Zehra Nigah

Zehra Nigah
Zehra Nigah
زہرا نگاہ
Born	14 May 1935 (age 88)
Occupation(s)	Poet, Scriptwriter, Lyricist

Zehra Nigah (

Urdu: زہرا نگاہ) is a prominent Urdu poet and scriptwriter from Pakistan.^[3]^[4]^[2] She is fondly known as 'Zehra Apa' in the nation. Among the pioneers of poetry by women, Nigah was one of the first Urdu women poets to make their mark in the male dominated field. Nigah's accomplishments especially shone in the domain of mushaira, as she is considered the first female poet to fully participate and make a visible mark in such events.^[5] Zehra is an occasional songwriter and scriptwriter too.^[6]

Heavily revered in the literary fraternity for her mix of modern feminine and classic poetry, her expertise in the field, and her personality; she is often the presiding chair of literary events and sessions, including the chair of the presidium of the Aalmi Urdu Conference and Women Conference. Nigah has been awarded the Pride of Performance (2006), LLF Lifetime Achievement Award (2013), Allama Iqbal Award (2018), UBL Literary Lifetime Award (2019), and the Arts Council Lifetime Achievement Award (2021). Her books include Shaam Ka Pehla Tara, Warq, Firaq, and Gul Chandni. Her poetry compilation, Lafz, was recently published.

Personal life

Zehra was born in

Sufi poetry.^[5]

Career

Zehra Nigah began her writing career during her childhood. When she was 14 years old, she learned the poetry of prominent poets by heart.[5] She is inspired by classical tradition of Urdu poetry.

Front Line magazine states:

Around 1922, the living room in Zehra's family home used to serve as the centre stage for historic meetings of poets of the stature of Iqbal, Firaq, Makhdoom, Faiz Ahmad Faiz and Majaz. "Academics, poetry and music completed my home", she says, adding, "My mother used to learn music from her ustaad [teacher] from behind a purdah. My maternal grandfather used to encourage us children to revise tough poets like Haali and Iqbal with correct meanings, pronunciations and reading style. He would tempt us by saying, 'If you memorise Iqbal's Jawab-e-Shikwa or Musaddas-e-Hali, you will get five rupees.' And we would wield all our energies to memorise them. Such was my training that at four I had learnt the correct recitation style and pronunciation and by the time I was 14, I had learnt the masterpieces of most big poets by heart.^[5]

In 2012, an event was held by the fellow writers at the

Mushtaq Ahmed Yousufi.^[4]

Awards and recognition

She received the Pride of Performance Award from the President of Pakistan in 2006.^[7] According to a major newspaper of India, "Zehra Nigah is a much loved and highly respected poet in Pakistan."^[2]

Honours

Speaker, Special Lecture Series of Aga Khan University 2013
Chief Guest, Convocation of IVS 2014
Chair, launch of Shaam-e-Sher-e-Yaaran by Mushtaq Ahmed Yousufi 2014
Chair, launch of Digital Poetry Collection of Dr. Pirzada Qasim 2014
Keynote Speaker, Islamabad Literature Festival 2014
Keynote Speaker, Karachi Literature Festival 2015
Keynote Speaker, Islamabad Literature Festival 2015
Member Presidium Panel, Launch of Arzu Center at Habib University 2015

Publications

Shaam Ka Pehla Tara
Waraq
Firaaq
Gul Chandni

References

^ ^a ^b Profile of Zehra Nigah on rekhta.org website, Retrieved 12 June 2017
^ ^a ^b ^c "Portrait of a lady". The Hindu. 7 November 2004. Archived from the original on 25 March 2005. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
^ "Pakistani poet Zehra Nigah enthrals at Jashn-e-Bahar". The Times of India. 7 April 2012. Archived from the original on 25 December 2013. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
^ ^a ^b "CD of Zehra Nigah's poetry in her voice launched". Daily Dawn newspaper. 15 February 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Zehra Nigah, a powerful voice on Pakistan's poetic horizon, shines brighter in her twilight years". Front Line, India's National Magazine. 18 May 2012. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
^ Ali, Sahar (28 January 2002). "Pakistan poet Zehra Nigah scripts screenplay for Mirza Ruswa's Umrao Jaan Ada for TV play". IndiaToday.in. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
^ Zehra Nigah's Pride of Performance Award info listed on Dawn newspaper, Published 24 March 2006, Retrieved 12 June 2017

External links

ARTICLE: In the jungle of loneliness – DAWN.com
Zehra Nigah Pays Tribute to Faiz Ahmed Faiz
Remembering Faiz by Zehra Nigah, The Express Tribune newspaper

[rekhta-1] Profile of Zehra Nigah on rekhta.org website, Retrieved 12 June 2017

[hindu-2] "Portrait of a lady". The Hindu. 7 November 2004. Archived from the original on 25 March 2005. Retrieved 12 June 2017.

