Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. And it’s no surprise that Ghalib is one of the most adored, emulated (and imitated) Urdu poets. More than a hundred and fifty years after he passed into the ages, Ghalib’s legacy lives on and has acquired new vigour in contemporary music, literature, cinema and pop culture. 

Perhaps the most enduring of his legacies is the ghazal, a poetic form that is often misconstrued to be a form of song. Ghalib’s ghazals have been rendered and interpreted by voices ranging from Suraiya and Iqbal Bano to Mehdi Hassan, Ghulam Ali and Jagjit Singh. His poetic tradition has been borne forth by titans of Urdu poetry like Muhammad Iqbal and Faiz Ahmed Faiz, to Gulzar in the present day. 

Encompassing themes both pedestrian — love and heartbreak — and weighty — existence and god, Ghalib remains relevant and evergreen in our times. With this episode, host Amit Basole brings the 6-part series to a climactic finale, leaving you with signposts and resources to continue your journey of discovery. 

Credits:

Akshay Ramuhalli, Bijoy Venugopal, Bruce Lee Mani, Narayan Krishnaswamy, Prashant Vasudevan, Seema Seth, Shraddha Gautam, Supriya Joshi and Velu Shankar

Acknowledgements:

Dil-e-nadaan from the film Mirza Ghalib (1954) starring Bharat Bhushan and Suraiya (YouTube)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQfQlSaUMt4&t=60s  

Jab us zulf ki baat chali performed live at the BBC by Mehdi Hassan (YouTube)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygG0lMVq80o 

YouTube - Aah ko chahiye performed by Ghulam Ali on the PTV program Nikhar (1970’s vintage)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m09R8FgoZ4w 

YouTube - Mirza Ghalib’s Diya hai dil agar usko bashar hai kya kahiye performed by Iqbal Bano 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfuhscO0hhg

Naqsh Fariyaadi Hain Kiski from the film Mirza Ghalib starring Naseeruddin Shah and performed by Jagjit Singh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqQrrwDIYdA

'Dil-e-Nadaan' performed by Ayushmann Khurrana and Shweta Subram from the film Hawaizaada (2015) | Label: T-Series (YouTube)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeOkMCNIFFI

Former BJP leader Sushma Swaraj Vs former Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh engage in a parliamentary debate in shayari style | ABP News (YouTube)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJhiZFCh52c&t=4s

Naseeruddin Shah informal on Gulzar's Mirza Ghalib in Urdu Studio with Manish Gupta (YouTube)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUiS1UgTx4Y

Bridgerton on Netflix | Season 2: “Have you read Ghalib?”

https://www.netflix.com/in/title/80232398 

Mirza Ghalib ka hai Kaifiyat har ek ki apni apni | Label: Saregama India (YouTube)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sszBp0oerrM

Explore further:

Website: A Desertful of Roses - The Urdu Ghazals of Mirza Asadullah Khan “Ghalib” by Prof. Frances Pritchett

http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00ghalib/

Book: Ghalib - A Wilderness At My Doorstep: A Critical Biography byMehr Afshan Farooqi; Penguin Allen Lane (18 January 2021) | Amazon India store