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The Quint

Bollywood songs turn us all into Grammy award-winning bathroom singers! But wait, do you know the meaning of every word you sing? Especially the ones in Urdu? On Urdunama, our host Fabeha Syed takes one word at a time and breaks it down for you.

Be it the protest poetry of Faiz, or Sameer's 90s nostalgia, we have it all. If you like Urdu and poetry, this podcast is for you!

Urdunama

The Oxford Word of the Year, 'Brain Rot,' captures a world consumed by endless scrolling, digital fatigue, and mental burnout. In this episode of Urdunama, Fabeha Syed connects the Urdu word 'Zavaal'—meaning decline or downfall—to this modern malaise. Through the poetic imagery of setting suns and philosophical insights on life’s inevitable cycles, 'Zavaal' helps us make sense of the cultural and personal effects of our collective 'Brain Rot.' With timeless poetry and contemporary parallels, we delve into how every decline carries the promise of renewal.
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Brain Rot: How to Survive This 'Zavaal'

'Gham' a word that carries the weight of sorrow yet inspires some of the most profound poetry. In this episode of Urdunama, Fabeha Syed explores how this emotion has shaped Urdu poetry and literature. From heartbreak to resilience, discover why poets find solace and strength in expressing gham.
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You Need to Navigate ‘Gham’ to Find Healing

What makes a house a home? Is it the walls that shelter us, or the emotions that bind us? In this episode of Urdunama Fabeha Syed unpacks the soul of 'ghar', a word that means so much more than just a home. Through timeless Urdu poetry and heartfelt stories, we explore how poets have captured the longing for ghar, the warmth it offers, and the solace it brings. From the nostalgia of childhood homes to the yearning for a place to call one’s own, discover why 'ghar' is a feeling that transcends time and space.
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'Ghar' is Where the Heart Is

Taj Mahal, a symbol of love, is recognised worldwide and is marvelled at for its architectural genius. This 17th-century heritage building reminds us of a love that prompted a Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, to build a mausoleum for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who had died in childbirth.

This architectural expression of love, Taj Mahal, has also been the subject of a perennial debate that it was built on the site of a Hindu temple, 'Tejo Mahalaya,' and that it represents Islamic aggression on a Hindu land.

So, the question is, does the Taj Mahal represent religion? The answer is a resounding 'no'; it represents love.

To understand the history of Taj Mahal and the persistent controversy around it, watch one of our videos from the archives, where we spoke to historian Pushpesh Pant.

And to understand in what ways the Taj Mahal inspired poets, tune in to this episode of Urdunama where Fabeha Syed reads poets like Kaifi Azmi and Sahir Ludhianvi, who think that the structure is in fact a 'mockery of love.'
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Taj Mahal: A Symbol of Love, Beauty, and Urdu Poetry

Syed Hussain Sibt-e-Anwar Naqvi aka Jaun Elia was a poet of many shades. His poetry emanates from his scholarly intellect that resonates with readers who can find politics, philosophy, and a heart pining for unrequited love, all coming from the pen of one person. 

Tune in as Fabeha Syed reads some of his gems on heartbreak, loneliness, and despair.
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Jaun Elia: Heartbreak, Despair, and Some of His Best Nazms

As understood by this famous quote by Lord Byron, "wives in their husbands' absences grow subtler, and daughters sometimes run off with the butler", any form of disloyalty, or bewafai comes from absence. Urdu poet Ahmad Faraz also once wrote that because the separation was intense, the poet had to resort to doing the act of disloyalty, probably for the first time.

Is qadar musalsal thin shiddatein judai ki

Aaj pehli baar us se maine bewafai ki

But the question is, why do people cheat? The answer is simple – because they have to.

Tune in as Fabeha Syed dissects the idea of bewafai and reads some of the ashaar written by poets like Mirza Ghalib, Kaifi Azmi, Bashir Badr, among others, on the theme of infidelity.
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Looking at 'Bewafai' Through Poetry, How Infidelity and Betrayal Violates Self

From detecting evidence of clouds on a planet for the first time to being able to see Jupiter with its moon in a 'new light', the $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope is hailed as the most powerful space science telescope ever built. This will enable the scientists to study even the distant galaxies with the help of not only the images but also the detailed data. The telescope is engineered for ground breaking discoveries, thereby changing the future of astronomy. 

To celebrate this historic moment, we take a look at 'kahkashan' meaning the universe, and how it continues to inspire poets. Tune in.
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Secrets of Kahkashaan, And Lessons In Humility And Courage

It's been two years since the passing away of actor Irrfan Khan, and we can't help but wonder how names have an impact on what a person becomes. 

Irfaan means knowledge, wisdom. It's the power and wisdom that Irrfan exuded in all of his performances that made him a legend. So, in this episode of Urdunama we celebrate the man Irrfan for his irfaan, and the power he exerted on his craft. 

Tune in as Fabeha Syed reads some of the gems of Urdu poetry that focus on the importance of knowledge, wisdom, learning, and tell us what it means to be 
aware - of ourselves, god, the world around us, and life, in general.
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Gaining Wisdom and Knowledge, And the 'Irrfan' We All Need to Be

Shakespeare's play Twelfth Night begins with Duke Orsino saying, "If music be the food of love, play on."

It's perhaps a famous reminder of how important music is in our lives – be it to express love, to deal with a painful heartbreak, living in a moment of euphoria, or even protesting against oppression – music helps in communicating every emotion in any language.

On this World Music Day, we listen to songs and read Urdu poetry on mauseeqi, meaning music.

From Dilawar Figar's nazm Mauseeqi se ilaaj where the poet is prescribing a dose of music to cure all the ills to Javed Akhtar's ghazal – we look at poets and artists who have resorted to mauseeqi' in their lives to soothe themselves.

Tune in with your host Fabeha Syed!
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World Music Day: Here's How ‘Mauseeqi’ Can Make Our Lives Better

On the occasion of National Constitution Day, we thought of exploring the laws of nature that govern our survival. Is anarchism the very human nature, or the essence of the 'insaani-fitrat' lies in the balancing act to survive in a society?

Tune in as Fabeha Syed reads nazms from poets like Rais Amrohvi, Hosh Jaunpuri and Farhat Ehsaas. 
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You Need to Navigate ‘Gham’ to Find Healing

You Need to Navigate ‘Gham’ to Find Healing

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