THE ROMANTICIST

(January 14, 1919 - May 10, 2002)

Amongst lyricists like Hasrat Jaipuri, Shakeel Badayuni, Sahir Ludhianvi and Majrooh Sultanpuri, who infused Urdu poetry into Hindi lyrics, would also be the late Kaifi Azmi. One of the few realms where Urdu still lives on is retro Hindi music. But that was just one facet that defined Kaifi. His early contempt for oppression led him to join the Communist Party Of India. The sighs and the sweat of the labourer found resonance in his poetry just as the disdain for religious fundamentalism and a reverence for women. A patriot, his Kar chale hum fida jaanon tan saathiyo remains one of the most rousing refrains. His socialist leanings led him back to his native village Mijwan in Uttar Pradesh and helped turn it into a ‘model’ hamlet with educational and skill-developing prospects for girls. And all this despite having suffered a stroke, which had rendered his left side incapacitated. There was nothing defeatist or cynical about Kaifi. He remained a romanticist, besotted by life, even as he was conversant with its shenanigans. Someone who remained as possessive about his Montblanc pens