Lahore, first published in 1993, is Pran Nevil's tribute to the land of his birth. Grounded in memory and redolent with nostalgia, Neile's reminiscences transport the reader into the heart of Lahore as it was in the 1930s and 40s- a city bustling with activity where people coexisted harmoniously, unfettered by considerations of religion, region or caste. From the riotous seasonal festivities of kite-flying to clandestine love-affairs upon rooftops, from matinee shows at the cinema to twilight hours spent amongst the bejeweled dancing girls of Hira Mandi, Lahore emerges as a city of mesmerizing contradictions and chaotic splendour.
The author underscores the contrast between pre- and post-Partition Lahore, and the sense of pain, loss and longing for one's homeland experienced by the displaced millions in India and Pakistan is palpable. Evocate and informative, Lahore is at once social commentary, historical documentation and memoir.
| PREFACE | ix |
| INTRODUCTION | xi |
| SHOPPING IN ANARKALI | 1 |
| ON THANDI SARAK IN A TONGA | 12 |
| A TIME FOR FUN AND GAMES | 21 |
| BO-KATA (THERE IT IS CUT) | 28 |
| ROMANCE ON THE HOUSETOP | 35 |
| FAZAL-THE ACE PIMP OF LAHORE | 43 |
| THE SPLENDOURS OF HIRA MANDI OR TIBBI | 53 |
| A WIDOWER'S DILEMMA | 61 |
| THE CHANGING WORLD OF WOMEN | 70 |
| GOING TO THE CINEMA | 83 |
| K.L. SAIGAL VISITS LAHORE | 91 |
| ZINDA NAACH WA GANA (LIVE DANCE AND SONG) | 96 |
| MAFIA DONS, MINSTRELS, MALANGS AND MENDICANTS | 105 |
| A MIRACLE MEDICINE AND SEX MANUALS | 115 |
| FOOD AND DRINK | 124 |
| CLOTHES AND CLASS | 132 |
| STUDENTS AND TEACHERS | 139 |
| PASSENGERS AND DRIVERS | 148 |
| PUNTERS, BOOKIES AND JOCKEYS | 155 |
| PICNICS AND OUTINGS | 159 |
| POLITICIANS, PEOPLE AND THE OFFICIALS | 164 |
| WAR YEARS | 169 |
| EPILOGUE: LAHORE REVISITED | 177 |
| ANNEXURE: SONGS OF A BYGONEERA | 190 |
| SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY | 202 |
| CLOSSARY | 204 |
| PICTURE CREDITS | 208 |
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Lahore, first published in 1993, is Pran Nevil's tribute to the land of his birth. Grounded in memory and redolent with nostalgia, Neile's reminiscences transport the reader into the heart of Lahore as it was in the 1930s and 40s- a city bustling with activity where people coexisted harmoniously, unfettered by considerations of religion, region or caste. From the riotous seasonal festivities of kite-flying to clandestine love-affairs upon rooftops, from matinee shows at the cinema to twilight hours spent amongst the bejeweled dancing girls of Hira Mandi, Lahore emerges as a city of mesmerizing contradictions and chaotic splendour.
The author underscores the contrast between pre- and post-Partition Lahore, and the sense of pain, loss and longing for one's homeland experienced by the displaced millions in India and Pakistan is palpable. Evocate and informative, Lahore is at once social commentary, historical documentation and memoir.
| PREFACE | ix |
| INTRODUCTION | xi |
| SHOPPING IN ANARKALI | 1 |
| ON THANDI SARAK IN A TONGA | 12 |
| A TIME FOR FUN AND GAMES | 21 |
| BO-KATA (THERE IT IS CUT) | 28 |
| ROMANCE ON THE HOUSETOP | 35 |
| FAZAL-THE ACE PIMP OF LAHORE | 43 |
| THE SPLENDOURS OF HIRA MANDI OR TIBBI | 53 |
| A WIDOWER'S DILEMMA | 61 |
| THE CHANGING WORLD OF WOMEN | 70 |
| GOING TO THE CINEMA | 83 |
| K.L. SAIGAL VISITS LAHORE | 91 |
| ZINDA NAACH WA GANA (LIVE DANCE AND SONG) | 96 |
| MAFIA DONS, MINSTRELS, MALANGS AND MENDICANTS | 105 |
| A MIRACLE MEDICINE AND SEX MANUALS | 115 |
| FOOD AND DRINK | 124 |
| CLOTHES AND CLASS | 132 |
| STUDENTS AND TEACHERS | 139 |
| PASSENGERS AND DRIVERS | 148 |
| PUNTERS, BOOKIES AND JOCKEYS | 155 |
| PICNICS AND OUTINGS | 159 |
| POLITICIANS, PEOPLE AND THE OFFICIALS | 164 |
| WAR YEARS | 169 |
| EPILOGUE: LAHORE REVISITED | 177 |
| ANNEXURE: SONGS OF A BYGONEERA | 190 |
| SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY | 202 |
| CLOSSARY | 204 |
| PICTURE CREDITS | 208 |
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