The death of a legend

 For many, her plays and dramatic depictions of family life and the                                                drama within it brought the stories of various individuals, usually female, to life. Fatima Surraya Bajia, who died in Karachi at the age of 86      on Wednesday, was a legend in her own right. For over four decades she produced novels and plays that kept audiences entranced. Although she is best known for her work for PTV where she began her career as an actress, Bajia was also a widely respected literary figure. Her writings and characterisation were acclaimed in the world of Urdu literature and her work won her the Pride of Performance, the Hilal-e-Imtiaz and Japan’s highest civil award.

There has always been some controversy over the nature of Bajia’s work for PTV. Critics say it depicted women in a traditional fashion without any effort to display their strength and individualism. Others disagree. They say that in a quiet, unobtrusive way Bajia did build personal characteristics into the women who formed the central characters in her best known TV serials including ‘Zeenat’, ‘Shamaa’ and ‘Afshan’. Bajia came from a family that excelled in entertainment. Her brother Anwer Maqsood stands at his own own level as a comedian and television personality. By entering the world of PTV and Radio Pakistan at an early age, Bajia broke barriers and made it easier for other women to take up professions in these mediums. Her contribution to television and radio will be recalled for a very long time. It is commonly held that quality has fallen since the days when persons like Bajia wrote scripts for plays followed by millions. Certainly, her death is a loss to the world of Urdu writing which has been on the decline for decades and needs people who can follow in Bajia’s footsteps. These seem to be few able to carry the torch forward.