Himayat Ali Shair

Urdu poet and writer (1926–2019)

Himayat Ali Shair

Born| (1926-07-14)14 July 1926

Aurangabad, Hyderabad Deccan, British India

Died| 15 July 2019(2019-07-15) (aged 93)

Toronto, Canada

Nationality| Pakistani
Occupation(s)| Poet, Film songs lyricist
Awards| Pride of Performance by the President of Pakistan in 2002

Himayat Ali Shair (Urdu: حمایت علی شاعر; 14 July 1926 – 15 July 2019) was an Urdu poet, writer, film songwriter, actor and radio drama artist from Pakistan. He received the 2002 Pride of Performance Award for his literary services in Urdu literature from the president of Pakistan. He also received two Nigar Awards in 1962 and 1963 for 'Best Song Lyricist' for the Pakistani films "Aanchal" (1962) and "Daman" (1963).[1][2]

## Early life and education

[edit]

Himayat Ali Shair was born in Aurangabad, Hyderabad Deccan, British India on 14 July 1926. His mother died when he was three years old. At a very young age, he was exposed to the leading leftist writers of that time. He did his master's degree in Urdu from the University of Sindh at Jamshoro, Pakistan.[3]

## Career

[edit]

Himayat Ali Shair worked for All India Radio before migrating to Pakistan in 1951 to begin his career with Radio Pakistan in Karachi.[1] His first poetry book "Aag Main Phool" was published in 1956 and received the Presidential Award in 1958. Later, he started his successful career as a film songs lyricist, receiving Nigar Awards for the films- Aanchal (1962 film) and Daaman (1963 film) respectively. In 1966, Shair produced and directed "Lori" (Lullaby song) starring Muhammad Ali, Zeba and Santosh Kumar.[4]

Shair wrote the first few evergreen songs in the cinema of Pakistan. Some of the songs include Na Chura Sakogay Daaman,[1] Jaag Utha Hai Sara Watan, Khudawanda Yeh Kaisi Aag, Jab Raat Dhali, Har Qadam Per Nit Naye Sanchay Main Dhal Jatay Hain Log, Tujh Ko Maloom Naheen, Tujh Ko Kya Maloom and many others.[1]

His collection of poetry includes "Mitti Ka Qarz," "Tashnagi Ka Safar," "Haroon Ki Awaz," which received Allama Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Award and "Harf Harf Roshni."[1][5] Shair is the only poet in Urdu literary history who wrote an autobiography titled "Aaina Sar Aaina." Over 400 pages, the autobiography is composed of as many as 3,500 couplets. In 2007, he published a collection of all of his poetry as "Kuliyat-e-Shair".[2]

Himayat Ali Shair's research work for Pakistan Television titled Aqeedat ka safar (700 years of Na'at poetry) has also been published. Another series shed valuable light on 50 years of Naat poetry in Pakistan. His other TV programmes included Ghazal uss nay chheri (700 years of Urdu poetry), Khushboo ka safar (500 years of regional poets' Urdu poetry), Mohabbaton kay safeer (500 years of Sindhi poets' Urdu poetry) and Lub aazad (40 years of agitational poetry).[1]

In 1976, he joined Sindh University as an associate Professor of Urdu Literature on the insistence of his friend and poet Shaikh Ayaz.[1] He taught Urdu at this university from 1976 to 1987. He then retired from this job and chose to devote himself to literary pursuits. He quit the film industry as his children grew older, due to the fact that the film industry was not considered a respectable institute.[1] In his words: “Besides, my wife had been insisting that I switch to some 'decent' profession, even if it is a low-paid one, as she feared the grown-up children might follow in my footsteps and enter the film world. Her fears were not unfounded as one day I also observed my son Roshan Khayal, a university student then, sporting well-known actor Mohammad Ali's hairdo."[1]

In 2002, Houston-based radio station Young Tarang released a CD based on Shair's poetry which included songs sung by famous Pakistani singers and recitations by Shair.[6]

On 27 March 2010, a literary evening was organized in Hyderabad, Sindh by Kamaluddin Memorial Society in honor of Shair. The Vice-Chancellor of Sindh University, Dr. Nazir A. Mughal announced the establishment of "Himayat Ali Shair Chair" in recognition of his services to literature. He also announced five scholarships of Rs 5,000 each per month for research on literary contributions of Himayat Ali Shair for M.Phil/PhD degrees. A resolution was adopted on the occasion called for naming a road in the city after Himayat Ali Shair.

