Exclusive interviews
Images from the exclusive interview with Imran Kahn (clicki images to enlarge)
The Dawn Interview
Image from The Dawn, a leading English daily published from Karachi and Lahore in Pakistan. This story was published in November last year during Franks Pakistan visit.
Indian journalist to pen down Imran's biography
LAHORE: A lot has been written about cricketing exploits and excellence of Pakistan cricket legend Imran Khan. But his decade old political innings will soon be summarized in the form of a definitive political biography. An Indian journalist and fiction writer Frank Huzur is writing a political biography of Imran Khan. The author was in Lahore and Islamabad on a seven-day tour when he called on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre on January 15, 2008 in Lahore.
Saffron Poster Boy Modi an Imran Fan: Book
DUBAI - You might be stumped to know that Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi is a cricket buff, and is a fan of Pakistani cricket legend-turned politician Imran Khan.
That’s what the new biography of Khan by author Manoj Kumar, who writes under the pen name of Frank Huzur, says. Frank’s book 'Imran Vs Imran', the first official biography of Khan, is due for launch in a few months.
While Modi’s supporters perceive him as the "Iron Man" of India, who has brought about unprecedented development to India’s western state of Gujarat, his critics lash out at him for the way his administration handled the 2002 communal riots, in which more than 2,000 people were killed.
"Modi remembers quite a good number of cricketing encounters involving Imran-led Pakistan and the Indian team. He himself recounted some of these interesting battles to Imran and swore by his brilliance with the ball as well as his captaincy," Frank told Khaleej Times.
The book, which Frank refers to as a "political biography of the cricketer-turned politician", recounts how Khan and Modi had bumped into each other at a power conclave in New Delhi a few years ago. "When Imran sighted Modi in his vicinity, he was amused and began to look away," said Frank, while revealing some of the content of the book.
But Modi was keen to speak to Imran and couldn’t control his urge to do so. He (Modi) moved to hold both hands of a reluctant Imran and a warm handshake ensued. They exchanged pleasantries. It was Modi who started the conversation, confessing his admiration for Khan’s cricketing exploits and enquired about his political campaigns in Pakistan.
"Imran thanked Modi for his words of appreciation," Frank said.
Earlier reports had quoted Frank as saying that Jemima Khan, the glamorous ex-wife of Khan, has a deep fascination for India and adores Congress party leader Sonia Gandhi.
The 500-page book, supposed to be a tell-all on Khan, will be launched worldwide in London before its subsequent release in New Delhi, Lahore and Toronto. It was slated for a July launch but was postponed as, according to Frank, Khan wanted to review quotes in the book.
"He (Khan) has been suggesting some vital revisions of the political narrative throughout. The revision got underway in the last week of July when I met him in London. Things are shaping up well now," Frank told KT.
Frank, an Indian journalist, has made several trips to Pakistan and the latest trip was in September, during which he accompanied Khan to several Iftaar gatherings as well as political rallies.
The publishers, Falcon Books, will contribute 15 per cent of the book’s cover price to Khan’s Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (named after his mother) in Lahore. The book will feature rare photographs of the cricketing legend and his family.
>> Khaleej Times Online - Saffron Poster Boy Modi an Imran Fan: Book
A political biography of Pakistan’s agent of change
"The man who once ruled the 22-yard pitch is being seen as the best bet for Pakistan, a country whose tryst with democracy has actually been a cloak and dagger game."
"He is still as much feared on the political pitch as he had been in his cricketing heydays. Can he become the Prime Minister or President of Pakistan one day in future?" writes Huzur.
The Author
He perhaps signifies the "cross-border optimism" that now seems to sway peaceniks on both sides of India and Pakistan. Indian journalist Frank Huzur aka Manoj Kumar (that was the name before he re-christened himself) has done the imponderable. He's about to finish the biography of one of the icons of an archrival country.
Frank asserts Imran Vs Imran is not a biography of Imran, the ace cricketer. "This is a biography of Imran Khan the politician, philanthropist and social crusader of Pakistan. "While this kind of cross-country endeavour may have been unthinkable till even a few years ago, it shows how the decades-old ice of enmity has been melting of late.
>> Khaleej Times Online - Indian authors biography of Pak cricket legend