The Song of Distant Bulbuls - Author Simrita Dhir in Conversation.
What made me fall in love with literature is how it unites us across time, personal history and culture. I recently read author Simrita Dhir's novel the Song of Distant Bulbuls, a novel that took me back to the turbulent times of World War II. It is inspired by true events, and it's the story of 17 year old Sammi and her husband, Hari Singh that beautifully unfolds against the painful backdrop of a global conflict
Simrita Dhir
@Simritadhir110 · 3:57
My attempt in writing the story was to present the mindset, the ideology, the view of the colonized people. Because I have noticed that a lot of stories about this time period have been presented to us as the grand narrative of the white man. And they present the mindset, the ideology, the feelings of the white man
The partition, of course, is a dark chapter in our country's history. And the violence and the communal riots that happened during partition form an integral part of your narrative. Could you maybe elaborate on your research process for these historical events? How did you maintain authenticity while weaving these events into your narrator?
Simrita Dhir
@Simritadhir110 · 1:32
That's a great question. Ramya. So, as a keen student of history, I am deeply responsive to the social implications of telling a story, particularly historical story. At no point should history be misrepresented. And therefore, I researched extensively about the Southeast Asian theatre of the war, about the time period in general, about the Indian National Movement, about out the independence of India. So a lot of research has gone into the writing of this novel
Yet another aspect of the book that really stood out for me is how you managed to touch upon the theme of women's status in Punjabi society during that era. Can you discuss your approach to exploring this theme through the multifaceted complex characters of Sammi, her aunt, Jeeti Bua and her mother? Were there any real life inspirations behind these characters and their struggles?
Simrita Dhir
@Simritadhir110 · 3:37
But here's a woman who rises like a phoenix to defy the patriarchal system, to where she assumes her own agency, to where she becomes this woman who speaks consciously, who speaks meaningfully, who makes a significant contribution to society. So she decides that she's now going to lead her life on her own terms. What has happened is behind her
Simrita Dhir
@Simritadhir110 · 3:55
They were not in a position to be able to contribute to the new, emerging modern India. So again, I will mention that Jasheet is a strong representative of the middle class in the story. And then there are other faces of the middle class that we notice in the personality of Professor Shokat Rehman, who is a liberal, educated intellectual. And we also realize that Hari Singh is a strong representative of the middle class. Here is a man who has had the opportunity to receive a higher education
I think this brings me to my last question for you, Simrita. Thank you so much for joining in and giving us a deeper dive into what went behind the writing of this book. I noted and appreciated how the theme of Sufism subtly weaves through your novel with characters unexpectedly exhibiting Sufi and and sees at pivotal moments. Could you maybe elaborate on the significance of this spiritual aspect within the narrative?
Simrita Dhir
@Simritadhir110 · 3:19
And later in the novel, for a brief moment when the novel flashes forward to the year 1947, we are given a glimpse of the great shrine of Datta Ganjbaksh in Lahore as well. So readers will be able to make that connect. Now talking about Sufism and how it manifests itself in the story. So starting with Sami, because she is central to the narrative, she exhibits the two most strong Sufi tendencies and those are the tendencies of rebellion and ishk