Culture superstar: The erudite and artistic worlds of Tarannum Ahmed

Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer

“The United Arab Emirates has been home away from home for me and my family for nearly two-and-a-half decades,” says Tarannum Ahmed, orator, anchor, moderator, organiser and events presenter, actor, Urdu poetry and prose writer, philanthropist and Registrar with the GEMS Education Group.

“The UAE gives individuals like me a perfect platform to bring people from different nationalities, cultures and religions, to come together with a shared interest in poetry, theatre and music.”

Ahmed has moderated and hosted shows with some of the most reputed artists, scholars and sportspeople from various countries like Ustad Ghulam Ali, Farida Khanum, Abida Parveen, Asha Parekh, Shabana Azmi, Javed Akhtar, Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and ‘Rawalpindi Express’ Shoaib Akhtar; anchored and taken part in numerous musical/theatre/poetry shows organised and managed by non-profit organisations such as SmartLife Dubai and Malhaar Center for Performing Arts, across Gulf States and India; presented events under the patronage of Sharjah Book Authority at Sharjah International Book Fair and Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival, as a form of giving back to the community; was a member of the organising committee of the 1st All UAE Inter-school Baitbaazi (Urdu poetry competition); played a key role in organising the first All UAE Inter-school Urdu Festival in 2020; played the lead role as Indian movie star Meena Kumari (Mahjabeen Bano) in an event organised by Bazm-e-Urdu (Assembly of Urdu) Dubai, which promotes the Urdu language, last year. A popular figure in social media spaces such as Facebook and YouTube, Tarannum Ahmed speaks to Gulf Today

Is time management the only factor which enables you to handle so many disciplines?

No, it is not. In a multidisciplinary lifestyle, one must learn to govern rather than be ruled by the clock. I am firm believer that time can only be managed if it is well tracked — and what could be the primary tracker better than an optimistic attitude! So, I believe that my ‘can-do attitude’ has decided the relevant altitude in varied domains I’ve been engaged with so far.

Can you tell us about the qualities of some celebrities you have interviewed?

I’ve had the privilege of interviewing an array of global celebrity writers, poets, philosophers, actors, sportspeople, social and media influencers, among others, including in the fields of cinema, theatre, television, and social/digital platforms. As you would have noticed, they came from various walks of life: but a few characteristics that stuck out to me as a common denominator were self-belief, refusal to be felled by failures, not paying heed to naysayers, perseverance, persistence, consistency, and, of course, the mindset or the ‘attitude.’

How far have you been able to promote Urdu in the UAE?

I’m curious how a language, particularly Urdu — which is a civilisation in itself — can be assessed on a promotional assessment index! Nonetheless, I am involved with Bazm-e-Urdu, Dubai, which promotes Urdu through cultural events for all age groups such as theatrical performances, musical events, mushairas (poetry recitation occasions), performance poetry, book fairs, ru-ba-ru (face-to-face) conversation shows, and so on.

 Tarannum Ahmed (second from left) on stage with her team.

What are the challenges you face as an anchor?

Anchoring, to me, entails a lot of research, writing meaningful and topical scripts, engaging and capturing an audience, delivering, voice modulation, suitable dress coding, impromptu speaking, responding to audience reactions, and so on.

Doing justice to the anchoring role necessitates extensive planning and deliberate attempts to counteract anchor bias. But as such, I wouldn’t call it difficult.

Are there common features between an anchor and an actor?

The distinction is that an actor is slightly more restricted to formality due to the requirement to stay within script and character, whereas the anchor can just be as he/she is and interact with the audience, respond, react impromptu, as per the situation. Common factor or prerequisite for both undoubtedly is self-confidence and ‘0’ stage fear!

How does one bridge cultural differences?

Even if there are customary transgressions, I believe culture creates a feeling of shared identity and value systems, despite apparent differences. For example, there is a large number of diasporas from the Indian sub-continent living in the UAE, hailing both from India and the West. When there is a mushaira, or a ghazal (poetry) evening or Urdu/Hindi theatre being organised, all of them come to the venue. It proves that irrespective of their political or environmental influence, it is their common cultural heritage and legacy that yet strongly binds them together.

As a writer, what are the subjects you write on?

Gender equity — false ceilings; Poetry — Nazm form; History of Hindustani cinema eras; and on need basis: theatrical script writing; anchoring script writing.

Do you prefer writing in poetry or prose or are you at home in both?

Poetry can cover various aspects in the shortest way, with striking analogies. It has an instant gratification factor, whereas prose requires time to write and absorb. So I guess it all depends on my mood and also the need. But I am home in both poetry and prose.