Akhlaq Mohammed Khan

Akhlaq Mohammad Khan (16 June 1936 – 13 February 2012), better known by his pen name (takhallus in Urdu language) Shahryar, was an Indian academic, and a doyen of Urdu poetry in India.

As a Hindi film lyricist, he is best known for his lyrics in Gaman (1978) He has been widely acknowledged as the finest exponent of modern Urdu poetry. He received his early education at Bulandshahr.

In his childhood days, Shahryar wanted to be an athlete but his father wanted him to join the police force. He also completed his Ph.D. in Aligarh.

Career Shahryar started his career as a writer at Hamari Zubaan, the weekly magazine of the Anjuman Tarraqqi-e-Urdu in 1961 and worked there until 1966.

Lyricist Shahryar wrote lyrics for select films, only from Aligarh where he was approached by filmmakers. Muzaffar Ali and Shahryar were friends from their student days, and Shahryar had shared some of the ghazals with him. Later when Ali made his directorial debut with Gaman in 1978, he used two of his ghazals Seene Mein Jalan Ankhon Mein Toofan Sa Kyun Hai and Ajeeb Saneha Mujhpar Guzar Gaya Yaaron in the film, and they are still considered classic. All his ghazals from Umrao Jaan, 'Dil Cheez Kya Hai Aap Meri Jaan Lijiye', 'Ye Ka Jagah Hai Doston', 'In Aankhon Ki Masti Ke' are among the finest lyrical works in Bollywood. He also wrote for Yash Chopra's Faasle (1985), thereafter Chopra offered him three more films to write for him, but he refused as he didn't want to become a "song shop".

Awards Sahitya Akademi Award in Urdu for his poetry collection, Khwab Ka Dar Band Hai (1987). The fourth Urdu writer to win the Jnanpith Award – 2008. Firaaq Samman award. Delhi Urdu Academy's All India Bahadur Shah Zafar Award.

Four theses have been written on Shahryar's works.

Selected bibliography Ism-e-Azam, 1965. Saatwan Dar, 1969. Hijr Ke Mausam, 1978. Khwab Ke Dar Band Hain, 1987 Neend ki Kirchen – (English: Shards of Shattered Sleep). Mere Hissay Ki Zameen Through the Closed Doorway: A Collection of Nazms by Shahryar, tr. Rakhshanda Jalil. 2004, Rupa & Co.. Shahryar, Akhlaq Mohmmad Khan: Influence of the western criticism on the Urdu criticism, Aligarh. Dhund ki Roshni (English: The Light of Dusk): Selected Poems of Shahryar, 2003, Sahitya Akademi.