In a distressing turn of events in the last few decades, the word ‘bureaucracy’ has been reduced to an euphemistic expression with some evil connotations. On this ground, however, it is more than an exhilarating surprise to see the Urdu novel ‘Faraar,’ written by a seasoned bureaucrat like Zafar Mehmood, known by the world because of his strong literary credentials.
The novel ‘Faraar,’ penned by Zafar Mehmood, has numerous characteristics that qualify this novel as a piece of fiction worth reading until the last page. For instance, a good novel is measured by its ability to depict such characters that readers can quickly identify with. Faraar, from the word go, portrays many such characters that we can locate within our surroundings and find many of them pulling strings in our daily lives.
This goes with particular reference to prevailing feudalism that characterizes the socio-cultural fibre of the country we call home. The main plot suggests that the novel has been purposefully written, and the author has resorted to this literary genre to unmask the most loathsome people ruling the roost with impunity. Or else it would be quite difficult for him to write about them in his autobiography as a retired public servant.
The central theme of the novel has an eerie resemblance not only with the current state of affairs in the political landscape but also has a lot to do with the onset of modern media, particularly TV news channels, where the rate race towards higher ratings often results in character assassination of the people we know. Despite being the harbinger of positive change and transformation, the very media outlets, over and over again, tend to follow a universal modus operandi in the quest for a fast buck but at the expense of ethics and moral business conduct. In a word, the Urdu novel ‘Faraar’ by Zafar Mehmood truly mirrors our society.
That being the case as reflected in ‘Faraar,’ the author intends to bring out in the open both the rural and urban way of doing things where the innocent people bear the brunt of their innocence in the form of exploitation, subjugation, and manipulation at the hands of the most resourced people.
What is more interesting is that the way the main plot is interwoven with many of its sub-plots till its end, the novel sounds more like the script of a 13-episode TV serial that well caters to its diverse audience through its suspense, ambiguity, and a tad romance, along with a tad hasty end.
A few drawbacks that merit attention include the novel’s happy ending, which is quite rare in everyday life since the main story is set primarily in a rural backdrop where feudalism always finds its way to thrive despite its shameful charade. Furthermore, the standard of language used throughout the book deserves acclaim. However, in marked contrast, some common Urdu phrases and expressions, on many occasions, are tainted with a kind of colloquial flavour with missing conjunctions contrary to the contemporary language usage in Urdu literature.
In general, the onus primarily lies on public servants, particularly after their retirement, to share their bittersweet in-service experiences with the general people, ideally in the shape of an autobiography as was done by the likes of Qudratullah Shahab, Salman Faruqui, and some others. Though this formidable task is not as straightforward as it appears to be, one hopes the author Zafar Mehmood will soon rise to the occasion by treading the path less travelled in this part of the world, which is largely characterized by its blindfolded nation, a highly volatile socio-political climate, and uneven public order, and where discussing every next topic of national importance proves to be a forbidden tree where no Adam or Eve can dare to go closer to.
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