‘Kallu’ is a short story written by IsmatChughtai an eminent Indian writer in Urdu

1. KALLU
Presented to , presented by,
Dr. INDU RAMPAL IRAM ANWAR

2. Introduction to ‘Kallu’
 ‘Kallu’ is a short story written by Ismat Chughtai, an
eminent Indian writer in Urdu known
for her indomitable spirit and a fierce
feminist ideology& The story takes on a critical view
of the typical north Indian middle class Muslim
families during the 1950s.

3. ‘Kallu’ is a very powerful story dealing with a
young boy labourer in a middle class Muslim
household& The prejudice against people who
are financially weak or belong to lower caste
has been highlighted . excellently by the
author.

4. A note on the author
Ismat Chughtai led an unconventional life,
went in for higher education, took up a
job,lived alone, married a man of her choice
and was cremated, as she had desired, instead
of being buried,

5. After rasheed jahan ,she was the first Muslim woman to
write novels and short stories in Urdu& Chughtai wrote
many stories before she was actually published in 1939
with a keen eye and an incisive intelligence she looked in
to the lives of a whole range of Muslim women from the
middle class in the suburban towns of Uttar Pradesh &
Her stories were often

6. She also wrote for flms and several of her stories have
been made into films. Of these ,Garam
Hawa (1973) won a great deal of acclaim.
In 1975she received the padma Shri for her
contribution to Urdu literature.

7. SUMMARY
 The story revolves around the life of kalimuddin aka Kallu & He
is not even seven but still he does work more than a 20 year old
man.
 Starting his day with boiling water for the morning tea and
making innumerable trips to kitchen and dinning table giving the
cook all the ingredients for the breakfast.
 His next task involved taking care of small errands of the house
from washing nanhi’s diaper till Abu’s cigarette.

8. His mother had entrusted the narrator’s family to care
of Kallu. She visited him
on Teej festival and bought him molasses and fried
corn.
As Maliha bi’s wedding was approaching, Amma
asked Kallu whom he would marry in jest, and Kallu
whisphered Salima bi’s name& And on another day
Mumani heard Kallu asking Salima to marry him; to
her surprise she said ‘yes’.

9. Mumani thrashed Kallu and his nose started
bleeding.Kallu’s mother saw this and took him away.
After many years, a particular Mr Din comes to the city
as deputy Collector and this person is none other than
Kallu himself.
He asks for Salima bi’s hand, Mumani refuses to let
Salima marry him despite Chacha jan’s repeated
requests.

10. Kallu visits his childhood house and recalls every
funny incident of his time spent there with them.
He gives a surprise visit and talks to Mumani bi and
asks for Salima’s hand to which Mumani again
refuses as he calls him dulhan bi.
To this Kalim says :Amma bi….” in a tearful voice
and Mumani’s eyes filled wiht tears.

11. Characteristics of Kallu
Kallu was a nice boy quite, obedient and a faithful labour to
mumani aunty.
He did all household chores and he worked so hard that he
didn’t have time to even play.
His mother comes to visit him and even she put him in
to works& And he likes salima bi and he had some love for
her inside him.
when he to visit their family as a deputycollector he was so
kind and he completely forgot what have happened in the past.

12. when mumani bi was not interested to talk with kallu
when in came all of a sudden to meet their family.
He was so gentle and he started talking to mumani bi
and by time passes she became fine and everything
was normal.
So bottom of line is that kallu knows how to be a
gentle person and he respected his elders and he
never forgets who he is.

13. Characteristic of chacha mian
He is a relation to the family uncle for the girls and he
had the responsibility of finding a bridegroom for the
girls.
He tried a lot around the city and finally he got a kallu
deputy collector and a past servant of their family.
He was took interested in him and he wants him to
marry their gilrl.

14. Character sketch of Mumani jan
Mumani jan’s character shows variation throughout the
story& At times she is imposing, at times she is
generous& So one can conclude that she has a confused
personality.
As a child Kallu was bitten very badly by Mumani jan
just to ask Salima for marriage, This shows the imposing
side of her.

15. After years when Kallu came back asK alim Saheb
she refused the marriage proposal given to Salima
without explaining any sort of reason, This shows that
she was confused and reluctant.
At the end she realises her short comings towards
Kallu as a child and approves for marriage ,This
explains that some where she was generous and kind.

16. Character sketch of Kallu’s amma
Kallu’s amma was exquisite and elegant just like every
amma in the world& Shehas very strong character& She
worked immensely hard in order to raise Kallu.
when Kallu was small she sent him to Mamuni jan in order
for his betterment as she understood with such a small in
come she can not raise her child well. This shows her
understanding and sacrificing nature.

17. She visited Kallu every week to see him& This
shows she was a loving and caring mother.
After Kallu was sent off by Mumani jan from her
home she worked very hard, sewed clothes
washed dishes of people so as to raise Kallu to
heights . This shows her determined nature which
finally bore fruits when Kallu became The deputy
Collector.

18. Significance of the story
LOVE -The first and the most important thing that the
story tells is love, love which amma had for Kallu .
Love, which drives her to do any sort of hardship for her
child. She sewed clothes, washed utensils in order to
raise Kallu to the sky. Love, which Kallu had for Salima
bi. It enabled him to be attached with the family in which
he was deeply insulted. After becoming the deputy
Collector also he married the girl he choosed as a child.

19. Hard work- This story also symbolizes the hard word
done both by Kallu and his mother to achieve things
which are beyond expected. from working in a house
as a servant to becoming a deputy collector Kallu
shows the dedication and hard work to achieve the
place he is in.
Sacrifice- The story also enchants the sacrifice done
by Kallu’s mother. Firsts he left her in Mamuni jan’s
place for the betterment of Kallu.

20. THANK YOU