Nida Fazli, the poet who gave simple words to ordinary lives, remembered on his birth anniversary

Monday is the birth anniversary of the noted poet Nida Fazli. He wrote poetry in simple words and also penned songs for many films.

You may remember the 1999 film "Sarfarosh", starring Aamir Khan and Sonali Bendre. Besides its performances, the film was a superhit for its songs as well. Its verse "Hosh walon ko khabar kya, bekhudi kya cheez hai" still lives in the hearts of millions of young people. The words were written by Nida Fazli, the noted Hindi and Urdu litterateur and poet.

Another of his couplets goes, "Kabhi kisi ko mukammal jahan nahin milta, kahin zameen to kahin aasman nahin milta". It means that nobody in this world gets everything. The verse speaks of the sorrow in his own heart. He spoke of the life of the common man, his struggles, relationships, love and humanity in such plain words that his poetry is still on people's lips.

Nida Fazli was born in Delhi on October 12, 1938. His real name was Muqtada Hasan. He spent his childhood and studied in Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh. His father, Murtuza, was also a poet, and Nida carried forward his literary legacy. The experiences of life gradually shaped the voice of his poetry.

During his college days he became attached to a girl who sat in the front row. One day a notice appeared on the college notice board saying she had died in an accident. Nida was deeply shaken. His grief was so great that he had no words to express it. That feeling pushed him to understand his emotions and put them into words.

It is said that one morning Nida Fazli was passing a temple, where he heard Surdas's bhajan "Madhuban tum kyon rahat hare?". The bhajan describes the feelings of Radha and the gopis, grieving in separation from Krishna. It touched his heart. He realised that the pain of parting and of being away from loved ones was not his alone; others felt it too.

After this he read writers such as Kabir, Tulsidas, Surdas, Meerabai and Baba Farid. He also drew inspiration from the poetry of Ghalib and Mir. The influence of all this began to show in his writing. He began writing in a simple language that the common man could easily understand and relate to his own life.

During Partition, Nida Fazli's parents moved to Pakistan, but he decided to stay in India. Making a life away from his family was not easy. After finishing his studies, he began to struggle for a livelihood and a place in writing.

He came to Mumbai in 1964 and began writing for a newspaper. Gradually his circle of acquaintances grew. In 1969, a collection of his Urdu poems was published. His poetry had no artifice. He put on paper, in words, the way he saw life.

Alongside literature, Nida Fazli also made a distinct mark in Hindi films. His journey as a film lyricist began with the film "Razia Sultan". He went on to write many memorable songs. "Kabhi kisi ko mukammal jahan nahin milta" from the film "Aahista Aahista" and "Hosh walon ko khabar kya, bekhudi kya cheez hai" from "Sarfarosh" remain popular with admirers today.

He gave his experiences and feelings the shape of poetry. But his works did not remain only the story of his own life. Today they have become the voice of millions of hearts.