Naseem Akhtar's List: sher-o-sukhan

A very strong supporter of the revival of Islam around the world, he advocated for the cause that the spiritual and political resurgence of Islam. He delivered a famous set of lectures in India that was compiled and published as ‘Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam’

Sahir Ludhianvi's poetry has similarity to Faiz. Like Faiz Ahmed Faiz, he too gave Urdu poetry an intellectual element that caught the imagination of the youth of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. Sahir would pick on the self-appointed custodian of religion, the self-serving politician, the exploitative capitalist, and the war-mongering super-powers.

For his academic and creative achievements, Firaq was given several awards including the India’s highest award for literature, the Janpeeth Award in 1970. He was the first Urdu writer to receive this award.

Akhtar Shirani was the most popular poet of his generation. His famous romantic Nazms include 'Aye Ishq Kaheen Le Chal', 'Jahaan Rehana Rahti Thi' and ‘Salma’. He is referred to as “Shair-e-Romaan”, “Byron of Rajasthan”,”Adeeb-ul-Mulk” etc. Along with Majaz, he is also referred to as Keats of Urdu poetry.

Jaan Nisar Akhtar wrote and produced a film ‘Bahu Begum’ (1967) starring Pradeep Kumar and Meena Kumari. He published three collections of his works, most important of them being, “Khak-e-Dil” (The Ashes of Heart), which has his representative poems from 1935 to 1970, and which won him the “Sahitya Academy Award” in 1976.
He was the father of poet, lyricist and script-writer ‘Javed Akhtar’ and psychiatrist and poet ‘Salman Akhtar’, ‘Shahid Akhtar’, writer and journalist ‘Uneza Akhtar’, ‘Albina sharma’ , grandfather of ‘Farhan Akhtar’, ‘Zoya Akhtar’, ‘Kabir Akhtar’, and ‘Nishat Akhtar’.

Javed Akhtar shot to fame when he collaborated with the famous scriptwriter Salim Khan (Father of actor Salman Khan) and they both penned down some unforgettable hits as the duo of ‘Salim-Javed’. Both of them delivered some beautiful hits like ‘Zanjeer’, ‘Deewar’, ‘Haathi Mere Saathi’, etc. His first collection of Urdu poems was compiled in ‘Tarkash’, which was released in the year 1995.
He is a multi-talented personality who continues to get rave reviews and awards for his works.

Daagh started reciting poetry at the age of ten. His poetry does not wallow in despair. He was a self-acknowledged romantic. The tone of his poems is exuberant but contrary to the impression one gets from his poetry, he eschewed wine. Usage of common words and phrases was distinctive of his style. His work comprises of four volumes consisting of 16,000 couplets. . He had innumerable disciples

Faiz throughout his life, continually wrote and published, becoming the best-selling modern Urdu poet in both India and Pakistan. Faiz is especially celebrated for his poems in traditional Urdu forms, such as ghazals, and his remarkable ability to expand the conventional thematic expectations to include political and social issues. Faiz Ahmad Faiz's poetry has been translated into many languages, including English and Russian. He was awarded the “Lenin Peace Prize” in 1963, as the first Asian poet. Before his death in 1984 he was also a nominee for the award of “Nobel Prize”, but his association in later life, with Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian Movement, and the Editorship of Lotus, is believed to have deprived him of the award.

Majaz was an extremely sensitive and romantic poet. From the beginning he had a tremendous attraction for love and beauty. Despite Love being his central theme, Majaz expressed his anger against social injustice. The woman in Majaz’s poetry was more than an object of beauty. Senior Urdu poet and critic ‘Asar Lucknawi’ observed, “A Keats was born in Urdu poetry too, but he was devoured by the conservative wolves.”
In the preface to Majaz’s ‘Aahang”, the famous progressive poet ‘Faiz Ahmed Faiz’ wrote “Majaz never beat the drums of revolution, he hummed revolutions”.

