Himayat Ali Shair
Encyclopedia
Himayat Ali Shair is a renowned Urdu poet, writer
, lyricist
, actor
,radio drama artist from Pakistan
. He is the recipient of Pride of Performance
Award given to him in 2002 for his literary services to Urdu literature
by then President of Pakistan
Pervez Musharraf
http://www.karachipage.com/news/Aug_01/081401.html.
Shair was born in Aurangabad, India
on July 14, 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 worked for All India Radio
and arrived in Pakistan in 1951 to began his remarkable career with Radio Pakistan at Karachi. http://www.karachipage.com/news/Aug_01/081401.html.
His first poetry book was published in 1956 "Aag Main Phool" which received the Presidential Award in 1958. Later, he started his successful career as a lyricist, receiving Nigar Awards
for the films Aanchal and Daaman
in 1962 and 1963 respectively. In 1966, Shair produced and directed "Lori" (Lullaby) starring Muhammad Ali
, Zeba
, Santosh Kumar
. The movie completed its Golden Jubilee
by running for 52 weeks in Karachi
.
Shair wrote few of the evergreen songs ever written in the cinema of Pakistan
. Some of the songs include Na Chura Sakogay Daamanhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ6NImLfZNY&feature=related, Jaag Utha Hai Sara Watanhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B617KARwOLY, Khudawanda Yeh Kaisi Aaghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgQC6pNFZPU, Jab Raat Dhali, Har Qadam Per Nit Naye Sanchay Main Dhal Jatay Hain Loghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEwUTBhJa7I, Tujh Ko Maloom Naheen and many others.
His other collection of poetry includes "Mitti Ka Qarz, "Tashnagi Ka Safar", "Haroon Ki Awaz" which received Allama Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Award http://pal.gov.pk/home/ghj.html and "Harf Harf Roshni". Besides, he is the only poet in Urdu literary history who has written his autobiography
, titled "Aaina Sar Aaina", in verse comprising as many as 3,500 couplets spread over 400 pages.http://www.dawn.com/2008/05/29/fea.htm. In 2007, he published collection of all of his poetry as "Kuliyat-e-Shair".
Shair also had his work translated into different languages. A poem on World Peace named "Flower in Flames" was translated by Rajinder Singh Verma. Verma also translated another of his books named "Every World Aglow".http://www.urdustan.net/2004/11/twentieth-century-urdu-poetry-in.html
Shair's research work for Pakistan Television titled Aqeedat ka safar (700 years of Naat poetry) has also been published. Another series shed valuable light on 50 years of Naat poetry in Pakistan. His other TV programmes included Ghazal uss nay chheri (700 years of Urdu poetry), Khushboo ka safar (500 years of regional poets’ Urdu poetry), Mohabbaton kay safeer (500 years of Sindhi poets’ Urdu poetry), Lub aazad (40 years of agitational poetry).
In 1976, he joined Sindh University as an associate Professor of Urdu Literature on insistence of his friend and renowned poet Shaikh Ayaz
. He quit film industry as his children were growing older and film industry was not considered a very respectable institute. In his words,
“Besides, my wife had been insisting that I switch to some ‘decent’ profession, even if it is a low-paid one, as she feared the grown-up children might follow in my footsteps and enter the film world. Her fears were not unfounded as one day I also observed my son Roshan Khayal, a university student then, sporting well-known actor Mohammad Ali’s hairdo.”http://www.dawn.com/2008/05/29/fea.htm
The other awards for his literary and film efforts included Makhdoom Mohiuddin international award in Delhi in 1989, Life Achievement Award in Washington in 2001, Pride of Performance Award, Naqoosh Award, Allama Iqbal Award, the Long Life Literary Award in New Jersey in 1994, and the Inventor of Salassi (three-line poem) Award in Chicago in 1993.
In 2002, Houston based Radio Station Young Tarang
released a CD based on Shair's poetry which included songs sung by famous Pakistani singers and recitation by himself.http://www.dawn.com/weekly/images/archive/020310/images5.htm
On March 27, 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 to establish "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/Ph.D degrees. A resolution was adopted on the occasion called for naming a road in the city after Himayat Ali Shair.http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/su-plans-himayat-ali-shair-chai-930
Shair married Meraj Naseem in 1949, they were together for 52 years when his wife died in Toronto
, Canada
of liver cancer
.http://www.dawn.com/2002/11/23/local21.htm She is buried in the City of Pickering
.
