Jan Nisar Akhtar
Encyclopedia
Jan Nisar Akhtar was an important 20th century India
n poet of Urdu
ghazals and nazm
s, and a part of the Progressive Writers' Movement
, who was also a lyricist for Bollywood
.
In his career spanning four decade during which he worked with distinguished music composers like C. Ramchandra
, O.P. Nayyar, N Dutta and Khayyam
writing about 151 songs, notable among them were songs from his breakthrough film AR Kardar’s Yasmin (1955), Aankhon hi Aankhon Mein in Guru Dutt
's C.I.D. (1956), Yeh dil aur unki nigahon ke saaye in Prem Parbat (1974) and Aaja re in Noorie
(1979) and his last unforgettable song Ae Dil-e-naadaan in Kamal Amrohi
’s Razia Sultan
(1983).
His notable poetry works include, Nazr-e-Butaan, Salaasil, Javidaan, Pichali Pehar, Ghar Angan and "Khaak-e-dil" (The Ashes of Heart"), a poetry collection for which he was awarded the 1976 Sahitya Akademi Award
in Urdu
by Sahitya Akademi
, India's National Academy of Letters
, India
, into a family of Sunni theologians, scholars and poets. His father Muztar Khairabadi
was poet as was his father's elder brother, Bismil Khairabadi, while his great grandfather, Fazl-e-Haq Khairabadi, a scholar of Islamic studies and theology, notably edited the first diwan
of Mirza Ghalib
on his request, and later became an important figure during the Indian Rebellion of 1857
in his native Khairabad.
Jan Nisar passed his matriculation from Victoria Collegiate High School, Gwalior, and in 1930 joined Aligarh Muslim University
, from where he did his B.A. Honours and M.A. degree, and started his doctoral work, but had to return to Gwalior due to family conditions.
, and the sister of poet Majaz Luckknawi
, their two sons, Javed
and Salman
were born in 1945 and 1946 respectively. Post-independence riots in Gwalior forced him to shift base to Bhopal, where he joined the Hamidia College as Head of Department of Urdu and Persian, later Safiya also joined the college. Soon they became part of the Progressive Writers' Movement
and subsequently he was made its president.
In 1949, he resigned from his job, moved to Bombay (now Mumbai
) to write lyrics for Urdu
/Hindi
movies besides ghazal
s and nazm
s for general publication. Once in Bombay, he came in touch with other progressive writers, like Mulk Raj Anand
, Krishan Chander
, Rajinder Singh Bedi
and Ismat Chugtai, who often met at Bombay's Silver Fish Restaurant, and subsequently came to be known as 'Bombay Group of Writers'. Success came his way quite late as a film lyricist, till then he was supported by his wife who had stayed back in Bhopal, though she died prematurely of cancer in 1953. Finally he had a career breakthrough, with Yasmeen (1955), with music by C. Ramchandra
. His association with Madan Mohan
, the music director
resulted in many memorable movie songs. Some of his notable lyrics were, Meri Neendon Mein Tum in Naya Andaz (1956) by Kishore Kumar
, Shamshad Begum
, Garib Jan Key Hamko Naa Tum Daga Dena sung by Mohd. Rafi in Chhoo Mantar, the hit Piya piya piya... in Baap Re Baap (1955) music by O.P. Nayyar, Aap Yun Faaslon Se by Lata Mangeshkar
in Shankar Hussain
(1977).
His poetry was secular and like many of progressive writers of his generation talked of freedom, dignity, economic exploitation and other issues gleaming of the leftist leanings. Even his romanticism which was amply displayed in his ghazal
s, was replete with references to household and family life. His notable books include Nazr-e-Butaan, Salaasil, Javidaan, Ghar Angan and Khaak-e-Dil (all Urdu titles). One of his many famous couplets is :
Ashaar mere yuu.N to zamaane ke liye hai.n,
kuchh sher faqat unako sunaane ke liye hai.n
Although my poems are meant for the whole world,
There are some couplets meant just for the beloved
He even wrote and produced a film Bahu Begum (1967) starring Pradeep Kumar
and Meena Kumari
. During the period of four year to his death 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 Akademi Award
(Urdu) in 1976. Jan Nisar was commissioned by the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru to collate the best Hindustani poetry of last 300 years, and later the first edition of the book titled Hindustan Hamara (Our Hindustan) in two volumes was released by Indira Gandhi. It contained Urdu verses on a topics, ranging from love and praise for India and its history, to festivals like Holi and Diwali, on Indian rivers like the Ganga, Yamuna and the Himalayas.
