Javed Akhtar attends grand evening of 57th Shankar Shad Mushaira, hails young poets
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Javed Akhtar attends grand evening of 57th Shankar Shad Mushaira, hails young poets")
Javed Akhtar at 57th Shankar Shad Mushaira Photograph: (X)
On April 4, the 57th Shankar Shad Mushaira in Delhi brought together legendary poets like Javed Akhtar and more for the special evening. To indulge in the magic of poetry and music, thousands of people gathered to celebrate and share experiences across generations.
Javed Akhtar marked his attendance at the 57th Shankar Shad Mushaira, which occurred in Delhi. On April 4, 2026, the event hosted by Modern School, Barakhamba Road, made the capital witness a special evening, where thousands of people from diverse age groups and backgrounds gathered to enjoy the event.
The audience was a beautiful mix of generations. Grandparents took the time to explain the deeper meanings of complex Urdu words to their grandchildren, while teenagers snapped photos of their favourite contemporary poets. They realised that the human voice and the raw truth of a well-written nazm hold the power to stop time. The night celebrated linguistic inclusivity, welcoming Hindi and Hindustani dialects alongside classic Urdu.
Pan-India gathering
Organised by the Shankar Lall Murli Dhar Memorial Society alongside DCM Shriram Industries Ltd., the evening delivered a pan-India gathering. Poets from Bareilly, Mumbai, Jodhpur, Kanpur, and Hyderabad assemble at the capital and share their human emotions of love, longing, and heartbreak along with each other.
The stage has held the literary heart of the capital together since 1954 and brought the old-world charm of Urdu poetry straight into the modern chaos.
Legendary artists poured their magic
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Legendary Javed Akhtar and Prof. Waseem Barelvi shared the stage with a new generation of storytellers. The audience listened closely as senior poets like Sheen Kaaf Nizam, Rajesh Reddy, and Shakeel Azmi poured their magic on the mic. Then came the powerful performances of Charan Singh Bashar, Zubair Ali Tabish, and young voices like Hina Haider Rizvi.
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Javed Akhtar at 57th Shankar Shad Mushaira Photograph: (X)
Prof Waseem Barelvi shared a heartfelt moment with the audience and expressed how amazing he felt being the guest at the astonishing event. "A ghazal leaves the poet the instant it is spoken. It then belongs to the person in the crowd who hears it and suddenly realises they are no longer alone in their grief. That connection is the magic we brought to Delhi tonight. We gave pain a beautiful, dignified voice,” he said.
Javed Akhtar delivered an emotional message
Javed Akhtar delivered a highly emotional message to the contest winners and the young poets finding their voice. "The winners of this contest have proven that the youth still feel deeply. They carry the weight of the world on their shoulders. They give me immense hope that Urdu will survive and thrive beautifully in the hands of this new, brave generation,” Akhtar advised the crowd.
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Javed Akhtar at 57th Shankar Shad Mushaira Photograph: (X)
The Shankar Shad Mushaira proved once again that it remains a living archive of our changing times. Digital reels vanish overnight. The stage has etched the verses into the city's memory. The lamps were lit, the stories were told, and Delhi went home a little more connected than before.