Kaifiyat, Kaifi Azmi - The Poet Extraordinaire Options

[swarapriya]

Kaifiyat

(I humbly dedicate this thread to the memory of Erum Hashmi who was instrumental in seeding this idea in my mind to start this thread on this extraordinary poet.)

(Note: These are excerpts from an article that appeared in the “Anmoal Fankaar” web site. The full text can be found at the following location …

http://www.anmolfankaar.com/specials/ek-fa...-extraordinaire

My many thanks to Aparna for her several suggestions to make the full essay cohesive and readable.)

Kaifi Azmi was an eminent poet with many progressive ideas. Throughout his life he championed causes that affect the under privileged, oppressed, and down-trodden. He crusaded tirelessly for secular values. He was the eloquent voice of the progressive movement. He was a poet at heart but a socialist in practice. Azmi left an indelible mark through his writings. He expressed through them views that were very intrepid in nature. He breathed fire into his literature campaigning and fighting vigorously for social justice. Azmi was a trendsetter who voiced the stark realities of life through the poems he authored. The intensity of emotions used in his words, the spirit of compassion for the down-trodden, stark but rich in imagery sprinkled throughout his writings, became hallmarks of his style. He once stated that his writings were born out of his engrained convictions. His daughter, actress Shabana Azmi, says about him that, “ … indomitable will and an extraordinary skill to organize people kept him dynamic throughout his life. ..”

Kaifi Azmi was born as Akhtar Hussain Rizvi in 1918 in a small village in Uttar Pradesh. His father was a landlord, but was an educated person and preferred to work for the government. He was very inclined to send his son to school so that his son could get a modern education, but because of the stiff opposition he faced from his relatives he had to call that idea off. Instead, Azmi was sent to school to study theology in Lucknow to keep his elders happy. Young Azmi was a nonconformist at an early age. He saw that students enjoyed few privileges at the school and organized a student union. When the union’s demands for fair treatment failed, he organized the students to go on a strike that lasted a very long time. The seminary got tired of him and finally expelled him from the school.

Azmi Saab studied from home and acquired a good knowledge of Arabic, Persian, and Urdu. He passed several examinations at Lucknow University and Allahabad University in these languages.

Azmi’s stint at the seminary in Lucknow didn’t go unnoticed by leading progressive writers homed in that town. They befriended with him and encouraged him to start writing poetry. This encouragement and his command of several languages made it possible for him to quickly establish himself as a budding and acclaimed poet admired by his peers.

Kaifi Saab wrote his first ghazal when he was only 11 years old. He was invited to participate in a Mushaira where he recited his small verse. That same ghazal became very popular and the great ghazal singer Begum Akhtar made it even more famous by singing it.

The year 1942 saw India mounting pressure on the English rulers by organizing protests , marches, slogans, and other forms of resistance. These agitations rose like hot fever and eventually culminated in the Quit India movement. Azmi Saab abandoned his studies and became part of the movement. He joined the Communist Party in 1943.

He moved to Kanpur and started working for a textile mill. Seeing how the mill was ill-treating its workers, Azmi once again started organizing unions, protests and agitation. By seeing the results Kaifi Saab was getting in Kanpur, the leaders of the Communist Party asked him to shift to Bombay to accomplish similar goals there.

While in Bombay he became a trade union worker and continued the work he started in Kanpur. He also worked closely with two of the Party’s Urdu newspapers, “Quami Jung” and “Mazdoor Mohalla”. He became associated with the Progressive Writers Association (PWA) and Indian Peoples’ Theatre Association (IPTA). For the latter organization, he participated in some of their plays.

With so many activities he was involved in, Azmi Saab still found time to often write and also attended mushairas whenever he could. In 1947, one of his visits brought him to Hyderabad. In the mushaira he met Shaukat Ali, a film and stage actress, who was also equally free spirited as he was. He fell in love with her and later they married. Actress Shabana Azmi is their daughter. The noted cameraman Baba Azmi is their son.

While tirelessly working for the Party and being associated with their related activities, Azmi Saab needed some financial relief to provide for his family. This led him to meet Shaheed Latif of the Bombay film world, who was about to direct a film called “Buzdil (1951)”. Latif Saab offered Azmi an opportunity to write the lyrics for the movie, and thus Azmi’s stint with the Bombay cinema began.

