Shaukat Thanvi

Shaukat Thanvi
Born(1904-02-02)2 February 1904
Vrindavan, Mathura district, United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, British India
Died4 May 1963(1963-05-04) (aged 59)
Lahore, West Pakistan, Pakistan
Resting placeGraveyard of Miani Sahib, Lahore, Pakistan
OccupationJournalist, essayist, columnist, novelist, short story writer, broadcaster, playwright, humorist and poet
Notable worksSheesh Mahal, Sudeshi Rail
Notable awardsTamgha-e-Imtiaz (Medal of Excellence) Award from the President of Pakistan (1963)

Shaukat Thanvi (2 February 1904 – 4 May 1963) was a Pakistani writer and humorist.[1][2] His real name was Muhammad Umer.[1]

Early life

Shaukat Thanvi was born in Vrindavan, Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh, British India, on 2 February 1904.[1][3][4] Thana Bhawan, a small town in Muzaffarnagar district (now in Shamli district) of Uttar Pradesh, was Thanvi's ancestral hometown and possibly the source of his last name,[1] though Professor Mushtaq Azmi suggests that he adopted the name Thanvi because of his affection for the Islamic scholar Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi.[5]

Career

Shaukat Thanvi had little formal schooling. Starting in 1928, he worked for an Urdu-language newspaper Hamdam from Lucknow, British India and continued working for several other Urdu newspapers.[1] Then he joined the radio station in Lucknow as a writer and a broadcaster after it was first established in 1938. He was doing mainly humorous talk shows at the radio station and wanted to focus on it so he quit journalism.[1]

At the suggestion of veteran novelist Syed Imtiyaz Ali Taj, Thanvi joined Lahore's Pancholi Art Pictures as a story and songwriter in 1943.[1] After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, Pancholi Art Pictures closed down and Shaukat Thanvi joined Radio Pakistan in Lahore.[1] In 1957, Shaukat Thanvi joined the Daily Jang newspaper and started writing a humor column in it called "Vaghaira Vaghaira", which later became very popular among the Pakistani public.[4][1]

Marriage

He was not married to the Pakistani television actress Arsh Muneer, contrary to popular belief. However, he got married twice, first to Saeeda Khatoon and later to Zohra Begum.

Literary works

Thanvi wrote poetry while publishing more than sixty books.[1]

His notable works include:

  • Sheesh Mahal:شیش محل [6]
  • Saudeshi Rail (Native Train)[1][7]

Awards and recognition

Death

Following his death on 4 May 1963, Thanvi's burial took place at Miani Sahib Graveyard, Lahore, which is located in front of Radio Pakistan.[4][1][3]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Parekh, Rauf (6 May 2008). "Profile of Shaukat Thanvi". Dawn newspaper. Archived from the original on 4 March 2023. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  2. ^ Shaukat Thanvi's book Sees Mahal on Scribd.com website
  3. ^ a b "Death anniversary of Shaukat Thanvi observed". Radio Pakistan website. 4 May 2024. Archived from the original on 9 May 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d "Humorist Shaukat Thanvi's anniversary today". Samaa TV News website. 4 May 2012. Archived from the original on 16 May 2023. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  5. ^ Shaukat Thanvi; Prof. Mushtaq Azmi. "Profile of Shaukat Thanwi". Sheesh Mahal (in Urdu). M.R. Publications, Delhi.
  6. ^ Shaukat Thanvi. Sheesh Mahal (in Urdu). Rekhta.org website. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  7. ^ Shaukat Thanvi. Swadeshi Rail (in Urdu). Rekhta.org website. Retrieved 30 August 2024.