## Personal life

[edit]

Himayat Ali Shair married Meraj Naseem in 1949; they were together for 52 years, until his wife died in Toronto, Ontario, Canada of liver cancer. She is buried in Pickering, Ontario, Canada where their children live.[7]

Himayat Ali Shair spent most of his time in Pakistan and Canada where his children live and frequently visited his hometown in India, where his siblings reside.[1]

## Filmography

[edit]

Himayat Ali Shair wrote film songs for the following Pakistani films:

* Aanchal (1962)
* Jab Se Dekha Hai Tumhein (1962)[3]
* Daaman (1963)[3]
* Dil Ne Tujhe Maan Liya
* Ek Tera Sahara (1963)[3]
* Khamosh Raho (1964)
* Kaneez (1965 film)[3]
* Naila (1965) (Himayat Ali Shair wrote only one song for this popular film, the rest were written by Qateel Shifai)[8]
* Mujahid (1965)[8]
* Lori (1966) [wrote a highly popular lori (lullaby song) for this film][8]
* Tasveer (1966)[8]
* Wali-Ehad (1968)

## List of works/bibliography

[edit]

* An Kahi (a short story)
* Aag Mein Phool (this collection of poetry won him a Presidential Award in 1959)[1][3]
* Shikast-e-Aarzoo
* Mitti Ka Qarz (poetry)[3][1][5]
* Harf Harf Roshani (poetry)[1]

## Awards and recognition

[edit]

* Pride of Performance Award by the President of Pakistan in 2002[1]
* Nigar Award for film Aanchal (1962) and Daaman' (1963) as 'Best Film Song Lyricist'[1]
* Makhdoom Mohiuddin International Award in Delhi, India in 1989[1]
* Life Achievement Award in Washington in 2001[1]
* Allama Iqbal Award[1]
* Naqoosh Award

## Death

[edit]

Himayat Ali Shair died in Toronto, Canada on 15 July 2019 at age 93. He reportedly suffered a heart attack.[3] Among his survivors are his eight children, four boys and four girls.[1]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Naseer Ahmad (29 May 2008). "Film industry shrank with Dhaka fall - Himayat Ali Shair". Dawn (newspaper). Retrieved 4 August 2019.
2. ^ a b "Himayat Ali Shayar - Profile & Biography - Rekhta". Rekhta.org website. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
3. ^ a b c d e f g h Staff, Images (15 July 2019). "Poet and lyricist Himayat Ali Shair passes away in Canada". Dawn (newspaper). Retrieved 4 August 2019.
4. ^ Lori (1966 film) on Motion Pictures Archive of Pakistan (mpaop.org) website Retrieved 4 August 2019
5. ^ a b Himayat Ali Shair books on goodreads.com website Retrieved 4 August 2019
6. ^ "Sham Churasi scion to coach younger lot". 2 January 2012. Archived from the original on 21 January 2013. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
7. ^ "KARACHI: Himayat Ali Shair's wife passes away". Dawn (newspaper). 23 November 2002. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
8. ^ a b c d Filmography of Himayat Ali Shair on IMDb website Retrieved 4 August 2019

## External links

[edit]

* Himayat Ali Shair at IMDb

* v
* t
* e

Recipients of the Pride of Performance for Arts

1950s|

* Abdur Rehman Chughtai (1958)
* Zainul Abedin (1958)
* Hafeez Jalandhari (1958)
* Professor Abdus Salam (1958)

