five collections of his poetry in Urdu script. In 2008, he became the fourth Urdu writer to win the Jnanpith Award, after Firaq, Ali Sardar Jafri, and Qurratulain Hyder. Lyricist Shahryar wrote lyrics for select films, from Aligarh where he was approached by filmmakers. Muzaffar Ali and Shahryar were friends from their student days, and Shahryar had shared some of the ghazals with him. Later when Ali made his directorial debut with Gaman in 1978, he used two of his ghazals Seene Mein Jalan Ankhon Mein Toofan Sa Kyun Hai and Ajeeb Saneha Mujhpar Guzar Gaya Yaaron in the film, and they are still considered classic. All his ghazals from Umrao Jaan, 'Dil Cheez Kya Hai Aap Meri Jaan Lijiye', 'Ye Ka Jagah Hai Doston', 'In Aankhon Ki Masti Ke' etc. are among the finest lyrical works in Bollywood. He also wrote for Yash Chopra's Faasle (1985), thereafter Chopra offered him three more films to write for, but he refused as he didn't want to become a "song shop". Though he wrote for Muzaffar Ali's Anjuman (1986). He also left behind unfinished contributions to Ali's Zooni and Daaman. Personal life Shahryar married Najma Mahmood, a teacher in the English department in the Women’s College at Aligarh in 1968. They had three children, Humayun Shahryar, Saima Shahryar, and Faridoon Shahryar. He died on 13 February 2012 in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, after a prolonged illness due to lung cancer. Awards Sahitya Akademi Award in Urdu for his poetry collection, Khwab Ka Dar Band Hai (1987). The fourth Urdu writer to win the Jnanpith Award – 2008. Firaaq Samman Bahadur Shah Zafar Award. Four theses have been written on Shahryar's works. Selected bibliography Ism-e-azam, 1965. Satvan dar, 1969. Hijr Ke Mausam, 1978. Khwab Ke dar band Hain, 1987. Neend ki Kirchen – (English: Shards of Shattered Sleep). Through the Closed Doorway: A Collection of Nazms by Shahryar, tr. Rakhshanda Jalil. 2004, Rupa & Co., . Shahryar, Akhlaq Mohmmad Khan: Influence of the western criticism on the Urdu criticism, Aligarh. Dhund ki Roshni (English: The Light of Dusk): Selected Poems of Shahryar, 2003, Sahitya Akademi, . Further reading Urdu language and literature: Critical Perspectives, New Delhi, 1991. References Cited sources External links The poet who gave Umrao Jaan her voice 1936 births 2012 deaths Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Award in Urdu Recipients of the Gangadhar National Award Urdu-language poets from India People from