Shaayar Mir seems to talk of not just loneliness. It’s the ache of being surrounded and still unseen.&nbsp; The speaker’s heart is brimming with a dastaan — a tale aching to be told — but it stays trapped.&nbsp; Not for lack of courage. Not even for lack of words. It stays hidden because the people around him? They don’t listen. They hear, maybe — but they sure don’t get a word of what he says.&nbsp; He’s in a land, a dayaar, suffused with noise but empty of understanding.&nbsp; The people there are tone-deaf, insensitive. Not perhaps because they hate him. Likely they don’t even notice him deeply enough to dislike him.&nbsp; It’s not, maybe, cruelty. It’s perhaps something worse: indifference?

Voice, Expression & Language

Love, Passion and Longing

Dadasaheb Phalke Award

India Commemorative Stamp

Quick Facts<ul><li>Born: October 1, 1919; Sultanpur, United Provinces, British India</li><li> Died: May 24, 2000; Mumbai, India</li><li> Pen Name: Majrooh Sultanpuri</li><li> Full Name: Asrar ul Hassan Khan</li><li> Notable Awards: Dadasaheb Phalke Award (1993), Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist (1965)</li><li> Profession: Poet, Lyricist</li><li> Languages Known: Urdu, Hindi, Arabic, Persian</li><li> Spouse: Amina</li><li> Children: Five, including Tabrez Khan (musician)</li><li> Known For: Bollywood lyrics, progressive poetry, Urdu ghazals</li></ul>Majrooh Sultanpuri was one of the most iconic lyricists in Indian cinema and a respected figure in Urdu poetry. His journey began far from the film world, in a town called Sultanpur, where he was born in 1919 into a traditional Muslim family.He trained to become a Unani doctor but poetry always pulled him in a different direction. His early ghazals earned attention at mushairas, where audiences were drawn to his beautiful language and rhythm. It was at one of these gatherings in Bombay that filmmaker A.R. Kardar noticed him and introduced him to music director Naushad.Majrooh’s first break came with the film Shahjehan in 1946. After that, there was no looking back. He wrote songs for hundreds of films, working with every major composer of the time. Whether it was romantic, playful, philosophical, or patriotic, his words always carried clarity and soul.Songs like Chura Liya Hai Tumne, Papa Kehte Hain, and Likhe Jo Khat Tujhe are still remembered. But beyond cinema, Majrooh was a serious poet involved in the Progressive Writers' Movement. He believed poetry should raise its voice against injustice and inequality. In 1949, he was imprisoned for a year for writing verses critical of the government.Despite the fame and glamour of the film world, Majrooh never let go of his literary roots. He continued publishing poetry, attending mushairas, and engaging with serious readers. His writing kept evolving with time, but it always stayed true to his values.He was married to Amina and had five children. His son, Tabrez Khan, followed a creative path as a musician. Majrooh continued writing lyrics well into the 1990s, remaining relevant across decades and generations.He passed away in 2000 at the age of 80. Even today, his words are sung with joy, quoted in love, and remembered with respect.Majrooh Sultanpuri proved that a poet’s heart can live both in literature and on the silver screen, without ever losing its truth.

Home, Country & Belonging

Friends, Family & Community

Mirza Ghalib is often regarded as the soul of Urdu poetry. His verses have travelled across centuries, reaching hearts that understand loss, longing, and the mysteries of existence. Ghalib made the ghazal into something more than a love poem. He turned it into a window into the human soul.Born as Mirza Asadullah Baig Khan in Agra in 1797, Ghalib came from a noble family with Turkish roots. After losing both his parents at an early age, he was raised by his uncle. He started writing poetry as a young teenager and soon took the pen name Ghalib, which means "victorious."He moved to Delhi, where he spent most of his life. Though he struggled with money, his intellect and sharp wit earned him respect in elite circles. He was fluent in Persian and Urdu, and he considered Persian to be the more sophisticated of the two. However, it was his Urdu poetry, collected in Diwan-e-Ghalib, that captured the hearts of readers and made him a literary icon.Ghalib’s poetry was deeply layered. He wrote about love and pain, but also about fate, faith, and the meaning of life. He often reflected on human contradictions, questioned rigid beliefs, and expressed a constant search for meaning. His style was known for its elegance, its cleverness, and its emotional honesty.He married Umrao Begum at a young age, but their family life was marked by tragedy. They had seven children, all of whom died in infancy. This grief shaped much of his later poetry, adding depth and sadness to his verses.Ghalib lived through the decline of the Mughal Empire and the rise of British power in India. The Revolt of 1857 devastated Delhi, a city he loved deeply. These events left him bitter and reflective, but he continued writing with courage and clarity.He died in 1869 in Delhi. During his lifetime, he did not achieve widespread fame. But today, his words are recited at poetry gatherings, quoted in films and books, and studied by lovers of literature across the world.Ghalib did not just write poetry. He revealed the struggles of the human heart in a way that still feels true.

One Possible Interpretation

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Ashaar (couplets) on other themes

Ashaar (couplets) by others