Qateel Shifai facts for kids

Qateel Shifai, whose real name was Muhammad Aurangzeb (Urdu: قتیل شفائی), was a very famous Pakistani poet and writer of song lyrics. He was born on December 24, 1919, and passed away on July 11, 2001. He wrote many beautiful poems and songs that are still loved today.

Early Life and His Journey

Qateel Shifai was born in 1919 in a place called Haripur District, which was then part of British India and is now in Pakistan. His family was from the Hindkowan community.

Choosing His Pen Name

In 1938, he chose Qateel Shifai as his pen name. A pen name is like a special nickname a writer uses. "Qateel" was his own poetic name, and "Shifai" was a way to honor his teacher, Hakeem Mohammed Yahya Shifa Khanpuri. This teacher was a very important mentor to him.

Starting His Career

When Qateel was just 16, in 1935, his father passed away. This meant he had to stop his higher education. He tried to start his own shop selling sports goods, but it didn't work out. So, he decided to move from his small town to Rawalpindi. There, he first worked for a transport company.

Later, in 1947, he joined the Pakistani film industry. He started writing lyrics for film songs. Even though his father was a businessman and no one in his family was a poet, Qateel loved writing. He would show his early poems to Hakeem Yahya Shifa Khanpuri for advice. Later, he also learned from his friend and neighbor, Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi.

First Steps in Writing

In 1946, a man named Nazir Ahmed invited Qateel to Lahore. He became an assistant editor for a literary magazine called 'Adab-e-Latif'. His very first poem, a ghazal, was printed in a Lahore weekly newspaper called 'Star'.

In January 1947, a film producer asked Qateel to write songs for a movie. The first film he wrote lyrics for was Teri Yaad (1948) in Pakistan. After working as an assistant to other famous lyricists for a few years, he became a very successful film lyricist. He won many awards for his amazing song lyrics. He was one of the best among many talented poets of his time.

Writing His Life Story

In 1988, Qateel Shifai began writing his autobiography, "Ghungroo Toot Gaye." An autobiography is a book about your own life. He worked on this book with his student, Naeem Chishti. It took many years to finish. The book was published in 2006, after his death, by his son Naveed Qateel. This book shared many interesting facts about the film industry and the lives of famous people like Sahir Ludhvi, Noor Jehan, and Iqbal Bano.

His Legacy and Impact

Qateel Shifai passed away on July 11, 2001, in Lahore, Pakistan.

He left behind an incredible amount of work. He published over 20 collections of his poems. He also wrote more than 2,500 film songs for both Pakistani and Indian movies! His talent was so great that his poetry was translated into many languages. These include Hindi, Gujarati, English, Russian, and Chinese.

On his 11th death anniversary in 2012, a well-known literary figure, Dr. Salahuddin Darvesh, said that Qateel Shifai was one of the greatest poets of the 20th century. He was recognized all over the world for his work.

Awards and Special Honors

Qateel Shifai received many important awards for his contributions to literature and film:

• The 'Pride of Performance Award' in 1994 from the Government of Pakistan. This is a very high honor!
• The Adamjee Literary Award in 1964.
• The 'Naqoosh Award' and 'Abbasin Arts Council Award' in Pakistan.
• He won the Best Poet Award at the 9th PTV Awards in 1998.
• The famous 'Amir Khusro Award' in India.
• A 'Special Millennium Nigar Award' in 1999 for all his amazing work in the Pakistan film industry. He also won three other Nigar Awards in 1958, 1965, and 1979.

In 1970, Qateel Shifai produced a film in his mother language, Hindko. It was the first Hindko film ever made and was called "Qissa Khwani." It was released in 1980.

To honor him, the street where he lived in Lahore was named Qateel Shifai Street. Also, a part of Haripur city, where he was born, is named Mohallah Qateel Shifai after him.

Film Songs He Wrote

Here are some of the films for which Qateel Shifai wrote songs. He wrote for both Pakistani and Indian movies.

• Bade Dilwala (1999)
• Yeh Hai Mumbai Meri Jaan (1999)
• Auzaar (1997)
• Tamanna (1996)
• Naajayaz (1995)
• Naaraz (1994)
• Hum Hain Bemisaal (1994)
• Sir (1993)
• Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayee (1993) (This means Your Memories Have Returned)
• Tahqiqaat (1993)
• Painter Babu (1983)
• Kudrat (1981) (He wrote only one song for this film)
• Begum Jaan (1977)
• Shireen Farhad (1975)
• Naila (1965) (He won a Nigar Award for this film)
• Farangi (1964)
• Chingari (1964)
• Haveli (1964)
• Qaidi (1962)
• Shaheed (1962)
• Zehr-e-Ishq (1958)
• Anarkali (1958) (He won a Nigar Award for this film)
• Intezaar (1956)
• Qatil (1955)
• Gumnaam (1954) (He helped as a junior lyricist)
• Gulnaar (1953) (He was an assistant lyricist)
• Teri Yaad (1948) (This means Your Memories and was the first film released in the Pakistani film industry)