Famous poet Munawwar Rana dies of heart attack, breathed his last at the age of 71

Lucknow (Uttam Hindu News): Famous Urdu poet Munawwar Rana died of a heart attack at SGPGI Hospital in Lucknow on Sunday night. He was 71 years old. He was suffering from illness for several months and was undergoing treatment at SGPGI Hospital. He was suffering from cancer, kidney and heart related diseases. Rana’s daughter Sumaiya Rana said that her father would be laid to rest on Monday.

Rana’s son Tabrez Rana said, he was hospitalized for 14 to 15 days due to the illness. He was first admitted to Medanta in Lucknow and then to SGPGI, where he breathed his last at around 11 pm on Sunday night. Shayar is survived by his wife, four daughters and a son.

Born on November 26, 1952 in Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh, Rana was widely recognized for his contributions to Urdu literature and poetry, especially his ghazals. His poetic style was notable for its lucidity, as he often incorporated Hindi and Awadhi words while avoiding Persian and Arabic, which appealed to Indian audiences.
His most famous ghazal was ‘Maa’, which celebrated the virtues of a mother in the traditional ghazal style.

Throughout his career, Rana has received several awards, including the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award in 2014 for his poetry book ‘Shahdaba’. However, he later returned the award due to growing intolerance in the country. Other awards he has received include Amir Khusro Award, Mir Taqi Mir Award, Ghalib Award, Dr. Zakir Hussain Award and Saraswati Samaj Award. His works have been translated into many languages. Rana spent most of his life in Kolkata and had a significant presence in mushairas both in India and abroad.