Send us a textAmong the modern progressives and those who were also associated with the film industry, Sahir Ludhianvi (1921-1980) occupies a very special place. It has to do with his celebrity status as much as his romantic poetry that appealed to a new generation of young people in post-independent India. Sahir was also a powerful voice against social injustice, exploitation, denial of women’s rights, and income inequalities. His collection of poetry Talkhiyaan was published in 1944, and several of the compositions in that volume were used in Hindi films. He also published a longer poem called Parchhaiyaan, considered the best peace poem written by an Urdu poet. Sahir is among those few Urdu poets who gained fame for his nazm poetry as well as his ghazals. His poem about the Taj Mahal is a rare gem in the genre of Urdu love poetry. And who can forget his lyrics for films like Pyasa and Kabhi Kabhi? Gopi Chand Narang, Surinder Deol, trns. THE URDU GHAZAL: A Gift of India’s Composite Culture. New Delhi: The Oxford University Press, 2020.

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