hua hai shah ka musahib phire hai itraata

Interesting Fact

In Gulzar’s Mirza Ghalib TV serial, Bahadur Shah Zafar's Ustad, Zauq, had quite a spirited literary rivalry with Ghalib, so he was never invited to the annual royal Mushaira. Once, Zauq was crossing Ghalib's street, when the latter sarcastically shrieked, 'Bana hai Shah ka Musahib phire hai itraataa'.... and wittingly left out the other line of the couplet. In a few days, the royal Mushaira was to take place, this time Ghalib was invited and was summoned to recite the same couplet because Zauq had reckoned this couplet was about him and thought if he made Ghalib recite this in front of Bahadur Shah Zafar, he would be very angry with Ghalib. After a lot of insisting, Ghalib agreed to recite the verse and said, 'Bana hai Shah ka Musahib phire hai itraataa, vagarna shahr mein Ghalib ki aabruu kyaa hai'. With this couplet, he stole the show. After that, Ghalib became a constant in every royal mushaira.