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Farewell to a poetic genius

Kaifi Azmi expires at 82 in Mumbai

CULTURE DESK
PASSING away of renowned Urdu poet and film lyricist Kaifi Azmi drops a pall of gloom upon the entire cultural community of India, specially in Mumbai, not to mention of others across the subcontinent.
Kaifi Azmi was counted among the leading progressive poets of this part of the world who have firmly established the linkages between poetry and life. Like all the poets who are affiliated to the Progressive School of Poetry, Kaifi did not have any deference for the art, be it poetry, fiction, drama or any other fine art, that did not reflect the sociopolitical realities of its time. As a progressive poet Kaifi felt that in an exploitative social system a poet has to perform a significant role, inspiring people to bring about changes in social order. Such considerations make the poetry one of the means to transform an unjust social system into a just society. Like most others of his rank, Kaifi Azmi was committed to Marxism and it was expected from such a poet that he spread the tenets of socialism through poetry. Kaifi had been doing this for more than half a century till recent times.
In an autobiographical write-up published in India, the late poet had written that he was not aware of his date of birth, but added, 'About myself I can only say this much with confidence that I was born in the enslaved India, became old in the Independent India and would die in the Socialist India'. Born in a zamindar family, Kaifi grew up in a circle that was deeply grounded in literary culture. Although his father was not a poet or writer himself but his literary taste was very refined. The three elder brothers were poets. Such a milieu was very propitious for a sensitive kid like Kaifi to turn a poet himself. His carrier of an amateur poet started at the age of 11.
Kaifi, following trend of Urdu poets, began as a ghazal writer cramming his poetry with the oft-repeated themes of love and romance in a style that was replete with cliched similes and metaphors. The choice of his themes did not leave much scope for him to make
The late poet Kaifi Azmi
rich his poetic creations aesthetically. In many of his poems use of speech was a bit louder and the style was direct and closer to rhetoric. Yet, Kaifi's poetry could be called as plain propaganda. It had its own merits, intensity of emotions, and in particular, the spirit of sympathy and compassion towards the disadvantaged section of society were the hallmarks of his poems. Kaifi's poems were notable for rich imagery and in this respect his contribution to Urdu poetry could hardly be overstated that would continue till ages.
As a lyricist, he contributed in films like Heer Ranjha, Kaghaz Ke Phool, Haqeeqat, Hanstey Zakhm, all of which gained tremendous popularity in those days. Kaifi had won various awards from national and international institutions. Some of the awards included Uttar Pradesh Urdu Academy Award, Soviet Land Nehru Award, Sahitya Academy Award, Maharashtra State Urdu Academy's Special Award for the contribution to Urdu literature, and Afro-Asian Writers' Committee's Lotus Award. Published works of poetry of the late talent included Jhankar, Aakhir-E-Shab, Aawara Sajdey, Iblees Ki Majlis-E-Shoora Doosra Ijlas.