This Indian short documentary by Ishani K Dutta tells the story of what is probably the last handwritten newspaper in the world. THE MUSALMAN is the oldest Urdu daily in India and this film shows the passion of the calligraphers who hand write it.


THE MUSALMAN has been published and read everyday in South India's Chennai since 1927 - in almost the same form, because now its deceased editor Fazlulla believed that handwritten pages were crucial to the paper and to the tradition of handwritten Urdu. It's tough for the die-hard artists of Urdu calligraphy. But the story told here is not just of their desperation and despair but of a passion that has kept this paper alive in almost impossible circumstances. And yes, they have a host of supporters who believe with them that handwritten Urdu is an art form that needs to be encouraged, preserved and practiced as a living tradition. But this has to be done through active financial encouragement - as a consciously run sponsorship scheme to revive and resuscitate a dying art called calligraphy.