On the eve of the official launch of Sonya Battla’s new Urdu collection an exclusive and intimate preview event was held at the Sonya Battla boutique on E-street. The highlight of the event was a panel talk on the origin and journey of Urdu featuring Subhan Nizami, Wajid Jawad, Bari Mian, Dr Hasan Aziz and moderated by Zaheer Kidvai. They spoke about the evolution of Urdu with a special focus on the contributions of Amir Khusro.
The panel discussed the origins of Urdu as the language of armies, the importance of the Urdu in postcolonial India and ended the talk with thoughts on modern usage, preservation and digitalization. Subhan Nizami performed selections from his famed qawwalis. The collection was presented as an installation in the outlet with audio visual accompaniment.
This limited edition collection incorporates Urdu calligraphy in the form of embroidery and digital prints. The rich heritage of the language adds a unique touch to this collection. The silhouettes range from the traditional to contemporary. This collection traces the journey of Urdu from the language of war to the language of love through the verses of Amir Khusro.
