Renowned Urdu and Hindi poet Nida Fazli, who penned several soulful compositions, passed away on Monday, October 12 in Mumbai at the age of 78.
Born in Delhi on October 12, 1938 and raised in Gwalior, his original name was Mukhtda Hassan Nija Fazli. While his parents migrated to Pakistan during the partition, Fazli decided to stay in India.
Nida Fazli began writing from an early age and after completing his graduation in Gwalior, he settled in Delhi. Fazli is especially known for his association with the late ghazal singer Jagjit Singh.
The renowned poet was a recipient of the Sahitya Akademi award.
Talat Aziz: “What can I say about Nida Saheb. A poet par excellence, a man with extraordinary knowledge about history, philosophy Sufism, and the works of all the great poets of Urdu. Plus a fantastic sense of humour. I have spent eons with him and was always left with a sense of fulfilment, yet thirsty for more. He was a fountain of knowledge and we have not lost just a poet extraordinaire but a thinker, a philosopher, a historian, and a man of calibre. This breed doesn't exist anymore and I am proud to have known him and imbibed his company and philosophy. I am sure he is up there smiling and regaling them with his wit charm and knowledge. Rest in Peace Nida Fazli. We will see you in the yonder.”
Anoop Jalota: “Writing ghazal is a different art. Nida Fazli Saheb was very effective in writing ghazals. Big loss to the world of ghazals.”
Prasoon Joshi: “The demise of Nida Fazli is an irreparable loss to the world of Poetry. But his verses will live on in our hearts, especially Ghar se masjid hai bahut door chalo yun kar lein kisi rote huye bachche ko hasaya jaye.”
Lalit Pandit: “It's indeed very sad to know the last great shayar, Nida Fazliji has passed away. He really liked both my brother Jatin and me a lot and when we approached him to work on the ghazal Hoshwalon ko khabar kya in Sarfarosh, he was indeed very happy and excited. He was liked by Jagjitji also as they had worked together earlier. Nidaji wanted to work with us again after Sarfarosh and I remember he told us that he would work with us only if we had a good subject to work with him on a film. Unfortunately we could never work again with him and he too never wrote for a film after the Sarfarosh ghazal. With him, ends a long line of learned ghazal senior writers and people of true knowledge of the art of words. He was a great man and he also was a man of self respect and pride. It’s a great lose. I will always remember the moments when he read out the ghazal Hosh walon Ki Khabar Kya for Sarfarosh. It was destined to be his last work for a film. RIP, Nidasahab. Khuda Hafiz.”
Javed Akhtar: "Nida Fazli was a poet with a highly original mind and style, and he practised a highly unorthodox approach to poetry. His poems express thoughts that have not been expressed before. His language was accessible to both Urdu and Hindi speaking people. Nida Fazli’s language was a bridge between Urdu and Hindi.His poems are deeply rooted to the Indian poetic heritage. He could dig deep into the ancestry of poetry. He could make a connection not only with Mir Taqi Mir or Mirza Ghalib, he could find a link with Tulsi, Kabir and Mirabai also. Unhone dohe bahot likhe hain (he wrote a lot of couplets). The language that he used was neither Hindi nor Urdu. It was Hindustani."
