scorecardresearch
Add as a preferred source on Google
Sunday, April 5, 2026
TopicUrdu poets

Topic: Urdu poets

Munawwar Rana stripped Urdu poetry of elitism, brought it closer to everyday speech

Munawwar Rana often lamented how division had seeped into the most ordinary spaces of life. Courtesy, respect, and shared cultural language mattered deeply to him.

ThePrint Quiz, 16 Feb, 2025: 156 yrs since his death, Ghalib lives on. How much do you know him

Hailed as one of the greatest Persion/Urdu poets of the 19th Century, Mirza Ghalib died on 15 Feb 1869 at age 71. In this edition of ThePrint Quiz, let’s see how much you know him.

Pakistan’s Jaun Elia was more than a tragic poet. He was an atheist, Marxist & philosopher

Jaun Elia’s cultural impact has only grown after his death. Critics and poetry enthusiasts see him as someone who challenged the notions of traditional Urdu poetry.

Modern Urdu poetry is ‘absolutely merciless’. It changed after Babri

Oral historian Sohail Hashmi into a new wave of dissent in Urdu poetry at a Delhi workshop earlier this month. ‘It’s asking important questions, raising serious issues.’

This is how an Urdu weekly ‘punched’ Sir Syed’s Muslim reformist movement

While Sir Syed’s advocacy for realism and scientific thinking drew attacks such as being labelled a ‘satan’ and ‘a leader of thieves,’ Altaf Hussain Hali’s poetry, which promoted reason and advised moving away from artificial metaphors, was largely deemed un-Islamic.

Ali Sardar Jafri–the Urdu poet wrote anti-war poems, opposed the rise of communalism in India

Jafri was among the most ardent supporters of pluralistic and egalitarian India. His poetry also had a place for Krishna, Buddha, Radha and the Vedas.

On Camera

Why nose strips and peel-off masks are an overhyped quick fix for blackheads

Nose strips and black masks aren’t evil, but these solutions can backfire, especially when used on Indian skin that scars and pigments easily.

SEBI proposes return of open market share buybacks to support stocks

Regulator seeks feedback on allowing firms to repurchase shares via exchanges after tax changes, as markets reel from war-led selloff and foreign outflows.

South Korea’s Cheongung-II missile system makes its mark in West Asia war. Here’s why

UAE has been using this defence system, which is similar to America's Patriots, against Iranian missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles.

China insulated itself against energy shocks. India is ‘all talk, no walk’

China patiently invested capital, skill and technology in coal gasification. Unlike it, we won’t move from words to action. As crude prices decline, we lose interest.