Dareechah-e-Nigaarish

Akhlaq Mohammad Khan Shahryar (1936-2012)



Akhlaq Mohammad Khan Shahryar (1936-2012)

who wrote under the pen name Shahryar was an Indian academician, and a doyen of Urdu poetry in India. As a Hindi film lyricist, he is best known for his lyrics in Gaman (1978), Umrao Jaan (1981) and Anjuman (1986), by Muzaffar Ali. In 2008 he won the Janpath Award, which is one of the highest literary award in India.
Early Life
Shahryar was born at tehsil Aonla, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh. His father was in police force. In his childhood days, Khan wanted to become an athlete but his father wanted him to join the police force. It is then that he ran away from home and was guided by Khalil-ur-Rahman. To earn a living, he started teaching Urdu fiction at Aligarh Muslim University where he later studied and got his PhD. He received his early education at Bulandshahr and later studied at Aligarh Muslim University.
Shahryar Sahab is survived by three children, Humayun Shahryar, Saima Shahryar and Faridoon Shahryar.

Career
Khan started his career as a literary assistant at Anjuman Tarraqqi-e-Urdu, thereafter he joined Aligarh Muslim University as a lecturer in Urdu, he was appointed professor in 1986, and in 1996, he retired as chairman of the Urdu Department. He has co-edited the literary magazine Sher-o-Hikmat (Poetry and Philosophy).

Shahryar wrote lyrics for selected Indian films. His two ghazals Seene Mein Jalan Ankhon Mein Toofan Sa Kyun Hai and Ajeeb Saneha Mujhpar Guzar Gaya Yaaro in Muzaffar Ali's Gaman are still considered classics. All his Ghazals from Umrao Jaan, be it Dil Cheez Kya Hai, In Ankhon Ki Masti Ke, Justuju Jiski Thi, Ye Zameen Chaand Se Behtar Nazar Aati Hai Hamein and Ye Kya Jagah Hai Doston are part of some of the finest lyrical works in Bollywood ever. Besides penning these ghazals, Shahryar also contributed to the film through several dialogues as well.

Shahryar also wrote for Yash Chopra's Faasle and Muzaffar Ali's Anjuman. He also wrote for Muzaffar Ali's Zooni and Daaman which were never completed.

Awards
He was awarded the 1987 Sahitya Akademi Award in Urdu for his poetry collection, Khwab Ka Dar Band Hai (1987).
In 2008, he became the fourth Urdu writer to win the Janpath Award. He has also been the recipient of prestigious honors like Firaaq Samman and Bahadur Shah Zafar Award. Four theses have been written on Shahryar's works. He has been widely acknowledged as one of the finest exponents of Modern Urdu Poetry.

Works
His first poetry collection Ism-e-Azam was published in 1965,

the second collection, Saatvaan Dar came in 1969,

the third collection titled Hijr Kay Mausam was released in 1978.

His most celebrated work, Khaab Kay Dar Band Hain, came in 1987, and also won him the Sahitya Akademi Award in Urdu for that year.

He has also published five collections of his poetry in Devanagari script.

Death
Shahryar died on February 13, 2012 in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. He was suffering from Lung Cancer.

Akhlaq Mohammed Khan Shahryar's Works:

1. Ism-e-Azam, 1965.
2. Satvaan Dar, 1969.
3. Hijr ke Mausam, 1978.
4. Khwab Ke Dar Band Hain, 1987.
5. Neend ki Kirchen - (English: Shards of Shattered Sleep) .
6. Through the Closed Doorway: A Collection of Nazms
7. Shahryar, Akhlaq Mohmmad Khan : Influence of the western criticism on the Urdu criticism, Aligarh.
8. Dhund ki Roshni (English: The Light of Dusk): Selected Poems of Shahryar, 2003, Sahitya Akademi.

BioSketch courtesy of Wikipedia's Akhlaq Mohammed Khan Shahryar web page