The first Urdu novelist, Mirza Mohammad Hadi Ruswa, was born in
Lucknow in 1857. His most outstanding works are 'Umrao Jan Ada' and 'Akhtari Begum'. In 'Umrao Jan Ada', Mohammad Hadi has skillfully portrayed the story of a courtesan. Later, this novel was translated into several languages and also adapted for a
Hindi movie.
