The Urdu poet par excellence Shahryar whose lines resonated across Hindi cinema when he worked with Muzaffar Ali in Gaman, Umrao Jaan and Anjuman isn't any more.Shabana Azmi who sang all of the songs of Anjuman expresses the top regard for Shahryar's poetic aptitudes. Says Shabana, "He was the most productive Ghazal poet in present times. The words that he wrote in films were just a small a part of his poetic oeuvre. He's rightly held in high regard for his poetry. I reluctantly sang in Anjuman and that i got to sing some really evocative poetry. 'Ghulab jism ka yun hi nahin khila hoga hawaa ne pehle mujhe phir tujhe chooa hoga... ' How beautiful gentle and romantic were these lines! Kitna lihaaz tha unke lehze main (there has been such a lot grace in his attitude). I USED TO BE privileged to have sung these lines in Anjuman with Bhupinder."Muzaffar Ali whose cinema was a passionate platform for Shahryar's poetry says he has lost his voice. "He was part of my creative journey greater than I USED TO BE part of his. Though I COULD have lost my voice, he's going to live to tell the tale in my work and his work will survive in me."
