Aghajani Kashmeri Biography 
Syed Wajid Hussain Rizavi was an Indian screenwriter, former actor and Urdu poet. In Bollywood he was known by the name Aghajani Kashmeri. He has written dialogues and screenplays of many Bollywood movies. Mujhe Jeene Do (1963), Yeh Rastey Hain Pyar Ke (1963), Junglee (1961), Love in Simla (1960), Chori Chori (1956), Naya Zamana (1971), Parwana (1971), Tumse Achha Kaun Hai (1969), Love in Tokyo (1966), April Fool (1964), Aurat (1953) and Amar (1954) are a few of his movies, where he has worked as a scripwriter, dialogue writer or both. He has also recorded several propaganda Urdu commentaries for British India army command during the Second World War.
Kashmeri was born on 16 October 1908, in Lucknow. He ran away from home during his teens to pursue his dreams in Bollywood. He first appeared in a Bollywood movie, Shan e Subha. He was inspired by his first cousin, Nawab Kashmiri, a character artist of movies. He came to Kolkata and started appearing in bit roles in movies. He also worked in lead roles in a few movies, two of them opposite Begum Akhtar. It was during 1930’s. He was proficient in Urdu and initiated literal writing in Urdu. He was a pupil of the famous Urdu poet Arzoo Lucknowi.
Kashmeri joined the film studio Bombay Talkies, learned screenplay writing with Himanshu Rai during 1930’s. He got success with the screenplay of Vachan and later he wrote more than 50 movies. He has worked with leading names of film industry like Sunil Dutt, Mehboob Khan and Himanshu Rai. Later he shifted to Mumbai with his family where he lived in a building called Keki Court facing Arabian sea. This home later became a venue of poets and ghazal singers. His autobiography work, Sahar Hone Tak was published in 1971, both in Hindi and Urdu.
Published: N/A
Updated: March 28, 2014
