From pain of separation to cultural changes in Punjab, author presents chronicle of our times

Amritsar, September 6

Sarbpreet Singh, an acclaimed author whose bestselling books include The Camel Merchant of Philadelphia— Stories from the court of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Night of the Restless Spirits: Stories from 1984 and The Story of the Sikhs: 1469-1708, brings a fictionalised retelling of a passionate love story between a 16th century mystic and poet of Punjab Shah Hussain and a Hindu boy Madho, who works for a famous courtesan of Lahore in his new work A Sufi’’s Nightingale. Shah Hussain is a Malamati, a Sufi who has debased himself, choosing a lifestyle that would earn him rejection and abuse. What drew Sarbpreet to Shah Hussain was his Kafi (Sufi music).

“I read Shah Hussain’s Kafiyan while researching and what struck me was the exquisite articulation of the pain of separation. That’s what drew me to Shah Hussain. I learnt these Kafis and created compositions and simultaneously the idea of writing Shah Hussain’’s biography dawned on me. It’’s popularly documented as Madho Lal and Hussain but it’s actually Madho and Lal Hussain. I was disappointed while researching on him as I could not find any commendation about the Sufis, especially Shah Hussain. There was lore but history, so I decided to write fiction,” shared Sarbpreet Singh.

In conversation with Dr Madan Gopal Singh at a special evening session at Majha House, Sarbpreet also shared how a Lahore-based scholar encouraged him to write about Shah Hussain. “I performed Shah Hussain’s Kafi at a festival celebrating Baba Bulleh Shah in Pakistan but was disappointed when there was no acknowledgment. Later, the sewadar of the dargah brought a chaadar and put it around my shoulders. It really affected me, and after this incident, the book more or less wrote itself.”

He also discussed with Prof Madan Gopal his early influences and initiation towards the history of Punjabi music and Sufis.

“I grew up in Sikkim, Gangtok, and so I was not well versed with Sikh culture and its history. But later in time, I believe that all exiles start casting about their roots. Perhaps the difference was that this process was early for me. Through a couple of young people, I started my journey in learning classical music, Gurbani sangeet,” said Sarbpreet, who is also the founder of Gurmat Sangeet Project, dedicated to the preservation of sacred Sikh music. His work has been featured on the BBC and National Public Radio and his commentary has appeared in publications in the US, India and Pakistan.

Prof Madan Gopal, who is India’s first PhD on cinema undertaking a semiotic study of some of the seminal film texts from the 1930s and 1960s, later concluded the discussions by explaining the significance of the Kafi used in the book and cultural changes that the social fabric has undergone in Punjab.