[timesofindia-3] "Pakistani poet Zehra Nigah enthrals at Jashn-e-Bahar". The Times of India. 7 April 2012. Archived from the original on 25 December 2013. Retrieved 12 June 2017.

[dawn-4] "CD of Zehra Nigah's poetry in her voice launched". Daily Dawn newspaper. 15 February 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2017.

[front-5] "Zehra Nigah, a powerful voice on Pakistan's poetic horizon, shines brighter in her twilight years". Front Line, India's National Magazine. 18 May 2012. Retrieved 23 November 2012.

[6] Ali, Sahar (28 January 2002). "Pakistan poet Zehra Nigah scripts screenplay for Mirza Ruswa's Umrao Jaan Ada for TV play". IndiaToday.in. Retrieved 14 March 2021.

[Dawn1-7] Zehra Nigah's Pride of Performance Award info listed on Dawn newspaper, Published 24 March 2006, Retrieved 12 June 2017

[2]

[1]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

Arts
1950s	(1958) (1958) (1958) Professor (1958)
1960s	(1960) (1960) (1960) (1962) (1962) (1962) (1962) (1963) (1963) (1965) (1965) (1965) (1965) (1965) (1965) (1966) (1966) Khwaja Moinuddin (1966) Ayat Ali Khan (1966) Ustad Haji Mohammad Sharif (1967) (1967) Rafi Peer (1967) (1968) (1968) (1969) (1969) (1969) Umeed Ali Khan (1969) (1969) (1969)
1970s	(1970) (1970) (1970) (1970) (1971) (1971) (1974) (1977) (1978) (1978) Ustad (1978) (1978) (1978) (1979) (1979) Kishwar Sultan (1979) Ustad Fateh Ali Khan (Sitar Nawaz) (1979) (1979) (1979) Mureed Buledi (1979) (1979) (1979) Mohammad Azam Chishti (1979) (1979) (1979)
1980s	(1980) (1980) (1980) (1980) (1980) Aazar Zubi (1980) (1980) (1980) (1981) (1981) Mansoor Tabish (1981) Qari Syed Ali Sharfuddin Yemni (1981) Nanhe Ali Khan (music performer)) (1981) (1981) Alexander Robert (1981) (1981) (1981) (1982) Qari Ubaidur Rehman (1982) (1982) (1982) (1982) (1983) Ustad Nazar Hussain (1983) (1983) Qari (1984) (1984) (1984) (1984) (1985) Ustad Chhote Ghulam Ali Khan (1985) (1985) (1985) (1985) (1985) (1985) (1985) (1985) (1986) (1986) (1986) (1986) (1986) (1986) (1986) (1986) (1987) Ustad Abdul Majeed Dehlvi (1987) (1987) (1987) Sain Akhtar Hussain (1987) Qari Izhar Ahmed Thanvi (1987) Shaista Zaid (1988) (1988) (1988) (1988) (1988) Ustad Kabir Khan (1989) (1989) (1989) (1989) (1989) Jameel Bismil (1989) (1989) Ameer Khan (1989) Amjad Hussain (1989) (1989) (1989) (1989) (1989) (1989) (1989)
1990s	(1990) (1990) Khalid Hameed Baig (1990) (1990) Ustad Sadiq Ali Khan Mando (1990) Ustad Fateh Ali Khan (Gwalior gharana) (1990) (1990) Qari Mohammad Fida (1990) (1990) (1990) (1990) (1991) Khursheed Alam known as Gohar Qalam (1991) (1991) (1991) (1991) (1992) (1992) Noor Mohammad Lashari (1992) (1992) (1992) (1992) (1992) (1992) (1992) (1992) (1992) (1992) (1993) Ismail Shahid (1993) (1993) (1993) (1993) Syed Manzoorul Kaunain (1993) Qari Syed Buzurg Shah Al-Azhari (1993) (1993) (1993) (1994) (1994) Shahid Jalal (1994) Qari Mohammad Younus (1994) Qari Syed Ali Abid Naqvi (1994) (1994) (1994) Hamid Ali Bela (1994) (1994) (1994) (1994) (1994) (1994)) (1994) (1994)) (1994) (1994) (1995) Ustad Talib Hussain Khan (1995) (1995) (1995) (1995) (1995) (1995) (1996) Mashooq Sultan (1996) (1996) (1996) Qari Noor Mohammad (1996) (1996) (1996) (1996) (1996) (1997) (1997) (1997) (1997) (1997) (1998) (1998) (1999) (1999) (1999) (1999) (1999) (1999) (1999) (1999) (1999) (1999)
