Topic summary
Jan Nisar Akhtar
- Urdu Dictionary Board
- Delhi Urdu Academy
- Uttar Pradesh Urdu Academy
- Bihar Urdu Academy
- Haryana Urdu Akademi
- Anjuman-i Taraqqi-i Urdu (New Delhi and Karachi)
- Anjuman-e-Taraqqi-e-Urdu Bihar
- Federal Urdu University (Karachi and Islamabad campuses)
- Urdu Language Authority (Islamabad)
- Maulana Azad National Urdu University (Hyderabad, India)
- Osmania University (Hyderabad, India)
- Aligarh Muslim University
Jan Nisar Akhtar (18 February 1914 – 19 August 1976) was an Indian poet of Urdughazals and nazms, and a part of the Progressive Writers' Movement, who was also a lyricist for Bollywood.
He was the son of Muztar Khairabadi and great grandson of Fazl-e-Haq Khairabadi, who were both Urdu poets. His career spanned four decades during which he worked with music composers including C. Ramchandra, O.P. Nayyar, Datta Naik also credited as N. Datta and Khayyam and wrote 151 songs. Notable among them were songs from his breakthrough film, A.R. Kardar's Yasmin (1955), Aankhon hi Aankhon Mein in Guru Dutt's CID (1956), Yeh dil aur unki nigahon ke saaye in Prem Parbat (1974) and Aaja re in Noorie (1979) and his last song, Ae Dil-e-naadaan, in Kamal Amrohi's Razia Sultan (1983).
His poetic works include Nazr-e-Butaan, Salaasil, Javidaan, Pichali Pehar, Ghar Angan and Khaak-e-dil. The latter ("The Ashes of Heart") was a poetry collection for which he was awarded the 1976 Sahitya Akademi Award in Urdu by Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters.