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Send us a text Josh Malihabadi (born Shabbir Hasan Khan; 5 December 1898 in Malihabad, Uttar Pradesh, India – died 22 February 1982, Pakistan) popularly known as Shayar-e-Inqalab (poet of revolution) was a poet of Urdu. Known for his liberal values and challenging the established order, he wrote over 100,000 couplets and more than 1,000 rubaiyaat in his lifetime. Yaadon ki Barat, his autobiography, is noted for its frank and candid style. The first Prime Minister of India, Jawahar Lal Nehru held him in high esteem and frequently attended the mushaira at Lala Kishan Lal Kalra's United Coffee House where Josh recited his poetry. Some of his works were translated to English like The Unity of Mankind elegies by Josh Malihabadi by Syed Akbar Pasha Tirmizi. The lifelong mission of Josh can be summed up in his own words: Kaam hai mera taghayyur Naam hai mera shabaab,  Mera naara inquilab-o-inquilab-o-inquilab My task is change, my name is youth!  My slogan: revolution, revolution and revolution!   Abdul Raoof Siddiqui email: [email protected] Thanks for listening! Follow us on instagram @urdu.ghazal and visit our website www.mstn.in

Send us a text Shakeel Badayuni (3 August 1916 – 20 April 1970) was a famous Indian Urdu poet & lyricist. He is best remembered for most of his songs with music director Naushad. Shakiil won three Filmfare Awards in a row from 1961 to 1963 for his songs 'Kahin Deep Jale Kahin Dil' (Bees Saal Baad), 'Husnwale Tera Jawab Nahin' (Gharana), and 'Chaudvin Ka Chand Ho' (Chaudhvin Ka Chand). kabhī yak-ba-yak tavajjoh kabhī daf.atan taġhāful, mujhe aazmā rahā hai koī ruḳh badal badal kar. Abdul Raoof Siddiqui email: [email protected] Thanks for listening! Follow us on instagram @urdu.ghazal and visit our website www.mstn.in

Send us a text Akhlaq Mohammad Khan, famously known by his pen name 'Shahryar,' was one of the leading Urdu poets and academicians in India. He was born on 16 June 1936 in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh. He completed his masters in Urdu from AMU in 1961. After finishing his college, he began teaching at AMU and eventually retired as the head of the Urdu department. In his initial days, he was mentored by Khalil ur Rahman Azmi, a pioneering figure in modern Urdu poetry. Among his seniors, he acknowledged the influence of great poets such as Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Meeraji, Munir Niyazi, and Akhtar-ul-Iman.  Apart from his literary achievements, he is well-known for his contribution to film industry as lyrics writer. He has written songs for Bollywood films like ‘Umrao Jaan’ and ‘Gaman.’He was the fourth Urdu poet to get the prestigious Jnanpith Award. Shahryar left for his heavenly abode on 13th February 2012. Source: Rekhta.org Abdul Raoof Siddiqui email: [email protected] Thanks for listening! Follow us on instagram @urdu.ghazal and visit our website www.mstn.in

Send us a text Ibne-eInsha. His real name was Sher Muhammad Khan. Ibn-e- Insha was an eminent Pakistani Leftist Urdu poet, and columnist. Along with his poetry, he was regarded as one of the best humorists of Urdu. He was born in Jalandhar District, Punjab. He did B.A. from Punjab University in 1946 and M.A. from University of Karachi in 1953. He was associated with various government services including Radio Pakistan, Ministry of Culture and National Book Centre of Pakistan. He also served United Nations for some time and this enabled him to visit a lot of places and was the reason of his subsequent travelogues. He died in London in 1978.       Abdul Raoof Siddiqui    email: [email protected] Thanks for listening! Follow us on instagram @urdu.ghazal and visit our website www.mstn.in

Send us a text Meer Taqi Meer - One of the greatest Urdu poets. Known as Khuda-e-Sukhan (God of Poetry) Thanks for listening!     Abdul Raoof Siddiqui   email: [email protected]     #urdupoetry #meertaqimeer Thanks for listening! Follow us on instagram @urdu.ghazal and visit our website www.mstn.in

Send us a text Ahmad Mushtaq is one of the leading and reputed Pakistani poets known for his neo-classical tone, equally well-known in India, lives in Houston USA.  Source: Rekhta Thanks for listening!        Abdul Raoof Siddiqui         email: [email protected]         Instagram @urdu.ghazal         Visit our website: www.mstn.in  #urdupoetry #ahmadmushtaq Thanks for listening! Follow us on instagram @urdu.ghazal and visit our website www.mstn.in

