Syed Athar Hussain Rizvi was born in the family of landlords in Azamgarh. His father was a Tehsildaar . Athar Hussain did not have much of modern Education but acquired command over Urdu , Arabic and Persian. Athar jumped into the freedom movement by joining Quit India Agitation of 1942. Later he became a full time member of Communist Party of India and started Trade union activities in the textile mills area of Kanpur. Soon he shifted to Mumbai and joined Ali Sardar Jafri in co editing News Paper Qaumi Jung for the party . Mumbai changed Syed Athar Hussain Rizvi to Kaifi Azmi and he started writing lyrics for films. He fell in love with Shaukat a renowned theatre artist from Hyderbad and married her . They had two children Shabana Azmi the talented actress and Baba Azmi noted Cinematographer .He taught them Modern Education . Both Baba and shabana studied in Hindi and English medium schools and know little urdu .
I shall not go into details of his film songs which are a class in themselves ; touchy and essentially based on moods of human beings confronting various situations of life . After Sahir Ludhianavi , Kaifi sahib remained the highest paid lyrics writer of the film Industry . He wrote beautiful songs for films especially films like Kaagaz Ke Phool( Waqt Ne kiya , Kya Haseen Sitam ), Haqeeqat ( Mein Yeh Soanch Kar Us ke Dhar se uthaa thaa ) ,Shanker Hussain ( Aap Yun Fasalon se Guzartey Rahey ), Garam Hawa , Saat Hindustaani , Pakeezah, Razia Sultan, Shola Aur Shabnam( Jeet Hi Laingey Baazi Hum Tum ) , Arth and many more .
He was a recipient of Padam shri and Soviet Land Nehru award ( Instituted by Erstwhile USSR ). Vishwa Bharti University Shanti Niketan honoured him with a doctorate .He was awarded Sahitya academy fellowship and award for his collection of poem Awaara Sajde. He wrote poems , gazals and script for many films . I also saw a play Yadon Ki RehGuzar ( Down the memory Lane ) written by his son in law Javed Akhtar . Both Javed sahib and shabana had acted in this play. Mumbai gave him love and respect . If you travel from Andheri to Juhu , you come across a Park named after him . He lived in Janki Kuteer in Juhu area .
Though he wrote some very good poems , yet his one poem DAAYARA ( Circle ) is my favourite . Some lines of the poem depicting monotony of our existence are as under :-
Daayara
Roz Badhtaa Huun Jahaan se Aage
Phir Vahiin Laut Ke Aa jaata Huun
Baarhaa Tod Chuka huun Jin Ko
Inhiin Deewaron Se Takrataa huun
Roz Basate hain Kaii Shehar Naye
Roz Dharati Me Samaa Jaate Hain
Zal zalon Me thii Zaraa sii Girah
Vo Bhii Ab Roz Hii Aa Jaate hain
Nabz bhujatii bhi Bhadaktii Bhii hai
Dil Kaa Maamul Hai Ghabraana bhii
Raat Andhere ne Andhere se Kahaa
Ek Aadat hai Jiye jaana bhii.
Koi Ketaa tha Sikander huun Mein
Aur meri Jeb Me Qatraa bhii Nahin
Khairiyat apni Likhaa Kartaa huun
Ab to Taqdeer Me Khatraa Bhii Nahin
Apne haathon Ko Padaa Kartaan Huun
Kabhii Geeta Kabhii Quran Ki Tarah
Chund Rekhaon Me Seemaon Me
Zindagi Qaid Hai Seeta Ki tarah
Ram Kab Lautenge Maalum Nahin
Kaash Raavan Hi Koii Aa Jaataa
Roz Badhtaa Hun Jahaan Se Aage
Phir Vahiin Laut Ke Aa Jaataa Huun
( Kaifi Azmi )
The Circle
I return to the same spot everyday ,
From where I begin may day .
Every day my imagination builds new Castles ,
Every it buries them under the vastness of mother earth.
These Earthquakes would come after good gaps ,
Lo !They too shake me every day now.
My Pulse often goes feeble but at times it races fast ,
It is a routine for this heart to get Palpitations now .
Previous Night the darkness within confided to the Darkness outside
“This Living ! O Just a wretched Habit only .”
Someone would declare me as born with Alexender’s Fate ,
Pity ! I hold not a Penny in my Pockets .
Friends this is a statement my welfare ,
For I do not have any Danger in my fate now .
Often I read the lines engraved in my palms,
Sometimes as if I read Geeta or sometimes like the Quran,
Trapped lies this existence in some of these lines ,
Like Sita of Ramayana waiting for Rama to arrive .
When shall my Rama Come to my rescue? I knoweth not ,
Alas ! Any Ravana could have also come this way?
For I return to the same spot everyday ,
From where I begin may day .
( Translated by a K Mota from Original urdu )
I did see kaifi Sahib in some Mushaiaras . He was charismatic .Even after the paralytic stroke , he continued to serve literature and set up a girls school in his native Azamgarh. He remained secular in thoughts and deeds all along..
