Akhlaq Mohammad Khan, famously known by his pen name 'Shahryar,' was one of the leading Urdu poets and academicians in India. He was born on 16 June 1936 in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh. He completed his masters in Urdu from AMU in 1961. After finishing his college, he began teaching at AMU and eventually retired as the head of the Urdu department. In his initial days, he was mentored by Khalil ur Rahman Azmi, a pioneering figure in modern Urdu poetry. Among his seniors, he acknowledged the influence of great poets such as Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Meeraji, Munir Niyazi, and Akhtar-ul-Iman.

Apart from his literary achievements, he is well-known for his contribution to film industry as lyrics writer. He has written songs for Bollywood films like ‘Umrao Jaan’ and ‘Gaman.’He was the fourth Urdu poet to get the prestigious Jnanpith Award. Shahryar left for his heavenly abode on 13th February 2012.
Source: Rekhta.org

Abdul Raoof Siddiqui
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