Aamir Raza Husain (born January 6, 1957) is an Indian theatre actor and director, noted for his large outdoor stage productions like The Fifty Day War (2000), based on the Kargil War and The Legend of Rama (2004), based on the epic Ramayana. He is also the Creative Director of Stagedoor Theatre Company established in 1974, which has staged over 91 productions, and more than 1,100 performances.

Ahmad Mahfooz is a prominent poet and critic. He is respected as a critic of classical Urdu literature, especially of Meer Taqi Meer. His work Bayaan-e-Meer has been well acclaimed as a serious contribution to Meer studies. Currently, he is a faculty member at the department of Urdu, Jamia Milia Islamia, New Delhi.

Ahmad Mahfooz is a prominent poet and critic. He is respected as a critic of classical Urdu literature, especially of Meer Taqi Meer. His work Bayaan-e-Meer has been well acclaimed as a serious contribution to Meer studies. Currently, he is a faculty member at the department of Urdu, Jamia Milia Islamia, New Delhi.

Amish Tripathi (born 18 October, 1974), is an Indian author, well-known for his novels The Immortals of Meluha, The Secret of the Nagas, The Oath of the Vayuputras, Scion of Ikshvaku and Sita: Warrior of Mithila. The Shiva Trilogy proved to be the fastest selling book series in Indian publishing history and the Scion of Ikshvaku was the fastest selling book of 2015. Tripathi recently launched his first non-fiction book called Immortal India.

Annu Kapoor is an Indian actor and television presenter. He made his debut in the film Mandi directed by Shyam Benegal in 1979. His career has spanned nearly 31 years which includes a distinctive presence in Bollywood cinema, television serials, and reality game shows. He is best remembered for hosting the singing show Antakshari. He has also won the Dadasaheb Phalke Excellence Award for his popular radio show Suhana Safar.

Ashok Chakradhar is a renowned Hindi poet, writer and a media personality. He has been a Professor and Head of the Department of Hindi at Jamia Millia Islamia (Central University). After serving for 29 years, he took voluntary retirement to focus on working towards the propagation and development of the Hindi (Hindustani) language. He was awarded the Padma Shri by Government of India in 2014 and Yash Bharti by Government of Uttar Pradesh in 2016.

Ashok Chakradhar is a renowned Hindi poet, writer and a media personality. He has been a Professor and Head of the Department of Hindi at Jamia Millia Islamia (Central University). After serving for 29 years, he took voluntary retirement to focus on working towards the propagation and development of the Hindi (Hindustani) language. He was awarded the Padma Shri by Government of India in 2014 and Yash Bharti by Government of Uttar Pradesh in 2016.

Aslam mirza (born October 10, 1944, Pune) is a noted Urdu poet and writer. He received his early education at Ahmad Nagar and acquired his post-graduation degree from Mumbai. He began his literary journey in 1958. He has also done translations from English and Marathi and has won several awards. His books include: Aina Mana Numa (Wali Aurangabadi – baaz haqaaiq), Geele Patton ki Muskan (Poetry), Ham Jazeeron Mein Rahte Hain (Translation), Luknat (Translation), Itr-e-Gul Mehtab, Guldasta-e-Khusbaash, and Salaateen Ke Ehd Mein Shaadiyan.

Atika Ahmad Farooqui is a young achiever in the field of Television and Entertainment. With 15 years of experience in 7 national TV channels, she has redefined TV Anchoring, on air presentation and celebrity interviews. Her eloquence in Urdu, Hindi and English is her biggest asset and her Urdu and English poetry has often gone viral on the Internet. Having launched some of the biggest and longest running shows on Indian television, such as Saas bahu aur Saazish, she brings grace and dignity to modern entertainment content.

Azhar Iqbal is an Urdu Poet and writer, who brings together a mix of literature, poetry and performance. He has been a regular face in national and international poetry events. He is the founder member of the “Harfkaar Foundation.” This trust is devoted to making theatre, poetry, storytelling and Hindi- Urdu literature popular in India.

