When I write a poem, I do not have to worry about using a higher Urdu vocabulary because I know the reader knows Urdu well.
I write in Urdu and everything is written by my hand.
My mother tongue is Punjabi, but my first language is Urdu, which was the case with the people in undivided Punjab.
I went through a phase of reading lots of Urdu poetry, thanks to the great transliterated versions that have become available.
I speak Hindi fluently because my mother speaks only in Hindi and Urdu.
Michael Bates was a very funny actor; he'd served in India, could speak Urdu, and had great comic timing.
A few words of Hindi appear here or there, but it's all Urdu. I feel that if the popular culture, which is what Hindi films are, uses Urdu, it's not going to diminish.
I was 17 when I first acted on stage. I was a part of an Urdu adaptation of 'Spartacus' in the titular role.
I speak Urdu quite a lot, too, and I read a lot of Persian.
We recognised Urdu as the second official language and made it a medium of examination in all Bihar Public Service Commission tests.
The Urdu or Hindustani language we use isn't popular in theatre these days. It was a language that was being used in cinema from the 1950s until the '80s. It is a very communicative language.