Shair spends most of his time in Pakistan and Canada where his children live and frequently visits his hometown in India, where his siblings reside. Currently, he is working on his autobiography in prose.
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, lyricist
Lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
, actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
,radio drama artist from Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. He is the recipient of Pride of Performance
Pride of Performance
Pride of Performance , is one of the highest civil award given and conferred by the Pakistan Government to Pakistan's citizens in recognition of distinguished merit in the fields of Literature, Arts, Sports, Medicines, and Science for civilians in most particular cases.The announcement of civil...
Award given to him in 2002 for his literary services to Urdu literature
Urdu literature
Urdu literature has a long and colorful history that is inextricably tied to the development of that very language, Urdu, in which it is written...
by then President of Pakistan
President of Pakistan
The President of Pakistan is the head of state, as well as figurehead, of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Recently passed an XVIII Amendment , Pakistan has a parliamentary democratic system of government. According to the Constitution, the President is chosen by the Electoral College to serve a...
Pervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf , is a retired four-star general who served as the 13th Chief of Army Staff and tenth President of Pakistan as well as tenth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. Musharraf headed and led an administrative military government from October 1999 till August 2007. He ruled...
http://www.karachipage.com/news/Aug_01/081401.html.
Shair was born in Aurangabad, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
on July 14, 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 worked for All India Radio
All India Radio
All India Radio , officially known since 1956 as Akashvani , is the radio broadcaster of India and a division of Prasar Bharati. Established in 1936, it is the sister service of Prasar Bharati's Doordarshan, the national television broadcaster. All India Radio is one of the largest radio networks...
and arrived in Pakistan in 1951 to began his remarkable career with Radio Pakistan at Karachi. http://www.karachipage.com/news/Aug_01/081401.html.
His first poetry book was published in 1956 "Aag Main Phool" which received the Presidential Award in 1958. Later, he started his successful career as a lyricist, receiving Nigar Awards
Nigar Awards
The Nigar Awards, the official awards of Pakistani film industry, are the oldest awards to honour the show business personalities of Pakistan. The awards were first introduced in 1958 by Ilyas Rasheedi, the editor of weekly Nigar magazine, with a purpose to recognize the achievements of those who...
for the films Aanchal and Daaman
Daaman
Daaman, set in the Muslim backdrop, is an Indian television drama series that aired on Sahara TV now as Sahara One in 2001. The series won 'Best Location Sound' category award at the RAPA Awards in 2002.-Cast:*Shyam Bhanushali*Beena Banerjee...
in 1962 and 1963 respectively. In 1966, Shair produced and directed "Lori" (Lullaby) starring Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
, Zeba
Zeba
Zeba is a film actress from Pakistan. Her real name is Shaheen, but she adopted the name Zeba. She starred in the 1966 film Arman which was produced by actor and producer Waheed Murad.-Film career:Zeba started her career from Karachi...
, Santosh Kumar
Santosh Kumar
Syed Musa Raza better known as Santosh Kumar was a famous Pakistani film actor of 1950s and 1960s era. He belonged to a well educated family from Uttar Pradesh, India. He was married to Sabiha Khanum. His brother Darpan was also a renowned film actor during that period. His other brother S...
. The movie completed its Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee
A Golden Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 50th anniversary.- In Thailand :King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-reigning monarch, celebrated his Golden Jubilee on 9 June 1996.- In the Commonwealth Realms :...
by running for 52 weeks in Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
.
Shair wrote few of the evergreen songs ever written in the cinema of Pakistan
Cinema of Pakistan
The cinema of Pakistan refers to Pakistan's film industry. Most of the feature films shot in Pakistan are in Urdu language but may also include films in English, Punjabi, Pashto, Balochi or Sindhi languages....
. Some of the songs include Na Chura Sakogay Daamanhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ6NImLfZNY&feature=related, Jaag Utha Hai Sara Watanhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B617KARwOLY, Khudawanda Yeh Kaisi Aaghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgQC6pNFZPU, Jab Raat Dhali, Har Qadam Per Nit Naye Sanchay Main Dhal Jatay Hain Loghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEwUTBhJa7I, Tujh Ko Maloom Naheen and many others.
