Chess Player is more than a person who moves pieces across a board. In literature, a chess player often symbolises patience, strategy, obsession, intelligence, and the fascinating complexities of human psychology. This idea is explored brilliantly in a humorous essay by Ali Abbas Husaini, published in the celebrated 1953 Satire and Humour Special Issue of … Read more
Dream Car: this phrase captures far more than a vehicle; it embodies longing, status, and the fragile bridge between desire and reality. In South Asian middle-class life, especially during the early decades of motorisation in the subcontinent, a dream car symbolised entry into power, dignity, and social recognition. Translating a satirical Urdu essay into contemporary … Read more
Comic treatment of illness is one of the rare literary techniques that turns physical suffering into intellectual pleasure. Instead of surrendering to pain, the writer reshapes discomfort into observation, irony, and laughter. This approach does not deny illness; rather, it confronts it with wit, emotional intelligence, and cultural awareness. In Urdu prose, few writers mastered … Read more
Youthful foolishness in Urdu humour has always been one of the most charming and relatable themes in literature. Youth is the most beautiful phase of human life—a time filled with fresh emotions, reckless enthusiasm, bold dreams, and an unshakable belief that the world can be conquered. These impressions leave such a deep mark that even … Read more
If Iqbal Were Alive, the question would not merely be historical or emotional; it would be deeply uncomfortable. Satire, in every language, exists not only to provoke laughter but to correct social behaviour. A true humorist exposes harsh realities in a way that feels gentle, yet leaves a lasting impact. In Urdu literature, this tradition … Read more
Hilarious miserliness is a timeless human flaw that has amused societies across cultures, and Urdu literature has captured this weakness with unmatched wit and intelligence. Rather than treating stinginess as a dry moral issue, Urdu humour transforms it into a mirror that reflects social contradictions, personal insecurities, and everyday hypocrisy. Through laughter, writers expose how … Read more
Alternative medicine has always existed alongside human civilisation as a response to illness, discomfort, and the desire for healing. From the moment humans became conscious of pain and disease, they began searching for remedies beyond instinctive survival. Over centuries, these efforts evolved into diverse systems of treatment, shaped by culture, experience, and belief. Even today, … Read more
Akbar Allahabadi stands as one of the most intellectually playful yet profoundly serious figures in Urdu literature. His personality and poetry resist simple classification, which is precisely why humorous sketch writing about him demands exceptional balance. When satire and biography merge successfully, the result is not ridicule but revelation—and this is exactly what Yusuf Nazim … Read more
Nepotism in Society is one of the most damaging social evils that silently destroys merit, justice, and moral balance within a community. When competence and ability are replaced by personal connections, relationships, and favors, society begins to rot from within. This issue is not limited to institutions alone; it penetrates everyday life, shaping attitudes, decisions, … Read more
Satire in Autobiography is one of the most challenging yet powerful literary forms, as it demands not only narrative skill but also the courage to laugh at one’s own flaws while exposing social hypocrisy. In Urdu literature, very few writers have dared to place themselves under such a ruthless lens. Among them, Shaukat Thanvi stands … Read more
