Poets/Writers

One of the founding fathers of Urdu poetry, contemporary of Meer Taqi Meer.

Widely celebrated and sung Urdu poet. Rose to iconic stature through his seductively romantic and anti-establishment poetry.

One of the greatest Urdu poets, the national poet of Pakistan, who penned 'Saare jahaan se achha Hindostaan hamara' and 'Lab pe aati hai dua ban ke tamanna meri'.

First poet of Rekhta/Hindvi, musician, and disciple of Sufi Saint Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia. Known for his "pahelis," which form part of Indian folklore. He is famous for inventing two of the most important musical instruments, tabla and sitar. Wrote "Ze-hal-e-miskin…" one of the earliest prototypes of Urdu ghazal written in Persian and Hindvi.

Asha Bhosle is an Indian playback singer and the sister of Lata Mangeshkar. Her awards include the Dadasaheb Phalke Award and the Padma Vibhushan, among many others.

Last of the classical poets who celebrated life and love. Famous for his playfulness with words (idioms/phrases).

Mughal crown prince and Sufi scholar celebrated for his syncretic vision; translated the Upanishads into Persian and authored Majma-ul-Bahrain to bridge Islamic and Hindu thought.

Considered by some critics as the first Urdu novelist.

One of the widely celebrated and popular Urdu poets, equally sung in romance and rebel, faced political repression against his revolutionary views.

One of the most influential pre-modern poets who paved the way for the modern Urdu ghazal. Known for his perceptive critical comments. Recipient of the Gyanpeeth Award.

Famous Pakistani ghazal singer belonging to the Patiala gharana. They have a unique style of blending Hindustani classical music with ghazals. Also sung for a number of Indian and Pakistani films.

Celebrated poet, novelist, song and scriptwriter. Acclaimed for directing a tele-serial on Mirza Ghalib. Recipient of Sahitya Academy and Dada Sahab Phalke awards.

Hariharan is an Indian singer who has sung for films in Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, Marathi, Bhojpuri, and Telugu languages. He is also an esteemed ghazal singer and winner of the Padma Shri and National Awards.

One of the most firebrand poets of Lucknow, contemporary of Meer Taqi Meer. His rivalry with Mushafi is well-recorded. Also wrote Rekhti poetry and "Raani Ketki ki Kahani" in prose.

Most prominent fiction writer, known for his stories woven around the experience of Partition and for his individual style of telling tales. The first Urdu writer to have been shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize.

Jagjit Singh was a prominent Indian ghazal singer, songwriter, and musician. Also known as the 'Ghazal King,' he was the recipient of many prestigious awards, some of which were Rajasthan Ratna, Padma Bhushan, and the Sahitya Akademi Award.

Prominent Urdu critic, literary historian, linguist, and translator; also served as Vice-Chancellor of Karachi University and Chair of Urdu Lughat Board.

One of the most prominent modern Urdu poets, popular among the masses for his unconventional ways.

Sufi poet, contemporary of Mir Taqi Mir, known for his deep knowledge of Indian music.

Kishore Kumar was an Indian film playback singer, actor, lyricist, composer, producer, director, screenplay writer, and scriptwriter. He has sung in many Indian languages. The Kishore Kumar Award has been introduced in his memory.

A contemporary of Manto, associated with the Progressive Writers' Movement, known for his stories of romance and social realism.

Lata Mangeshkar is one of the best-known and most respected playback singers in India. She has been awarded the Bharat Ratna, Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan, and Dada Saheb Phalke Award. She is the elder sister of Asha Bhosle.

Researcher and editor, eminent linguist, widely known as the 'Baba-e-Urdu'

One of the most prominent classical poets at Lucknow, who excelled in Mersia poetry, was a contemporary of Mirza Ghalib.

Immensely successful poet, particularly renowned for his Masnavis, whose most celebrated work is Sihar-ul-Bayan. His other notable contributions include his Diwan of Ghazals and Tazkira-i-Shora-i-Urdu, a biographical compendium of Urdu poets written in Persian.

One of the greatest Urdu poets, known as Khuda-e-Sukhan (God of Poetry).

Mehdi Hasan was a ghazal and playback singer of Pakistan. He was also known as 'Shehenshah-e-Ghazal' He was honored with the Pride of Performance Award and numerous Nigar Awards for his inimitable contribution to music.