'''Kaifi Azmi (b. 1925)'''


[[Image(Kaifi-Azmi.jpg)]]


Film lyricist and scenarist born in Azamgarh as Akhtar Husain Rizvi. Urdu poet in the tradition of Josh Malihabadi and Faiz Ahmed Faiz (1911- 84). Abandoned his studies of Persian and Urdu during the 1942 Quit India agitations, and shortly thereafter became a full-time Marxist activist. Went to Bombay (1945) and was for a while a trade union worker; closely involved with the [[PWA]] in Bombay. Published three anthologies of poetry (Akhini-Shab, Jhankar and Awara Sajde). Early work as story writer for [[Nanubhai Vakil]]’s films (Yahudi Ki Beti, 1956; Parvin, 1957; Miss Punjab Mail, 1958; Id Ka Chand, 1964). Wrote lyrics for numerous films, most notably for [[Guru Dutt]]’s [[Kaagaz Ke Phool]] (1959), [[Chetan Anand]]’s nationalist war movie [[Haqeeqat]] (1964) and [[Kamal Amrohi]]’s [[Pakeezah]] (1971). Established formidable reputation as perhaps the most charismatic writer in films, following the acclaim for his script, dialogue and lyrics for [[M.S. Sathyu]]’s [[Garam Hawa]] (1973), based on [[Ismat Chughtai]]’s story. Also wrote dialogues for Sathyu’s Kanneshwara Rama (1977). Other contributions include dialogues for [[Shyam Benegal|Benegal]]’s Manthan (1976), lyrics for [[Hrishikesh Mukherjee]]’s Bawarchi (1972) and for Kamal Amrohi’s Razia Sultan (1983). Played a memorable role as the old man in [[Naseem]] (1995), [[Saeed Akhtar Mirza]]’s poignant feature around the destruction of the Babri Masjid in 1992. Raman Kumar made a documentary, Kaifi Azmi (1979).

[[Music]]
[[Writer]]