Sahir Ludhianvi - The People's Poet  (English, Paperback, Manwani Akshay)

The story of a poet behind many beloved Hindi songs, this is the biography of Sahir Ludhianvi: The People's Poet.

Summary of the Book

Known for some of the finest lyrics in Bollywood of yesteryears, he put words in the mouths of singing greats such as Mohammad Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhonsle. Sahir Ludhianvi was born as Abdul Hayee in Ludhiana, Punjab. Knwon throughout his childhood for his ghazals and nazms, he was expelled from college for merely sitting with a young girl on a lawn. Raised in bleak poverty, Sahir settled in Lahore and wrote an Urdu book named Talkhiyaan. His fate took him to Bombay in 1949 soon after the Partition of India and Pakistan, bringing him home where his neighbours were the legendary Gulzer and Krishan Chander. This book chronicles how he began his career as a lyricist with Azadi Ki Raah Par (1949). But it was Naujawaan (1951) that secured him a place in Bollywood, one that would make his name, and his story, legend.

About Akshay Manwani

Akshay Manwani is a freelance writer based on Mumbai. He has written extensively for Business Standard, Man’s World and NBA.com.

He currently lives in Mumbai with his wife and daughter. Mr. Manwani enjoys reading and writing about sports.