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Shafi Wassan Film writer, director, scholar and film project designer. First short film: Muskaan (Hindi) 1974. Credited as: written, photographed & directed. Written & Directed plays: Dharti Ke Ghaao / Arna Bael (in Hindi) Bhutono Shaand (in Bengali) Associate direction: Ritwik Ghatak, Lekh Tandon, R.K. Nayyar and Raja Nawathe. Association with writers: Ghatak, Arjundev Rashk, Sagar Sarhadi& M.G. Hashmat. Films credited: Jukti takko, Dulhan wohi, Aangan ki kali, Bhula Na Dena, Uddhar and Jigar etc.

Biography. Shafi Wassan was born on 5th Nov 1944, in the noble family of “Syeds” of Bihar. (Son of Syed Wasi Ahmed known among relatives in Indo-Pak as “Wassan”) Shafi Wassan got his education in Calcutta. Among his teachers were famous Urdu poets, Prof. Parvez Shahidi, Mazhar Imam, Prof Afzal and Prof Hiralal Chopra. His father had a huge collection of rare library materials in English, Bengali, Hindi, Urdu, Persian and Arabic. The subjects dig into Religion, History, Mythology, and European- Asian prose and poetry. In American poet Mark Twin’s words he was the “boy” near the waterfront of river Mississippi watching steamships, sailors, passengers, and birds in the sky…whichever object caught his fascination he morphed into the object or whichever subject rolled passed him it turned into “the boy“ Till today he is the same “Eternal Boy” at the waterfront  charmed by enrichment. During his study period he got the opportunity to attend private sittings and concerts of greats music legends like Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Ustad Vilayat Khan (Sitar), Ustad Imrat Khan (Surbahar), Ustad Allah Rakkha (Tabla)Ustad Ali Husain (Shahnai) Ustad Laddan Khan (Sarangi) and Ustad Bahadur Khan (Sarod). He even started learning “Sitar” from Ustad Khurshid Khan Saheb of Banaras (Disciple of Vilayat khan Saheb). Unfortunately he had to cut short the training, because senior relatives did not liked to be ridiculed as “Mirasis” (Traditional singer- dancers tribe” Lots of influences were casting impressions on him. Though family business and financial burden were mounting to reduce his creative interests, but he managed his time secretly and pursued his interests. As the destiny was laying its own designs, He came in contact with Captain Hiralal of dismantled INA musical band. He started taking interest in patriotic street plays and sang “Phire Aesho Netaji Subhash…” (The song was originally composed by Captain Ram Singh for Netaji’s Azad Hind Fouj}. Netaji’s annual birthday celebration 23rd January became an obsession for him. Participating on Netaji’s birth date intensified sense of pride in him. Saluting Netaji’s statue near governor house gave him tremendous satisfaction of honoring freedom fighters of the country. In between the course of theatre activities he also started taking interest in cinema. His habit of study and curiosity led him to study stage craft, photography, painting, film history, film criticism, film grammar, film crafts. He was regular at American and Russian film shows at their respective library auditorium  in Calcutta. He also used to watch main stream English, Hindi and Bengali films. Often he was in a spree of whole day watching movies from 10.30 mornings to 9-12 night shows. This whole process of creative indulgence was worrying father. Wassan senior was growing older. He was finding it difficult to run the family single handedly. He wanted his elder son to concentrate on business, help brothers to complete education, save money for younger sister’s marriage. To support his father’s genuine grievances, he toured periodically to districts of Bihar, Bengal and Assam to sell whole sale optical goods and fire-work items. He used to make fair profits. But it was not regular. His mother was not keeping well. She wanted him to get married. One evening his father invited him for Calcutta’s famous Sabir’s “Firini & Tea” After an admirable treat the wise father took up the issue “Why you are so much fascinated by films, theatre and music? I firmly trust, you don’t lack business sense in you” The son looked at his wise father with reverence. He drew father’s attention towards the curtain frills hanging above the window. He drove a point “Abba! Do you find something meaning full in this curtain frill? The extra -ordinary father replied casually”Nothing” The son seeking his permission elaborated “Abba! When I looked at this frill I saw breeze tenderly caressing the frill from end to end, accompanied by a sweet “Santoor melody” The father was silent for a moment and thoughtful. The poetic son continued “Abba! Perhaps I am a gifted one; I can see and hear things which ordinary people fail to respond. The father accepted his son saying “I shall not hinder you here after” Such dialogue between a father and a son is great example of understanding in relationship. Marriage never posed any issue those days. Most of the youngsters in the families accepted arranged marriages. So, when mother asked his options about marriage. He replied “find a girl who will carry forward peace and harmony in the family. His wife is a relative from maternal side. To be continued……