I would like to thank My Grandfather, Late Mr. Gopinath Kaushik, for if it wasn't for his genes and blessings, I don't think I would have ever been attracted to Urdu. It is a language that can be enthralling yet unimaginably complex at times. My writings are a way of saying things that I otherwise wouldn't be able to.
Some of the master Urdu poets that I deeply respect and learn from are Mirza Ghalib, Ustaad Zauq, Bahadurshah Zafar, Kaifi Azmi, Jaan Nisaar Akhtar, Majaz Lucknawi, Jigar Moradabadi and Sahir Ludhianvi and many more.
I'll be constantly updating this page on a regular basis with my work and work of famous Urdu Sho'ara.
Not many people know that the last Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar was also an Urdu poet of a very high order and it was during his reign that Urdu Shayri reached its Zenith. As Sanjay Garg outlines in his book, Maqta – Zafar on Zafar, “Zafar’s reign was a golden era of Urdu Ghazal [...]
Here is another marvel of a Nazm by Dr Rahi Masoom Raza. Enjoy!
I think somewhere down the line, my Urdu Poetry shifted more towards Nazm writing with an occasional Ghazal in-between. And Nazms gave way to Geets and compositions especially during my trip to India last year. Last evening, a floating sher started budding in my mind, and tonight I sat down and wandered around with it [...]
Haven’t had a chance to write or record anything in last 3 weeks due to my move from Michigan to California. Google is keeping me busy and other than getting lost on Cali roads once in a while, things are going well. Last night I wrote a Nazm before going to bed around Midnight. Nothing [...]
Ek purani Ghazal pesh e khidmat hai. I had written it what seems like so long ago. Before I put up the Ghazal, I would like to present a Sher in Lal Sahab’s voice from one of the Videos we shot in December 2006. I dedicate this sher to all readers of this site . [...]
Here is a Ghazal by a noted contemporary Shayar, Ibrahim Ashq. It is taken from his book, Alaav – which I bought at a book fair at Rohtak during my stay in India. Enjoy! For those who can’t read Hindi, here is the romanized form: Teri judai ne is dil ko dardmand kiya Bichad ke [...]
I have been reading Dr. Rahi Masoom Raza’s Urdu Poetry these days. Was lucky to find a book of his at a book fare at Delhi while I was in India. He’s mostly thought of as a Novelist/scriptwriter (mostly renowned as the scrip-writer of the famous TV show Mahabharata) and few know now that he [...]
Today, December 27th is 211th Birth Anniversary of Mirza Ghalib, the legendary Urdu Poet. I don’t need to really say anything about him, for anyone who has ever delved into the tender world of Urdu Poetry knows about Mirza Sahab. After a long gap, I am posting one of my Nazms. I wrote this one [...]
Here is a Nazm by Javed Akhtar from his book, Tarkash. This is one of my favorites from the book. I think the message is about how everything you own so dearly and strive for fades away at the end. You came in the world empty-handed, and so shall you leave. Meanwhile, enjoy the Nazm [...]