Rohzin is the fourth novel of
Rahman Abbas. On this novel he won
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
's highest literary Award ''
Sahitya Akademi Award '' in 2018.
Published in 2016 by Arshia Publications, Delhi, and launched at the
Jashn-e-Rekhta,
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders ...
on 14 February 2016. Since, then, Rohzin has been widely debated in India,
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
,
The Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europea ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
,
Switzerland and
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
.
The author coins the word- 'Rohzin' to signify the psychological trauma of children who witness the betrayal of their parents/sleeping with someone else.
Critics in the Global South think of Rohzin as a literary landmark in
Urdu literature
Urdu literature ( ur, , ) is literature in the Urdu language. While it tends to be dominated by poetry, especially the verse forms of the ''ghazal '' غزل and '' nazm '' نظم, it has expanded into other styles of writing, including that of ...
.
English Translation
Penguin Random House published Rohzin in English in May 2022. and it has been longlisted for JCB Prize, which is the richest literary prize in India. Deccanherald writes that Rohzin is one of the most disturbing novels of recent times, the reading of which cannot but leave the reader haunted for many days.
Summary
The two main characters are Asrar and Hina. The setting is Mumbai. The novel begins when the city is submerged, and that day is the last day in the life of Asrar and Hina. Flashbacks tell a story that deals with mythology, legend, religion, magic realism, sexuality, sensuality, love and loyalty. The book is indeed modern in the sense of questioning contemporary lifestyles without much concern for traditions of any kind.
Reception
Many scholars and literary critics consider ''Rohzin'' to be the most beautiful and creative novel written in
Urdu
Urdu (;["Urdu"](_blank)
'' Sahitya Akademi
The Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, is an organisation dedicated to the promotion of literature in the languages of India. Founded on 12 March 1954, it is supported by, though independent of, the Indian government. Its of ...
(New Delhi), Professor
Gopi Chand Narang
Gopi Chand Narang (11 February 1931 – 15 June 2022) was an Indian theorist, literary critic, and scholar who wrote in Urdu and English. His Urdu literary criticism incorporated a range of modern theoretical frameworks including stylistics, st ...
, said that ''Rohzin'' is an important turning point in the history of Urdu fiction. Sahitya Akademi Award-winning literary critic, Nizam Siddiqui, has said that no novel as major as ''Rohzin'' has appeared in the second decade of the 21st century in Urdu.
In 2017, the Hindu Literary for Life festival hosted a session on ''Rohzin'', where critic, Shafey Kidwai, discussed the novel with the author. The Seemanchal Literary Festival, TISS and Dehradun Literature Festivals invited the author to read from the novel. In 2016, Rawal TV, Canada's Urdu television network, broadcast an hour-long debate on the novel in which critics from India and Pakistan participated.
''Rohzin'' grabbed the attention of German linguist and Urdu translator, Almuth Degener, who translated it for Draupadi Verlag under the German title "Die Stadt, Das Meer, Die Liebe", (The city, the Sea and the Love). The translated version was launched in Switzerland in February 2018.
Rahman Abbas was invited to Germany to undertake a literary tour from 23 March to 15 June 2018. The readings of Rohzin were held at South Asian Institute (Heidelberg University), Bonn University, Ev. Akademie (Villigst), Indian Consulate (Frankfurt), Café Mouseclick, Tisch Hochst, Pakban (Frankfurt), Lokalezeitung, Gonsenheim (Mainz), Pfalzer Hof Schonau (Bei, Heidelberg), Bickelmann Family (Heidelberg) and other places.
References
Bibliography
* Rohzin First Edition 2016 {{ISBN, 9789383322503 published by Arshia Publication New Delhi.
Urdu-language novels
Sahitya Akademi Award-winning works