When Hyderabad founder Quli Qutub Shah rode an auto rickshaw

Hyderabad: Imagine Quli Qutub Shah, the founder of Hyderabad, stepping into the bustling city he once envisioned. With his poetic soul and a keen eye for aesthetics, he might feel utterly lost – or perhaps deeply amused – by the transformation of his city. That’s precisely the premise of the uproarious satirical story, Quli Qutub Shah Ka Safarnama, by noted humourist Mujtaba Hussain, which was presented as part of the Asnafe Suqan Goee programme held at the Maulana Azad Oriental Research Institute in Public Garden on Sunday.

The weekly event aims to rekindle love for the Urdu language and literature through dramatic readings of classic and contemporary works. The audience, drawn from all age groups, was hooked as Javeed Mohiuddin, an Urdu teacher, brought Hussain’s witty inshaiya (essay) to life with flair.

Hussain’s narrative imagines Quli Qutub Shah landing in modern-day Hyderabad after 400 years, only to find himself baffled and bemused by the city’s quirks. While he had once prayed for his city to be filled with people “like fish in the ocean,” he was hardly prepared for the traffic jams, overpopulation, and chaos that now characterise his beloved Hyderabad.

The humour shines in small, observational gems – like the Hyderabadis’ peculiar obsession with the number ‘char’ (four) as in Charminar. For example, when it was time to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the city’s founding, they did so four years late. This kind of comic delay, Hussain implies, is a Hyderabadi specialty.

One of the funniest segments involves Quli’s encounter with an auto-rickshaw – Hyderabad’s unofficial mascot of urban mobility. The three-seat rickshaw, inevitably crammed with four passengers, leaves Quli dazed. Every time he tries to look at something, the jerking auto flings his face in another direction. But he’s determined to explore the city from this peculiar vehicle, even if the ride is more of a wrestling match than a tour.

A hilarious dialogue unfolds between Quli and the auto driver, Jahangir Ali, who demands a waiting charge of Rs 5 per hour–for the last 400 years. The satire stings, but gently. As Quli gazes at the chaotic swarm of vehicles circling Charminar, he is told that it is all due to his dua (prayer). The auto driver recites the famous couplet said by Quli while laying the foundation of the city:

Mera shahar logon soo maa’moor kar

Rakhya jun tu darya main min Ya Sami

(Fill this city with people, As Thou hast filled the ocean with fish, O Lord!)

With perfect comic timing, he adds, “When God accepts a prayer He doesn’t bother about family planning.”

The audience burst into laughter, but the humour doesn’t stop there. Photo-journalist K.N. Wasif cleverly riffs on the same couplet in light of the ongoing Miss World contest:

Mere shahar ko haseenaon se ma’moor kar
(Fill my city with beauties)

Not to be left behind, Muhammad Husamuddin, created fun by slightly altering a popular verse.  He said:

Wo ada-e-dilbari ki nava-e-ashiqaana

Jo dilon ko fatha  karle wahi fateh-e-zanana

The wordplay and cultural commentary packed a punch while keeping the tone playful.

The Sunday morning wasn’t limited to satire alone. It also featured a presentation of Anarkali, the famous drama by Imtiaz Ali Taj. Performers Javeed Kamal, Rafia Nausheen, and Samia Mateen took on the roles of Akbar, Jodhabai, and Anarkali’s mother respectively, winning appreciation from the crowd. Another well-received story, Doosra Mausam by Kashmiri Lal Zakir, added depth to the programme.

The event wrapped up with a dose of Hyderabadi humour in the form of jokes that kept the spirit light and lively. The crowd was left both in splits and in thought.

Chief Guest Prof. S.A. Shukoor offered a sobering insight amid the laughter. He remarked that in today’s fast-paced world, people lack the time and patience to read long stories. Hence, he urged writers to adapt to changing times by embracing brevity without compromising depth.

In the end, the event wasn’t just a nostalgic look back at Hyderabad’s cultural roots – it also held up a mirror to contemporary urban life, using satire to provoke both laughter and reflection. As Oscar Wilde once famously observed, life often imitates art. And if that art is anything like Mujtaba Hussain’s work, we might just find ourselves laughing at our absurdities a little more often.