He died in Mumbai, India on 19 August 1976, while he was still working on Kamal Amrohi
's film, Razia Sultan
(1983). He was nominated posthumously for 1980 Filmfare Best Lyricist Award
for "Aaja Re Mere Dilbar" from the film, Noorie
.
His anthology, Hindustan Hamara was re-released in Hindi in 2006
, a romantic revolutionary poet. When Jan Nisar moved to Mumbai to try his luck as a film lyricist, she stayed back with their children. She died of protracted cancer in 17 January 1953. Thereafter Jan Nisar got married again on 17 September 1956, to Khadija Talat. "Tumhare Naam", a collection of letters from 1 October 1943 to 29 December 1953 penned by Safia Akhtar, were first published in 1955 in two volumes under the title, "Harf-e-Aashna" and "Zer-e-Lab", this Hindi translation, was by Professor Asghar Wajahat
, former Head of the Hindi Department, Jamia Millia Islamia
was released in 2004.
He was the father of 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, Shoneize Akhtar, Aiman Akhtar, Ahmed Akhtar, Abir Sharma and Nishat Akhtar, father-in-law of Shabana Azmi
,Lata Akhtar and Monisha Nayar and the ex-father-in-law of Honey Irani and Raj Verma, and connected with the rest of Akhtar-Azmi family.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n poet of Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
ghazals and nazm
Nazm
Urdu Nazm is a major part of the Urdu poetry, that is normally written in rhymed verse and also in modern prose style poems. Nazm has many different forms as,* Doha * Geet * Hamd * Hazal * Hijv...
s, and a part of the Progressive Writers' Movement
Progressive Writers' Movement
The Anjuman Tarraqi Pasand Mussanafin-e-Hind or Progressive Writers' Movement was a progressive literary movement in the pre-partition British India, consisting of a few different writers groups around the world....
, who was also a lyricist for Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
.
In his career spanning four decade during which he worked with distinguished music composers like C. Ramchandra
C. Ramchandra
Ramchandra Narhar Chitalkar was a renowned music composer in the movie industry of India. In the composer's role, he mostly used the name C. Ramachandra, though he also used the names Annasaheb , Ram Chitalkar Ramchandra Narhar Chitalkar(Marathi: रामचंद्र नरहर चितळकर /सी.रामचंद्र ) (1918–1982) was...
, O.P. Nayyar, N Dutta and Khayyam
Khayyam
Omar Khayyam was a Persian poet, mathematician, philosopher and astronomer.Omar Khayyam or Khayyam or may also refer to:* Khayyam, Iran* Mohammed Zahur Khayyam , commonly credited as 'Khayaam', Indian music composer...
writing about 151 songs, notable among them were songs from his breakthrough film AR Kardar’s Yasmin (1955), Aankhon hi Aankhon Mein in Guru Dutt
Guru Dutt
Vasanth Kumar Shivashankar Padukone , popularly known as Guru Dutt, was an Indian film director, producer and actor. He is often credited with ushering in the golden era of Hindi cinema...
's C.I.D. (1956), Yeh dil aur unki nigahon ke saaye in Prem Parbat (1974) and Aaja re in Noorie
Noorie
Noorie is a 1979 Hindi movie produced by Yash Chopra, and directed by Manmohan Krishna. The film stars Farooq Shaikh, Poonam Dhillon, Madan Puri, Iftekhar . The films music is by Khayyam and the lyrics by Jan Nisar Akhtar...
(1979) and his last unforgettable song Ae Dil-e-naadaan in Kamal Amrohi
Kamal Amrohi
Syed Amir Haider Kamal Naqvi popularly known as Kamal Amrohi or Amrohvi in Urdu was an Indian film director, screenwriter, and dialogue writer. He was a Shi'a Muslim and an Urdu and Hindi poet. He is most known for his Hindi films such as Mahal , Pakeezah and Razia Sultan...
’s Razia Sultan
Razia Sultan (film)
Razia Sultan is 1983 Urdu film, written and directed by Kamal Amrohi, and starring Hema Malini and Dharmendra in lead roles.The film's music was provided by Khayyam, with lyrics by Jan Nisar Akhtar and two songs by Nida Fazli who walked into the project when Akhtar died...
(1983).
