THE OBSESSION OF M.A. RAHMAN CHUGHTAI WITH STUDY OF VAN GOGH
THE BOOK, THE FILM, THE URDU TRANSLATION ALL IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS

We entered the Van Gogh Museum in reverence, after waiting in a long line, for entrance tickets. And this was all in rain itself. People thronged at Van Gogh when there was hardly any Van Gogh inside. Paintings of his times, of his students and other things. The SUN FLOWER waited for us to be unraveled. A mad artist who cut his ears, attempted suicide, and who could not sell his works even for the price of an empty canvas. Now he is worshiped by the West at discovery of interest in him. And comparing his career with that of M.A. Rahman Chughtai is like a contrast of nowhere. M.A. Rahman Chughtai was a success from day one to day last. But the agony of the artist M.A. Rahman Chughtai could understand. He was fascinated with the life of Van Gogh.

We would find M.A. Rahman Chughtai deeply involved in reading the letters of Van Gogh and his brother. Perhaps it was due to the fact that M.A. Rahman Chughtai was himself deeply involved with his own brother Abdur Raheem Chughtai. The brothers loved each other immensely and according to their own wishes are even today buried side by side. In some ways like a loyal slave, the brother served M.A. Rahman Chughtai twenty four hours a day. The two artists we hear of most in the studio of Chughtai were two names of Rembrandt and Van Gogh. Both were loved for different reasons.

Fascinated we would attempt Van Gogh and others ourselves. Works by children of that period is in existence. But our hearts were in American comics and cartoons. And we drew that all the time. The interesting part is that drawing and painting were like fevers in our house. Even the servants got the fever all the time and some of the servants work is really touching. The children of the house drew fantastic imagery. Unfortunately being an artist in Pakistan and surviving is one of the most difficult things possible.