1960s|

* Roshan Ara Begum (1960)
* Fateh Ali Khan (Qawwali singer) (1960)
* Tassaduq Hussain (1960)
* Sadequain (1962)
* Mehdi Ali Mirza (1962)
* Ghulam Mustafa Tabassum (1962)
* Ahmed Mohiuddin (1962)
* Allah Bakhsh (1963)
* Shahid Ahmad Dehlvi (1963)
* Noor Jehan (1965)
* A.S.M. Qamarul Hasan (1965)
* Zubaida Agha (1965)
* Ferdausi Begum (1965)
* Sharif Khan Poonchwaley (1965)
* Imtiaz Ali Taj (1965)
* Salimuzzaman Siddiqui (1966)
* Shakir Ali (1966)
* Khwaja Moinuddin (1966)
* Ayat Ali Khan (1966)
* Ustad Haji Mohammad Sharif (1967)
* Munshi Raziuddin (1967)
* Rafi Peer (1967)
* Ali Imam (1968)
* Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi (1968)
* Amanat Ali Khan (1969)
* Bade Fateh Ali Khan (1969)
* Leila Arjumand Banu (1969)
* Umeed Ali Khan (1969)
* Mohammad Kibria (1969)
* Anna Molka Ahmed (1969)

1970s|

* Ismail Gulgee (1970)
* Farida Khanum (1970)
* Naheed Niazi (1970)
* Muslehuddin (1970)
* Ustad Gul Mohammad Khan (1971)
* S. M. Ikram (1971)
* Iqbal Bano (1974)
* Salamat Ali Khan (1977)
* Munir Sarhadi (1978)
* Ahmed Parvez (1978)
* Ustad Manzoor Ali Khan (1978)
* Sabri Brothers (1978)
* Ibn-e-Insha (1978)
* Faiz Mohammad Baloch (1979)
* Khamiso Khan (1979)
* Kishwar Sultan (1979)
* Ustad Fateh Ali Khan (Sitar Nawaz) (1979)
* Ghulam Ali (1979)
* Alam Lohar (1979)
* Mureed Buledi (1979)
* Misri Khan Jamali (1979)
* Pathanay Khan (1979)
* Mohammad Azam Chishti (1979)
* Ashfaq Ahmed (1979)
* Nabi Bakhsh Baloch (1979)

1980s|

* Mohammad Qavi Khan (1980)
* Ustad Khyal Muhammad (1980)
* Allan Fakir (1980)
* Sohail Rana (1980)
* Khalid Iqbal (1980)
* Aazar Zubi (1980)
* Malika Pukhraj (1980)
* Muhammad Juman (1980)
* Qari Shakir Qasmi (1981)
* Nasir Jahan (1981)
* Mansoor Tabish (1981)
* Qari Syed Ali Sharfuddin Yemni (1981)
* Nanhe Ali Khan (music performer))(1981)
* Roohi Bano (1981)
* Alexander Robert (1981)
* Mai Bhagi (1981)
* Mirza Adeeb (1981)
* Uzma Gillani (1982)
* Qari Ubaidur Rehman (1982)
* Talat Hussain (1982)
* Tufail Niazi (1982)
* Reshma (1982)
* Arsh Muneer (1983)
* Ustad Nazar Hussain (1983)
* Atta Shad (1983)
* Begum Khurshid Mirza (1984)
* Abida Parveen (1984)
* Muhammad Ali (1984)
* Sayed Nafees al-Hussaini, Nafees Raqam (1985)
* Ustad Chhote Ghulam Ali Khan (1985)
* Bundu Khan (1985)
* Mehdi Hasan (1985)
* Shaukat Hussain (1985)
* Qari Ghulam Rasool (1985)
* Siddiq Ismail (1985)
* Abid Ali (1985)
* Syed Mehmood Ali (1985)
* Sabiha Khanum (1986)
* Shahzad Khalil (1986)
* Suraiya Multanikar (1986)
* Firdous Jamal (1986)
* Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan(1986)
* Azhar Lodhi (1986)
* Riaz Batalvi (1986)
* Intizar Hussain (1986)
* Amjad Islam Amjad (1987)
* Ustad Abdul Majeed Dehlvi (1987)
* Haseena Moin (1987)
* Aadil Salahuddin (1987)
* Sain Akhtar Hussain (1987)
* Qari Izhar Ahmed Thanvi (1987)
* Shaista Zaid (1988)
* Ghulam Hassan Shaggan (1988)
* Mustafa Qureshi (1988)
* Muzaffar Warsi (1988)
* Qazi Wajid (1988)
* Ustad Kabir Khan (1989)
* Ghulam Ahmed Chishti (1989)
* Musarrat Nazir (1989)
* Shafi Mohammad Shah (1989)
* Kamal Ahmed Rizvi (1989)
* Jameel Bismil (1989)
* Bushra Ansari (1989)
* Ameer Khan (1989)
* Amjad Hussain (1989)
* Ustad Salamat Ali Khan (1989)
* Aziz Mian (1989)
* Talish (1989)
* Maharaj Ghulam Hussain Kathak (1989)
* Jamil Naqsh (1989)
* Enver Sajjad (1989)

