NEW DELHI: Nida Fazli, a prominent Urdu poet of his generation and a lyricist who brought a dash of quality to Bollywood songs in the 1980s, passed away following a heart attack on Monday morning in Mumbai. He was 77.

“He complained of breathlessness this morning at around 11am. When we reached the hospital, we were informed that he is no more. He had no medical history. It’s shocking for us,” a relative said.

Renowned poet Wasim Barelvi, who participated in hundreds of mushairas with Fazli, said he was popular both among the masses and the literati. “His father had migrated to Pakistan and the nazm he wrote because he couldn’t attend the funeral is poignant poetry at its best.”

Fazli got the Sahitya Akademi award for his collection of poems, Khoya Hua Sa Kuchh, in 1998.

He also wrote dohas in traditional Hindi.

In films, he mostly worked with composers Khayyam (Razia Sultan, Nakhuda, Ahista Ahista) and R.D. Burman (Red Rose, Biwi O Biwi, Harjaee).

According to Khayyam, Kabhi kisi ko mukammal jahan nahi milta became his signature song.

A student of English literature, Fazli grew up in Gwalior before he went to Mumbai.

By arrangement with the Times of India

Published in Dawn, February 9th, 2016