Pilibhit - Poetry and Literature

Poetry and Literature

Pilibhit has produced several well-known figures in music, poetry and literature:

Anjum Pilibhiti
A poet by nature and song writer by profession, Anjum Pilibhiti wrote many songs in the 1940s. He wrote for several movies including Meri Kahani (1948), Humayun (1945), Vidya (1948), Anokhi Ada (1948), Hamjoli (1946), Najma (1943), Anmol Ghadi (1946), Badi Maa (1945), Eighteen Fifty Seven/1857 (1946).

Akhtar Pilibhiti
The 1940s witnessed a hit jugalbandi of Akhtar Pilibhiti and young Mohammad Rafi. Akhtar Pilibhit was born in Pilibhit on 12 March 1928. His most famous contribution was in the movie Shehnaaz. His song "ai dil tujh hii ko niind na aayii tamaam raat" was the famous song in 1948.

Hafiz Pilibhiti
Hafiz Pilibhiti was a famous writer in Urdu literature. He was born on 29 November 1860 in a very poor family and did his all studies in the local madrasa. His major contribution is Urdu Nazam and patriotic Urdu songs, which became very famous in the movement against British government. All of his work has been protected by National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language (NCPUL). He died on 15 July 1929.

Rafiq Pilibhiiti
Rafiq Pilibhiiti was born on 14 June 1933 in Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh, India. He is an engineer by profession. Besides having a first class academic career throughout Rafiq's name was on the top of the list declared by state public service commission declared in the year 1960. Rafiq Pilibhiti belongs to a Zamindar family of Rohilkhand in Uttar Pradesh. His father late Sheikh Abdul Latif was also a poet and his pen name was 'Naaz'. Rafiq started writing poetry at the age of fifty, when he was posted at Moradabad.

His major works are Jahan Numa (Hindi), Hare Zakhm (Hindi, English), Ishq–e–Madaam (Urdu), Zikr Us Parivash Ka (Urdu) and Jahan Numa (Urdu).

Suroor Jahanabadi
The pre-independence political turmoil, the social consciousness and the national awakening during the last decade of 19th century inspired Surror Hahanabadi, (real name Munshi Shri Durga das Sahai), a prominent poet, to compose poems suffused with patriotic sentiments. He was born in a poor kayastha family of town Jahanbad in Pilibhit district in 1873. His famous collections of (Urdu]) poems are Jama-i-suroor (1911) and Khumkhana-i-surror (1930-posthumous). Some other famous plays written by surror Jahanabadi are Ruksat-i-Shaheb, Gul-i-firdaus, Diwwar-i-khoon. He died in 1911 on day of Holi.

Fateh Singh Vatsayan
The Hindi and Sanskrit scholar was born in the Pilibhit city on 13 January 1913. He has served 41 years as a Hindi and Sanskrit professor in various universities in India. Presently he is living in Jodhpur with his family. This nonogenarian was honoured by prestigious National Literature Award by the President of India in 1966 for his work Kamayani Sundarya. He also has received various awards and honours from various state governments and organizations. His famous work is Kamayani Sundarya, Sahitya aur Sundarya, Bhartiya Smaj Sashtra, and Dayanad Aur unka Ved Bhasya.