EFLU Festival Explores India-Iran Ties Through Calligraphy
Intricate curves, flowing strokes and layers of Persian script came together in calligraphic artwork at the EFLU, where Jashn-e-Bahar brought the language’s artistic traditions and India-Iran cultural ties into focus on Tuesday.
Hyderabad: Intricate curves, flowing strokes and layers of Persian script came together in calligraphic artwork at the English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU), where Jashn-e-Bahar brought the language’s artistic traditions and India-Iran cultural ties into focus on Tuesday.
Organised by EFLU’s Department of Asian Languages (Persian), in collaboration with the Consulate General of Iran in Hyderabad and Idara-e-Adabiyat-e-Urdu, the two-day festival, that began on Tuesday, featured a Persian calligraphy exhibition and workshop, alongside a Persian film screening, a statement said.
The second day of Jashn-e-Bahar on Wednesday will feature the screening of a Persian film, ‘The Song of Sparrows’, alongside the festival’s focus on Persian language and culture.
Directed by acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi, the 2008 film follows Karim, an ostrich-farm worker who loses his job after one of the birds escapes.
The 96-minute film received international recognition, including a Best Actor award for Reza Naji at the 2008 Berlin International Film Festival.
The calligraphic artwork was among the striking elements of the event.
Elaborate lettering curved and intertwined to form decorative compositions, with the script itself becoming the central visual element.
The exhibition offered several visitors an opportunity to appreciate calligraphy not merely as written language but as an art form in which the shape, rhythm and arrangement of letters carry their own aesthetic appeal.
Iran’s Consul General in Hyderabad Hamid Ahmadiyeh spoke about the historical and cultural connections between India and Iran.
Addressing the gathering in Urdu, he described art “as a means of strengthening friendship and mutual understanding between the two countries.”
He also invited Indians to visit Iran and experience its heritage, traditions and culture, referring to Isfahan for its architectural and cultural wealth and its popular description as “half of the world”.
Dr Mahmood Alam, programme coordinator, spoke about Hyderabad’s artistic heritage and its association with calligraphy.
He drew attention to the contribution of renowned calligrapher Mohammad Abdul Gaffar and the importance of preserving traditional calligraphic practices.
Prof. Syed Rashid Naseem, dean of the School of Arab and Asian Studies, discussed calligraphy as a form of artistic expression. Prof. Padmini Shankar spoke about how the calligraphy featured on the event invitation had drawn her attention to the programme and the work of Aleem, a student of the Persian department.
The inauguration was presided over by EFLU Vice Chancellor Prof. N. Nagaraju, chief patron of the festival.
By bringing together calligraphy, cinema and conversations on cultural heritage, Jashn-e-Bahar offered a platform to engage with Persian language and art while exploring the long-standing cultural links between India and Iran.