1990s|

* Salim Nasir (1990)
* Daud Kamal (1990)
* Khalid Hameed Baig (1990)
* Shaukat Ali (1990)
* Ustad Sadiq Ali Khan Mando (1990)
* Ustad Hamid Ali Khan (1990)
* Ustad Fateh Ali Khan (Gwalior gharana) (1990)
* Ahmed Saeed Nagi (1990)
* Qari Mohammad Fida (1990)
* Parveen Shakir (1990)
* Iftikhar Arif (1990)
* Ibrahim Jalees (1990)
* Jamiluddin Aali (1991)
* Khursheed Alam known as Gohar Qalam (1991)
* Khayyam Sarhadi (1991)
* Attaullah Khan Esakhelvi (1991)
* Ata ul Haq Qasmi (1991)
* Nayyar Ali Dada (1992)
* Shakeel (Yousuf Kamal) (1992)
* Noor Mohammad Lashari (1992)
* Tariq Aziz (1992)
* Mustansar Hussain Tarar (1992)
* Pervez Malik (1992)
* Jawed Iqbal (1992)
* Mian Ijazul Hasan (1992)
* Dr. Atta-ur-Rahman (1992)
* Munir Niazi (1992)
* Naseem Hijazi (1992)
* Mian Sheheryar (1992)
* Mushtaq Gazdar (1992)
* Waheed Qureshi (1993)
* Ismail Shahid (1993)
* Saeed Akhtar (1993)
* Ali Ejaz (1993)
* S. H. Hashmi (1993)
* Syed Manzoorul Kaunain (1993)
* Qari Syed Buzurg Shah Al-Azhari (1993)
* Agha Nasir (1993)
* Farooq Qaiser (1993)
* Bashir Mirza (1994)
* Ahmad Bashir (1994)
* Shahid Jalal (1994)
* Qari Mohammad Younus (1994)
* Qari Syed Ali Abid Naqvi (1994)
* Mehr Abdul Haq (1994)
* Nisar Bazmi (1994)
* Hamid Ali Bela (1994)
* Zareena Baloch (1994)
* Anwar Maqsood (1994)
* Shujaat Hashmi (1994)
* Qateel Shifai (1994)
* Zamir Niazi (1994))
* Tufail Hoshiarpuri (1994)
* Nahid Siddiqui (1994))
* Laeeq Ahmed (1994)
* Abdus Salam (newscaster) (1994)
* Allah Rakha (sarangi) (1995)
* Ustad Talib Hussain Khan (1995)
* Colin David (1995)
* Shoaib Hashmi (1995)
* Rauf Khalid (1995)
* Laila Shahzada (1995)
* Hajra Masroor (1995)
* Khursheed Ahmad (1996)
* Mashooq Sultan (1996)
* Safeerullah Lehri (1996)
* Afzal Ahsan Randhawa (1996)
* Qari Noor Mohammad (1996)
* Rubina Khalid (1996)
* Fatima Surayya Bajia (1996)
* Sehba Akhtar (1996)
* Mohammad Ali Shah (surgeon) (1996)
* Ahmad Rahi (1997)
* Ahmed Ghulam Ali Chagla (1997)
* Nadeem Baig (1997)
* Abdul Hameed (1997)
* Masroor Anwar (1997)
* Ahmad Ali Khan (1997)
* Akhtar Chanal Zahri (1998)
* Mumtaz Mirza (1998)
* Suhrab Faqir (1999)
* Dilawar Figar (1999)
* Salima Hashmi (1999)
* Anwar Masood (1999)
* Anita Ghulam Ali (1999)
* Zafar Iqbal (poet) (1999)
* Khalid Abbas Dar (1999)
* Khatir Ghaznavi (1999)
* Mujahid Kamran (1999)
* Raza Mir (1999)

