Probably the finest example of a poet rooted in classic Urdu poetry making it big as a popular songwriter is Sahir Ludhianvi. He is a well-known name in Hindi cinema. Born Abdul Hayee in Ludhiana, Sahir Ludhianvi has penned down two poetry anthologies and several books. He had also worked as a journalist in Delhi and was a member of the Progressive Writer`s Association (PWA).

Sahir Ludhianvi, a popular Bollywood lyricist, made his film debut as a lyricist with Naujawan in 1951. His talent came to be recognized with Guru Dutt`s Baazi the same year. From then to 1957, he formed a formidable team with music composer S.D. Burman. They worked together in Jaal and Taxi Driver and, most importantly, in the classic Pyaasa, a film with some of Hindi cinemas finest songs.

Some of Sahir Ludhianvi`s major songs, including those in Phir Subah Hogi and Naya Daur, reflect a progressive socialism. In the 1960s, he wrote songs for films such as Waqt, Gumrah and Hamraaz. These songs are considered even today as some of Hindi cinema`s perennial favourites. He also penned the evergreen lyrics of Yash Chopra`s Daag and Kabhi Kabhie.

Sahir Ludhianvi won the Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist for his work in Taj Mahal and Kabhi Kabhie. He was also awarded the Padma Shri in 1971.

Sahir Ludhianvi has worked as a lyricist in the following films:

Naujawan	Dharmaputra	Daag
Baazi	Gumraah	Kabbi Kabhie
Jaal	Taj Mahal	Hum Kisise Kum Nahin
Taxi Driver	Chitmlekha	Trishul
Munimji	Ghazal	Insaaf Ka Tarazu
Funtoosh	Kajal	Dhanvan
Naya Daur	Waqt	Ghunghroo
Pyaasa	Bahu Begum	Mazdoor
Phir Subah Hogi	Hamraaz	Daata.
Kaagaz Ke Phool	Izzat
Barsaat Ki Raat	Seema