Wasi Zaidi recalls a time when his quest for one popular book ended with him creating an online portal focusing on Urdu literature. In 2018, Zaidi—then working as a software engineer in Mumbai—was on the look-out for a book by Pakistani writer Mushtaq Ahmad Yusufi.
Despite searching high and low, Zaidi mentions that he was unable to lay his hands on a copy of the original Urdu novel. “It was not that the book wasn’t a well-known title. But, I could not find it anywhere,” shares the Ghaziabad resident. On further research, Zaidi discerned that, apart from a few traditional publishers who don’t have a virtual presence, Urdu classics were not easily available to readers in the country. Realising a need to create a resurgence of Urdu, Zaidi (27), founded Urdu Bazaar, an ecommerce portal for books in the language, in 2019.
For Zaidi, the concept behind Urdu Bazaar was rooted in the eponymous markets of 18th Century Mughal India. Urdu Bazaars—remnants of such spaces are still found in present day Lahore, Karachi, and even near Jama Masjid in Delhi—were places of confluence of city dwellers. Many historians also claim that Urdu derives its name from the bazaar as well as the colloquial versions of Persian spoken by Mughal soldiers who visited the market.
Highlighting tradition
The portal specialises in Urdu classics, which are at times translated in Hindi and English. Zaidi collaborates with mainstream publishing houses such as Hachette India, HarperCollins Publishers India, as well as Urdu publishers such as Arshia Publications, etc. While partnering with English publishers can be easy, Zaidi explains how working with Urdu ones can be challenging.
“Many are not technologically savvy. For Urdu books, it is hard to get an ISBN number [a unique identifier for books] and images.” Zaidi and his team visit these publishers and acquaint them with these processes. “Having a platform such as this helps them gain recognition,” he adds. Giving a recent example, Zaidi talks about Arshia’s publication, Zindeeq, a dystopian novel by Rehman Abbas; 600 copies were sold by Urdu Bazaar.
A resurgence of interest
While selling books, is their forte, it is not the only thing Urdu Bazaar specialises in. To create awareness of the language among millennials and GenZ, they also organise Urdu workshops. Huma Sardar from Paharganj, who had attended one of them, concludes, “I have attended various different workshops. Here, things aren’t monotonous and you learn easier with interaction and discussion. At the end of the day, I got to make good memories and also have a new skill to boast about.”