Send us a text Last of classical poets who celebrated life and love. Famous for his playfulness of words (idioms/ phrases). Nawab Mirza Khan Dagh Dehlavi  (1831-1905), was born and brought up in the red fort of Delhi he was the grandson of Bahadur Shah Zafar, after the fall of Delhi in 1857, he had to move to Rampur where he lived in comfort for more than a decade. Later, his changing conditions, took him to other centers of renown like Lucknow, Patna, Calcutta, and Hyderabad. Dagh was a disciple of Zauq and also has a large number of eminent disciples to his own credit, Dagh deliberated upon the aesthetic principles of ghazal as a form of intimate poetic conversation. In its totality, Dagh’s poetry is idiomatic and appealing, laden with emotions and good humour. Apart from his four divaans, representing the last hallmarks of classical poetry, he has left behind a bunch of letters and a long narrative poem. Source: Rekhta           Abdul Raoof Siddiqui         email: [email protected]         Instagram @urdu.ghazal         Visit our website: www.mstn.in  #urdupoetry #daghdehalvi Thanks for listening! Follow us on instagram @urdu.ghazal and visit our website www.mstn.in

Send us a text Majrooh Sultanpuri, by creating a political symbolism in the classical tradition of ghazal in the twentieth century, proved that the genre of ghazal has the ability to express all kinds of subjects, emotions, feelings and ideas effectively and pleasingly without sacrificing its quiddity. Majrooh made a slight change in the symbols and metaphors of classical ghazal and established a new vocabulary immersed in political symbolism. He made modern ghazal a pack of modern realities. Thanks to his artistry, they become living symbols for their readers. He kept the reputation of ghazal intact during the heyday of progressivism, when it was considered a lesser thing than Nazm and there was even a campaign against it. He kept alive the spirit of this genre through his words, and even named his collection of poems ‘Ghazal’. His eloquence is so effective that it cannot be left unattended in the heart. He had to go to jail because of his ideological affiliation, and for the same reason some people tried to discredit him of his accomplishments. Majrooh Sultanpuri was born in 1919 in Sultanpur district of Uttar Pradesh. His real name was Israr Hassan Khan.  Majrooh started writing poetry in 1935. He recited his first ghazal in a Mushaira of Sultanpur. Jigar Muradabadi and Prof. Rashid Ahmed Siddiqui played a major role in his bringing up as a poet. Rashid Ahmed Siddiqui advised him to study Persian and Urdu classical poetry. He could not get admission in Aligarh so Rashid Sahib kept him at his house for three years. In one such mushaira, when he reached Bombay with Majrooh, the audience included the then famous film director AR Kardar. He was very impressed with Majrooh's poetry and hired him to write songs for his films at a huge salary. At that time, he was making the film "Shahjahan" with music director Naushad and hero KL Sehgal in the films. Majrooh’s lyrics became immortal in Sehgal’s voice, ‘Jab Dil hi Tuut Gaya’ was on everybody’s lips. Sehgal was so moved by the song that he wrote in his will that this song would be played at the time of his last rites. Majrooh in his nearly 55 years of film career, wrote countless songs, most of which were hits. He tried to maintain as much literary merit as possible in film songs, and whenever the producer or director insisted compromising with the merit, he would shrink inwardly, but completed his professional duty. In 1965, he was awarded the Filmfare Award for Best Songwriter for his film friendship song "Chahunga Mein Tujhe Saanjh Sawere". For his literary services, he was also awarded the Ghalib Prize and the Iqbal Samman. In literary and film activities, he visited dozens of countries, including Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom and the Gulf countries. Owing to his mammoth contribution to the film industry, Majrooh was awarded the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award, in 1993. In his old age, he was diagnosed with lung disease. He passed away on May 24, 2000 at Leelavati Hospital in Bombay. Source: Rekhta          Abdul Raoof Siddiqui        email: [email protected]        Instagram @urdu.ghazal        Visit our website: www.mstn.in  #urdupoetry #majroohsultnapuri Thanks for listening! Follow us on instagram @urdu.ghazal and visit our website www.mstn.in

Send us a text Well known poet and lyricist, Behzad Lucknavi was born Sardar Ahmad Khan on January 01, 1900 at Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. He hailed from a family of litterateurs. His father was also a poet of repute during his time. Being influenced by the literary environment of Lucknow, Behzad started composing verse at an early age in his life. You can listen to the poetry of his grandson Azm Behzad in our Episode 71 Behzad worked for the Indian Railways for a long time but later he joined All India Radio. During this period, he also made contacts in the film world and wrote lyrics for films. After the Partition of India, he migrated to Pakistan and worked for Radio Pakistan, Karachi. The collections of his poetry include: Naghma-o-Noor, Kaif-o-Suroor, Mauj-e-Tahoor, Chiraagh-e-Toor, and    Wajd-o-Haal. He died on 10th  Oct 1974 at Karachi.           Abdul Raoof Siddiqui       email: [email protected]       Instagram @urdu.ghazal       Visit our website: www.mstn.in  #urdupoetry #behzadlakhnawi Thanks for listening! Follow us on instagram @urdu.ghazal and visit our website www.mstn.in

