Khadija Mastoor

Khadija Mastoor
خدیجہ مستور
Born(1927-12-11)11 December 1927
Bareilly, United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, British India
Died25 July 1982(1982-07-25) (aged 54)
London, England
NationalityBritish Indian (until 1947)
Pakistani (after 1947)
Occupation(s)Author
Playwright
Notable workAangan (1962)
Zameen (1983)
SpouseZaheer-ud-Deen Babar Awan
ChildrenKiran Fayyaz
Pervez Alam Awan
RelativesHajra Masroor (Sister)
Khalid Ahmad (Brother)
AwardsAdamjee Literary Award

Khadija Mastoor (Urdu: خدیجہ مستور, romanized: K͟hadījah Mastūr; 11 December 1927 – 25 July 1982) was a Pakistani Urdu-language short story writer and novelist.[1] Her novel Aangan is widely considered a literary masterpiece in Urdu literature, which has also been adapted as a television drama series.[2][3] Her younger sister Hajra Masroor was also a writer; while famous poet, Khalid Ahmad was her younger stepbrother.[4][5]

Family

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Khadija was born on 11 December 1927 in Bareilly, British India. Her father, Tahawwur Ahmad Khan, was a doctor and a government employee. Her mother, Anwar Jahan Begum was an educated woman with a strong interest in writing, her articles were published in several women's magazines. As a result, the home environment was literary in nature.[6] She had seven siblings, including five sisters and two brothers, several of whom went on to become prominent writers, such as Hajra Masroor and her stepbrother, Khalid Ahmad.[7]

Early life

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Khadija and her younger sister Hajra developed an interest in writing stories at a young age. Their stories began to be published in children's magazines of the time, which motivated her to continue. As she grew older, her stories were featured in prominent literary magazines such as Saqi, Adabi Duniya, and Aam-Gir, helping her establish a unique identity.[6][8]

At a young age, Khadija's father passed away, leading to difficulties in the household. Her mother later married Mohammad Mustafa Khan, with whom she had one son, Khalid Ahmad. After the creation of Pakistan, her mother and siblings moved to Lahore. During this time, they received immense support from Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi.[1]

Literary career

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Khadija started writing short stories in 1942 and continued writing till her death. Five collections of her short stories and two novels have been published.[9][6] Her stories were based on social and moral values as well as political. Her writings were based on experience and observation.[10][8]

Aangan (1962)

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Khadija's novel Aangan is regarded as one of the finest novels in Urdu and became her defining work. In 1963, she received the prestigious Adamjee Literary Award for her novel.[3] The novel was translated into English by Neelam Hussain under the title The Inner Courtyard in 2001, and by Daisy Rockwell as The Women's Courtyard in 2018. It has been recognized as a classic by Penguin Books and translated into 13 languages.[11][10]

A Pakistani TV series based on the novel, featuring Mawra Hocane, Ahad Raza Mir, Ahsan Khan, and Sajal Aly, aired on Hum TV from 2018 to 2019.[3][2] The adaptation sparked a renewed interest in the novel, leading it to become the bestseller of Pakistan in 2019.[12]

Bibliography

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Short story collections

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  • Khail (1944)
  • Bochaar (1946)
  • Chand Roz Aur (1951)
  • Thake Haare (1962)
  • Thanda Mitha Pani (1981) (winner of Hijra Award)

Novels

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Personal life

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In 1950 she married Qasmi's nephew Zaheer Babar Awan, who was a renowned journalist. She had a successful marriage and continued contributing to Urdu literature. They had two children, Kiran Fayyaz and Pervez Alam Awan.[1]

Death and legacy

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Khadija Mastoor died on 25 July 1982 in London, England and was buried in Lahore, Pakistan.[1]

In 2005, an event at the Karachi Arts Council was attended by Khadija's sister, Hajra Masroor, as the chief guest. The event, presided over by scholar Sahar Ansari, highlighted how both sisters developed unique writing styles. Ansari noted that Khadija Mastoor wrote based on her personal experiences.[8]

Screen adaptations

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Title Year Notes
Ab Tum Ja Saktey Ho 1996 Based on a short story
Khirman - PTV long play
Aangan 2014 Based on Aangan (novel)[13]
Aangan 2018-19 Based on Aangan (novel)

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Novelist, short story writer Khadija Mastoor remembered". The Nation. 12 December 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
  2. ^ a b "The story of 'Aangan' is both universal and ageless: Mustafa Afridi". Daily Times. 27 September 2018. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
  3. ^ a b c NewsBytes (29 March 2017). "Period drama Aangan to make way to small screen soon". The News International (newspaper). Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  4. ^ Poet Khalid Ahmad laid to rest Dawn (newspaper), Published 20 March 2013. Retrieved 23 June 2019
  5. ^ "Great story writer Khadija Mastoor's anniversary today". Samaa TV News. 26 July 2012. Archived from the original on 6 January 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  6. ^ a b c "Khadija Mastoor - Profile & Biography". Rekhta. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
  7. ^ "Novelist, short story writer Khadija Mastoor remembered". The Nation. 12 December 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
  8. ^ a b c Tariq, Sarah (1 December 2017). "The Share of Khadija Mastoor in Evolution of Urdu Novel: Zameen". Bazyaft. 17 (31). ISSN 1992-3678.
  9. ^ Khadija Mastoor books on goodreads.com website. Retrieved 23 June 2019
  10. ^ a b Asif Farrukhi (25 November 2018). "FICTION: FOUND AGAIN IN TRANSLATION". Pakistan: Dawn. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  11. ^ Mastur, Khadija (15 July 2025). The Women's Courtyard. Penguin. ISBN 978-0-593-51215-9.
  12. ^ "Pakistan's bestsellers that entertained readers in 2019 | Instep | thenews.com.pk". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
  13. ^ "DD Urdu revamps itself with a bouquet of new programmes". Indian Television Dot Com. 20 January 2014.
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