Sudarshan Faakir

Biography

Sudarshan Faakir was born in 1934 in Jalandhar, Punjab. From a young age, he showed an interest in literature and music, eventually choosing poetry as his main medium of expression. He began writing in Urdu and Hindi, and his words soon found their way into both literary gatherings and the world of music.

What made Faakir stand out was his ability to blend literary elegance with simple, heartfelt emotions. His ghazals often carried themes of love, memory, and the passage of time. They struck a chord with listeners because they felt deeply personal, yet universal at the same time.

Several of his songs became classics when set to music. The hauntingly beautiful “Karoge Yaad Toh Har Baat Yaad Aayegi”, sung by Jagjit Singh, remains one of the most loved ghazals in modern Urdu music. Another, “Woh Kagaz Ki Kashti, Woh Baarish Ka Pani”, is remembered as a timeless ode to childhood and nostalgia. His songs were not just lyrics but poetry that evoked powerful emotions.

Beyond his musical fame, Faakir was also respected in literary circles. He wrote both nazms and ghazals that were recited in mushairas across India. His style was straightforward, never burdened with unnecessary complexity, yet always rich in feeling.

He became the first lyricist to be honored by the Indian Academy of Fine Arts in Jalandhar, a recognition of how he bridged the world of literature and music.

Sudarshan Faakir passed away on February 19, 2008, in his hometown of Jalandhar. He left behind a body of work that continues to live through recordings, books, and the hearts of those who love poetry and ghazals.

He is remembered as a poet who gave Urdu poetry a new life through music, and as a lyricist who proved that simple words, when written with honesty, can remain unforgettable.