Jan Nisar Akhtar (18 February 1914 – 19 August 1976) was an Indian poet of Urdu ghazals and nazms, and a part of the Progressive Writers' Movement, who was also a lyricist for Bollywood.Jan Nisar Akhtar Encyclopaedia of Hindi cinema, by Gulzar, Govind Nihalani, Saibal Chatterjee (Encyclopædia Britannica, India). Popular Prakashan, 2003. . p. 296.
He was the son of Muztar Khairabadi and great grandson of Fazl-e-Haq Khairabadi, who were both Urdu poets. His career spanned four decades during which he worked with music composers including C. Ramchandra, O.P. Nayyar, Datta Naik also credited as N. Datta and Khayyam and wrote 151 songs. Notable among them were songs from his breakthrough film, A.R. Kardar's Yasmin (1955), Aankhon hi Aankhon Mein in Guru Dutt's CID (1956), Yeh dil aur unki nigahon ke saaye in Prem Parbat (1974) and Aaja re in Noorie (1979) and his last song, Ae Dil-e-naadaan, in Kamal Amrohi's Razia Sultan (1983).Gulzar to release Jan Nissar Akhtar's Nigahon Ke Saaye Screen, 20 October 2006.
His poetic works include Nazr-e-Butaan, Salaasil, Javidaan, Pichali Pehar, Ghar Angan and Khaak-e-dil. The latter ("The Ashes of Heart") was a poetry collection for which he was awarded the 1976 Sahitya Akademi Award in Urdu by Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters.Sahitya Akademi Award in Urdu Sahitya Akademi Award Official listings.
Early life
Jan Nisar passed his matriculation from Victoria Collegiate High School, Gwalior, and in 1930 joined Aligarh Muslim University, from where he gained his B.A. Honours and M.A. degrees. He started his doctoral work, but had to return to Gwalior due to family conditions.Jan Nisar Akhtar Biography The Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature (Volume Two) (D -J). by Amaresh Datta. Sahitya Akademi, 2006. . p. 1796-97.
Career
In 1949, he resigned from his job, moved to Bombay to write lyrics for Urdu/Hindi movies besides ghazals and nazms 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'.Literary radicalism in India: gender, nation and the transition to independence, by Priyamvada Gopal. Routledge, 2005. , p. 165. 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 and Shamshad Begum, Garib Jan Key Hamko Naa Tum Daga Dena sung by Mohammed 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).Jan Nisar Akhtar Lyrics .
His poetry was secular and like many of the progressive writers of his generation talked of freedom, dignity, economic exploitation and other issues gleaming of the leftist leanings.History of Indian Literature: 1911–1956, struggle for freedom: triumph and tragedy, by Sisir Kumar Das. Sahitya Akademi, 2006. . p. 226. Even his romanticism which was amply displayed in his ghazals, 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 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.Indian publishing in the seventies. by Vijaya Kumar Das. National Book Trust, India, 1978. p 96. 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 Ganges, Yamuna and the Himalayas.Javed Akhtar re-releases Hindustan Humara Rediff.com, 21 August 2006.
He died in Bombay 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 2006Well versed: Revisiting 325-year-old Urdu poetry with Jan Nisar Akhtar Indian Express, 20 August 2006.
Family In 1943, he married Safia Siraj-ul-Haq, sister of the poet Majaz. Safia worked as a school teacher at an Urdu-medium madarsa (Muslim school). She was meeting a practical necessity, to work outside her home, because Jan Nisar's income was at best sporadic, and it was necessary for her to work to support her children. Thus, when Jan Nisar moved to Mumbai to try his luck at earning a living as a film lyricist, Safia stayed back in Gwalior with their children, and wrote her absent husband a series of letters in Urdu. A collection of these letters, written between 1 October 1943 to 29 December 1953 penned, were first published in 1955 in two volumes under the title, "Harf-e-Aashna" and "Zer-e-Lab." Professor Asghar Wajahat, former Head of the Hindi Department, Jamia Millia Islamia, translated these letters into Hindi and this was published under the title "Tumhare Naam" in 2004.Tumhare Naam, with love The Hindu, 8 January 2004.
Safia Akhtar died of cancer on 17 January 1953, less than ten years after her wedding, and left behind two sons. Jan Nisar left the children in the care of relatives while he pursued his hobbies of writing poetry and hobnobbing with various luminaries and socialites in Mumbai. Three years after Safia's death, Jan Nisar, on 17 September 1956, married Khadija Talat.
