By TwoCircles.net staff Reporter,
New Delhi: Noted Urdu shayar Munawwar Rana has won the Sahitya Akademi Award 2014 for his book ‘Shahdaba’, it was announced here on Friday.
His book is among the eight books of poetry that have won the prestigious award. Apart from this, five novels, three books of essays, three of short stories, one of literary criticism and an autobiography have also won the award that recognizes premier works in 22 Indian languages.
Munawwar Rana (Courtesy: munawwarrana.in)
The hallmark of Rana’s poetry is that he uses the genre of Ghazal to eulogize Maa (Mother), which is rather unique, as Ghazal is generally associated with a poetic form wherein lovers converse with each other.
“Iss Faqeer ko aapne Mubarakbaad di aur Mohabbato’n se nawaaza. Aap sabhi Dosto’n ka BeHad shukriya ! Jitna LikKha hai Usi ne Hume’n izzat de di, Jo na Likh paaye Wo Likhtey tou Qayamat hoti!” was how the shayar responded on his personal Twitter handle when he was flooded with congratulatory messages.
Rana was born in the sleepy town of Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh in 1952. Most of his close relatives, including his aunts and grandmother, went to Pakistan during partition but his father preferred to remain here out of love for India. According to information provided on his website, Rana’s family later moved to Kolkata where he went to school.
A respected figure in the realm of modern Hindi and Urdu poetry, Rana’s poetry is appreciated in Mushairas across the world. His poetry has also been published in Hindi, Urdu, Bangla and Gurumukhi. Apart from his poetry collection, Rana has also penned a memoir.
Known for using Hindi and Awadhi words in his couplets, Rana avoids using flowery language and shuns chaste Urdu, an apparent reason for his popularity and the reason that he is successful in poetic meets in non-Urdu areas also.
His long list of earlier awards include
(Source: http://munawwarrana.in/awards/ )
Vishisht Rituraj Samman Award under ‘Parampara Kavita Parv 2012’
Ameer Khusro Award 2006, Itawa
Kavita ka Kabir Samman Upadhi 2006, Indore
Mir Taqi Mir Award 2005
Shahood Alam Afkui Award 2005, Kolkata
Ghalib Award 2005, Udaipur
Dr Zakir Hussain Award 2005, New Delhi
Saraswati Samaj Award 2004
Maulana Abdul Razzaq Malihabadi Award 2011 (West Bengal Urdu Academy)
Saleem Jafri Award 1997
Dilkush Award 1995
Rais Amrohvi Award 1993, Raebareli
Bharti Parishad Award, Allahabad
Humayun Kabir Award, Kolkata
Bazm e Sukhan Award, Bhusawal
Allahabad Press Club Award, Prayag
Hazrat Almas Shah Award
Saraswati Samaj Award 2004
Adab Award 2004
Mir Award
Maulana Abul Hasan Nadvi Award
Ustad Bismillah Khan Award
Kabir Award
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