Sahir Ludhianvi

Abdul Hayee (8 March 1921 – 25 October 1980), popularly known by his pen name (takhallus) Sahir Ludhianvi, was an Indian poet who wrote primarily in Urdu in addition to Hindi. He is regarded as one of the greatest film lyricists and poets of 20th century India.

His work influenced Indian cinema, in particular Hindi language films. Sahir won a Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist for Taj Mahal (1963). He won a second Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist for his work in Kabhie Kabhie (1976). He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1971.

On 8 March 2013, the ninety-second anniversary of Sahir's birth, a commemorative stamp was issued in his honour by India Post.

Early life and education

Sahir was born on 8 March 1921, in a Gujjar family in Karimpura, Ludhiana, Punjab, British India. This is the reason why he added the suffix Ludhianvi after his name. His mother, Sardar Begum, left her husband, thus forfeiting any claim to financial assets from the marriage. In 1934, Sahir's father remarried and sued (acrimoniously and unsuccessfully) for custody of his son. In a recent biography titled Sahir: A Literary Portrait (Oxford University Press) written by US-based author Surinder Deol, the author agrees with the very brief conclusion of Pakistani poet Ahmad Rahi, a friend of Sahir over the years, about Sahir's life story in a nutshell, "In his entire life, Sahir loved once, and he nurtured one hate. He loved his mother, and he hated his father." Sardar Begum required protection from Sahir's father and suffered financial deprivation. Sahir's place of birth in Ludhiana is marked with a small plaque on the building's arched entrance.