2000s|

* Amjad Parvez (2000)
* Sharif Kunjahi (2000)
* Kajjan Begum (2001)
* Kamaluddin Ahmed (2001)
* Athar Shah Khan Jaidi (2001)
* Jameel Fakhri (2002)
* Nazia Hassan (2002)
* Deena M. Mistri (2002)
* Askari Mian Irani (2002)
* Himayat Ali Shair (2002)
* Shoaib Mansoor (2002)
* Jilani Kamran (2002)
* Ajmal Khan (botanist) (2002)
* Kanwal Naseer (2002)
* Iftikhar Ahmad (2003)
* Ada Jafri (2003)
* Syed Afzal Hussain (2003)
* Syed Munawwar Saeed (2003)
* Abdul Aziz Baloch (2003)
* Ghulam Mustafa (2003)
* Majeed Khan (sarangi player) (2003)
* Muneeza Hashmi (2003)
* Muhammad Ali Siddiqui (2003)
* Imdad Hussaini (2003)
* Muhammad Usman Diplai (2004)
* Yousuf Khan (actor) (2004)
* Mahtab Akbar Rashdi (2004)
* Chishty Bin Subh-o-Mujahid (2004)
* Navid Shahzad (2004)
* Salahuddin Toofani (2004)
* S. M. Naqi (2004)
* Haji Atta Muhammad (2004)
* Moin Niazi (2004)
* Shahida Parveen (2004)
* Tina Sani (2004)
* Niaz Ahmed (2004)
* Samiur Rahman (2004)
* Tariq Rahman (2004)
* Rais Khan (2005)
* Arif Lohar (2005)
* Rangeela (2005)
* Muhammad Mansha Yaad (2005)
* Shabnam Shakeel (2005)
* Abdul Rauf Rufi (2005)
* Khawaja Najmul Hassan (2005)
* Amir Adnan (2006)
* Asghar Nadeem Syed (2006)
* Arshad Mehmood (2006)
* Arfa Karim (2006)
* Fareed Ayaz (2006)
* Nayyar Kamal (2006)
* Tassawar Khanum (2006)
* Ustad Badar uz Zaman (2006)
* Ustad Qamar uz Zaman (2006)
* Shafqat Tanvir Mirza (2006)
* Zehra Nigah (2006)
* Khalida Hussain (2006)
* Ghazi Sial (2006)
* Nayyara Noor (2006)
* Masood Akhtar (2006)
* Aftab Iqbal Shamim (2006)
* Naheed Akhtar (2007)
* Shaan (2007)
* Asad Amanat Ali Khan (2007)
* Hamid Ali Khan (2007)
* Faakhir Mehmood (2007)
* Munnu Bhai (2007)
* Munni Begum (2008)
* Akhtar Munir (2008)
* Gopal Das (2008)
* Haji Mehr Ali (2008)
* Haji Sher Ali (2008)
* Nahid Raza (2008)
* Gul Bahar Bano (2008)
* Mujahid Hussain (2008)
* Rasheed Malik (2008)
* Sultana Siddiqui (2008)
* Abdul Karim Balouch (2008)
* Abdul Qadir Junejo (2008)
* M. Hanif Raza (2008)
* Nasreen Askari (2008)
* Shafqat Amanat Ali (2008)
* Mansoor Rahi (2008)
* Tari Khan (2008)
* Noorul Huda Shah (2008)
* Rasheed Naz (2009)
* Ustad Shafqat Ali Khan (2009)
* Muhammad Younus Khan (2009)
* Emanuel Philip (2009)
* Rehana Siddiqui (2009)
* Shabbir Hussain (2009)
* Manzoor Hussain (2009)
* Parveen Nazzar (2009)
* Javaid Tufail Niazi (2009)
* Babar Ali Niazi (2009)
* Hajra Mansoor (2009)
* Behroze Sabzwari (2009)
* Obaidullah Baig (2009)
* Khalifa Muhammad Irshad Beg (2009)
* Naseem Sultan (2009)
* Ghous Bux Brohi (2009)
* Sahib Dino Mallah (2009)
* Satish Chandra Anand (2009)
* Rubeena Malik (2009)
* Badar Munir (2009)
* Muhammad Gul (2009)
* Mehnaz Hyat (2009)
* Abdul Qadir (2009)
* Ghayyur Akhtar (2009)
* Aslam Farrukhi (2009)
* Ali Moeen Nawazish (2009)

