Himayat Ali Shair

Himayat Ali Shair (; 14 July 1926 – 15 July 2019) was an Urdu poet, writer, film songwriter, actor and radio drama artist from Pakistan.

He received the 2002 Pride of Performance Award for his literary services in Urdu literature from the president of Pakistan. He also received two Nigar Awards in 1962 and 1963 for 'Best Song Lyricist' for Pakistani films Aanchal (1962) and Daman (1963).

Early life and education Himayat Ali Shair was born in Aurangabad, Hyderabad Deccan, British India on 14 July 1926. His mother died when he was three years old. At a very young age, he was exposed to the leading leftist writers of that time. He did his master's degree in Urdu from the University of Sindh at Jamshoro, Pakistan.

Shair wrote the first few evergreen songs in the cinema of Pakistan. Some of the songs include Na Chura Sakogay Daaman, Shair is the only poet in Urdu literary history who wrote an autobiography titled "Aaina Sar Aaina." Over 400 pages, the autobiography is composed of as many as 3,500 couplets. In 2007, he published a collection of all of his poetry as "Kuliyat-e-Shair".

On 27 March 2010, a literary evening was organized in Hyderabad, Sindh by Kamaluddin Memorial Society in honor of Shair. The Vice-Chancellor of Sindh University, Dr. Nazir A. Mughal announced the establishment of "Himayat Ali Shair Chair" in recognition of his services to literature. He also announced five scholarships of Rs 5,000 each per month for research on literary contributions of Himayat Ali Shair for M.Phil/PhD degrees. A resolution was adopted on the occasion called for naming a road in the city after Himayat Ali Shair.

Personal life Himayat Ali Shair married Meraj Naseem in 1949; they were together for 52 years, until his wife died in Toronto, Ontario, Canada of liver cancer. She is buried in Pickering, Ontario, Canada where their children live.

Himayat Ali Shair spent most of his time in Pakistan and Canada where his children live and frequently visited his hometown in India, where his siblings reside. Khamosh Raho (1964) Kaneez (1965 film) Among his survivors are his eight children, four boys including Roshan Khayal, Auje Kamal who live in Canada now, and four girls.