His notable poetry works include, Nazr-e-Butaan, Salaasil, Javidaan, Pichali Pehar, Ghar Angan and "Khaak-e-dil" (The Ashes of Heart"), a poetry collection for which he was awarded the 1976 Sahitya Akademi Award
Sahitya Akademi Award
Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honor in India which Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of outstanding works in one of the following twenty-four major Indian languagesAssamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri,...
in Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
by Sahitya Akademi
Sahitya Akademi
The Sahitya Akademi ', India's National Academy of Letters, is an organisation dedicated to the promotion of literature in the languages of India...
, India's National Academy of Letters
Early life
He was born in 1914, in Gwalior, Madhya PradeshMadhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, into a family of Sunni theologians, scholars and poets. His father Muztar Khairabadi
Muztar Khairabadi
Muztar Khairabadi was an Indian Urdu poet. He is a distinguished personality in Urdu literature.-Early life:Muztar Khairabadi was an established poet of the Urdu Language...
was poet as was his father's elder brother, Bismil Khairabadi, while his great grandfather, Fazl-e-Haq Khairabadi, a scholar of Islamic studies and theology, notably edited the first diwan
Diwan (poetry)
-Etymology:The English usage of the phrase Diwan Poetry comes from the Arabic word diwan , which is loaned from Persian means designated a list or register. The Persian word derived from the Persian dibir meaning writer or scribe...
of Mirza Ghalib
Mirza Ghalib
Dabir-ul-Mulk, Najm-ud-Daula Mirza Asadullah Baig Khan , pen-name Ghalib and Asad , was a classical Urdu and Persian poet from India during British colonial rule...
on his request, and later became an important figure during the Indian Rebellion of 1857
Indian Rebellion of 1857
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of sepoys of the British East India Company's army on 10 May 1857, in the town of Meerut, and soon escalated into other mutinies and civilian rebellions largely in the upper Gangetic plain and central India, with the major hostilities confined to...
in his native Khairabad.
Jan Nisar passed his matriculation from Victoria Collegiate High School, Gwalior, and in 1930 joined Aligarh Muslim University
Aligarh Muslim University
Aligarh Muslim University ,is a residential academic university, established in 1875 by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan as Mohammedan Angelo-Oriental College and later granted the status of Central University by an Act of the Indian Parliament in 1920...
, from where he did his B.A. Honours and M.A. degree, and started his doctoral work, but had to return to Gwalior due to family conditions.
Career
On his return, he joined Victoria College, Gwalior as an Urdu Lecturer. Meanwhile in 1943, he married Safiya Siraj-ul Haq, also an alumnus of AMUAligarh Muslim University
Aligarh Muslim University ,is a residential academic university, established in 1875 by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan as Mohammedan Angelo-Oriental College and later granted the status of Central University by an Act of the Indian Parliament in 1920...
, and the sister of poet Majaz Luckknawi
Majaz
Asrar ul Haq Majaz was an Indian Urdu poet. He was known for his romantic and revolutionary poetry. He composed ghazals and nazms in Urdu.-Early life:...
, their two sons, Javed
Javed Akhtar
Javed Akhtar is a poet, lyricist and scriptwriter from India. Some of his most successful work was done in the late 1970s and 1980s with Salim Khan as half of the script-writing duo credited as Salim-Javed...
and Salman
Salman Akhtar
Salman Akhtar is a psychoanalyst who also holds a professorship at the Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia....
were born in 1945 and 1946 respectively. Post-independence riots in Gwalior forced him to shift base to Bhopal, where he joined the Hamidia College as Head of Department of Urdu and Persian, later Safiya also joined the college. Soon they became part of the Progressive Writers' Movement
Progressive Writers' Movement
The Anjuman Tarraqi Pasand Mussanafin-e-Hind or Progressive Writers' Movement was a progressive literary movement in the pre-partition British India, consisting of a few different writers groups around the world....
and subsequently he was made its president.
In 1949, he resigned from his job, moved to Bombay (now Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
) to write lyrics for Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
/Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
movies besides ghazal
Ghazal
The ghazal is a poetic form consisting of rhyming couplets and a refrain, with each line sharing the same meter. A ghazal may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain. The form is ancient, originating in 6th century...
s and nazm
Nazm
Urdu Nazm is a major part of the Urdu poetry, that is normally written in rhymed verse and also in modern prose style poems. Nazm has many different forms as,* Doha * Geet * Hamd * Hazal * Hijv...
s for general publication. Once in Bombay, he came in touch with other progressive writers, like Mulk Raj Anand
Mulk Raj Anand
Mulk Raj Anand was an Indian writer in English, notable for his depiction of the lives of the poorer castes in traditional Indian society. One of the pioneers of Indo-Anglian fiction, he, together with R.K...