Filmography Lyricist Year Film Music Director(s)Songs writtenNotes1948ShikayatRasheed Attre1First released film1950ArzooAnil Krishna Biswas2KhelSajjad Hussain21953AnarkaliBasant Prakash11954BaratiRoshan Lal Nagrath1DankaAziz Hindi8Dhoop Chhaon41955Baap Re BaapRamchandra Narhar Chitalkar & Omkar Prasad Nayyar (separately)11 (All)HaseenaBulo C. Rani11 (All)The songs "Dil Pe Kaisi Bekhudi Chhane Lagi..." sung by Asha Bhosle & "Nainon Ke Baan Chale Nasheele..." sung by Sudha Malhotra both were re-used in the film Chalta Purza : Challenge (1958).LuteraRamchandra Narhar Chitalkar1Madhur MilanBulo C. Rani3YasminRamchandra Narhar Chitalkar91956C. I. D.Omkar Prasad Nayyar1UncreditedChhoo Mantar10 (All)Dhake Ki Malmal6JalladNashad1Mr. LambuOmkar Prasad Nayyar3Naya Andaz11Shrimati 42061957Duniya Rang Rangeeli8 (All)Mai Baap2Qaidi8 (All)Ustad7 (All)1958Chalta Purza : ChallengeAziz Hindi & Bulo C. Rani (uncredited)7 (All)The songs "Dil Pe Kaisi Bekhudi Chhane Lagi..." sung by Asha Bhosle & "Nainon Ke Baan Chale Nasheele..." sung by Sudha Malhotra, both music directed by Bulo C. Rani both were originally made for & used in Haseena (1955), which in turn, were re-used in this film.FarishtaOmkar Prasad Nayyar5Raagini71959Black CatDattaram Baburao Naik7 (All)Mr. John7 (All)1960Dr. Shaitan6 (All)KalpanaOmkar Prasad Nayyar1RickshawalaDattaram Baburao Naik7 (All)Road No. 303C. Arjun31961ApsaraHusnlal-BhagatramAt least 4Do BhaiDattaram Baburao Naik6 (All)Main Aur Mera BhaiC. Arjun6 (All)Mr. IndiaGurusharan Singh Kohli6Shola Aur ShabnamMohammed Zahur Khayyam Hashmi1-21962Dilli Ka DadaDattaram Baburao Naik31963Rustom SohrabSajjad Hussain21964Awara BadalUsha Khanna11965Ek Saal PehleC. Arjun31966Sushila6 (All)Film was revised & re-released as Subah Zaroor Aayegi (1977).1970Kaun Ho Tum ?Usha Khanna1Mangu DadaC. Arjun2Murder On Highway1Truck DriverSonik-Omi21971Kahin Aar Kahin PaarGanesh Sharma1Ramu UstadRaj Ratan4 (All)1973Hum Sab Chor Hain : The CriminalsUsha Khanna2Jeevan SukhSapan-Jagmohan1Prem ParbatJaidev Verma21974AlbeliKalyanji-Anandji1AlinganJaidev Verma4Dastan-e-Laila MajnuIqbal Qureshi11HamrahiKalyanji-Anandji1ParinayJaidev Verma1Pyase DilMohammed Zahur Khayyam Hashmi4 (All)1975AndolanJaidev Verma1SandhyaMohammed Zahur Khayyam Hashmi3 (All)SangatSalil Chowdhury4 (All)Film was re-released as Kabhi Dhoop Kabhi Chhaon (1992).1976Sajjo RaniSapan-Jagmohan5 1977 Aaina Naushad Ali5 (All)Posthomous releaseAakhri SajdaSajjad Hussain4Shankar HusainMohammed Zahur Khayyam Hashmi1Subah Zaroor AayegiC. Arjun6Film was revised version of Sushila (1966); posthomous release1978Mutthi Bhar ChawalMohammed Zahur Khayyam Hashmi2Posthomous release1979Chambal Ki RaaniNaushad Ali2Do ShikariChitragupta SrivastavaAt least 3NoorieMohammed Zahur Khayyam Hashmi41980Ek Gunah Aur SahiJaidev Verma3 (All)1981Woh Phir Nahin Ayee alias ShyamlaKanu Roy2 (All)1983NigahainSardar Malik1Razia SultanMohammed Zahur Khayyam Hashmi31984Unchi UraanJeetu-Tapan21988Soorma BhopaliDilip Sen & Sameer Sen11992Kabhi Dhoop Kabhi ChhaonSalil Chowdhury4 (All)Film was re-released version of Sangat (1975); posthomous release
Producer Bahu Begum (1967)
Works Khamosh Awaz Khak-e-dil, Publisher: Nagara Tabaat, 1973. Hindustan Hamara, Volume 1 & 2. 1965, 1974. Pichhle Peher. GHAR AANGAN. 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. .
Further reading Jan Nisar Akhtar by Kishwar Sultan. Publisher: Nasim Book Depot, 1977. Intikhab-i Kalam: Majaz, Jazbi, Jan Nisar Akhtar, by Majaz. Sahitya Akademi Publications. . 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
References
Lyrics by Jan Nisar Akhtar
External links Exclusive innings, Biography at Screen
Jan Nissar Akhtar Biography and works