Send us a text Mahirul Quadri is known as a fine prose writer and a poet who invested in strengthening the classical tradition of Urdu poetry. He was born Manzoor Hussain on 30 July, 1906, at a place called Kaiser Kalan in Bulandshahar district of Uttar Pradesh. He passed his matriculation examination from Aligarh Muslim University and joined a well-known journal called Medina published from Bijnaur. He also got involved with the editing of several other newspapers and journals. He also lived in Bombay for some time where he wrote lyrics for films. Following the Partition of India, he migrated to Pakistan and started published a journal called Faaraan from Karachi which came to acquire a healthy reputation for itself within no time. Mahirul Quadri wrote in various genres and came to be recognised as a respectable poet, reviewer, critic, biographer, and novelist. He published more than twenty books that have been read with interest over the time. Some of his works are:  Aatish-e-Khamosh, Shiraaza, Mehsoosat-e-Mahir, Naghmaat-e-Mahir, Jazbaat-e-Mahir, Karvan-e-Hijaz, Zakhm-o-Marham, Yaad-e-Raftagaan, Firdaus, Tilism-e-Hayaat. He died of heart failure while participating in a mushaira in Jeddah on 12 May, 1978.      Abdul Raoof Siddiqui    email: [email protected]    Instagram @urdu.ghazal    Visit our website: www.mstn.in  #urdupoetry #mahirulqadri Thanks for listening! Follow us on instagram @urdu.ghazal and visit our website www.mstn.in

Send us a text Dr. Salim Torania, MD is an infectious disease specialist from Kenosha, WI. He is also a contemporary Urdu poet who was born in Pakistan. “Zakhm Bol Parey” is the title of his poetry collection.          Abdul Raoof Siddiqui      email: [email protected]      Instagram @urdu.ghazal      Visit our website: www.mstn.in  #urdupoetry #salimtorania Thanks for listening! Follow us on instagram @urdu.ghazal and visit our website www.mstn.in

Send us a text Sajida Kazmi is a contemporary Urdu poet from Chicago. She writes very eloquently and ghazal is her forte.  I really enjoyed reading her book, "Zakhm Abhi Bhare Nahin"         Abdul Raoof Siddiqui     email: [email protected]     Instagram @urdu.ghazal     Visit our website: www.mstn.in  #urdupoetry #sajidakazmi Thanks for listening! Follow us on instagram @urdu.ghazal and visit our website www.mstn.in

Send us a text Eminent poet, educationist and Padam Shree recipient Dr. Kaleem Aajiz was born in a village in Patna district in the 1926. He was a gold medalist in BA from Patna College and then earned his Masters degree in Urdu from Patna University. He also got his doctorate from Patna University for his thesis on "Evolution of Urdu Literature in Bihar. He served as a lecturer for decades in the Department of Urdu at Patna University. In 1976, his first book of ghazals was released by the President of India in Vigyan Bhawan, Delhi. In the '60s and '70s he was the only Urdu poet who represented Bihar in the Red Fort Mushaira held every year in Delhi on the eve of Independence Day.   Abdul Raoof Siddiqui    email: [email protected]    Instagram @urdu.ghazal    Visit our website: www.mstn.in  #urdupoetry #kaleemajiz Thanks for listening! Follow us on instagram @urdu.ghazal and visit our website www.mstn.in

Send us a text Poet & music composer, Ali Baba Darpan is one of the contemporary Urdu poets of India based out of Hyderabad.  Ali Baba Darpan is a maestro of rhyme and the magic he creates with his poetry is phenomenal.  You can buy his book “Darpan Ka Dil” which is in Both Urdu & Roman Script from the below link. https://www.amazon.in/Darpan-Ka-Dil-First-2017/dp/B06WVD9MDB/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3U23JJHBRXHEC&keywords=darpan+ka+dil&qid=1678765997&sprefix=darpan+ka+dil%2Caps%2C153&sr=8-2    Abdul Raoof Siddiqui    email: [email protected]    Instagram @urdu.ghazal    Visit our website: www.mstn.in  #urdupoetry #alibabadarpan Thanks for listening! Follow us on instagram @urdu.ghazal and visit our website www.mstn.in

Send us a text Poet, Playwright, Director Sarmad Sahbai is one of the most prominent poets of Pakistan.   Abdul Raoof Siddiqui   email: [email protected]   Instagram @urdu.ghazal   Visit our website: www.mstn.in  #urdupoetry #sarmadshabai Thanks for listening! Follow us on instagram @urdu.ghazal and visit our website www.mstn.in