Dubai: Many Emiratis and long-time residents in the UAE from different countries can speak Hindi and Urdu, thanks to their close ties with the Indian subcontinent and interaction with expats from that region.
However, Dr Zubair Farooq is an Emirati who is not only well-versed and fluent in these two languages (predominantly spoken in India and Pakistan), but has also written many poems in both.
As Indian expatriates in the UAE celebrated the 73rd Republic Day of their country on Wednesday, Dr Zubair shared with Gulf News his association with the annual Republic Day special ‘Kavi Sammelan’, a gathering of poets in Dubai since its launch in the 1980s. He also spoke about his deep love for writing poems in Hindi and Urdu.
Dermatologist and venereologist by profession
“Mostly, the poets who participate in such gatherings of poets have the title of ‘doctor’ with a PhD in literature. But I am different as I am a medical doctor,” said Dr Farooq, who is a dermatologist and venereologist by profession.
Having participated in this year’s ‘Kavi Sammelan-Mushaira’ last Saturday, Dr Farooq said it has been an honour for him to present his poems and also hear other poets recite his poems on many such occasions.
Dr Farooq was also the chief guest at the Hindi Diwas (Hindi Day) celebration held at India Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai earlier this month.
“I have received a lot of love and respect from the people who love Hindi and Urdu. Hence, I love to write more in these languages though I also write in Arabic and English also,” said Dr Farooq, who has several awards and recognitions to his credit.
Collections in multiple languages
“I used to say verses in Arabic and English from the age of 11,” he recollected. He said he has written over 1,600 ghazals (romantic poems) in English and also has a collection in Arabic titled ‘Tears – the Language of Heart’.
He has published 82 collections of his poetry (Diwans) in Urdu and 25 in Hindi.
He had even set a record by publishing 1,001 ghazals in one book comprising 13 smaller books and had also published a set of 31 books in one year, in 2010.
Currently, Dr Farooq is on a mission to come up with 18 books in Urdu to hit the target of 100 books.
“Usually, I write about six books in a year. But, I am a bit frightened now because of the COVID-19 pandemic. I want to reach my target of publishing 100 books as soon as possible. So, I am working hard to publish 18 books this year.”
I was influenced by the places I visited. My first Urdu verse-just two couplets – it happened when I saw the tombs of Tipu Sultan and Haider Ali [18th century rulers] in Mysore, while travelling from Bangalore to Ooty when I was 32.
These 18 books with separate covers and forewords will be bundled into one book. “My new record will be 1,260 ghazals in that book with 1400 pages,” said Dr Farooq.
Early days of poetry
Though he knew people who spoke Urdu and Hindi since his childhood, Dr Zubair said he fell in love with Urdu by the time he finished his MBBS in Pakistan by 1977.
However, he said it was during his first visit to India in 1984 that his first verse in Urdu was composed. “I was influenced by the places I visited. My first Urdu verse-just two couplets – it happened when I saw the tombs of Tipu Sultan and Haider Ali [18th century rulers] in Mysore, while travelling from Bangalore to Ooty when I was 32.”
He said the next time the poet in him surfaced was when he saw the gardens in the garden city of India, on his return to Bangalore. “They were spontaneous and after that there was no looking back. I wrote many poems and verses in Urdu and in Hindi,” he added.
Musical life
The 69-year-old has been recognised for his versatility as a music director, song writer and singer as well. He has been featured by various media outlets in the Indian subcontinent, GCC and beyond.
Dr Farooq has composed music and lent his voice to an audio CD, Sadaa-e-Dil (The Echoes of the Heart), that features 13 of his ghazals. The ghazal comprises couplets, each standing alone as a complete poem.
He has released many other albums for which he had penned the lyrics and also rendered his own voice in some. His CDs and DVDs were popular in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Dr Farooq used to be a regular presence at musical events in Dubai. “I am glad many popular singers have sung my ghazals and poems. I also feel honoured that at least five people have chosen my work for their PhD in literature in India and Pakistan.”
‘Languages have no borders’
Having completed his postdoctoral studies in the United Kingdom, United States and Austria, Dr Zubair has been working with both the government and private sectors in the UAE.
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He finds his profession and passion as inter-related. “A dermatologist’s motto is to preserve beauty in this world and a poet writes about beautiful things in this world,” Dr Farooq said.
He added that he wishes to continue to spread love and harmony through his official YouTube channel as well. “Languages have no borders. Literature bridges the gap between people. I am glad to be a cultural ambassador who helps build love and harmony through poetry.”
