Bashir Badr, Legendary Urdu Poet Who Redefined the Ghazal, Passes Away at 91

Legendary Urdu poet Bashir Badr, known for modernising the ghazal with simple yet powerful verses, passed away at 91 in Bhopal.
on May 29, 2026

Urdu's great poet Bashir Badr, renowned for lending a modern and casual touch to the classic ghazal, breathed his last at his house in Bhopal today. The poet was 91 years old.

One of the greatest Urdu poets of modern India, Badr's literature will remain a part of Indian culture through its profoundly emotional, relatable, and unforgettable poems, thus leaving behind a rich literary heritage.

Born in 1935 in Ayodhya during the time of British India, Bashir Badr was always inclined towards poetry. He is said to have composed his first couplet when he was just seven and read out his first ghazal at Etawah in 1946, where he was given the title "Badr," which means "Moon" in English.

An extremely intelligent boy, Bashir Badr went on to study further and received a doctorate from Aligarh Muslim University before turning into an educator. He also served as the Head of the Urdu Department in Meerut College for about 17 years.

Badr came to be known as a poet who had revolutionized the form of ghazal by making it realistic in terms of language and subject matter.

His one couplet got worldwide recognition as it was quoted by the then Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto while he was visiting India for the discussion on the Simla Agreement of 1972:

"Dushmani jam kar karo lekin ye gunjaaish rahe,

Jab kabhi hum dost hojaayein to sharmindah na hon."

It was common practice that his poems often found their way into mushairas and other literary meetings, music CDs, and memories. Over the years, many of his couplets became household topics of discussion.

The communal disturbances in Meerut in 1986 had an immense influence on the poet, particularly after he was targeted when the violence broke out. It led to the birth of yet another famous couplet:

“Log toot jaate hain ek ghar banane mein,

tum taras nahi khate bastiyan jalane mein.”

Badr produced many well-known books such as Aahat, Aamad, Ikai, Image, and Ujale Apni Yadon Ke. He also wrote many critical pieces related to the Urdu ghazals.

The poet was awarded Padma Shri by the Government of India in appreciation of his literary efforts in 1999.

It is reported by his acquaintances that the poet was suffering from Parkinson’s disease and dementia for almost ten years now and has been confined to bed for some time.

With his death, Indian literature loses one of the greatest modern poets of Urdu, a poet who had managed to communicate so much emotion through such few words.