Kaifi Azmi, was an awesome comrade and a highly successful songwriter, who wrote magnificent song like ‘Ab tumhare havale watan sathiyon’. He was paralyzed at an early age and half of his body did not worked properly. Despite this, there was no lacking, in his morale and courage, he wrote Urdu poetry till he died. When Jagjit Singh sang, ‘Jhuki Jhuki Si Nazar ….’ people were mesmerized.
When Bhimsen Joshi Left The Stage for A Booze
Kaifi Azmi was a ghazal writer and Begum Akhtar, who had the power to make ghazal come alive … when both of them got together, something amazing had to happen. One was king of a words and other the queen of singing. Begum Akhtar was trained in music by many great masters. Therefore, in her singing, we can feel the magical tunes of the Gwalior gharana, the rise of the Kirana gharana, the romance of the Patiala gharana and the fragrance of the east. In Urdu poetry world if she was close to someone, then he was Kaifi Azmi. Kaifi used to say about Begum, that ghazal is not only for listening but also to see.
Once Begum Akhtar wanted to meet Kaifi, for this a false news was sent to Kaifi that her health is very bad. When Kaifi heard this, he came running, and saw, Begum was smoking a cigarette. Instead of being angry, he smiled and understood what was the matter. Begum then said to him, ‘There is a ghazal to be completed, and the last couplet is not there, therefore you have been called ‘. Begum locked Kaifi in a room along with a bottle of liquor and said, she will open the door only when the ghazal will be completed. Then with a bottle of wine in that closed room, Kaifi wrote that last couplet of ghazal.
Hua hai hukm ki Kaifi ko sangsar karo,
masih baithe hain chup ke kahan khuda jane
In the same way, Matla (the first couplet of the ghazal) and full ghazal was written. When the door opened and Kaifi Azmi started to leave, Begum recited a najm,(Urdu Poetry).
Paya bhi unko kho bhi diya
Chup bhi ho Rahe
Ek Muktsar se raat mein sadiyan gujar gayin
After hearing this, Kaifi Azmi almost cried; Begum asked him the reason for crying, then Kaifi recited one of his first ghazals, which he wrote when he was only 11 years old.
Muddat ke baad usne jo ki lutf ki nigah
Ji khush to ho Gaya Magar Ansu Nikal Pade
Later, Begum sang this ghazal based on ‘Misri Kafi’. The time passed by and Begum’s health started to deteriorate day by day. Kaifi was present at the last recording of Begum Akhtar’s life.
Rahi Masoom Raza and ‘Wine of God’
During the recording, when Kaifi was asked how he started writing Gazal, his reply came, “I started writing Ghazals, for which Ghalib wanted to learn Mussavari … thought if I would recite Ghazal, then I will be close to Ghazal, and just because of this I started writing, and pointing to Begum Akhtar, said, ghazal is not only for listening but also to see.
On behalf of Cheerrs.Com team, a heart-warming tribute to Kaifi Azmi on his 17th death anniversary.