Indian poet and writer Amrita Pritam was a trailblazer. They say she was the first eminent 20th century female Punjabi novelist and poet. Indians and Pakistanis alike regard her writing as a source of inspiration. It is estimated that she penned more than a hundred works during her six-decade-long career. Accolades such as the “Sahitya Academy,” “Bharat Jnanpith,” and the “Padma Vibhushan” are among the many honours she has received. A film adaptation of her best-known novel, “Pinjar,” was also based on one of her works. She also wrote an autobiography, in which she showed her audacity by writing about her personal life, which even in contemporary India might be considered ‘controversial’ by many. She is best known for her poem, ‘Ajj aakhaan Waris Shah nu’.
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Childhood & Early Life of Amrita Pritam
August 31, 1919, Gujranwala, Punjab was the date of Amrita Kaur’s birth. When Raj Bibi and Kartar Singh Hitkari welcomed their daughter into the world, she was raised in a Sikh household. A scholar and a preacher, Kartar Singh Hitkari was a well-respected figure in the community.
Amrita lost her faith in God at the age of 11 when her mother, Raj Bibi, died of cancer. Amrita was raised by her father in Lahore after her mother’s death. As a way to cope with her mother’s death, Amrita turned to writing, which she began doing at a young age. In 1936, at the age of 17, she was already a published author.
She published at least six more anthologies of poetry between 1936 and 1943 after releasing her debut collection, ‘Amrit Lehran’ (Immortal Waves). Her mother’s death made her a strong and independent woman who expressed audacity through her writing.
As expected, she joined the ‘Progressive Writers’ Movement’ to spread her message of hope and inspiration through her writing. An anti-imperialist and left-leaning group of people formed the movement before the partition of India in 1947. A collection of works entitled “Lok Peed” (Peoples Anguish) was published in 1944, criticising the British Raj for its role in a “Bengal Famine of 1943” and the war-ravaged economy of the country.
Additionally, she was an active participant in numerous charitable organisations. Before the partition of India in 1947, Amrita chose to connect directly with people by working in the ‘Lahore Radio Station’ for a brief period.
Impact of Partition on life of Amrita Pritam
As a result of the 1947 Indian Independence War, Amrita moved from Lahore to New Delhi. In the wake of her experience as a participant in one of the most horrific mass migrations in human history, she wrote the famous poem ‘Ajj akhaan Waris Shah nu,’ in which she expressed her grief over the atrocities committed during India’s partition. All India Radio, Delhi’s national public broadcaster, employed her until 1961, during which time she penned a number of notable literary works.
After her divorce from Pritam Singh, her literary work became more feminist in nature and reflected her marital difficulties. While she was living in this time period, a number of her works were translated into a wide range of other languages. ‘Rasidi Ticket’ and ‘Black Rose’ are two examples of her autobiographical works.
Additionally, she wrote a number of novels that were later turned into films. ‘Dharti Sagar te Sippiyan,’ ‘Unah Di Kahani,’ and ‘Pinjar,’ among others, were adapted for the screen. It was the year 1965 when “Dharti Sagar te Sippiyan” was made as “Kadambari,” but it was the year 1976 when “Unah Di Kahani” was made as “Daaku.” “Pinjar,” on the other hand, was a critically acclaimed film because it focused on humanism as its central theme.
After the partition of British India, many of her works were written in both Punjabi and Hindi, despite the fact that the majority of her early works were written in Punjabi. Amrita began writing about dreams and spirituality later in her career, influenced by Osho, the spiritual guru and godman Rajneesh. Kaal Chetna and Agyat Ka Nimantran are two examples of these works. Autobiography “Shadow of Words,” which she also helped Osho with writing the introductions for several of his books, including “Ek Onkar Satnam,” is another one of her writing projects.
Imroz, a well-known artist and writer, later fell in love with Amrita. Despite the fact that they were never legally married, the couple was together for more than four decades. Several of his paintings were inspired by Amrita, and he designed the front covers for all of her books and novels after that. Amrita Imroz: A Love Story was the book that documented their relationship.
Amrita wrote 28 novels, 18 anthologies, 16 other collections of prose, and five short stories over the course of her illustrious career. Many people continue to be inspired by her work. Numerous films based on the author’s works have been produced. Indian lyricist Gulzar released a collection of Amrita Pritam’s poetry in 2007 that was recited by Gulzar himself.
On October 31, 2005, Amrita died in New Delhi. Her longtime partner Imroz, daughter Kandala, son Navraj Kwatra, and grandchildren Aman, Noor, Taurus, and Shilpi were all left to mourn her death.
Top books by Amrita Pritam
Pinjar
Amrita Pritam’s Punjabi novel, published in 1950, tells the tale of a Hindu girl named Puro who is kidnapped by a Muslim man named Rashid. In the event that Puro manages to escape from Rashid’s home and return to her parents, her parents refuse to take her back. In 2003, a Hindi film adaptation of Pinjar, widely regarded as one of the best works of literature written against the backdrop of India’s Partition, was released. Khushwant Singh translated the book into English, and Denis Matringe translated the French version of Pinjar.
Raseedi Ticket
Raseedi Ticket, Amrita Pritam’s best-known autobiography, discusses how she was disturbed by the influence of hatred. The Punjabi novelist discusses the importance of facing criticism head on as a writer. Amrita’s friendship with Sahir Ludhianvi is also depicted in this book.