Chander Shekhar is considered to be a major Persian scholar of our times. He has edited and published a number of Persian texts and also translated literary works from Persian to Urdu and vice versa. He is also well-known for his contribution to the compilation of Urdu-Persian dictionary along the new principles of Lexicography. Presently, he is a professor of Persian at Delhi University.

Danish Iqbal is a prominent Delhi-based playwright who combines in himself various roles of a performer, teacher, writer, researcher, cultural organizer, arts administrator, and media person. He has won many national awards, including the prestigious ‘Mohan Rakesh Samman’. He is also a tennis enthusiast and a food connoisseur.

Deveshi Sahgal is a singer / songwriter based in New Delhi. She was trained in hindustani classical music in her formative years under the guidance of Ms. Gurinder Kaur, a disciple of Kishori Amonkar. Over the last few years she has found her true passion and acclaim in singing sufiana qalams that resonate and help amalgamate all her musical influences on one platform. She has been performing at a number of private and public venues since 2010 and is honoured and humbled to have shared the same stage with the renowned sufi gem Abida Parveen.

Dipa Singh Bagai is a writer and presenter in Urdu, Hindi and English. She is a lover of literature, especially poetry and biography. She was most recently associated with the publishing of an internationally awarded bilingual cookbook in Hindi and Urdu featuring the forgotten flavours of the Frontier. She has worked with the Indian Administrative Service and the World Bank, and currently works with the United Nations.

Farhat Ehsas is one of the most prominent contemporary Urdu poets, writers, and columnists from India. A specialist in classical Persian and Urdu poetry, his works primarily draw upon the life of the common man, his miseries and fortunes, and of the repercussions of excesses perpetrated by the agencies of power. His collections of poetry include Main Rona Chahata Hoon and Shayeri Naheen Hai Ye. Ehsas has been the editor of the literary section of Qaumi Aawaz, a prestigious Urdu daily in north India. In addition to this, he has been a commentator on current affairs with All India Radio and the Urdu Service of BBC. Currently, he is associated with Rekhta Foundation, the largest website and resource centre on Urdu literature, culture, and the arts. He has also written scripts for films and several serials for All India Radio.

Professor Gopi Chand Narang, has the distinction of being recognized by the Presidents of both India and Pakistan. A writer, literary critic and scholar, Prof. Narang is unique in holding that record. He was awarded the Sitara-i-Imtiaz (Star of Excellence) by Pakistan and also received the Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri from the Indian government. The list of his awards, however, is not confined to the above. His work has won him numerous other laurels, some of which include the Mazzini Gold Medal from Italy, Amir Khusrow Award in Chicago, the Ghalib Award, the Canadian Academy of Urdu Language and Literature Award and the European Urdu Writers Society Award, to name just a few. The Sahitya Academy conferred him with its prestigious Fellowship in 2009.
Prof. Narang has written innumerable books in Hindi, Urdu and English. A strong advocate of Urdu, he vociferously rues the fact that the language has been a victim of politicization. He believes that Urdu has its roots in India and is a sister language of Hindi

Gulzar Dehlvi is one of the most authentic paragons of Delhi’s composite culture and language. He is known for his passionate love and commitment for the Urdu language. One of the most respected poets who retains classical tone and temper in his poetry, he is probably the last iconic figure of Urdu culture.

Gulzar Dehlvi is one of the most authentic paragons of Delhi’s composite culture and language. He is known for his passionate love and commitment for the Urdu language. One of the most respected poets who retains classical tone and temper in his poetry, he is probably the last iconic figure of Urdu culture.

Habeeb Nisar is a celebrated critic and researcher. His works on Urdu poetry, fiction, and the literature of Deccan have been received well in the academic world. His publication, Al-Meezan, bears ample testimony to his critical faculty. Currently, he is a professor of Urdu at Hyderabad Central University, Hyderabad.

