- Source: Akhtar ul Iman
- Source: Akhtarul Iman
Akhtar ul Iman (12 November 1915 – 9 March 1996) was a noted Urdu poet and screenwriter in Hindi cinema, who had a major influence on modern Urdu nazm.
He won the Filmfare Award for Best Dialogue in 1963 for Dharmputra and 1966 for Waqt. He was awarded the 1962 Sahitya Akademi Award in Urdu, for his Poetry Collection, Yadein (Memories), by Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters.
Early life and education
Born on 12 November 1915 in Qila Patthargarh, Najibabad, in the Bijnor district of Uttar Pradesh in 1915. He was brought up in an orphanage. He gained his initial education at Bijnor, where he came in contact with poet and scholar Khurshid ul Islam, who taught at Aligarh Muslim University and developed a long association with Ralph Russell. He graduated from the Zakir Husain College at University of Delhi and completed his master's in Urdu degree from Aligarh Muslim University.
Career
He first joined All India Radio as a staff artist. Then Iman joined the Filmistan Studio as a dialogue writer in 1945.
He preferred nazm over more popular ghazal as a mean of poetic expression. Akhtar ul Iman's language is "coarse and unpoetic". He uses "coarse" and mundane poetic expressions to make his message effective and realistic.
He left behind a substantial legacy for new generation of poets to follow which explores new trends and themes in modern Urdu poetry giving a new direction to the modern and contemporary Urdu nazm with emphasis on philosophical humanism.
Works
= Books
=• Iss Aabad Kharabe Mein (Urdu)-published by Urdu Academy, Delhi, India. Autobiography of a famous Urdu writer of India.
= Poetry
=He has published eight collections:
Girdaab (1943)
Aabjoo (1944–1945)
Tareek Sayyara (1946–47)
Yaden (1961)
Bint-e-Lamhaat (1969)
Naya Ahang (1977)
Sar-o-Samaan (1982)
Zameen Zameen (1983–1990)
Kulliyaat-e-Akhter-ul-Iman (2000)
Play
Sabrang (1948): a one-verse play.
= Translation and compilation by others
=Zamistan Sard Mehrika (Urdu)- Last Poetic Collection of an unforgettable Urdu poet. Compiled and edited by Sultana Iman and Bedar Bakht.
Query of the Road – Selected Poems of Akhtar-ul-Iman with Extensive Commentary by Baidar Bakht
Indian cinema
His contribution to Hindi cinema is significant, keeping in mind the number of landmark and hit movies he has contributed as a script writer (dialogue, story and screenplay). His first landmark movie was Kanoon (1960 film), which became a big hit despite the fact that it had no songs or comedy sequences. Other important movies to which he contributed as a script writer were Dharmputra (1961) – for which he received a filmfare award – Gumrah, Waqt, Patther ke Sanam, and Daagh.
The one movie which has his lyrics is Bikhare Moti.
Awards
Literary awards
1962: Sahitya Akademi Award – Urdu: Yadein (Poetry)
and Numerous other literary awards.
Filmfare Award
1963: Best Dialogue: Dharmputra
1966: Best Dialogue: Waqt
Filmography
Vijay (1988) – writer
Chor Police (1983) – writer
Lahu Pukarega (1980) – director
Do Musafir (1978) – writer
Chandi Sona (1977) – writer
Zameer (1975) – writer
36 Ghante (1974) – writer
Roti (1974) – writer
Naya Nasha (1973) – writer
Bada Kabutar (1973) – writer
Daag (1973) – writer
Dhund (1973) – writer
Joshila (1973) – writer
Kunwara Badan (1973) – writer
Dastaan (1972) – writer
Joroo Ka Ghulam (1972) – writer
Aadmi Aur Insaan (1969) – writer
Chirag (1969) – writer
Ittefaq (1969) – writer
Aadmi (1968) – writer
Hamraaz (1967) – writer
Patthar Ke Sanam (1967) – writer
Gaban (1966) – writer
Mera Saaya (1966) – writer
Phool Aur Patthar (1966) – writer
Bhoot Bungla (1965) – writer
Waqt (1965) – writer
Shabnam (1964) – writer
Yaadein (1964) – writer
Aaj Aur Kal (1963) – writer
Akeli Mat Jaiyo (1963) – writer
Gumrah (1963) – writer
Neeli Aankhen (1962) – writer
Dharmputra (1961) – writer
Flat No. 9 (1961) – writer
Barood (1960) – writer
Kalpana (1960) – writer
Kanoon (1960) – writer
Nirdosh (1950) – writer
Actress (1948) – writer
Jharna (1948) – writer
Death and survivors
Akhtar ul Iman died on 9 March 1996 in Mumbai at age 80. He also was the father-in-law of actor Amjad Khan.
Further reading
Akhtar Ul Iman by Ghulam Rizvi 'gardish'. Sahitya Akademi Publications. ISBN 81-260-0920-9.
References
Cited sources
Rajadhyaksha, Ashish (1999). Encyclopaedia of Indian cinema. Internet Archive. London : British Film Institute. ISBN 978-0-85170-669-6.
External links
Akhtar ul Iman at IMDb
Verses of Akhtarul Iman
Nazm of Akhtarul Iman
[1] Modern Indian Literature, an Anthology By K. M. George, Sahitya Akademi
Akhtar ul Iman - Archived
Akhtarul Iman (born 7 March 1964) is an Indian politician from the state of Bihar. He is a member of 17th Bihar Legislative Assembly, representing the Amour seat as MLA. He is also the Bihar State President of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM).
Political career
= 1985–2015
=Akhtarul Iman said that he entered politics when he was a student. In 1985, he joined a campaign led by Moulana Mohammad Hai against burglars and dacoits. Iman said that he joined the campaign as "the police and administration were hand in glove with them." In Bihar Assembly Elections February 2005, he contested from Kishanganj on a Rashtriya Janata Dal ticket and was elected. He also retained the seat in October 2005 election as well and remained as MLA of Kishanganj till 2010.
In 2010 he was elected as MLA from Kochadhaman and resigned in 2014. In February 2013, when students were being made to do the Yoga Asana of Surya Namaskar (allegedly bowing down to Hindu sun God Surya), Iman said that the government was trying to implement the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (a Hindu right wing organization) ideology in the state.
In 2014, he left Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and joined Janata Dal (United). He contested from the Kishanganj seat as JD(U) candidate for the 16th Lok Sabha and lost the election to Asrarul Haq Qasmi.
= 2015–present
=In August 2015, Iman joined Hyderabad based All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and in November 2015, Iman was made a candidate for the party from the Kochadhaman seat in the 2015 Bihar Legislative Assembly election. In the rallies, the party workers hailed him as Sher-e-Bihar (Tiger of Bihar) and was projected as Bihar's Asaduddin Owaisi (the party's national chief). He said that if people of the Paswan and Yadav community can have their own political parties, then Muslims should also have their own. He was also the party's president for Bihar state.
However, he lost the election to Mujahid Alam of Janata Dal (United). Iman polled 37,000 votes compared to Alam's 56,000.
In the Indian general election, 2019 Iman was a candidate for the AIMIM from the Kishanganj seat but he lost to Mohammad Jawed.
Iman became an MLA from Amour constituency in the 2020 Bihar Legislative Assembly election.
Positions held
Akhtarul Iman has served 4 times as MLA.