Bollywood tribute to poet Faiz strikes a chord with Pakistanis

Bollywood can take Faiz to youth, daughter Salima Hashmi

A Bollywood song based on a poem by renowned Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz has struck all the right notes on this side of the border including with the late writer's family."Gulon Main," the song written by journalist-lyricist Neelesh Misra for the yet-to-be released film "Sikandar" is based on one of Faiz's best known works. Faiz's daughter, Salima Hashmi, who has just returned from a trip to India, picked up CDs of the song for family and friends.

"I have had a chance to listen to the song and am very pleased with it. The ghazal was made famous by the great Mehdi Hassan's rendering of it. In fact, my father was often called upon to sing the 'Mehdi Hassan wali ghazal'!" Hashmi said.

Legendary Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz has been an integral part of Indian cultural psyche and his daughter Salima Hashmi believes that Bollywood can take Faiz's poetry to the youth."Gulon Mein Rang Bharay", a popular poem written by Faiz while he was in jail in Pakistan, has been used in the upcoming film "Sikandar" by director Piyush Jha. The film revolves around the life of a young boy growing up in violence torn Kashmir.

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Selected Articles, Editorials, and Interviews

This is a collection of editorials and articles written by Faiz Ahmad Faiz, one of Pakistan's and South Asia's foremost poets and writers. The editorials were published in The Pakistan Times, of which daily national newspaper Faiz was editor from 1947 to 1951. The editorials reflect his deep insight into the political and social malaise that has gripped Pakistan from the time of Independence, and his views and analyses remain pertinent more than forty years on. The collection also includes interviews with Faiz by leading commentators and columnists such as Khalid Hasan, Mukhtar Zaman, I.A. Rahman etc.