LAHORE: Google Doodle has honoured Pakistani novelist and stage and television playwright Bano Qudsia on her 92nd birthday anniversary.
Bano Qudsia, affectionately known as Bano Aapa, is widely credited as one of the most significant Urdu language authors in modern times. Renowned for her message of love and hope, Qudsia earned enormous acclaim for Urdu classics like her television play Aadhi Baat (Half Talk, 1968) and novel Raja Gidh (The Vulture King, 1981).
Bano Qudsia was born on this day in 1928 in Firozpur, British India (now India), and began to write short stories when she was a child. Following a move to nearby Lahore after the partition of the Indian subcontinent, Qudsia earned her master’s degree in Urdu. While in school, she also met her future husband and fellow luminary of Urdu literature Ashfaq Ahmad.
During a fertile era of Pakistani literature, Qudsia’s thought-provoking television plays earned her a reputation as a cultural trendsetter. In addition, she wrote a prolific 25 novels and founded her own magazine called Dastango.
Even as her legend grew throughout her six-decade career, she maintained a reputation for her acceptance and kindness, known to embrace those from all walks of life who approached her for mentorship or assistance.
For her lifetime of literary achievements, Qudsia received the Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Star of Excellence) in 1983 and the Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Crescent of Excellence) in 2000, both among Pakistan’s highest civilian honors.
Qudsia is best recognized for her novel Raja Gidh. She also wrote for television and stage in both Urdu and Punjabi languages. Her play Aadhi Baat has been called “a classic play”. Bano Qudsia died in Lahore on 4th February 2017 in Lahore.
