Akhtar ul Iman

Akhtar ul Iman (Urdu: اختر الایمان )
Born Akhtar
November 12, 1915
Quila, Dist.Garhwal, Uttarkhand
Died 1996
Mumbai
Cause of death Heart failure
Resting place Bandra Qabristan, Mumbai
Bandra East
Residence A-3 Ravi,Darshan,Carter,Road Bandra, Mumbai 400050
Nationality Indian
Education Masters in Urdu Literature
Alma mater Delhi University, Aligarh Muslim University
Occupation poet, screenwriter
Employer Freelance and B.R. Films assigned cine writer (1960-1980)
Known for Urdu Nazm, poet and precursor of modern progressive Urdu poetry, cine writer and screen playwright
Home town Najibabad,Bijnore
Religion Muslim
Spouse Sultana Iman
Children a son and three daughters: Ramish Iman, Shehla Khan, Asma Husain, and Rakhshinda Khan
Relatives Sons-in law: Amjad Khan, Fahim Khan, Husain Ehtisham

Akhtar ul Iman (1915–1996) was a noted Urdu poet and screenwriter in Hindi cinema, who had major influence on modern Urdu nazm.[1][2]

He won the Filmfare Award for Best Dialogue in 1963 for Dharmputra and 1966 for Waqt. He was awarded the 1962 Sahitya Akademi Award in Urdu, for his Poetry Collection, Yadein (Memories), by Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters,[3]

Contents

Early life and education

Born in Qila, Najibabad, in Bijnor district of Uttar Pradesh in 1915.

His initial education happened at Bijnor, where he came in contact with Khurshid ul Islam, poet and scholar, who taught at Aligarh Muslim University, and developed a long association with Ralph Russell), he graduated from the Anglo-Arabic College (Zakir Husain College), Delhi.[4]

Career

After graduating from Delhi University, he worked in Civil Supplies Department and All India Radio at Delhi. From 1945 after he moved to Mumbai (then Bombay), he started working for Hindi cinema as a script writer.

His poetry is highly individualistic and innovative. He stands apart from other poets of his time in his themes, style, language. He preferred nazm over more popular ghazal as a mean of poetic expression. Akhtar ul Iman's language is "coarse and unpoetic". He uses 'coarse" and mundane poetic expressions to make his message effective and realistic.[5] His poetry strives to find out a balance between the conflicting or extreme choices faced by man. He chose free verse for his nazms to make his conversational style of expression more realistic.

He was strongly influenced by Meeraji and N M Rashid and is more closer and similar to them than other poets of his era. He was close friend of Meeraji and Meeraji lived with him till his death. They together formed Halqa-e-Arbab-e-Adab (Circle of friends of Poetry). Poets who belong to this circle wrote independent of the ideology and standards set by Progressive Writers' Movement, although they were few in numbers but contributed significantly and had major influence on later generations of poets. It was also a starting point of Modernisnm in Urdu.

He left behind a substantial legacy for new generation of poetss to follow and exploring new trends and themes in modern Urdu poetry giving a new direction to the modern and contemporary Urdu nazm with emphasis on philosophical humanism.[6]

He was the father-in-law of actor Amjad Khan.

Works

Books

Iss Aabad Kharabe Mein (URDU)-published by Urdu Academy, Delhi, India. Autobiography of a famous Urdu writer of India.

Poetry

He has about seven collections of poetry to his credit.

Play

Sabrang (1948)- a one verse play.

Translation and compilation by others

Indian Cinema

His contribution to Hindi cinema is quite significant keeping in view the number of landmark and hit movies he has contributed to as a script writer (dialogue, story and screenplay). His first landmark movie was Kanoon, which became a big hit of its time. Kanoon became a hit despite the fact that it had no songs or comedy sequences, this achievement remains unparalleled in Hindi cinema. His other important movies where he contributed as a script writer are Dharmputra (1961), for which he received filmfare award, Gumrah, Waqt, Patther ke Sanam, Daagh.

He wrote few lyrics for Hindi cinema, and the one movie which has his lyrics written by him is Bikhare Moti.

Awards

Literary awards

and Numerous other literary awards.

Filmography

Further reading

References

  1. ^ Encyclopaedia of Indian literature vol. 1 By various pages 120-121
  2. ^ Akhtar ul-Iman An anthology of modern Urdu poetry, by Rafey Habib. Publisher: Modern Language Association (MLA), 2003. ISBN 0-87352-797-6. p. 109.
  3. ^ Sahitya Akademi Award - Urdu Sahitya Akademi Award Official listings.
  4. ^ Alumni Zakir Husain College Official website.
  5. ^ Modern Indian Literature, an Anthology By K. M. George, various, Sahitya Akademi
  6. ^ Encyclopaedia of Indian literature vol. 1
  7. ^ Awards IMDB

External links