I have also uploaded some views of Srinagar city for this post on Kaifi Sahib.You can see the Taj Hotel Opposite the Akhara building in Maisuma .The Hotel continues to serve crisp Butter toasts . You can also see the Little sons Petrol Pump in LalChowk . Dr Sethi popular Homeopath of srinagar city would do his practice on first floor of the Petrol Pump’s Building .The Petrol Pump is closed .You can also see Regal Chowk with Hanief Motors shop selling Yamah Gen Sets now.You can also see the Demolished Capitol Hotel Building on Regal Chowk. Mishri ( Previously Misri ) Paan House is still open . Meer Sahib of Meer Paan House , Residency Road is unwell as told to me by his brother . They no longer sell Paans .You can also see Lambert Lane chowk on residency Road..I have also uploaded a View of Dal gate Main Road near Drogjan Chest Disease Hospital. A view of residency Road Chowk and Poloview Chowk near erstwhile Grindlay’s Bank building has also been uploaded.J&K Bank has shifted to Grindlay’s Bank Building now as the old Grindlay’s bank has vanished from the Financial world. I have also uploaded a view of House boat stuck up in Canal opposite to the then MAMTA Hotel on Dalgate NawaPora road. Mamta Hotel , Ritz Hotel and many other Hotels on this road are closed .This road is undergoing widening at present . So Long so much
WHEN KAIFI AZMI VISITED LUDHIANA OR SAHIR’S BIRTH PLACE ..
Muddat ke baad usne jo ki Lutf ki Nigaah,
Jee khush to ho Gaya Magar Aansu Nikal Padey….
(Kaifi Azmi)
Some time after the death of sahir , a Mushaira was held at ludhiana wherein Kaifi Azmi read…
Tumhaare Shehar Mein Aaye Hain Hum, Sahir Kahan Ho Tum
Yeh Rooh-Peshi Tumhaari Hai Sitam, Sahir Kahan Ho Tum?
Tumhaare Ghar Mein Aa Kar Hum Kabhi Pyaase Na Jaayenge
Uthaao Jaam, Kar Lo Honth Nam, Sahir Kahan Ho Tum?
Puraane Doston Se Ho Gaye Kyon Itne Begaane
Pukaaro Toh Kahin Se, Kam Se Kam, Sahir Kahan Ho Tum?
Meri Nazaron Mein Mere Dost, Ek Mandir Hai Ludhiana
Yeh Mandir Aur Hum Iske Sanam, Sahir Kahan Ho Tum?
Kaifi Azmi
KAIFI AZMI REPAID THE DEBT TO HIS BIRTH PLACE ..MIJWAN….
A brain hemorrhage on 8th February 1973 paralysed kaifi sahib. It rendered his left hand and left leg incapacitated for life. He did not give up. Sometime around 1993 , Leaving the comforts of Mumbai , He decided to move to his native village Mijwan in Azamgarh Eastern UP. It was an unknown village with no development or even roads . Mijwan is now known because of Kaifi sahib’s untiring efforts to uplift the village. He set up an NGO for the Development of the village with focus on empowerment of women and girl child ,
Shabana Azmi Informs us :
“ Mijwan Welfare Society (MWS) is an NGO founded by my father in 1993 that works for the empowerment of villagers in a small village, Mijwan in Azamgarh UP where he was born. My father believed that India’s remarkable economic progress can only be meaningful if it reaches out to rural India, where 80 percent of the population lives but is denied access to opportunity.
After he passed away on 10th May 2002, I have, along with my godchild Namrata Goyal, taken on the task of carrying my father’s dream forward by steering MWS which runs:
Kaifi Azmi High School for girls
Kaifi Azmi Inter College for girls
Kaifi Azmi Computer Training Center
Kaifi Azmi Sewing and Tailoring Center
Last year, Our NGO constructed a bridge over river Kunwar in Mijwan to connect about 40 villages
Mijwan is so small – with a population of just 540 people – they didn’t know what a pressure cooker was . Then Kaifi saheb came , The first thing he thought of was providing education to the children here and that’s how the school came up. My mother Shaukat, she used to sit around with the women of the village and ask them their problems. And then they would perform skits to educate the people. That’s how slowly she conditioned their minds to send their children to school. Later on, when the sewing school came up, I literally went from house to house to ask people to send their daughters-in-law to learn sewing and embroidery. And when they started getting money in return, others followed suit. So in a way it’s funny to see how money changes perceptions. The women are also happy because their position in the families has changed so much. They are treated at par with their brothers and husbands. And for me, it’s heartening to see that.
Kaifi Azmi established a Computer Training Centre, inaugurated by H.E. Suraj Bhan, the then Governor of Uttar Pradesh, and Member of Parliament Amar Singh who had contributed to the centre through his MPLAD funds.
We are affiliated with NCPUL (M/o Human Resource Development Govt. of India) & DOEACC Society, Chandigarh (An autonomous body of Dept. of Information & Technology, M/o Communication & Information Technology, Govt. of India) and are conducting courses like CABA MDTP and CCC for both, girls and boys.”About his Brain Hemorrhage , Kaifi sahib wrote in his poem “Zindagi”..