Jigar’s place among 20th century ghazal poets is unique because he has touched on different topics, shades and dimensions. Jigar was a great admirer of beauty and was successful in painting a live picture of his earthly beloved in his ghazals. His description of beauty carries us to a different timeless land where eternal beauty is supreme. The reflection of this eternal beauty is found everywhere in his ghazals.
Jigar was acclaimed “Ghazal King” in his lifetime. Though his work was very much in the traditional ghazal form, he was a trend-setter and indeed, some maintain that he reinvigorated Urdu ghazal.

A true patriot, Hasrat Mohani was committed to the ideal of total independence rejecting the concept of Home Rule. He was a radical thinker, more in tune with the revolutionaries like ‘Bal GangadharTilak’ and ‘Aurobindo Ghosh’, than with Mahatma Gandhi whose non-violent philosophy made little appeal to him.
As a whole, he was a versatile genius. He possessed a many-sided personality who acquired greatness in contradictory traits of character and spheres of life like poetry and politics; literature and religion, which is rather unparalleled in the history of Indo-Pak subcontinent.

Josh was generally known either as a poet of revolution or romance but in fact, he was a multidimensional poet. Josh founded the genre of resistance poetry in Urdu. His poetry is stretched over decades and many scholars and critics believe that he was one of the three best poets of Urdu language in the 20th century, the other two being Iqbal and Faiz.
For some time, Josh was affiliated with Bollywood too. He wrote many songs and dialogues for films from 1943 to 1948. His suggestive song 'More Jobna Ka Dekho Ubhar' sung by Zohrabai Ambalewali for the film 'Man Ki Jeet' invited severe critcism and he left films altogether to save his reputation.

Zauq was a prominent contemporary of Ghalib and in the history of Urdu poetry the rivalry of the two poets is quite well known. Zauq's reputation in Urdu poetry is because of his eulogies that reflect his command over the language and his expertise in composing poetry in extremely difficult meters. Since he got associated with the royal court right from his teens and remained there till his death.
The Qasida was his special forte. Zauq's idioms were homely, but no one has a greater number of signal phrases memorable for thought or music. His language was polished and his diction elegant. He used several styles successfully with melodious flow of language.

Sauda wrote ghazals, qasidas, marsias, salams and hajvs (satire). Muhammad Husain Azad compares Sauda to Persian poet Anwari. He writes, 'If Sauda can be compared to anyone, it is Anvari, who is the lord of idiom and language, and the king of ode and satire.'
He was master of hajv (satire) in Urdu. Till this date nobody is considered to equal him. His satire reflects his wit and mischief. Every page of the collection of satires has sufficient matter for those who like to laugh. This shows exuberance and liveliness of his temperament.

Rahat Indori made a place for himself in the hearts of people very early and within three to four years he became a well-known figure in the world of Urdu literature. He was not only good at studies but was also the captain of the football and hockey team at school and college level. He recited his first sher in his college days when he was only 19. In those days his style of writing was surprising, advanced and had a freshness to it.
He received a tremendous reception in Pakistan when he was only 26 years old and from then on he has been receiving invitations from different parts of the world. He has recited his poetry in 100+ cities of USA, Canada, West Germany, England, Pakistan, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan etc. a number of times much to the appreciation of his millions of fans Awards.

Abu Zafar Sirajuddin Muhammad Bahadur Shah ‘Zafar’, also known as ‘Bahadur Shah’ or ‘Bahadur Shah II’ was the last of the Mughal emperors in India, as well as the last ruler of the Taimuri Dynasty. As an Urdu poet he adopted ‘Zafar’ as his ‘takhallus’ and was popularly also known as Bahadur Shah Zafar.
Zafar’s poetry is built around his personal experience of loss, defeat and despair. His famous couplet ‘Lagta Nahin Hai Ji Mera Ujre Dayaar Mein’ sums up the one important theme of his poetry; the theme of the callousness of life and time, of the inconstancy of friends, and of the helplessness of man. Zafar's poetry tells the tale of a king who has been ruthlessly deprived of his power and position, whose sons and relations were done to death before his eyes, and who was forced to live in exile far from his beloved land.

