Saturday Video: "The Musalman" - A Handwritten Urdu Newspaper

by Salman Hameed

Here is a fantastic short film (10 minutes) about a handwritten Urdu newspaper, The Musalman, from Chennai in southern India. It is heartening to see this kind of love and passion for the language. I grew up on Urdu books, so I have a soft corner for such a video. But it is also fantastic to see such an emphasis on calligraphy!

Check it out (tip from Open Culture):



From Open Culture:

Tucked away in the crowded southern Indian city of Chennai, in the shadow of the Wallajah Mosque, is an unflattering building. But what happens inside the building is remarkable. Every day since 1927, a dedicated team has worked tirelessly to create a handwritten newspaper, The Musalman (in Urdu: مسلمان). Today, there’s a team of six workers who work on the newspaper daily. Four of the workers are known as katibs, writers dedicated to the ancient art of Urdu calligraphy. They have the most modest of facilities: two wall fans, three light bulbs, and one tube light in an 800-square-foot building. But watching the video, you learn how this newspaper has survived for three generations — everyone who works there is absolutely devoted to the task. In fact, they are prepared to work on The Musalman until their “last breath,” an undeniable passion.

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To learn more about The Musalman, read this Times of India story.