](http://scroll.in/article/818525/why-angaaray-was-banned-and-what-it-could-teach-an-indian-author-about-writing-of-women-and-sex). *Scroll.in*. Retrieved 26 June 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-56)** Rosario, Kennith (28 March 2017). ["Playing the literary fireball"](https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/playing-the-literary-fireball/article17706912.ece). *The Hindu*. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0971-751X](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0971-751X). Retrieved 26 May 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-57)** ["'Lihaaf' wins international acclaim with an award in US"](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/lihaaf-wins-international-acclaim-with-an-award-in-us/articleshow/70920466.cms). *The Times of India*. 31 August 2019. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0971-8257](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0971-8257). Retrieved 8 July 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-58)** ["Ismat Chughtai's 107th Birthday"](https://doodles.google/doodle/ismat-chughtais-107th-birthday/). *Google*. 21 August 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-firstghalib_59-0)** ["List of winners of Ghalib Award in Urdu, 1976 onwards"](https://web.archive.org/web/20131020122828/http://www.ghalibinstitute.com/awards.htm). Ghalib Institute. Archived from [the original](http://www.ghalibinstitute.com/awards.htm) on 20 October 2013. Retrieved 15 May 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Padma_60-0)** ["Previous Awardees"](http://www.dashboard-padmaawards.gov.in/?Year=1976-1976&Award=Padma%20Shri&Field=Literature%20and%20Education). [Padma Awards](/source/Padma_Awards). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180423232512/http://www.dashboard-padmaawards.gov.in/?Year=1976-1976&Award=Padma%20Shri&Field=Literature%20and%20Education) from the original on 23 April 2018. Retrieved 23 April 2018.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Khan-2008_61-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Khan-2008_61-1) Khan, Hafiza Nilofar (2008). *Treatment of a Wife's Body in the Fiction of Indian Sub-Continental Muslim Women Writers*. (The University of Southern Mississippi, PhD dissertation). p. [11](https://books.google.com/books?id=-9P0nxHaq54C&pg=PA11). [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [420600128](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/420600128).

## External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to ***[Ismat Chughtai](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Special:Search/Ismat_Chughtai)***.

- [Ismat Chughtai](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0161032/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier))

- [Ismat Chughtai (1915–1991), resource page](http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00urdu/ismat/index.html) [Columbia University](/source/Columbia_University)

- [Biography and bibliography](https://web.archive.org/web/20120107042713/http://www.sawnet.org/books/authors.php?Chughtai+Ismat)

- [Ismat Chughtai's Short Stories](http://www.lehigh.edu/~amsp/2006/07/ismat-chughtais-short-stories.html)

- [Ismat Chughtai's account of the Lihaaf Trial](http://www.urdustudies.com/pdf/15/28naqviExerpt.pdf) Journal of Urdu Studies

v t e National Film Award for Best Story 1964–1975 Balai Chand Mukhopadhyay (1964) Motilal, B. K. Dutt and Din Dayal Sharma (1965) – (1966) – (1967) – (1968) – (1969) – (1970) – (1971) – (1972) Ismat Chughtai and Kaifi Azmi (1973) Ritwik Ghatak (1974) K. Shivaram Karanth (1975)

v t e Filmfare Award for Best Story 1955–1970 Mukhram Sharma (1955) Rajinder Singh Bedi (1956) Amiya Chakrabarty (1957) Akhtar Mirza (1958) Mukhram Sharma (1959) Subodh Ghosh (1960) Ruby Sen (1961) C. V. Sridhar (1962) K. P. Kottarakara (1963) Jarasandha (1964) Ban Bhatt (1965) Akhtar Mirza (1966) R. K. Narayan (1967) Manoj Kumar (1968) Sachin Bhowmick (1969) Vasant Shankar Kanetkar (1970) 1971–1990 Chandrakant Kakodkar (1971) Hrishikesh Mukherjee (1972) Basu Bhattacharya (1973) Salim–Javed (1974) Kaifi Azmi, Ismat Chughtai (1975) Salim–Javed (1976) Balaichand Mukherjee (1977) Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay (1978) Dinesh Thakur (1979) Shanker Shesh (1980) Vijay Tendulkar (1981) Chetan Anand (1982) Samaresh Basu (1983) S. D. Palwalker (1984) Mahesh Bhatt (1985) Aleem Masroor (1986) no award (1987) no award (1988) Subodh Ghosh (1989) K. Viswanath (1990) 1991–2010 Rajkumar Santoshi (1991 ) Honey Irani (1992) no award given (1993) Sutanu Gupta (1994) K. K. Singh (1995) Ram Gopal Varma (1996) Gulzar (1997) Kamal Haasan (1998) Mahesh Bhatt (1999) Vinay Shukla (2000) Honey Irani (2001) Ashutosh Gowariker (2002) Jaideep Sahni (2003) Nagesh Kukunoor (2004) Aditya Chopra (2005) Sudhir Mishra, Ruchi Narain & Shiv Kumar Subramaniam (2006 ) Rajkumar Hirani & Vidhu Vinod Chopra (2007) Amole Gupte (2008) Abhishek Kapoor (2009) Abhijat Joshi & Rajkumar Hirani (2010) 2011–present Anurag Kashyap & Vikramaditya Motwane (2011) Sanjay Chauhan (2012) Juhi Chaturvedi (2013) Subhash Kapoor (2014) Rajat Kapoor (2015) V. Vijayendra Prasad (2016) Shakun Batra (2017) Amit V. Masurkar (2018) Anubhav Sinha (2019) Anubhav Sinha & Gaurav Solanki (2020) Anubhav Sinha & Mrunmayee Lagoo Waikul (2021) Abhishek Kapoor, Supratik Sen & Tushar Paranjape (2022) Akshat Ghildial & Suman Adhikary (2023) Amit Rai (2024) Aditya Dhar & Monal Thaakar (2025)

[Portals](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Contents/Portals):
- [Biography](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Biography)
- [India](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:India)
- [Literature](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Literature)
- [Languages](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Languages)
- [Feminism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Feminism)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ismat Chughtai](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ismat_Chughtai) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ismat_Chughtai?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.