Suroor rose to the heights of popularity during the 1960s.In 1962, when Captain Ehtesham made the first Urdu film, “Chanda”, Suroor Barabankvi wrote its story and script, apart from its songs. ‘Firdausi Begum’ popularly known as The Koel of Bengal, sang few songs in ‘Chanda’ which were quite hit.
Suroor Barabankvi produced three films. His first effort was ‘Aakhri Station’, which he made on Haajra Masroor's short story, ‘Pagli’. Shabnam played a dumb and deranged girl in it, who loiters on the railway station. It was an artistically dealt movie.
His collection of poetry “Sang-e-Aftab” was first published in 1975. His second collection named ‘Soz-Geeni’ was published by his daughter Aimen Suroor in 1980.

Phoolon Mein Ghazal Rakhna Ye Raat Ki Raani Hai
Is Mein Teri Zulfon Ki Be-Rabt Kahaani Hai
[Bashir Badr]


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Ye Shabnami Lahjaa Hai Aahista Ghazal Padhna
Titli Ki Kahani Hai Phoolon Ki Zabaani Hai
[Bashir Badr]


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Meri Ghazal Teri Vahshaton Ki Khair Ki Hai
Bahut Dinon Se Bahut Iztraab Aankhon Mein
[Iftikhar Arif]


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Ghazal Ne Vahin Zulfon Ke Phaila Diye Saaye
Jin Raahon Pe Dekha Hai Bahut Dhoop Kadi Hai
[Bashir Badr]


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Vo Maathe Ka Mataala Ho Ki Honthon Ke Do Misre
Bachpan Se Ghazal Hi Meri Mahbooba Rahi Hai
[Bashir Badr]


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Ghazal Us Ne Chhedi Mujhe Saaz Denaa
Zaraa Umr-E-Rafta Ko Aavaaz Denaa
[Safi Lucknawi]


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Bhigi Hai Raat Faiz Ghazal Ibtidaa Karo
Vaqt-E-Sarod, Dard Kaa Hangaam Hi To Hai
[Faiz Ahmed Faiz]


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Chand Maasoom Se Patton Kaa Lahoo Hai ‘Faakhir’
Jis Ko Mahaboob Ke Haathon Ki Hina Kahte Hain
[Sudarshan Fakhir]


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Na Mere Zakhm Khile Hain Na Teraa Rang-E-Hina
Mausam Aaye Hi Nahin Ab Ke Gulaabon Vaale
[Ahmed Faraz]


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Zakhm-E-Tanhaai Mein Khushboo-E-Hinaa Kis Ki Thi
Saayaa Deevaar Pe Meraa Thaa Sadaa Kis Ki Thi
[Muzaffar Warsi]


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Kya Surma Bhari Aankhon Se Aansoo Nahin Bahte
Kya Mehndi Lage Haathon Se Maatam Nahin Hotaa
[Riaz Khairabadi]


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Ye Sukoot-E-Naaz Ye Dil Ki Ragon Ka Tootnaa
Khamoshi Mein Kuchh Shikast-E-Saaz Ki Baaten Karo
[Firaq]
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Kah Rahaa Hai Dariya Se Samandar Ka Sukoot
Jis Ka Jitna Zarf Hai Utna Vo Khaamosh Hai
[Allama Iqbal]
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Zulmat Kade Mein Mere Shab-E-Gham Ka Josh Hai
Ek Shamma Hai Daleel-E-Sahar So Khamosh Hai
[Mirza Ghalib]
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Khamosh Ai Dil Bhari Mahafil Mein Chillaanaa Nahin Achhaa
Adab Pahlaa Qareenaa Hai Mohabbat Ke Qareenon Mein
[Allama Iqbal]
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