Words are sometimes the best medicine one can find in this whole universe. Words have a unique way of reaching a person’s heart directly. Shayari is a way of spinning words into a thread of emotions that makes a person’s day. A shayar always has a way of telling something about your mood or situation no matter if you are happy or sad; no matter if the situation is political or a matter of heart, there is something for everyone out there. Today we are going to talk about 20 legendary shayars of all times you should know about.
Top 20 Shayars Of All Times
1. Amir Khusrau
He was the pioneer of Ghazals and Shayari in India. Born in 1253 in the Delhi sultanate, Khusrau primarily wrote in Persian and Hindavi. He is also said to be the “Father of Urdu literature.”
2. Mirza Ghalib
Talking about Shayari and forgetting Ghalib’s name will be a sin. Born in 1797, Ghalib was mainly a poet in Urdu and the Persian language. He is one of the most frequently quoted poets in India. He was a poet in the Mughal court.
3. Mir Taqi Mir
Born in 1725, Mir was one of those poets who was lauded by his contemporaries as well as by those who came much after his time. He also played an essential role in shaping the Urdu language. A troubled childhood drove Mir towards writing passionate poetry, which gave readers a sense of emotional attachment.
4. Shakeel Badayuni
Born in Badayun, India, on 3 August 1916, Badayuni was a poet and a songwriter for Hindi movies. He won many “Best Lyricist” awards for his songs.
5. Jaun Elia
He was born on 14 December 1931 in Amroha, India, and completed his education in Amroha. Being a communist, he opposed the idea of partition but moved to Karachi, Pakistan, in 1957 and lived there till death. He was famous for his style of writing which was different from the traditional writings. He also liked to challenge himself by writing different kinds of poetry.
6. Faiz Ahmad Faiz
Born on 13 February 1911 in Pakistan, Faiz was a prominent Urdu poet. He was famous not only because of his soulful Shayari but also because he was a renowned Marxist and a close aide to Benazir Bhutto. He was very well-read, and he had served in the army as well.
7. Dushyant Kumar
Born on 1 September 1933 in India, Dushyant Kumar was one of the most iconic Hindi shayars with a very upfront writing style. As much as he wrote romantic poems, he never shied away from writing poems that were political satires or depicted the country’s situation at that time. Recently Hindi movie “Masaan” used portions of his poem “Tu Kisi Rail Si Guzarti Hai,” and another Bollywood movie Irada used “Ho Gayi hai Peer Parvat Si.”
8. Nida Fazli
Born on 12 October 1938, Nida Fazli was a prominent Hindi-Urdu poet and lyricist. He wrote not only about love but also communal harmony, motivation, philosophy, and helping others. As a lyricist, he won awards, and one of his most famous works as a lyricist was for the movie Sarfarosh for the song “Hoshwalon Ko Khabar Kya.”
9. Amrita Pritam
Born on 19 August 1919, she was the first prominent female Hindi-Punjabi poet. She had been given several awards by the Indian government. She wrote many poems with partition as their theme. She also wrote many romantic poems. She was a feminist, and many of her poems told the story of her unhappy marriage.
10. Bashir Badr
Born on 15 February 1935, Badr is an Indian shayar who writes mainly in the Urdu language. He was also a lecturer at Aligarh Muslim University and held a Ph.D.
11. Waseem Barelvi
Born on 8 February 1940, Waseem Barelvi is an Indian poet who writes in Urdu. Many of his ghazals were sung by Jagjit Singh and are classics to date.
12. Parveen Shakir
Born on 24 November 1952 in Karachi, Pakistan, Parveen is one of the most prominent female Urdu poets of all time. Her poetry has a distinctly feminine touch. She died early at the age of 42 due to a road accident.
13. Gulzar
Born on 18 August 1934, Gulzar Saab is an asset to the country. He is a phenomenal shayar and an unsurpassable lyricist who has written songs for countless films and won several prestigious awards.
14. Kaifi Azmi
Born on 14 January 1919, Azmi was an Urdu poet of Indian origin. He played an essential role in getting Ghazals into mainstream cinema. He is a recipient of several awards. Many famous songs like “Jhuki Jhuki Si Nazar” were written by him.
15. Sahir Ludhianvi
Born on 8 March 1921 Ludhianvi was a prominent Urdu-Hindi poet as well as a lyricist. He is also a recipient of Padma Shree.
16. Rahat Indori
Born on 1 January 1950, Indori was a well-known poet as well as a lyricist. He was known for adding humorous elements to his Shayari.
17. Munawwar Rana
Born on 26 November 1952, Rana is an Indian Urdu poet who avoids using Persian and Arabic words, which is one of the major reasons for his popularity among the Non-Urdu audience.
18. Jaan Nisar Akhtar
Born on 18 February 1914, Akhtar was an Urdu poet of Indian origin who also wrote lyrics for films.
19. Rajendra Manchanda ‘Bani’
Born in 1932, Multan, Pakistan, and then relocated to Delhi after partition, Bani was an Indian poet who wrote poetry mainly using Hindi diction.
20. Javed Akhtar
Born on 17 January 1945, Akhtar is an Indian poet and lyricist who is one of the most respected artists in the country and has received several awards for his contribution to cinema.
This is just a drop in the ocean, and there are so many artists who had written some great poetry that it would be an injustice to their art if it is not read and appreciated. We encourage you to read more and tell us who your favorite poets are and which of their works you like the most.
