Bashir Badr
بشیر بدر
Urdu poet Bashir Badr
Urdu poet Bashir Badr
Born
Syed Muhammad Bashir

(1935-02-15)15 February 1935
Faizabad, United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, British India (in modern-day Bukiya near Hanswar, Ambedkar Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, India)[1]
Died 28 May 2026(2026-05-28) (aged 91)
Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India
Occupation Poet
Nationality Indian
Education MA, PhD
Alma mater Aligarh Muslim University
Genre Ghazal
Subject Love, Philosophy
Spouse Rahat Badr
Relatives Nusrat Badr (son)
Signature
Website
www.bashirbadr.com

Bashir Badr (Urdu: بشیر بدر; born Syed Muhammad Bashir; 15 February 1935 – 28 May 2026) was an Indian poet born in Bukiya village near Hanswar in present-day Ambedkar Nagar district, Uttar Pradesh.[2][3][4][5] He taught Urdu at the Aligarh Muslim University.[6] He primarily wrote in the Urdu language, particularly ghazals. He also wrote a couplet titled Dushmani Jam Kar Karo in 1972 during Shimla Agreement that revolves around the partition of India. Most of Badr's unpublished literary work, including an uncertain number of poems was lost during the 1987 Meerut communal riots, and later he moved to Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.[7]

Early life and education

Badr was born in Bukiya near Hanswar, Ambedkar Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, India) on 15 February 1935[8]. After he did his early schooling, he attended the Aligarh Muslim University where he did his Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts and PhD. Later, he served at the same university as a lecturer. He also served at Meerut College for over seventeen years.

After his property, including his house and books, was damaged in the 1987 Meerut violence, he permanently moved to Bhopal.[6]

Career

Badr started writing poems at the age of seven. He wrote some collections of ghazals titled Ikai, Kulliyate Bashir Badr, Aamad, Image, Aahat and Devanagari script ghazals titled Ujale Apni Yadon Ke. During his career, he wrote two books titled Azadi Ke Bad Urdu Ghazal Ka Tanqidi Mutala (Critical study of Urdu ghazal after independence) and Biswin Sadi Mein Ghazal (Ghazals in 20th century) focused on literary criticism.[6]

He also served at the Bihar Urdu Academy as a chairman.[9]

Influence on politics

His couplets appear to have had an influence on Indian politicians,[10] and are sometimes quoted in the parliament of India by the leaders such as prime minister of India Narendra Modi and 2014's prime minister candidate of Congress Rahul Gandhi. In 1972, his couplet was quoted by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.[7]

Later life and death

Badr later suffered from dementia and was believed to have forgotten his Mushaira years as a result.

Badr died in Bhopal on 28 May 2026, at the age of 91.[11]

Awards

Badr received the Padma Shri award in 1999[12] for contribution towards literature and Sangeet Natak Akademi. He also received the Sahitya Akademi Award in Urdu for his poetry collection "Aas" in 1999.[13]

Legacy

Badr is one of the most quoted shayars in Indian pop-culture.

A popular radio show Ujaale Apni Yaadon Ke on Vividh Bharti derives its title from one of Badr's most popular sher.[14][15]

ujāle apnī yādoñ ke hamāre saath rahne do na jaane kis galī meñ zindagī kī shaam ho jaa.e
(Let the light of your memories stay with me
Who knows in which lonely lane the evening of life may fall)[16]

The 2015 film Masaan contains various examples of poetry and shaayari by Basheer Badr, along with works by Akbar Allahabadi, Chakbast, Mirza Ghalib and Dushyant Kumar.[17] Explaining this as a conscious tribute, the film's lyrics writer Varun Grover explained that he wanted to show the character of Shaalu (played by Shweta Tripathi) as a person whose hobby is to read Hindi poetry and shaayari, as this is a common hobby of Millennial and Generation X youngsters in Northern India, especially when in love, but this aspect is rarely shown in Hindi films.[18][19][20]

References

  1. ^ "बशीर बद्र: मोहब्बत और उदासी के शायर जिन्होंने ग़ज़ल को आम लोगों तक पहुंचाया". BBC News हिन्दी (in Hindi). Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  2. ^ "Ambedkar Nagar mourns Bashir Badr, Urdu adab heights". Dainik Bhaskar. 28 May 2026. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  3. ^ "UP: मिट्टी का सितारा हुआ खामोश, अंबेडकर नगर के बुकिया से थे पद्मश्री शायर डॉ. बशीर बद्र". Amar Ujala (in Hindi). 28 May 2026. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  4. ^ "Bashir Badr, master Urdu poet of love and melancholy, passes away". The Times of India. 29 May 2026. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  5. ^ "बशीर बद्र: मोहब्बत और उदासी के शायर जिन्होंने ग़ज़ल को आम लोगों तक पहुंचाया". BBC News हिन्दी (in Hindi). Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  6. ^ a b c "Bashir Badr: A forgotten legend". 25 February 2018.
  7. ^ a b Sharma, Ashutosh (15 February 2020). "Bashir Badr: A poet who once lost everything to communal fire, except faith in humanity". National Herald.
  8. ^ "बशीर बद्र: मोहब्बत और उदासी के शायर जिन्होंने ग़ज़ल को आम लोगों तक पहुंचाया". BBC News हिन्दी (in Hindi). Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  9. ^ "Bashir Badr - Profile & Biography".
  10. ^ "When Narendra Modi used Congress' favourite poet Bashir Badr to target the party in Parliament". India Today. 7 February 2018.
  11. ^ "Renowned Urdu poet Bashir Badr passes away at 91". The Indian Awaaz. 28 May 2026. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
  12. ^ "Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  13. ^ Bureau, ABP News (6 January 2021). "After 47 Years, Poet Bashir Badr Receives His PhD Degree From AMU". news.abplive.com. {{cite news}}: |last1= has generic name (help)
  14. ^ "मोहम्मद रफी जन्मदिन: तुम मुझे यूं भुला न पाओगे!". Firstpost Hindi. 24 December 2016. Archived from the original on 7 July 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  15. ^ सुवीर, सीमान्त. "बिंदु की कहानी... खुद की जुबानी". hindi.webdunia.com.
  16. ^ "Bashir Badr - Sher". Rekhta.
  17. ^ Lakhani, Somya (11 September 2016). "Secret Love: How Hindi poetry has become 'cool'". The Indian Express. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  18. ^ "Hindi Kavita - Kuch ban jaate hain - Uday Prakash: Varun Grover in Hindi Studio with Manish Gupta". Hindi Kavita. 25 October 2015.
  19. ^ Pal, Sanchari (14 September 2016). "Meet the NRI Who Returned To India To Make Millions Fall in Love with Hindi Poetry". www.thebetterindia.com. The Better India. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  20. ^ Grover, Varun. "How the magic of Dushyant Kumar's poetry inspired this Bollywood lyricist". The Indian Express. Retrieved 17 April 2019.