“Phat gayi nas koyee shiryanon mein huun jam sa gaya
Ho Gaya zahmi dimaaġh
Aisa lagta tha ki bujh jaayega jalta hai jo sadiyon se chiraaġh
Aaj Andhera Meri nas nas mein utar jaayega
ye samundar jo badi der se tufaani tha
aissa tadpa ki meray kamre ke andhar Aaya
Aatay aatay vo meray vastay amrit laaya
Aur lehra ke kaha
shiv ne ye bhejvaaya hai lo piyo aur
Aaj shiv ilm hai Amrit hai amal
ab vo asaan hai jo dushvaar tha kal
Raat jo maut ka paiġhaam liye aati thi
Beevi bachchon ne meray
us ko khidki se paray pheink diyaa
Aur jo vo zahr ka ik jaam liye aati thi
us ne vohud hi piyaa
subah utri jo samandar mein nahaane ke liye
Raat ki laash mili paani mein……”
Kaifi sahib is the only poet who has used a shloka on “”Agni “ from Rigveda in his poem Zindagi.i quote..
‘Agni Mata meri agni Mata
sookhi lakdi ke ye bhari kunde
jo teri bhent ko Le Aaya huun
un ko sweekar kar aur aise dhadhak
ki machalte sholay kheench lein josh mein
suraj ki sunehri zulfein
aag mein aag mile
jo amar kar de mujhe
aissa koyi raag mile’’
He also narrates Siddhartha’s ( Buddha ‘s) renunciation of the world in this poem.
FIVE EVERGREEN FILM SONGS WRITTEN BY URDU POET KAIFI AZMI
Dil ki tasalli ke liye,
Jhoothi chamak jhoothaa nikhaar
jeewan to soonaa hee rahaa,
sab samjhe Aayi hai bahaar
kaliyon se koyee poochhe to,
Hansatee hain yaa ke rotee hain
Aisi bhi baatein hoti hain.. .
.Aisi bhi baatein hoti hain.
So wrote Kaifi sahib for Bollywood Movie Anupama produced in 1966 .The song was set to music by Hemant Kumar for lata ji .What a great song sung to perfection by Lata ji ! The song was ably picturised by the director of the movie on Dharmendra and Sharmila Tagore .The words go straight to your heart.
Other four songs of kaifi sahib which are my favourite too are as under:-
Yeh Nayan Dare Dare ,
yeh Jaam Bare Bare
Zaraa Peene do .
Kaifi sahib wrote this wonderful song for Bollywood movie Kohra in 1964 for Biswajeet and waheeda Ji . The song was set to a soulful music again by Hemant Kumar.
Zara si Aahat hoti hai
To dil sochta hai
Kahin ye woh to nahin?
Kahin ye woh to nahin?
This song Kaifi sahib wrote for bollywood Movie Haqeeqat .Great Madan Mohan created a moving and beautiful tune for the song sung beautifully by Lata ji.
Waqt Ne kiyaa
kyaa Haseen Sitam
Tum Rahe na Tum
Hum Rahe Na Hum.
jayeinge kahaan Soojhtaa Nain ,
Chal Pade magar Raastaa nahin,
Kyaa Talaash hai Kuchh Pataa nahin,
Buun Rahaa Hai Dil
Khwaab Dhum B Dhum.
Kaifi sahib wrote this song for Bollywood Movie Kagaz Ke Phool in 1959.The song was set to music by great Mastero Sachin dev Burman and picturised on waheeda ji and Guru Dutt.The song was sung by Guru Dutt’s wife geeta dutt. The song threw pain and agony of two lovers to the listener.
Jaane kyaa Dhoondtee Rehtee Hain
ye Aankhein Mujh Me
Raakh ke Dher Me
sholaa Hai Na Chingaari Hai
Kaifi Sahib wrote this song for Shola Aur Shabnam in 1961 . Khayaam sahib scored music for this painful song .The song was sung to perfection by great master Mohd Rafi…
And late Kaifi sahib wrote following lines on 18.09.1974 at Moscow for Shabana’s Birthday. Bollywood Actress and activist Shabana Azmi is late kaifi sahib’s daughter ..
Ab Aur Kyaa Tera beemar Baap Degaa Tujhe ,
Buss Ek Dua Ki Khudaa Tujh Ko Kaamyaab kare.
Woh Taank Dhe Tere Aanchal mein Chaand Aur Taare ,
Tu Apne Waaste Jis Ko Bhi Intekhaab kare
Kyaa baat hai Kaifi sahib! . You will never die till your poetry is recited and the songs penned by you are heard.
Jism Ki Maut Koi Maut Nahin Hotee Hai,
Jism Mit Jaane se Ailaan Nahin Mit jaate.
AUTAR MOTA
Autar Mota is a Blogger , Translator and writes in English , Urdu , Kashmiri and Hindi. His write-ups have appeared in many national magazines and journals.