2010s|

* Afzal Tauseef (2010)
* Musarrat Misbah (2010)
* Rabia Zuberi (2010)
* Zulfiqar Ali (2010)
* Mahmood Shaam (2010)
* Hameed Akhtar (2010)
* Fahmida Riaz (2010)
* Shahid Nadeem (2010)
* Muhammad Ibrahim Joyo (2010)
* Masood Mufti (2010)
* Masood Ashar (2010)
* Habib-ur-Rehman (2011)
* Khalida Inayat Noor (2011)
* Khan Tehsil (2011)
* Abdul Rahim Nagori (2011)
* S. Amjad Bukhari (2011)
* S. B. John (2011)
* S.H. Qasim Jalali (2011)
* Samina Ahmad (2011)
* Sohail Ahmed (2011)
* Ustad Hussain Bukhsh Gullu (2011)
* Khalid Ahmad (2011)
* Ustad Muhammad Alam (2011)
* Ustad Sharafat Ali Khan (2011)
* Wazir Afzal (2011)
* Zafar Kazmi (2011)
* Moin Akhter (2011)
* Sahira Kazmi (2012)
* Mohsin Gillani (2012)
* Nauman Ijaz (2012)
* Saba Hameed (2012)
* Jawed Sheikh (2012)
* Meera (2012)
* Rahat Naveed Masud (2012)
* Lutfullah Khan (2012)
* Kazim Pasha (2012)
* Tahira Syed (2013)
* Muhammad Ajmal Khan (2013)
* Alamgir (2013)
* Shahida Mini (2013)
* Naghma (2013)
* Pervaiz Iqbal Cheema (2013)
* Cecil Chaudhry (2013)
* Shahid Abdullah (2014)
* Ustad Shafiquz Zaman Khan (2014)
* Aurangzeb Leghari (2014)
* Nazir Leghari (2014)
* Ayub Khawar (2014)
* Mir Mohammad Ali (TV comedian) (2015)
* Ayesha Haroon (2015)
* Saleem Kausar (2015)
* Saba Qamar (2016)
* Waseem Abbas (2016)
* Wajahat Masood (journalist) (2016)
* Gulab Chandio (2016)
* Nathoo Khan (2016)
* Khalid Butt (2016)
* Sarmad Khoosat (2017)
* Humaira Channa (2017)
* Ghazi Salahuddin (2017)
* Rashid Mehmood (2017)
* Shakir Shuja Abadi (2017)
* Zulfiqar Bhutta (2017)
* Aslam Pervaiz (2018)
* Ghulam Haider (musician) (2018)
* Amin Hafeez (2018)
* A. Nayyar (singer) (2018)
* Bilqees Khanum (2018)
* Rauf Parekh (journalist) (2018)
* Amanullah (comedian) (2018)
* Nighat Chaudhry (classical dancer) (2018)
* Nighat Butt (2018)
* Zareen Panna (2018)
* Ishrat Fatima (newsreader) (2019)
* Reema Khan (2019)
* Arshad Sharif (journalist) (2019)
* Nasir Adeeb (2019)
* Shabbir Jan (2019)
* Iftikhar Thakur (2019)

2020s|

* Deeba (2020)
* Ghulam Mohiuddin (2020)
* Sahir Ali Bagga (2020)
* Waris Baig (2020)
* Ghulam Abbas 2020
* Saieen Zahoor (2020)
* Fareed Ayaz (for qawwali group member Abu Muhammad) (2020)
* Sarmad Sehbai (2021)
* Resham (2021)
* Sakina Samo (2021)
* Khalid Masud Gondal (2021)
* Humayun Saeed (2021)
* Hafeez Tahir (2023)
* Sangeeta (2023)
* Sher Miandad Khan (2023)
* Ustad Tafu (2023)
* Anjuman (2023)
* Naghma (2023)
* Agha Hasan Askari (2024)

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template