The well-known Urdu poet and activist Kaifi Azmi would have turned 100 this January and to mark his centenary birth year, Azmi’s daughter Shabana Azmi and Tabla player Zakir Hussain will perform in a show called “Raag Shayari”. The show will be held on January 13 and 14, 2019. It is directed by Feroz Abbas Khan.
Some other renowned writers and poets who will be the part of the show are Javed Akhtar and Shankar Mahadevan. They all will share the stage to commemorate the one who brought Urdu literature to Indian motion pictures.
Box Office India shared the news on its Twitter handle.
To mark the centenary celebrations of renowned poet & activist #KaifiAzmi, @AzmiShabana, @Javedakhtarjadu, @ZakirHtabla and @Shankar_Live will perform a show called #RaagShayari on January 13 and 14. It is directed by #FerozAbbasKhan. pic.twitter.com/krTKhvgUWD
— Box Office India (@boxofficeindia) December 18, 2018
Kaifi Azmi, Pirzada Qasim, Jon Elia, and others participated in some of the most memorable mushairas of the twentieth century.
Azmi wrote his first Ghazal titled, “Itna To Zindagi Mein Kisi Ki Khalal Pade” at the age of 11, and recited it in a mushaira, in front of some famous poets. He appreciated by the president of the mushaira, Mani Jaisi. His next ghazal came as he was challenged by his father and that ghazal became eternal as it was sung by the legendary ghazal singer, Begum Akhtar.
Azmi left his studies and became an activist during Quit India movement. His activism and poetry went hand in hand for quite some time. Due to a brain hemorrhage on 8th February 1973, he left his left body paralyzed for life. After which he left Mumbai and settled in a village of Azamgarh, UP, where he was born.
Film actress and the wife of Javed Akhtar, Shabana Azmi is the daughter of Kaifi Azmi. She is also into writing poetries, just like his father and husband.