Nisha Luthra's Hindi Poetry book 'Uns' unveiled in multiple languages
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, August 10, 2024: Hindi poetry book ‘Uns’, written by city-based Nisha Luthra, who is a poet, theatre & film director and also the Founder-Director of The Narrators Performing Arts Society was unveiled in multiple languages at the Government Museum and Art Gallery's Auditorium, Sec 10, Chandigarh.
The unique launch commenced on a musical note with a mesmerizing ‘sitar’ performance by Nishant who was accompanied on ‘tabla’ by Dinesh Kumar which added a captivating musical dimension to the occasion.
The launch was organized by The Narrators Performing Arts Society in collaboration with The Om Puri Foundation, Mumbai; Chandigarh Sangeet Natak Academy; Punjabi Lekhak Sabha; Haryana Sahitya and Sanskriti Academy (Urdu Cell); The Wise Owl and Abhishek Publications. Originally launched in 2022, ‘Uns’ has now been translated into Punjabi, Urdu, Assamese, English, and French.
Sharing her thoughts, Nandita Puri, Founder, of Om Puri Foundation, who is a screenplay writer and has authored many books said, "I am honored to unveil these translations of Nisha's Hindi poetry book 'Uns' in 5 different languages. The reach of the book will increase manifold. The occasion was also a celebration of the rich tapestry of linguistic and poetic diversity that India boasts of."
Nisha Luthra said, "Poetry has always been a subtle way to heal. ‘Uns’ is a silhouette of mellowed rhythms consisting of my emotions.'Uns' was launched on 12th march 2022. After which I got a chance to meet the late Surjit Patar ji, the legendary Punjabi poet & writer. He was the force that motivated me to get Uns's Punjabi translation rolling. As luck would have it I kept on meeting and working with people who chartered the emotions and longings in their intimate tones. All the translators rendered my poems a sensitive transcendence. It took us 2 years to complete five translations of the books."
During the unveiling ceremony a tribute was also paid to Padma Shri Surjit Patar, who wrote the foreword for the Punjabi translation of Uns and was a steadfast supporter of Nisha Luthra’s poetry. In a heartfelt tribute, Luthra recalled Patar’s inspiring words: “A Punjaban should also write in Punjabi." Nisha added,"Patar ji's encouragement was a guiding light in my poetic journey.”
The session included a stimulating discussion on 'Translation, Transformation, and Transcription,' with insights from Nisha Luthra and her team of translators—Dr. Charanjit Singh who translated ‘Uns’ in Punjabi; Prof. Anwar Anjum, who translated the book in Urdu; Dr. Ranjit Dutta who translated it in Assamese; Sonia Chauhan who did the English translation, and Roopam Singh who translated the collection in French.
The audience enjoyed a selection of poems from all translations alongside readings of the original Hindi text.
The event was also attended by esteemed personalities, Sudesh Sharma, Chairman of Chandigarh Sangeet Natak Academy; Balkar Sidhu, President of Punjabi Lekhak Sabha; Dr. Chandra Trikha, Director of Haryana Urdu Sahitya Academy; Rachna Singh, Founder Editor of The Wise Owl and motivational speaker Vivek Atray.
They were felicitated by Deepak Luthra, President of The Narrators Performing Arts Society, India, and Dean of Admissions, Griffith College, Ireland.
The evening was a cultural mosaic of lyrical expressions, featuring an enchanting musical recitation by vocalist Prem Murti, who was accompanied by renowned sound healer Dr. Arpit Joshi and acclaimed pianist Ajay Gupta.
The masters of ceremony were Rajesh Atray, Bhupinder Malik and Nikasha Luthra who took the stage with their anecdotes and poetry in Hindi, Punjabi and English respectively.
Ten poets from North India whose poems were selected in the Assamese Poetry Magazine ‘Kabyadhwani’ published at the Ledo Poetry Conference, Assam, were also honoured.
The magazine’s editor Dr Ranjit Dutta and General Secretary Jugesh too were felicitated.The launch was an aesthetic example of cultural and linguistic amalgamation.