The Urdu Ghazal Podcast

Send us a textObaidullah Aleem was born in Bhopal in 1939. His family moved to Pakistan at the time of partition. He received higher education at the University of Karachi while pursuing several creative interests. He made an impressive debut as a radio and TV artist. Still, due to the discrimination he faced as an Ahmedia, everything came to a halt in 1978 when he was made to resign because of his religious beliefs. He moved to England in 1991 but soon returned to Pakistan. He passed away in 1998. His first book, ‘Chand Chehra Sitara Aankhen,’ published in 1974, gained great popularity. He was awarded the Adamji Prize, the highest literary award in Pakistan. 

Send us a textKhaleel-ur Rehman Azmi, a leading Urdu poet and literary critic, was born in 1927. He received his higher education at the Aligarh Muslim University, where he taught Urdu. He was posthumously elevated to the rank of a Professor. He wrote extensively on the progressive writers’ movement and is considered a pioneer of Modernism in Urdu. He mentored the leading British Urdu scholar Ralph Russell and poet Shahryar. He authored nearly a dozen collections of poetry and literary criticism. He passed away in 1978.His famous couplets include:Hazaar tarah ki mai pi hazaar tarah ke zahrNa pyaas hi bujhi apni na hausla nikla

Send us a textHastimal Hasti (1946-2024) came from a humble background in Rajasthan but gained fame while working for the film industry in Mumbai. His poetry found a common ground between Urdu and Hindi, and as such, he endeared himself to a diverse audience. His ghazal, ‘Pyaar ka pehla khat likhne mein vaqt to lagta hai,’ was sung by Jagjit Singh, and it became an instant hit. He is also the author of a famous couplet:Har gaaon mein mumtaaz janam kyon nahin letiHar mod pe ik taj mahal kyon nahin hota

Send us a textShahid Kabir was born in May 1932 in Nagpur. He started writing short stories and ghazals early and earned fame and name recognition after he began writing for films. In 1957, he authored a play about the life of Mirza Ghalib that was staged at Rastrapati Bhawan. His books include Kachchi Deewaarein (Novel, 1958) and ghazal collections such as Charon-or (1968) and Mitti Ka Makan (1979). He was honored by the Maharashtra State Urdu Academy. He passed away in May 2001.Jagjit and Chitra Singh have sung Shahid Kabir’s ghazals, including the more famous one:Niind se aankh khuli hai abhi dekha kya haiDekh lena abhi kuchh der mein duniya kya hai

Send us a textAndleeb Shadani was born in Moradabad district, UP, in 1904. He studied Persian at the Punjab University and earned a doctoral degree in England in 1934. He taught at the Hindu College in Delhi before moving to Dacca University. His poetry collection is called Nishaat-e-Rafta. He died in July 1969 in Dacca in what was still East Pakistan. Many singers, including Jagjit Singh, have sung his ghazals. His most famous ghazal is der lagi aane mein tum ko, shukr hai phir bhi aaye to.

Send us a textOn August 18, 2024, we celebrate the 90th Birthday of Gulzar Sahib. Some people say age is nothing more than a number, yet we can’t deny that it is an important milestone. Gulzar’s creative spark is as bright as it has been over the years. He leads a busy life, reading, staying in touch with his friends, and writing new stuff, maybe poetry or something difficult to put in a box. As a long-time admirer of Gulzar’s work, I wish him, along with millions of his fans, many more years of creative living, producing words that continue to help us stay connected with our spirit and our humanity and be the best carriers of his universal message of love, empathy, and the pursuit of peace in our communities and beyond. Here is a poem which I have written to mark this historic occasion: They say the poet has gone missing, vanished without a trace from the familiar haunts he once graced. Whispers drift like fog, of his presence among the clouds, dancing with rainbows cloaked in mist. Nine decades of seasons have passed,years coming and disappearing like straws in the wind,as he roams in uncharted landscapes, a free spirit untethered by earthly bounds. Some claim to have seen him in hidden gardens, conversing with ancient trees, sharing wisdom with wide-eyed children. He teaches the gentle art of surrender, of being a wave in the oceanwhile always returning to the sacred center, the heart from which all life flows. Many long for his return, yet others understand his chosen path, finding comfort in his dwelling within millions of hearts — of those who cherish his words. For what better home exists than the embrace of unreserved love? Perhaps he never truly left,but discovered his real home,not in a physical place but withinthe essence of connection,the eternal sanctuary of belonging.Surinder Deol  

Send us a textSudarshan Faakir, an exceptional nazm and ghazal poet, was born in 1934 in Jalandhar. He studied at the DAV College and earned a master's degree in Political Science. His first job was at the local radio station, but other opportunities attracted him, and he got into directing stage plays and movies. Although he started writing at a young age, his talent surfaced once he became a lyricist for Bollywood movies and even won the coveted Filmfare award. The lyricism of his compositions was so appealing that he became the favorite poet of great ghazal singers like Begum Akhtar, Jagjit, and Chitra Singh. Who hasn’t heard his nazm Ye Kaaghaz Ki Kashti in the melodious voice of Jagjit Singh? ye daulat bhi le lo ye shohrat bhi le lobhale chhiin lo mujh se meri javaanimagar mujh ko lota do vo bachpan ka saavanvo kaaghaz ki kashti vo baarish ka paaniye daulat bhi le lo ye shohrat bhi le lo Take this wealth, take this fameYou may even snatch away my youthBut return to me that rainy season of my childhoodThat paper boat, that rainwaterTake this wealth, take this fame Sudarshan Faakir died in the city of his birth in 2008.

Send us a textNaresh Kumar Shaad was born in a village near Hoshiarpur in 1927. He earned great admiration as a poet, prose writer, translator, and editor of several literary journals. Drinking became his weakness and caused him much grief. His father, Dard Nikodari, was also a poet and one of the distinguished disciples of master poet Josh Malsiyani. Therefore, it was natural that Shaad acquired the skill of composing a ghazal at an early age. He was often in and out of government jobs as he pursued his literary passion, but the lack of stability in life eluded him.His poetry collections include Butkada, Faryaad, Dastak, Lalkaarr, and others. He wrote several works of prose, including books for children. Shaad was found dead on the banks of river Jamuna in May 1969, an unfortunate end to a literary life that was filled with so much promise. He is remembered for many couplets, but the one below is a classic on the theme of separation: zindagi naam hai judaaii kaaap aaye to mujh ko yaad aaya Life is but another name for separation I remembered it on seeing you

Send us a textAbbas Tabish, a famous Mushaira poet, was born in 1961. His ghazal poetry is known for amalgamating contemporary sociopolitical themes with the intoxicating flavor of the classical ghazal of the late 19th century. He teaches at the Government College University in Lahore. One of his famous couplets goes like this: chaand chehre mujhe achhe to bahut lagte haini’shq main us se karunga jise Urdu aaye I like moon-like beautiesbut I will fall in love with someone who knows UrduAbbas Tabish has won several awards for his poetic achievements. His published works include Aasmaan (1991), I’shq Aabaad (2011), and Agar Main She’r Na Kehta (2022). 

Send us a textAmjad Islam Amjad was a multi-talented poet, lyricist, and TV serial creator who significantly contributed to Urdu literature. He was born in Lahore in 1944. He held several high positions in institutions connected with arts, entertainment, and education and received several honors from the government and other national and international organizations. He thoroughly mastered the art of ghazal writing, highly appealing nazms in free verse, and plays for TV and the stage. He published nearly a dozen books of poetry and lyrics besides travelogues and translations. He passed away in 2023 due to cardiac arrest.