Many authors write to preserve memories — moments of joy, personal milestones or imagined worlds. Author Mujtaba Khan, however, writes stories meant to be inherited. His book Paandaan is a literary tribute to women and the quiet legacies they protect. CE spoke to him at Simply South, Jubilee Hills, where he discussed the book and the ideas behind it.
Excerpts
Tell us about the book launch event at Simply South.
It was the Hyderabad launch of Paandaan. The book is about a matriarch, and although the title sounds familiar, it is not about paan. The paandaan is a metaphor. For a matriarch, it is like a red briefcase of the household — it carries authority, memory and responsibility. The story is set in a pre-modern North Indian town, emerging from the ruins of the zamindari system.
What inspired you to write this book?
I have seen women like this all my life, but I had never read stories about them. We often hear about women who do something extraordinary, but there are many women who do extraordinary things every day — running households, holding families together. Their stories rarely find space in literature, and that absence became the starting point for Paandaan.
Do you have a paandaan at home?
Yes. In earlier times, paandaans were part of a bride’s dowry. I remember once trying to take a paan from my grandmother’s paandaan as a child, only to realise there was an earring inside. (laughs) She told me never to take anything without asking. It was a very delicate object, and children were not allowed to touch it. In the book, the central character Mumtaz Begum runs the household after the men sell off the property. The story is about how she manages the family with what little she inherits — the family itself becomes her power.
How do you want these stories to reach the next generation?
I want to create fictional archives of such objects. We have a dressing table in our family that has lasted four generations, and I want to write about that too. Times change, but stories help us remain connected to our roots and emotions.
What inspired you personally to write Paandaan?
I come from a zamindari family in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, a princely state. Our family, like many others, declined before Independence. We survived because of the women. I studied engineering and law but never practised either. When I began searching for myself, I realised I wanted to write about my grandmother and her era. I was very close to her. Women have always been strong; they just didn’t have the opportunity to document their stories. I don’t know if I can call myself a feminist — patriarchy is deeply ingrained in all of us. I’m unmarried, I don’t have children, but I have a niece. I encourage her to study abroad, to explore the world, and to call me from wherever she chooses to be. The idea is simple — if there’s a possibility, you should go.