Bilal Tanweer, Assistant Professor, Lahore University of Management Sciences, will speak on "Trickster as Commando: Performance of Pakistaniyat in Urdu Pulp Fiction" as part of the Fall South Asia Seminar Series. 

A. Hameed (1928- 2011) was a major Urdu pulp fiction writer and the creator of what has been Pakistan’s most popular children’s television series: 'Ainak Wālā Jin. While Hameed’s works continue to be printed and read widely, especially in the young-adult age bracket, he has received little critical attention. This talk examines the figure of the commando in his seven-part Commando Series. I argue that the Commando appears to be modeled on the traditional figure of the trickster in Urdu dastan literature, instead of as a modern military combatant. Further, the transformation of the trickster to a commando, I suggest, represents a particularized attempt to articulate and perform a Pakistani identity.

The seminar series theme is "PUBLIC | POPULAR | PULP: form and genre in South Asian cultural production," convened by Mary Rader, UT Libraries' South Asia Librarian. A light reception will precede the event at 3pm.

This talk is FREE! and open to the public.

Sponsored by: South Asia Institute