During his distinguished career, Kaifi Azmi was showered with many worthy honors. Some of these include Padma Shree, Sahitya Academy Award, Sahitya Academy Fellowship Award, and a host of others.

He also won Filmfare Awards for Best Story, Best Screenplay, and Best Dialogue for his work in “Garam Hawa (1973)”. He received the National Film Award for Best lyrics for his songs in K.A. Abaas’ “Saat Hindustani (1970)” which introduced Amitabh Bachchan as an actor.

He received several governmental honors. The government of Uttar Pradesh naming the road leading to the town he was born in as “Kaifi Azmi Road” and the highway as “Kaifi Azmi Highway”. The train from Delhi to Azamgarh, near his village, was named by the government of India as “Kaifiyat”.

In addition, the Purvanchal University now has a “Kaifi Azmi Media Centre” in Janpur. There is a Kaifi Azmi
Academy in Lucknow, In Juhu, Mumbai, a park was named as “Kaifi Azmi Park”. There is another park by the same name in Phoolpur. In Hyderabad, where Kaifi Azmi met his wife Shaukat, there are plans to build his statue.

Kaifi Azmi was awarded many honorary doctorates by various universities including Vishwa Bharati University, Puruvanchal University, and Agra University.

Kaifi passed away on May 10, 2002.

"I was born in ghulam Hindustan, am living in an Azad Hindustan and will die in a socialist Hindustan." These were the words Kaifi Azmi spoke in an interview.

Kaifi Azmi. A great poet and leader. An even a better human being.

Kaifi Azmi's filmography follows ...

This post has been edited by swarapriya: Jul 27 2010, 07:28 PM

[swarapriya]

Garm Hava (1973)

The movie starts with a thought provoking verse “Takseen Hua Mulk Toh Dil Ho Gaye Tukde, Har Seene Mein Toofaan Wahaan Bhi Tha Yahaan Bhi” thus setting the stage for the independent India soon after partition. The movie ends with an equally poignant verse “Woh Door Se Toofaan Karte Hain Nazaara, Unn Ke Liye Toofaan Wahaan Bhi Hai Yahaan Bhi Hai”. In between these two scenes with verses, in 125 minutes, the film depicts the travails, self-doubts, divided loyalties, ambitions and aspirations of a Muslim family whose story is at once gripping and at the same time deeply touching.

M.S. Sathyu (Mysore Shrinivas Sathyu) (see the attached picture) who directed the movie is from Karnataka. He is a stage designer, an art director, and a movie director. His film repertoire is short but he is active in television and theatre. His work for Chetan Anand’s “Haqeeqat (1964)” won him a Filmfare Award as the Best Art Director.

Many believe that “Garm Hava” along with Shyam Benegal’s “Ankur”, also from 1973, started the so called art “parallel” cinema in Hindi. There is no denying that “Garm Hava” is a deeply touching and very affecting movie. It won the National Film Award and three Filmfare Awards. It was an official Oscar entry and was nominated for the Golden Palm Award at the Cannes Film Festival. The movie also won the Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature film on National Integration.

The movie was one of the finest works of Kaifi Azmi Saab. He co-wrote the story and screenplay for the movie. The co-writer Shama Zaidi is wife of Sathyu, the director of the film. Azmi Saab also wrote the dialogues and provided lyrics. For his outstanding effort, Kaifi Azmiji won three Filmfare Awards. One was for the Best Dialogues. The other was for the Best Screenplay. He shared this with Shama Zaidi. And the third one was for the Best Story. He shared this with the original writer, Ismat Chughtai, on whose short story this film was actually based.

The movie had initial problems getting a clearance because of the sensitivity of the subject it dealt with. Many members on the Censor Board felt that it even might incite riots. But Sathyu took the movie to have private screenings for many influential officials in Delhi and this finally did the trick. Interestingly the film was not only an artistic triumph but also did well at the box office.

Basically there was only one song, a qawwali, in the film. It appears in two parts in the movie. I am including this and various music clips from the film below. The source for this was a DVD.

Here are the songs and music clips from this film...