His other collection of poetry includes "Mitti Ka Qarz, "Tashnagi Ka Safar", "Haroon Ki Awaz" which received Allama Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Award http://pal.gov.pk/home/ghj.html and "Harf Harf Roshni". Besides, he is the only poet in Urdu literary history who has written his autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
, titled "Aaina Sar Aaina", in verse comprising as many as 3,500 couplets spread over 400 pages.http://www.dawn.com/2008/05/29/fea.htm. In 2007, he published collection of all of his poetry as "Kuliyat-e-Shair".
Shair also had his work translated into different languages. A poem on World Peace named "Flower in Flames" was translated by Rajinder Singh Verma. Verma also translated another of his books named "Every World Aglow".http://www.urdustan.net/2004/11/twentieth-century-urdu-poetry-in.html
Shair's research work for Pakistan Television titled Aqeedat ka safar (700 years of Naat poetry) has also been published. Another series shed valuable light on 50 years of Naat poetry in Pakistan. His other TV programmes included Ghazal uss nay chheri (700 years of Urdu poetry), Khushboo ka safar (500 years of regional poets’ Urdu poetry), Mohabbaton kay safeer (500 years of Sindhi poets’ Urdu poetry), Lub aazad (40 years of agitational poetry).
In 1976, he joined Sindh University as an associate Professor of Urdu Literature on insistence of his friend and renowned poet Shaikh Ayaz
Shaikh Ayaz
Shaikh Ayaz was one of the great Sindhi poets of Pakistan. He was born in Shikarpur Sindh. By profession he was a lawyer but he also served as the vice chancellor of Sindh University. His poetry brought new trends into Sindhi literature....
. He quit film industry as his children were growing older and film industry was not considered a very respectable institute. In his words,
“Besides, my wife had been insisting that I switch to some ‘decent’ profession, even if it is a low-paid one, as she feared the grown-up children might follow in my footsteps and enter the film world. Her fears were not unfounded as one day I also observed my son Roshan Khayal, a university student then, sporting well-known actor Mohammad Ali’s hairdo.”http://www.dawn.com/2008/05/29/fea.htm
The other awards for his literary and film efforts included Makhdoom Mohiuddin international award in Delhi in 1989, Life Achievement Award in Washington in 2001, Pride of Performance Award, Naqoosh Award, Allama Iqbal Award, the Long Life Literary Award in New Jersey in 1994, and the Inventor of Salassi (three-line poem) Award in Chicago in 1993.
In 2002, Houston based Radio Station Young Tarang
Young Tarang
Young Tarang was the third music album of the duo sensation Nazia Hassan and Zohaib Hassan released in 1984. It is one of the most famous albums of Asia. It was the first Asian album to feature music videos. The album sold over 60 million copies....
released a CD based on Shair's poetry which included songs sung by famous Pakistani singers and recitation by himself.http://www.dawn.com/weekly/images/archive/020310/images5.htm
On March 27, 2010, a literary evening was organized in Hyderabad, Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
by Kamaluddin Memorial Society in honor of Shair. The Vice-Chancellor of Sindh University Dr. Nazir A. Mughal announced to establish "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/Ph.D degrees. A resolution was adopted on the occasion called for naming a road in the city after Himayat Ali Shair.http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/su-plans-himayat-ali-shair-chai-930
Shair married Meraj Naseem in 1949, they were together for 52 years when his wife died in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
of liver cancer
Liver cancer
Liver tumors or hepatic tumors are tumors or growths on or in the liver . Several distinct types of tumors can develop in the liver because the liver is made up of various cell types. These growths can be benign or malignant...
.http://www.dawn.com/2002/11/23/local21.htm She is buried in the City of Pickering
Pickering, Ontario
Pickering is a city located in Southern Ontario, Canada immediately east of Toronto in Durham Region. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area, the largest metropolitan area in Canada.- Early Period :...
.
Shair spends most of his time in Pakistan and Canada where his children live and frequently visits his hometown in India, where his siblings reside. Currently, he is working on his autobiography in prose.
Sources
- http://www.karachipage.com/news/Aug_01/081401.html
- http://www.dawn.com/2008/05/29/fea.htm
- http://www.mazhar.dk/film/history/60s/1966.htm
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ6NImLfZNY&feature=related
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B617KARwOLY
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgQC6pNFZPU
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEwUTBhJa7I
- http://www.dawn.com/2002/11/23/local21.htm