, Krishan Chander
Krishan Chander
Krishan Chander was an Urdu and Hindi Afsaana Nigaar, or short story writer. He wrote mainly in Urdu, but was well-versed in Hindi and English....
, Rajinder Singh Bedi
Rajinder Singh Bedi
Rajinder Singh Bedi was an eminent progressive Urdu writer, playwright and a Hindi film director, screenwriter and noted dialogue writer....
and Ismat Chugtai, who often met at Bombay's Silver Fish Restaurant, and subsequently came to be known as 'Bombay Group of Writers'. Success came his way quite late as a film lyricist, till then he was supported by his wife who had stayed back in Bhopal, though she died prematurely of cancer in 1953. Finally he had a career breakthrough, with Yasmeen (1955), with music by C. Ramchandra
C. Ramchandra
Ramchandra Narhar Chitalkar was a renowned music composer in the movie industry of India. In the composer's role, he mostly used the name C. Ramachandra, though he also used the names Annasaheb , Ram Chitalkar Ramchandra Narhar Chitalkar(Marathi: रामचंद्र नरहर चितळकर /सी.रामचंद्र ) (1918–1982) was...
. His association with Madan Mohan
Madan Mohan
Madan Mohan Kohli , better known as Madan Mohan, was a famed Bollywood film music director of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s...
, the music director
Music director
A music director may be the director of an orchestra, the director of music for a film, the director of music at a radio station, the head of the music department in a school, the co-ordinator of the musical ensembles in a university or college , the head bandmaster of a military band, the head...
resulted in many memorable movie songs. Some of his notable lyrics were, Meri Neendon Mein Tum in Naya Andaz (1956) by Kishore Kumar
Kishore Kumar
Kishore Kumar , born Abhas Kumar Ganguly, was an Indian film playback singer and an actor who also worked as lyricist, composer, producer, director, screenwriter and scriptwriter.Kishore Kumar was one of India's greatest performers of the late 20th century...
, Shamshad Begum
Shamshad Begum
Shamshad Begum is an Indian singer who was one of the first playback singers in the Hindi film industry.Begum was born in Amritsar, Punjab. She was a big fan of K.L. Saigal and watched Devdas 14 times...
, Garib Jan Key Hamko Naa Tum Daga Dena sung by Mohd. Rafi in Chhoo Mantar, the hit Piya piya piya... in Baap Re Baap (1955) music by O.P. Nayyar, Aap Yun Faaslon Se by Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar is a singer from India. She is one of the best-known and most respected playback singers in India. Mangeshkar's career started in 1942 and has spanned over six and a half decades. She has recorded songs for over a thousand Hindi films and has sung songs in over thirty-six regional...
in Shankar Hussain
Shankar Hussain
Shankar Hussain is a 1977 Bollywood film directed by Yusuf Naqvi. It has memorable songs by Rafi sing Kahin ek Masum Nazuk si Lardki sung by Rafi and Aaap yun Faaslon Se sung by Lata, both classics Khayyam's repertoire.-Cast:*Pradeep Kumar...
(1977).
His poetry was secular and like many of progressive writers of his generation talked of freedom, dignity, economic exploitation and other issues gleaming of the leftist leanings. Even his romanticism which was amply displayed in his ghazal
Ghazal
The ghazal is a poetic form consisting of rhyming couplets and a refrain, with each line sharing the same meter. A ghazal may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain. The form is ancient, originating in 6th century...
s, was replete with references to household and family life. His notable books include Nazr-e-Butaan, Salaasil, Javidaan, Ghar Angan and Khaak-e-Dil (all Urdu titles). One of his many famous couplets is :
Ashaar mere yuu.N to zamaane ke liye hai.n,
kuchh sher faqat unako sunaane ke liye hai.n
Although my poems are meant for the whole world,
There are some couplets meant just for the beloved
He even wrote and produced a film Bahu Begum (1967) starring Pradeep Kumar
Pradeep Kumar
Pradeep Kumar was an Indian actor in Bengali and Hindi films.-Career:When Kumar was 17 years old, he decided to take up acting. His started his film career in Bengali films...
and Meena Kumari
Meena Kumari
Meena Kumari , born Mahjabeen Bano, was an Indian movie actress and poetess. She is regarded as one of the most prominent actresses to have appeared on the screens of Hindi Cinema...