2000s	(2000) (2000) (2001) (2001) (2002) (2002) (2002) (2002) (2002) (2002) (2002) (2003) (2003) Syed Afzal Hussain (2003) (2003) Abdul Aziz Baloch (2003) Ghulam Mustafa (2003) Majeed Khan (sarangi player) (2003) (2003) (2003) (2003) (2004) (2004) Mahtab Akbar Rashdi (2004) Chishty Bin Subh-o-Mujahid (2004) Navid Shahzad (2004) (2004) S. M. Naqi (2004) Haji Atta Muhammad (2004) Moin Niazi (2004) (2004) (2004) (2004) Samiur Rahman (2004) (2004) (2005) (2005) (2005) (2005) (2005) (2005) (2005) (2006) (2006) (2006) (2006) (2006) (2006) (2006) Ustad Qamar uz Zaman (2006) (2006) Zehra Nigah (2006) (2006) (2006) (2006) (2006) (2006) (2007) (2007) (2007) (2007) (2007) (2007) (2008) Akhtar Munir (2008) Gopal Das (2008) Haji Mehr Ali (2008) Haji Sher Ali (2008) Nahid Raza (2008) Gul Bahar Bano (2008) Mujahid Hussain (2008) Rasheed Malik (2008) (2008) Abdul Karim Balouch (2008) (2008) M. Hanif Raza (2008) Nasreen Askari (2008) (2008) Mansoor Rahi (2008) (2008) (2008) (2009) (2009) Muhammad Younus Khan (2009) Emanuel Philip (2009) (2009) Shabbir Hussain (2009) Manzoor Hussain (2009) Parveen Nazzar (2009) Javaid Tufail Niazi (2009) Babar Ali Niazi (2009) Hajra Mansoor (2009) (2009) (2009) Khalifa Muhammad Irshad Beg (2009) Naseem Sultan (2009) (2009) Sahib Dino Mallah (2009) Satish Chandra Anand (2009) Rubeena Malik (2009) (2009) Muhammad Gul (2009) Mehnaz Hyat (2009) Abdul Qadir (2009) (2009) (2009) (2009)
2010s	(2010) (2010) (2010) Zulfiqar Ali (2010) (2010) (2010) (2010) (2010) (2010) (2010) (2010) (2011) (2011) (2011) (2011) S. Amjad Bukhari (2011) (2011) S.H. Qasim Jalali (2011) (2011) (2011) Ustad Hussain Bukhsh Gullu (2011) (2011) Ustad Muhammad Alam (2011) Ustad (2011) Wazir Afzal (2011) Zafar Kazmi (2011) (2011) (2012) Mohsin Gillani (2012) (2012) (2012) (2012) (2012) Rahat Naveed Masud (2012) (2012) (2012) (2013) Muhammad Ajmal Khan (2013) (2013) (2013) (2013) (2013) (2013) Shahid Abdullah (2014) Ustad Shafiquz Zaman Khan (2014) (2014) (2014) (2014) (2015) (2015) (2015) (2016) (2016) (2016) (2016) (2016) (2016) (2017) (2017) (2017) Rashid Mehmood (2017) (2017) (2017) (2018) (2018) (2018) (2018) (2018) (2018) (2018) (2018) (2018) (2018) (2019) (2019) (2019) (2019) (2019) (2019)
2020s	Deeba (2020) Ghulam Mohiuddin (2020) Sahir Ali Bagga (2020) Waris Baig (2020) Ghulam Abbas 2020 Saieen Zahoor (2020) Fareed Ayaz (2020) Sarmad Sehbai (2021) Resham (2021) Khalid Masud Gondal (2021) Muhammad Javed (2022) Hafeez Tahir (2023) Sangeeta (2023) Sher Miandad Khan (2023) Ustad Tafu (2023) Anjuman (2023)

Authority control databases
International	VIAF
National	United States
Other	IdRef