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Sheikh Mohammed Irfan better known as Shaukat Pardesi (Urdu: شوکت پردیسی ,born in April 1924- October 1995) was a poet, editor and lyricist born in Malaysia. Although his father Sheikh Sahib Ali hailed from a small village, Maroofpur in Jaunpur district of India but he migrated to Malaysia and lived there for a long period of time. During 1950's he was associated with Urdu Daily Inquilab, acted as the Editor of Film Times Weekly magazine. He published as well as edited an acclaimed monthly Urdu magazine entitled Munna for children who were supported through the writings of eminent writers like Niaz Fatehpuri, Ale Ahmad Suroor, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, etc. His ghazals and nazms were not merely restricted to journals but have also been recorded by HMV in the melodious voices of various famous singers of his time viz. Talat Mahmood, Manna Dey, C. H. Atma, Anup Jalota, Dilraj Kaur, Shailendra Singh, Shyam Lala and others.
Early life
Pardesi was born in 1924 in Malaysia where he spent his childhood in material comfort and attained his primary education. In 1936, he came to India with his parents. Later on, due to World War II, travel between India and Malaysia discontinued. Consequently, Pardesi and his parents could not return to Malaysia. His father enrolled him in Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama, Lucknow for the continuation of his studies but subsequently he was shifted to Mission School (now Raja Shri Krishna Dutt Inter College) in Jaunpur from where he completed his middle school education. Although Pardesi’s father Sheikh Sahib Ali built his new home in Jaunpur and settled there permanently but he did not succeed in arranging any regular source of income for the family. Reserved money started depleting and financial hardships became the new reality of life for the family. In January 1943, Shaukat Pardesi got married to Husnaara Begum. From 1944, his elders started leaving this mortal world. First of all mother, followed by his father and lastly the elder sister, they all died in a span of three to four years. The changed circumstances of life without any concrete source of income along with the responsibility of an unmarried sister, two orphaned nieces, a wife and a son were too harsh for a 23/24 year young man who had lived his childhood and adolescence in luxuries. He tried many things for living that included even homeopathic practice as medic us but did not succeed in any. Consequently, the necessities of life prevailed over self-respect and eventually he landed up at his father-in-law Hafiz Akhtar Ali's place, who was a well- known farmer of village Jamdahan in Jaunpur district. Hafiz Akhtar was also a Mukhtar in Jaunpur court. He had only two daughters. The elder daughter was reasonably well settled with her lawyer husband. Thus, Hafiz Akhtar Ali's own circumstances were such that warranted a supporting hand to look after his farming and wealth. The mutual needs of both made their match perfect but for some reason it did not lost long. As a result, in 1950, Pardesi left Jamdahan and went to Mumbai .
In Mumbai, he stayed for almost 8 years and by the time he grounded his feet in this city of hopes, he had a serious attack of heart palpitation (Ikhtelaj-e-Qalb) that made him virtually bed ridden and consequently he was left with no option but constrainedly to come back to his father-in-law's house in Jamdahan.
After 1958, Pardesi spent rest of his life in Jamdahan in the companionship of his wife and heart palpitation. He died in October 1995 in Jaunpur out of Cancer.
Literary journey
Pardesi was quite a visible Urdu poet through Urdu magazines and periodicals, especially during late forties to seventies of last century. He wrote his first ghazal in late thirties/early forties of last century. In the beginning he wrote by his original name Mohammed Irfan. Subsequently he changed his pen name to Shaukat Jaunpuri and when he reached Mumbai he again changed his pen name to Shaukat Pardesi. This new pen name became his final identity in the world of Urdu literature. Pardesi's pen touched almost all categories of Urdu poetry ranging from nazm and geet to ghazal, Qata and rubaaee. His poetries got space in the pages of almost every known Urdu journal of his time such as Shaaer Mumbai, Nerang-e-kheyal Lahore, Shamaa Delhi, Beesween Sadi Delhi, Bano Delhi, Khilauna Delhi, Gagan Mumbai, Naya Daur Lucknow, Pyam-e-Taleem Delhi, Tahreek Delhi, Aajkal Delhi, Jamalistaan Delhi, Shiraaz Karachi, Mashraqi Aanchal Delhi, Saaghar Lahore, Saboohi Lahore, Tabassum Hyderabad, Kahkashaan Mumbai, Shoa-ein Lahore, Mashhoor Delhi, Ittehaad Mumbai, Nikhat Allahabad, and many more.
Books
Pardesi could not publish any of his collection during his lifetime due to his personal circumstances. However, later on his son, Nadeem Ahmad tried to collect as many of his writings as he could and published them under the following three titles:
- Tohfa-e-Itfal: Published in 2010 and contains Pardesi's poems which he wrote for children
- Mizrab-e-Sukhan: Published in 2012 and comprises Pardesi's nazms and geets
- Saaz-e-Naghmabaar: Published in 2015 and contains Pardesi's ghazals, qataats and rubaaees
- Mazameen-e-Shaukat: Published in 2015 and consists of articles reflecting some aspects his personal life as well as literary relationships
- "Tohfa-e-Atfal". Rektha.org. Retrieved 2015-12-25.
- "Daily Urdu News – Inquilab News Channel". Epaper.inquilab.com. 2011-02-14. Retrieved 2015-12-25.
- "nazam from Tohfa-e-Atfaal". gulbootey.com. Retrieved 2016-01-11.
- "article on Shaukat Pardesi book Saaze-Nagmabaar". inquilab.com/. Retrieved 2016-01-11.
- "Daily Urdu News – Inquilab News Channel". Epaper.inquilab.com. 2011-02-14. Retrieved 2015-12-25.
Journalism
During his stay in Mumbai, from 1950 to 1958, Pardesi was associated for a period of time with Urdu daily Inquilab. He also acted as Editor of Film Times Weekly. For few years, he also published and edited Munna, an acclaimed monthly Urdu magazine of fifties for children who were supported through the writings of eminent writers like Niaz Fatehpuri, Ale Ahmad Suroor, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Ehtesham Hussain, etc.
Filmography
Pardesi's association with film industry was limited and relatively unnoticed. He wrote songs for three films namely Khubsoorat, Ghulam Begam Badshah, and Shaheed-e-Aazam Bhagat Singh that were sung by Mohammed Rafi, and Asha Bhosale,. In addition, he wrote dialogues for Ghulam Begam Badshah and Jhansi Ki Rani.
Non-film songs
A number of Pardesi's ghazals and nazms were recorded by HMV in the voices of some of the famous singers of his time like Talat Mahmood, Manna Dey, C. H. Atma, Anup Jalota, Dilraj Kaur, Shailendra Singh, Shyam Lala and others. In particular, his ghazal "Hairan hoon aei sanam ki tujhe aur kya kahoon" in the voice of Manna Dey got immense popularity.
Awards and recognition
- Uttar Pradesh Urdu Akademi Award (2014)
- "Urdu akademi". upurduakademi.org. Retrieved 2016-01-11.