A TREAT FOR POETRY-LOVERS

Poet Kaifi Azmi (1919–2002) is remembered for bringing Urdu literature to Indian motion pictures. With Pirzada Qasim, Jaun Elia and others, he participated in many memorable mushairas of the twentieth century. His daughter is Shabana Azmi. Jan Nisar Akhtar (1914–1976) was an Urdu poet and lyricist. His career spanned four decades, during which he worked with music composers such as C Ramchandra, OP Nayyar, N Dutta and Khayyam and wrote 151 songs. Notable among them were songs from Guru Dutt’s CID (1956) and Kamal Amrohi’s Razia Sultan. His collection of poems, Khaak-e-dil (Ashes of the Heart), was awarded the 1976 Sahitya Akademi Award. He is survived by his son Javed Akhtar. Dhanak and Daaera, edited by Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar, showcases 25 nazms each from two of India’s most iconic Urdu poets, in the Nastaliq and Devanagari scripts, and in English translation.

Dhanak and Daaera (Box Set) Edited by Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar; 488pp, ~2,499; Westland