Golden Era of Bollywood: Hit Songs of KAIFI AZMI

Kaifi Azmi (January 1919 – 10 May 2002) was an Indian Urdu poet. He will always be remembered who brought Urdu literature to Indian motion pictures.At the age eleven, Azmi wrote his first ghazal Itna To Zindagi Mein Kisi Ki Khalal Pade.Most of the people, including his father, thought he recited his elder brother's ghazal. When his elder brother denied it, his father and his clerk decided to test his poetic talent. They gave him one of the lines of a couplet and asked him to write a ghazal in the same meter and rhyme. Azmi accepted the challenge and completed a ghazal. This particular ghazal was to become a rage in undivided India and it was immortalised as it was sung by legendary ghazal singer, Begum Akhtar.
Kaifi Azmi wrote his first lyrics for the film Buzdil, directed by Shaheed Latif and music by SD Burman, released in 1951.As a lyricist and songwriter, though he wrote for numerous films, he will always be remembered for Guru Dutt's Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959) and Chetan Anand's Haqeeqat (1964), India's greatest war film. Some notables films for which he wrote lyrics include Kohra(1964), Anupama (1966), Uski Kahani (1966), Saat Hindustani (1969), Shola Aur Shabnam, Parwana (1971), Bawarchi (1972), Pakeezah (1972), Hanste Zakhm (1973), Arth (1982) and Razia Sultan (1983). For Naunihal (1967), he wrote the song "Meri Aawaz Suno Pyar ka Raaz Suno" (Hear my voice, hear the secret of love) sung by Mohammad Rafi. The song is picturised over the funeral procession of Prime Minister of India, Jawahar Lal Nehru.

Meri Awaz Suno from Naunihal 1967

Here I am Presenting some of my favourite songs of Kaifi Azmi
In 1961, 2 films SHAMA and Shola Aur Shabnam released with his songs

Dil Ghum Se Jal Raha Hai from Shama sung by Suman Kalyanpur

Jeet Hi Lenge Baazi from Shola Aur Shabnam 1961

Jaane Kya Dhoondti Rehti Hai from Shola Aur Shabnam 1961

His association with Chetan Anand from 1964 film Haqekat and later on his all films produced some great songs. His greatest feat as a writer was Chetan Anand's Heer Raanjha (1970) wherein the entire dialogue of the film was in verse. It was a tremendous achievement and one of the greatest feats of Hindi film writing.

Kar Chale Hum Fida from Haqekat 1964

Zara Si Aahat Hoti Hai from Haqekat 1964

Yeh Duniya Yeh Mehfil from Heer Ranjha 1970

Tum Jo Mil Gaye Ho from Hanste Zakham 1973

Betab Dil Ki Tamanna from Hanste Zakham 1973

His association with Music Director Khayyam gave some of the immortal songs of Bollywood.earlier songs from Shola Aur Shabnam 1961,later Shagun 1964,Kabhie Kabhie 1976,Noorie 1979 are few of them