Javed Akhtar headlines the 45th AAA Mushaira.
Waqt ne kiya, kya haseen sitam, tum rahe na tum, hum rahe na hum
(“Time has been seductively cruel, such that you are no longer you, nor do I remain I”).
Gems from noted Indian Urdu poet Kaifi Azmi’s pen roll down through the years and shine more than 17 years after his death. They have been immortalized through his writings as well as through the movies that have rocked India and the world.
Other lyrics and poems by Azmi that touch hearts and move minds include: Tum itna jo muskura rahe ho, Jhuki jhuki si nazar beqaraar hai ke nahin, Mere dil mein tu hi tu hai, dil ka daawa kya karoon.
The creator of these immortal poems from a little town in Uttar Pradesh, India, whose fame still rings in a world half a globe away, was celebrated at the 45th annual mushaira hosted by the Aligarh Muslim University Alumni Association (AAA) in Rockville, Maryland, on November 16.
The chief guest at event, which marked Azmi’s birth centenary, was prominent poet, lyricist and screen writer Javed Akhtar, who discussed the life and works of the late revolutionary with Ambareen Haseeb Amber, a well-known Pakistani poet.
Akhtar, son-in-law of Azmi, and Amber also recited their poems at the mushaira. Another highlight of the evening was recitation of poems by Indian poet Alok Shrivastava.
In addition to these three, seven US- and Canada-based poets also participated in the mushaira. They are A. Abdullah, Humaira Rahman, Mohammad Jaweed, Previn Shere, Qaiser Abbas, Razi Raziuddin, and Sabiha Saba.
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The Washington, DC, -based Aligarh Alumni Association, founded in 1975, is a non-profit, charitable, educational, social, and cultural organization. In addition to the annual Sir Syed Day mushaira, it hosts a number of lectures, and social, literary and cultural events promoting subcontinental culture in this country. AAA also funds scholarships worth tens of thousands of dollars to studhttps://www.americanbazaaronline.com/2017/09/10/blend-of-urdu-hindi-in-washington-mushaira-kavi-sammelan428769/ents and potential students of Aligarh Muslim University.
Kaifi Azmi’s daughter, well-known actress Shabana Azmi, sent a video message, thanking the organization for paying tributes to her dad.
https://youtu.be/2KepEUxyvCw
Aligarh Alumni Association of Washington, DC host annual Sir Syed Day lecture