Nationality Indian Name Arif Mahmood | Spouse(s) Anjum Arif (Late) | |
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Born 4 June 1936 Rudauli, Barabanki District, United Province, British India Occupation Urdu Writer, Vice-President in public limited company Known for Mein bhi hazir tha wahan (Urdu: ﻣﯿﮟ ﺑﮭﯽ ﺣﺎﺿﺮ ﺗﮭﺎ وﮨﺎں). | ||
Arif Mahmood (Urdu:عارف محمود, Hindi:आरिफ महमूद), born on 4 June 1936 in Rudauli, Barabanki District, Uttar Pradesh, is an Indian Urdu language author and poet based in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India, most notable for his book Mein bhi hazir tha wahan (Urdu: ﻣﯿﮟ ﺑﮭﯽ ﺣﺎﺿﺮ ﺗﮭﺎ وﮨﺎں).
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Early life
Mahmood was born in Rudauli, Barabanki District, Uttar Pradesh, (then United Province, British India) to Abdul Ghaffar Khan and Tahira Khatoon. Following the Partition of India in 1947, Mahmood's family decided to remain in India. At an early age, Mahmood developed an interest in contemporary poetry, and was inspired by many notable poets of the era, particularly in the Urdu genres. He then moved to Kanpur due to its more central location. He also briefly lived in Noida, close to the capital New Delhi, but returned to Kanpur soon after. Living in Uttar Pradesh, where Urdu is considered to be an official language, influenced his interest in the language and he became fluent early on in life. He graduated from Agra University, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Career
After graduating from the Agra University, Mahmood worked in a private limited company for approximately 30 years as Accounts and Factory Manager. Following this, he joined a public limited company in 1991 as General Manager. From 1994 to 1995, he served as Nominated Director. After his retirement, Mahmood serves as the vice president in this company. His hobbies and interests include Urdu literature, prose and poetry. He has also been an active member of the 'Progressive Writers' Association' since 1960, and during the early 1980s, he was nominated general secretary of Progressive Writers' Association. He is a freelance journalist and fiction writer, and has published several short stories such as satires on controversial topics and political comments and articles in local Urdu weekly and daily newspapers. He became most notable after the recent release of his Urdu book named Mein bhi hazir tha wahan (Urdu: ﻣﯿﮟ ﺑﮭﯽ ﺣﺎﺿﺮ ﺗﮭﺎ وﮨﺎں), published in 2013. The Hindi version of this book is currently being published. He is also a member of the Urdu Press Club.
Poetry
Some examples of his work in poetry include:
Sirf apni hee fikr mein rahna meri fitrat mera usool Nahin... Jo ho tanha mere liye arif, mujhko aisee khushi Qubool nahin... Allah-Allah woh aariz-e-rangeenn ek shagufta gulab Ho jaise... Nargis-e-neembaz ka aalam kaif-aawar sharab ho Jaise... Maujon ki adaon ka talatum jaise... Jangal ki hawao ka tarannum jaise... Masoom hae kis darja khayalat ki rao Deehat ki larki ka tabassum jaise...Family
Arif Mahmood has five children and nine grandchildren, Asif Mahmood (son), Afshan Mahmood (daughter), Ayaz Mahmood (son), Atiyaa Ahmed (daughter), Ashraf Mahmood (son), Aiman Mahmood (granddaughter), Ahmed Suboor (grandson), Ahmad Shuja (grandson), Ashar Mahmood (grandson), Arifa Mahmood (granddaughter), Faraaz Ahmed (grandson), Waqar Ahmed (grandson), Aquib Mahmood (grandson), Anjuman Mahmood (granddaughter).