. During the period of four year to his death 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 Akademi Award
Sahitya Akademi Award
Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honor in India which Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of outstanding works in one of the following twenty-four major Indian languagesAssamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri,...
(Urdu) in 1976. Jan Nisar was commissioned by the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru to collate the best Hindustani poetry of last 300 years, and later the first edition of the book titled Hindustan Hamara (Our Hindustan) in two volumes was released by Indira Gandhi. It contained Urdu verses on a topics, ranging from love and praise for India and its history, to festivals like Holi and Diwali, on Indian rivers like the Ganga, Yamuna and the Himalayas.
He died in Mumbai, India on 19 August 1976, while he was still working on Kamal Amrohi
Kamal Amrohi
Syed Amir Haider Kamal Naqvi popularly known as Kamal Amrohi or Amrohvi in Urdu was an Indian film director, screenwriter, and dialogue writer. He was a Shi'a Muslim and an Urdu and Hindi poet. He is most known for his Hindi films such as Mahal , Pakeezah and Razia Sultan...
's film, Razia Sultan
Razia Sultan (film)
Razia Sultan is 1983 Urdu film, written and directed by Kamal Amrohi, and starring Hema Malini and Dharmendra in lead roles.The film's music was provided by Khayyam, with lyrics by Jan Nisar Akhtar and two songs by Nida Fazli who walked into the project when Akhtar died...
(1983). He was nominated posthumously for 1980 Filmfare Best Lyricist Award
Filmfare Best Lyricist Award
The Filmfare Lyricist Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films.The awards were first given in 1953, however the Award for the best lyricist was first given in 1958.-Superlatives:...
for "Aaja Re Mere Dilbar" from the film, Noorie
Noorie
Noorie is a 1979 Hindi movie produced by Yash Chopra, and directed by Manmohan Krishna. The film stars Farooq Shaikh, Poonam Dhillon, Madan Puri, Iftekhar . The films music is by Khayyam and the lyrics by Jan Nisar Akhtar...
.
His anthology, Hindustan Hamara was re-released in Hindi in 2006
Family
He married Safia Akhtar, a teacher and writer in 1943, who in turn was the sister of MajazMajaz
Asrar ul Haq Majaz was an Indian Urdu poet. He was known for his romantic and revolutionary poetry. He composed ghazals and nazms in Urdu.-Early life:...
, a romantic revolutionary poet. When Jan Nisar moved to Mumbai to try his luck as a film lyricist, she stayed back with their children. She died of protracted cancer in 17 January 1953. Thereafter Jan Nisar got married again on 17 September 1956, to Khadija Talat. "Tumhare Naam", a collection of letters from 1 October 1943 to 29 December 1953 penned by Safia Akhtar, were first published in 1955 in two volumes under the title, "Harf-e-Aashna" and "Zer-e-Lab", this Hindi translation, was by Professor Asghar Wajahat
Asghar Wajahat
Syed Asghar Wajahat, popularly known as Asghar Wajahat , is a Hindi scholar, fiction writer, novelist, playwright, an independent documentary filmmaker and a television scriptwriter, who is most known for his work, 'Saat Aasmaan' and his acclaimed play, 'Jis Lahore Nai Dekhya, O Jamyai Nai', based...
, former Head of the Hindi Department, Jamia Millia Islamia
Jamia Millia Islamia
Jamia Millia Islamia is an Indian Central University located in Delhi. It was established at Aligarh in United Provinces, India in 1920. It became a Central University by an act of the Indian Parliament in 1988...
was released in 2004.
He was the father of lyricist and script-writer Javed Akhtar
Javed Akhtar
Javed Akhtar is a poet, lyricist and scriptwriter from India. Some of his most successful work was done in the late 1970s and 1980s with Salim Khan as half of the script-writing duo credited as Salim-Javed...
and psychiatrist and poet Salman Akhtar
Salman Akhtar
Salman Akhtar is a psychoanalyst who also holds a professorship at the Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia....
, Shahid Akhtar, writer and journalist Uneza Akhtar, Albina sharma, grandfather of Farhan Akhtar
Farhan Akhtar
Farhan Akhtar is an Indian filmmaker, script writer, actor, playback singer, lyricist, film producer in Hindi cinema and a television host.His directorial debut Dil Chahta Hai won a National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi...
, Zoya Akhtar
Zoya Akhtar
Zoya Akhtar is a contemporary Indian film director. She made her debut as director with critically acclaimed Luck By Chance.-Personal life:Zoya Akhtar was born on January 9, 1974 in Bombay...