[HarshBhatt]

"Taqseem Hua Mulk To Dil Ho Gaye Tukde,
Har Seene Mein Toofan Wahan Bhi Tha, Yahan Bhi,

Har Ghar Mein Chita Jalti Thi, Lehra Te Thhey Sholay,
Har Shehar Mein Shamshaan Wahan Bhi Tha, Yahan Bhi,

Geeta Ki Koi Sunta, Na Quran Ki Sunta,
Hairaan Tha Imaan, Wahan Bhi Tha, Yahan Bhi"

Narrated by Kaifi Azmi


Thanks Swarapriya, where did you get the DVD?

This post has been edited by HarshBhatt: Sep 13 2011, 11:49 AM

[swarapriya]

"Taqseem Hua Mulk To Dil Ho Gaye Tukde,
Har Seene Mein Toofan Wahan Bhi Tha, Yahan Bhi,

Har Ghar Mein Chita Jalti Thi, Lehra Te Thhey Sholay,
Har Shehar Mein Shamshaan Wahan Bhi Tha, Yahan Bhi,

Geeta Ki Koi Sunta, Na Quran Ki Sunta,
Hairaan Tha Imaan, Wahan Bhi Tha, Yahan Bhi"

Narrated by Kaifi Azmi


Thanks Swarapriya, where did you get the DVD?

Thank you very much Harshji. I suspected it was Azmi Saab who was narrating those verses. As far as the DVD goes, I bought this way back. A friend of mine tells me that this was recently restored by the Indian Government and may be available in the shops. I cannot authenticate that. Someone also told me that it is available online on the Internet.

Cheers,
S

[capricornn]

thanks for sharing garam hawa, swarapriyaji.

[swarapriya]

thanks for sharing garam hawa, swarapriyaji.

You're very welcome Capricornnji. Cheers. -S

[swarapriya]

Hanste Zakhm (1973)

Here is another price of brilliant work by Madan Mohan Saab and Kaifi Azmiji. I am uploading these songs in two back-to-back posts. The first post contains all of the songs from the film. The second post contains several specials.

Here are the songs in the first post...

[swarapriya]

Concluding Songs from "Hanste Zakhm (1973)"...

I am including in this post some specials. Details are given in the table below. Here are these songs...

[swarapriya]

Hindustan Ki Kasam (1973)

Here is another winner from the combination of Kaifi Azmi Saab and Madan Mohanji...

[swarapriya]

Naina (1973)

Azmi Saab wrote lyrics for only one song, "Hone Lagi Hai Raat", for this film. I am uploading this and other songs from this album in two back-to-back posts. The first post contains all the songs from an original soundtrack album. The second post contains songs from a DVD that are missing on the CD.

Here are the songs in the first post...

[swarapriya]

Concluding Songs from "Naina (1973)"...

Here are the rest of the songs from this album...

[swarapriya]

Asliyat (1974)

I don't have any songs from this album. If you can, please kindly share. Thanks.

[Exon]

Asliyat (1974)

I don't have any songs from this album. If you can, please kindly share. Thanks.

SP,

Here are two songs; audios originated from HF member.

Asha Bhosle, chorus:
armaan se khelte hain, toofan se khelte hain,
hum diwaane, hum parwaane, nikhle hain leke jalti jawaaniyan (4:11 \ 128)

Krishna Kalle, Mahendra Kapoor, chorus:
jhoome baali dhaan ki, jeet huyi hai kisaan ki (5:38 \ 128)


Exon

[swarapriya]

Asliyat (1974)

I don't have any songs from this album. If you can, please kindly share. Thanks.

SP,

Here are two songs; audios originated from HF member.

Asha Bhosle, chorus:
armaan se khelte hain, toofan se khelte hain,
hum diwaane, hum parwaane, nikhle hain leke jalti jawaaniyan (4:11 \ 128)

Krishna Kalle, Mahendra Kapoor, chorus:
jhoome baali dhaan ki, jeet huyi hai kisaan ki (5:38 \ 128)


Exon

Thank you very much Exon for sharing the songs. Cheers. -S

[swarapriya]

Faslah (1974)

Here is an instance where Dad Azmi Saab wrote lyrics for the daughter Shabana. These songs composed by Jaidevji are absolutely beautiful. Here they are...

[swarapriya]

Sankalp (1974)

I have only three songs from this album that I am uploading here. If there are more, please kindly share. Thank you.

Listen to the song "Tu Hi Saagar". An absolute beauty. Sulakshana Pandit, who sang this song, won a Filmfare Award as the Best Female Singer for this song. Here is this and the other two songs I have...