Hindi poet, father of Amitabh Bachachan (1907–2003)

Harivansh Rai Bachchan (né:Srivastava; 27 November 1907 – 18 January 2003) was an Indian poet and writer of the Nayi Kavita literary movement (romantic upsurge) of early 20th century Hindi literature. He was also a poet of the Hindi Kavi Sammelan. He is best known for his early work Madhushala. He was also the husband of social activist, Teji Bachchan, father of Amitabh Bachchan and Ajitabh Bachchan, and grandfather of Abhishek Bachchan. In 1976, he received the Padma Bhushan for his service to Hindi literature.

Contents

• 1 Early life
• 2 Writing career
• 3 Works used in movies
  • 3.1 List of works
• 4 See also
• 5 References
• 6 External links
• 7 Further reading

Early life

Bachchan was born at zero road, Babupatti, United Provinces of Agra and Oudh in British India on 27 November 1907 into an Awadhi Hindu Kayastha family. His family name was Pandey of Srivastava subcaste. He began using the pen name "Bachchan" (meaning child) instead of Shrivastava when he wrote Hindi poetry. From 1941 to 1957, he taught in the English Department at the Allahabad University and after that, he spent the next two years at St Catharine's College, Cambridge, Cambridge University completing a PhD on W.B. Yeats.

Writing career

Bachchan was fluent in several Hindi languages (Hindustani, Awadhi). He incorporated a broadly Hindustani vocabulary, written in Devanagari script. While he could not read Persian script, he was influenced by Persian and Urdu poetry, particularly Omar Khayyam.

Works used in movies

Bachchan's work has been used in movies and music. For example, couplets of his work "Agneepath" are used throughout the 1990 movie Agneepath, starring Amitabh Bachchan, and also later in the 2012 remake Agneepath, starring Hrithik Roshan. and recently in the TV Serial Ishqbaaz.

Mitti ka tan, masti ka man, kshan-bhar jivan– mera parichay.
(मिट्टी का तन, मस्ती का मन, क्षण भर जीवन, मेरा परिचय)
(A body of clay, a mind full of play, a life of a moment – that's me)

List of works

See also

• Indian Writers
• Indian Poets

References

External links

• मधुशाला का मूल पाठ (विकीस्रोत पर)
• हरिवंश राय बच्चन (हिन्दी विकीपीडिया पर)
• मधुशाला (हिन्दी विकीपीडिया पर)
• हरिवंश राय बच्चन (विकीस्रोत पर)
• A Collection

Further reading

1. Kaveendra, Anil Pushker. Harivanshrai Bachchan Ki Anuvad Drishti (Hindi) (Hardcover) (2013). Ruby Press & Co., New Delhi. ISBN:978-93-82395-20-1

• 'कविता -नीड़ का निर्माण फिर फिर

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