, Kabir Akhtar, Shoneize Akhtar, Aiman Akhtar, Ahmed Akhtar, Abir Sharma and Nishat Akhtar, father-in-law of Shabana Azmi
Shabana Azmi
Shabana Azmi is an Indian actress of film, television and theatre. An alumna of the Film and Television Institute of India of Pune, she made her film debut in 1974 and soon became one of the leading actresses of parallel cinema, an Indian New Wave movement known for its serious content and...
,Lata Akhtar and Monisha Nayar and the ex-father-in-law of Honey Irani and Raj Verma, and connected with the rest of Akhtar-Azmi family.
Lyricist
- YasminYasmin (1955 film)Yasmin is a 1955 Hindi Black-and-white Costume drama written, produced and directed by Abdur Rashid Kardar. The film starred Vyjayanthimala in the title role wtih Suresh in the lead while Jayant, Rashid Khan, Maruti Rao, S. N. Banerjee, Shyam Kumar and Rajan Haksar forms an ensemble cast. The film...
(1955) - C.I.D. (1956)
- Rustom Sohrab (1963)
- NoorieNoorieNoorie is a 1979 Hindi movie produced by Yash Chopra, and directed by Manmohan Krishna. The film stars Farooq Shaikh, Poonam Dhillon, Madan Puri, Iftekhar . The films music is by Khayyam and the lyrics by Jan Nisar Akhtar...
(1979) - Prem ParvatPrem ParvatPrem Parvat is a 1973 Hindi movie. The film stars Satish Kaul, Hema Malini, Rehana Sultana, Nana Palsikar, Agha. The film has music by Jaidev, and is remembered for its breathtaking melodies.-Songs:...
(1974) - Shankar HussainShankar HussainShankar Hussain is a 1977 Bollywood film directed by Yusuf Naqvi. It has memorable songs by Rafi sing Kahin ek Masum Nazuk si Lardki sung by Rafi and Aaap yun Faaslon Se sung by Lata, both classics Khayyam's repertoire.-Cast:*Pradeep Kumar...
(1977) - Razia SultanRazia Sultan (film)Razia Sultan is 1983 Urdu film, written and directed by Kamal Amrohi, and starring Hema Malini and Dharmendra in lead roles.The film's music was provided by Khayyam, with lyrics by Jan Nisar Akhtar and two songs by Nida Fazli who walked into the project when Akhtar died...
(1983)
Works
- Khamosh Awaz
- Khak-e-dil, Publisher: Nagara Tabaat, 1973.
- Hindustan Hamara, Volume 1 & 2. 1965, 1974.
- Pichhle Peher.
- Harf-e-ashna: Khatut (Letters)
- Ja-Nisar Akhxtar ki Shai'iri: Urdu Hindi me yakja, tr. by Amar Dihlavi. Publisher Star, 1983.
- Kuliyat-e-Jan Nisar Akhtar. Publisher: Al-Muslim, 1992.
- Hamara Hindustan (anthology), Rajkamal Publications, 2006.
- Nigahon Ke Saaye, ed. Vijay Akela, Rajkamal Publications, 2006. ISBN 8126712651.
Further reading
- Jan Nisar Akhtar by Kishwar Sultan. Publisher: Nasim Book Depot, 1977.
- Intikhab-i Kalam: Majaz, Jazbi, Jan Nisar Akhtar, by MajazMajazAsrar ul Haq Majaz was an Indian Urdu poet. He was known for his romantic and revolutionary poetry. He composed ghazals and nazms in Urdu.-Early life:...
. Sahitya AkademiSahitya AkademiThe Sahitya Akademi ', India's National Academy of Letters, is an organisation dedicated to the promotion of literature in the languages of India...
Publications. ISBN 8126001658. - Tumhare Naam. Rajkamal Publications, 2004.
- Letters to Jan Nisar Akhtar by Sufiya Akhtar, 1949 Annual of Urdu Studies vol. 20 (2005).
- A collection of verses by Jan Nisar Akhtar
External links
- Exclusive innings, Biography at Screen (magazine)Screen (magazine)Screen is a film magazine, published every week in India. It is owned by The Indian Express publishing group. The content focuses on the Bollywood, India's Hindi movie industry located in Mumbai. Screen organizes and sponsors the Star Screen Awards for movies in Hindi....
- Jan Nissar Akhtar Biography and works