Hallucinatory Realism in the Short Stories of Mazhar ul Islām: A Study

مظہرالاسلام کے افسانوں میں واہماتی حقیقت نگاری۔ایک مطالعہ

Abstract

Mazhar ul Islām is a remarkable figure in contemporary Urdū afsāna (short story writing) who departs from conventional modes of storytelling and embraces innovative, experimental narrative techniques. His afsānay frequently move beyond linear plots, instead weaving together fragmented realities, dreamlike imagery, and profound symbolic layers. Among the most distinctive features of his fiction is the employment of Hallucinatory Realism a postmodern narrative strategy that fuses ḥaqīqat (reality), khwāb (dream), and takhayyul (imagination) into a unified aesthetic and intellectual experience. This study aims to explore, identify, and critically analyze the elements of Hallucinatory Realism in Mazhar ul Islām’s afsānay. Through close textual readings, the research highlights his creative use of imagery, metaphor, and symbolism, showing how his stories dissolve the boundaries between the external world and the inner psyche. His fiction reflects a constant negotiation between the visible and the invisible, the real and the surreal, thereby constructing a unique imaginative landscape.

Furthermore, the study situates Mazhar ul Islām within the broader discourse of postmodernism, illustrating how his experimental techniques resonate with global literary trends while simultaneously preserving the cultural, aesthetic, and linguistic distinctiveness of Urdū adab (literature). In doing so, his writings enrich the expressive potential of Urdū afsāna, demonstrating how postmodern narrative strategies can be localized and reshaped to produce original forms of storytelling. By integrating Hallucinatory Realism, Mazhar ul Islām not only broadens the stylistic scope of Urdū fiction but also offers readers new dimensions of perception, meaning, and artistic experience.