Kaifi Azmi

Born as Akhtar Hussain Rizvi in a family of landlords of a small town of Uttar Pradesh, Kaifi Azmi was a very renowned Urdu poet of India. Though his father, Syed Fateh Hussain Rizvi was a landlord, he also worked as a Tehsildar in a small state in Uttar Pradesh. He wanted to send him to a school that imparted English education. Despite his best efforts, he could not do so because he faced stiff opposition from the elders of the family. Others wanted him to become a theologian and Kaifi Azmi was sent to a very reputed institution of Lucknow that was called Sultan al Madaris. Kaifi Azmi was a radical thinker and this created many problems for the institution. To know more about Azmi, continue to read this insightful biography on him.

Personal Life
Azmi was instrumental in creating a Student's Union and asked every student to go on strikes to get their demands fulfilled. The College authorities were provoked and they expelled Kaifi Azmi out of the college. Though he could not become a theologian, he got many degrees in different languages and mastered languages like Arabic, Urdu and Persian. He also passed various examinations from the University of Allahabad. Many great writers of Lucknow noticed him and they gave him constant encouragement and support. He started to rise up on the ladder of poetry and rapidly gained fame and recognition. He began from a very tender age of 11. His initiation into poetry has an interesting story behind it.

He managed to get himself invited to a Mushaira (poetry recital event) once. Over there, he recited a couplet, which was very much appreciated by everyone present there. When the news reached his father, he said that Kaifi must have recited his brother's ghazal. But when his brother denied it, people were very fascinated by this young prot�g�. With his poetry, he also joined the communist party during the Quit India movement for independence.

He left his comfortable life and worked in the textile mills of Kanpur, all this at a young age of 24. He was required to shift to Bombay and work there for his party. At the same time, he was asked to attend Mushairas every now and then in different parts of the country. Once while attending a Mushaira in the city of Hyderabad, he met a beautiful woman named Shaukat. The two fell in love and married soon. Shaukat Kaifi went on to become a famous theater artist and also worked in Hindi movies.

Major Work
As a ghazal writer, Kaifi Azmi used a lot of romance and love in his poetry. But as he evolved into much more serious forms of writing, he started to write on the disturbances in the society and what the common man was going through. His poetry began to make people socially aware of their surroundings. He highlighted exploitation of the poor and generated much sympathy for the downtrodden section of the society. His poetry has a powerful and intense form of emotional compassion. His poems are famous for rich imagery and his contribution in the field of Urdu poetry is immense. He has won many awards and has also tried his hand at films and acting. He had won many accolades in his life, which included Sovient Land Nehru Award and Sahitya Akademi Award. He was also presented with the prestigious Millennium Award by the Delhi Government and the Urdu Academy of India. The Maharashtra government honored Azmi with Dnyaneshwar award in the year of 1998. He was also conferred with a doctorate from Vishva Bharati University, Santiniketan.

He expired on May 10th 2002, after a series of cardiac problems.

Example Of Azmi's Poetry: Aurat
Uth meri jaan mere saath hi chalnaa hai tujhe
Qaib-e-mahoul mein larzaan sharer-e-jang hain aaj
Hausley waqt ke aur ziist ke yakrang hain aaj
Aabgiinon mein tapaan walwale-e-sand hain aaj
Husn aur ishq ham aawaaz-o-humaahang hain aaj
Jis mein jaltaa huun usi aag mein jalnaa hai tujhe,

Zindagi jehad min hai sabr ke qaabuu mein nahin
Nabz-e-hasto ka lahu kampti aansu mein nahin
Urne khulne mein hai nakhat kham-e-gesu mein nahin
Jannat aik aur hai jo mard ke pahlu mein nahin
Uski aazaad ravish par bhi machalnaa hai tujhe,

Goshey goshey mein sulagti hai chita tere liye
Farz ka bhes bahalti hai qaza tere liye
Qahar hai teri har harm adaa tere liye
Zahar hi zahar hai duniya ki hawa tere liye
Rut badal daal agar phulna phalna hai tujhe,

Qadar ab tak teri tarikh ne jani hi nahin
Tujh mein shole bhi hain bas ashkfishaani hi nahin
Tu haqiqat bhi hai dilchasp kahani hi nahin
Teri hasti bhi nahi ik cheez javani hi nahin
Apni tareekh ka unvan badalna hai tujhe

Torkar rasm ke but bare qadamat se nikal
Zof-e-ishrat se nikal, vaham-e-nazaakat se nikal
Nafs ke khinche hue halq-e-azmal se nikal
Yeh bhi ek qaid hi hai, qaid-e-muhabbat se nikal
Raah ka khaar hi kya gul bhi kuchalnaa hai tujhe

Tor yeh azm-shikan dagdag-e-pand bhi tor
Teri khatir hai jo zanjeer voh saugandh bhi tor
Tauq yeh bhi zammruud ka gulband bhi tor
Tor paimana-e-mardaan-e-khirdmand bhi tor
Banke tuufaan chhalaknaa hai ubalnaa hai tujhe,

Tu falaatuno-aeastu hai tu zohra parvin
Tere qabze mein hai gardun, teri thokar mein zamin
Haan, utha, jald u tha pae-muqqadar se jabin
Main bhi rukne ka nahi waqt bhi rukne ka nahi.
Uth meri jaan mere saath hi chalna hai tujhe.