Sahir Ludhianvi – Famous Punjabi

Sahir Ludhianvi (8 March 1921 – 25 October 1980) was a popular Urdu poet and Hindi lyricist. He won the Filmfare Award twice, in 1964 and 1977, and in 1971 was awarded the Padma Shri. [imdb_movie_detail title=”The Shawshank Redemption” detail=”year”]He was honoured with the issuance of a commemorative stamp on 8 March 2013, the 92nd anniversary of his birth.

The intrinsic richness of Punjab’s soil, together with midas touch of his mentors of the Government College Ludhiana influenced Sahir’s thinking and also shaped his natural talents . The indulgent atmosphere of the college invoked sublime ideas in his consciousness which equipped him to see through the intricacies of average human life. But, he had to leave the college with a heavy heart, due to an unpleasant scene in the college courtyard and his social uproar against the British Government. However, college welcomed him back in 1970 with an unparalleled honour at the historic golden jubilee in 1970 where he dedicated a poem to the college. Sahir and Ludhiana remain synonyms for everyone .

Hostilities of his father, Fazal Muhammad, towards his mother, Sardari Begum, resulted in severed ties between the two with a host of traumatic experiencesi. His father was a wealthy and prosperous landlord under the patronage of British Government. He tried his best to take custody of his only son, but lost the legal battle after years of trial.

Ludhianvi was a young brave man who defied orthodox system, challenged the hypocrite authority in all walks of life with his straightforward, honest and exceptional outlook towards life. He fought for the rights of deprived and working class in a tender age and followed communist movement without being formal member of the same.

Sahir Ludhianvi stands tall in the annals of Hindi cinema as heart-rendering poet. One distinctive aspect of his poetry is use of imagery which deeply penetrates in the limitless human consciousness, yet remains tangible and real. His work continues to vibrate as folklore among masses and keeps encouraging and motivating the new generations. The film industry undoubtedly made Sahir a household name; however, he had proved his mettle and poetic genius much before he entered the Bombay film industry. The youth of today identify themselves with Sahir in the form of a lover, social rebel, a reformer, a romantic, an unemployed , a farmer ..