Cinemaazi remembers Shahryar on his birth anniversary
16 Jun 1936
A reputed academician and Urdu poet Akhlaq Mohammed Khan better known as Shahryar was born on 16 June, 1936. Born in Aonla, Bareilly, he originally wished to be an athlete. Later under the influence of the poet Khaleel-ur-Rehman Azmi his interest grew in Urdu literature. Joining the Aligarh Muslim University, initially as a student, then later as lecturer. He ultimately rose to be the chair of the Urdu department. He published several acclaimed volumes of poetry and won the Sahitya Akademi Award for Khwab ke dar bandh hai. In cinema, he wrote mostly for his friend Muzaffar Ali's films, most notably for Gaman (1978), Umrao Jaan (1981), and Anjuman (1986). He also wrote for Yash Chopra's Faasle (1985). The songs for Umrao Jaan remain unforgettable till this day. He was the recipient of the Jnanpith Award in 2008.
