‘City’s lanes, bldgs & linguistic heritage need wider recognition’

Lucknow: It's ironic that Lucknow is mostly promoted for its cuisine while every lane in the Old city plays a vital role in Lucknow's rich cultural tapestry, which needs wider recognition, according to film director Rizwan Siddiqui.
"Beyond culture and food, Lucknow is also known for its historical buildings and rich linguistic heritage, encompassing Urdu, Hindi, Persian, and other regional languages," said Rizwan, whose movie ‘Imamdasta' was screened on the ‘Adde Baazi' stage during the 16th Mahindra Sanatkada Festival, on Tuesday.
"Every ‘gali' (lane) and ‘mohalla' (neighbourhood) in Lucknow is abound with unique characters who have their own fascinating stories. Living in Gausnagar area of Rakabganj in the Old city, I have the firsthand experience of the unique stories and incidents that unfolded daily before my eyes," Rizwan told TOI.
Rizwan said the title of the film ‘Imamdasta' (mortar and pestle) was inspired by one of his neighbours who ran a ‘chaat' shop.
"This neighbour would grind all the spices using an ‘imamdasta'. The unique sound of the grinding process still lingers in my memory. There is a similarity between the film's characters and the process of grinding, where different spices are brought together and ground into one vessel, just like the diverse characters in the movie," he said.
Speaking on Lucknow's historical buildings, Rizwan said: "Govt should look after historical buildings like the ‘havelis' of the Nawabs and other dignitaries. If maintained well, these buildings can serve as ideal locations for film shootings."
After watching the film, cultural enthusiast and actor, Abhijeet Sarkar, said: "The ‘boli' (dialect) of Lucknow is unique — it has humour, sarcasm, depth, and a certain charm that lingers. It's not just about words but about the way they are spoken, the ‘ada' (style), and ‘lehja' (tone). I feel it's just the beginning of a journey to explore Lucknow's cultural richness and present it before the world."