Sahir Ludhianvi: A Poet of the Silver Screen (Part 2) Posted by Rachael on Oct 14, 2017
If you haven’t already, check out my part 1 of this series on the talented poet and lyricist, Sahir Ludhianvi, and enjoy this part 2 on his work and literary style! Although Ludhianvi is perhaps best known for his role as a film lyricist, his poetry beyond that certainly commends itself. He made his debut…
Asking for Small Change Posted by Nitya on Oct 10, 2017
In many large towns in India, small change or छुट्टा (chutta) is coveted and guarded currency that people part with sparingly and reluctantly. It is the currency of daily business with the autorickshaw driver, the vegetable vendor, the bus conductor, and even grocery shopping in supermarkets. “Please give me exact change,” मैडम छुट्टा दीजिये (Madam chutta dijiye) is…
Sahir Ludhianvi: A Poet of the Silver Screen (Part 1) Posted by Rachael on Oct 9, 2017
In the world of Hindi-Urdu literature and popular film, Sahir Ludhianvi’s (साहिर लुधियानवी) name stands out as one of the most gifted and insightful poets of the 20th century. Born Abdul Hayee (अब्दुल हयी) in 1921 in Karimpura/करीमपुरा, Ludhiana (लुधियाना, a district in the state of Punjab), Punjab/पंजाब (in what was then British India), Sahir…
Counting the Days of the Lunar Cycle Posted by Nitya on Sep 25, 2017
Last week, we reviewed counting and cardinal numbers in Hindi . Let’s extend this to counting the days of the lunar cycle, and an introduction to ordinal numbers. The names for the days of the waxing/waning moon phase are “ordinal” in nature and are referred to by words that indicate their “position” or “order” in…
Cardinal Numbers: 1-20 Posted by Nitya on Sep 14, 2017
I have been watching a lot of Bollywood songs lately and it set me thinking about how songs possess the ability to be great teachers. There are so many catchy lyrics and tunes that have helped students learn difficult academic concepts. Hence, I thought I’d use a Bollywood tune to introduce counting in Hindi, or…
Slangs and Colloquialisms (contd.) Posted by Nitya on Sep 2, 2017
In a previous blog we looked at some local lingo. Look back to refresh your memory. Today we will learn some more. The following Hindi slang phrases are typical in Mumbai. 1. आज मीटिंग में मैं । Aaj meeting mein main . Figurative: I was so completely bored in the meeting today. Literally, पक गयी…
Upendranath Ashk: Rebel, Misfit, Iconoclast (Part 2) Posted by Rachael on Aug 28, 2017
Welcome back to my blog series on the infamous, acerbic satirist Upendranath Ashk! In this part 2 of the blog series (you can read part 1 here), we will delve into a bit more of Ashk’s background before continuing where we left off with his short story, “Daaliye/दालिये” (“The Daal Eaters”). For those who were…