Fifty Fragments of Inner Self
Amrita Pritam, a writer, poet, and novelist, shares some of her favourite memories. Fascinating and heartwarming stories from the lives of 50 remarkable people are collected in Fifty fragments of Inner Self. Printed in 2003, the book is still available.
Shadows of Words
After Raseedi Ticket, this is her second autobiography, and it reflects her desire to give readers a glimpse into her innermost thoughts and feelings. Furthermore, the book takes readers to a spiritual level by capturing her life.
One can also read “In the Times of Love and Longing” in addition to these books. This collection of Amrita and Imroz’s love letters offers a unique window into the minds of two creative individuals. Throughout the book, the reader is given intimate glimpses into the extraordinary relationship between the well-known author and poet and her artist companion.
Awards given to Amrita Pritam
- Amrita became the first woman to receive Punjab Rattan Award honour from the Punjabi government. This honour is bestowed upon those who have excelled in the fields of literature, art, music, science, and politics.
- For her poem ‘Sunehade’, which was awarded the ‘Sahitya Akademi Award’ in 1956, Amrita Pritam became the first woman to win the award. ‘Sunehade’ is widely regarded as her best work.
- ‘Jnanpith Award,’ considered India’s highest literary honour, was given to Amrita in 1982. The award was given to her for her book ‘Kagaj te Canvas,’ which she wrote.
- She was awarded the prestigious ‘Sahitya Akademi Fellowship’ by the Indian National Academy of Letters (also known as the “Sahitya Akademi”) in 2004.
- She received D.Litt. honorary degrees from the “Jabalpur University” and “Delhi University” in 1973 for her work in literature. The ‘Vishwa Bharati University’ awarded her the honorary degree of D.Litt. in 1987.
- In 1979, she received the ‘International Vaptsarov Award,’ named after a Bulgarian poet and revolutionary, from the Republic of Bulgaria. In 1987, she was awarded the ‘Ordre des Arts et des Lettres’ by the French government in recognition of her artistic achievements. In her later years, she was also recognised by Pakistan’s ‘Punjabi Academy,’ which is the country’s equivalent of the Grammys.
- For her contributions to the arts and literature, she was awarded the Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian honour. Her achievements were recognised again in 2004 when she received the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian honour.
The love story of Amrita Pritam and Sahir Ludhianvi
It was clear that Amrita Pritam and Sahir Ludhianvi shared a mutual admiration for each other’s intellectual capacity. She adored him as ‘qalam ka jaadugar’ and had a sapiosexual crush on Sahir for a long time.
Amrita was looking for freedom; freedom of soul, spirit, and mind. She was unhappy in a suffocating marriage. Despite their deep affection for one another, Amrita preferred Sahir. Somewhere, Amrita knew that Sahir had a commitment phobia and that his love for her was not as strong as she had previously thought. Despite being apart, they could not forget each other. Sahir was smitten with Sudha Malhotra, but Amrita was the only woman he ever wanted.
In 1944, at a poetry reading in Preet Nagar, a village between Lahore and Delhi, young poet Sahir and poetess Amrita Pritam met for the first time. Pritam Singh was Amrita’s husband at the time. Her marriage, on the other hand, did not go well. When Sahir and Amrita first met at the session, their love blossomed from the simple act of making eye contact. Love blossomed between the two after a series of encounters. Both of them were in Pakistan, in different cities. The two corresponded via letter. Meetings were arranged in secret. Sahir had a habit of smoking cigarettes every day. Amrita would pick up cigarette stubs and smoke them after their secret meetings.
Sahir never had a long-term relationship with anyone. However, Sahir was never fully committed because he always considered ‘love’ and’marriage’ as secondary aspects of his life. Amrita, on the other hand, was believed to be ready to leave her marriage. Amrita and her husband relocated to Delhi in the wake of Partition in 1947. Sahir moved to Mumbai.
Later Amrita Pritam met artist Imroz. For four decades, Amrita and Imroz were together after she walked out on the marriage. There was no marriage between Imroz and Amrita. Sahir presented himself to Amrita as a betrayed, misplaced lover throughout their relationship. Sahir’s relationship with singer Sudha Malhotra, who he met in 1960, ended this cycle of love.
It’s impossible to know Sahir’s true feelings when the story of his love for Amrita unfolded. Because Sahir was not used to speaking in such a public fashion. His mother, Sardar Begum, is widely believed to have been interfering in his life. Sardar Begum exerted a strong influence on his relationships with women. Sardar Begum was the sole caretaker of Sahir after her husband’s death. Sahir was well aware of the hardships his mother had to endure in order to raise him. That’s why he held his mother in such high regard. When it came to relationships with women, Sahir was apprehensive. Sahir’s mother was a special person in his life. In light of this, he was unable to devote much attention to any other woman. After her mother, Amrita was the only woman who received as much attention from Sahir as she did.
Sahir and Amrita’s relationship ended when Sahir developed feelings for Sudha Malhotra. Amrita, on the other hand, remained firmly entrenched in his thoughts. Sahir and Amrita’s love storey was not a happy one, but it was certainly unconventional in many ways.