Harbans Mukhia (born 1939) is a major Indian historian of medieval India. Mukhia worked at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi as Professor of Medieval History at the Centre for Historical Studies. He was rector of JNU from 1999 to 2002 and retired in February 2004. His most remarkable works include: The Mughals of India (Peoples of Asia), Perspectives on Medieval History, Historians and Historiography during the Reign of Akbar, Issues in Indian History, and Politics and Society

Imtiaz Ali, who began his career as a writer and director of television shows Imtehan, Naina, and Kurukshetra, made his mark in the following years with Socha Na Tha and his commercial hits Jab We Met, Love Aajkal and Rockstar. His later films of acclaim were Highway and Tamasha. Hailing from a modest background, Ali developed his passion for films and perfected his art of film making with a keen eye on the peoples’ parameters of receptivity.

Ira Bhaskar is a Professor of Cinema Studies and Dean, School of Arts and Aesthetics, Jawaharlal Nehru University. Her area of interest and specialization lies in Film and Historical Trauma; Theories of Trauma, Memory, Violence and Representation; Partition and Contemporary Communalism; “Historical Poetics”; Cinema and Modern Subjectivities; Cinema and Islamicate Cultures, Histories, Forms and Idioms; Melodrama and Cinematic Forms; Literature and Film.

Javed Akhtar needs little, if any, introduction. An eminent scriptwriter, lyricist, and poet, he has a rich, literary lineage. His father, Jan Nisar Akhtar, was a renowned Urdu poet and film lyricist and his grandfather, Muztar Khairabadi, was an acclaimed Urdu poet. Akhtar’s inimitable work has won him a number of awards; many of which he has won several times, like the National Award for Best Lyricist (five times), Filmfare Award for Best Script / Best Lyricist (sixteen times), Screen Award for Best Lyricist (four times) and IIFA Award for Best Lyricist (three times), to name only a few. He was awarded with the Padma Bhushan in 2007 and Sahitya Akademi Award in Urdu in 2013.

Kokab Fareed (Born 26th January 1987 ) is an Theater Actor and Director. He has organised and performed more than 100 Plays all over India. His short movies have been screened in various renowned film festivals.

Madan Gopal Singh (born 1950, Amritsar) is a major Indian composer, singer, lyricist, actor, screenwriter, film theorist, editor and polyglot. He taught English literature at Satywati College of Delhi University and is currently Senior Fellow at the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, New Delhi. Son of well-known Punjabi poet Harbhajan Singh, Madan Gopal Singh has written and lectured extensively on cinema, art and cultural history besides performing the world over as a singer with his ensemble Chaar yaar.

Manish Shukla has been writing a number of urdu ghazals for last 20 years and has been a recipient of numerous prestigious awards including Urdu Academy Uttar Pradesh award and “Firaq Gorakhpuri “ award from the literary council of state of U P for his literary contribution towards Urdu literature. His first collection of urdu ghazals “khwab patthar ho gaye” was published in 2012. Mr. Manish Shukla has been awarded with: Yuva Ratna Samman 2012, Saqib Award 2014, Naseem Ahmad Siddiqui Award 2015, Late Devel Mishra Smiriti Samman 2016, Srijan Samman 2016-U.P. Press Club and Rotary Excellence Award 2016.

Manjari Chaturvedi (born December 9, 1974) is a popular Sufi Kathak dancer of India. She belongs to the Lucknow Gharana. She is known for creating a new art form of Indian classical dance called Sufi Kathak. Chaturvedi began her career as a Kathak dancer. she attempts at building an interface with diverse forms like the music of Rajasthan, Kashmir, Awadh, Punjab, Turkmenistan, Iran and Krygistan. She is particularly drawn to Sufi mysticism and has endeavoured to incorporate movements in her performances that are reminiscent of the meditative practices of the whirling dervishes. She performed at the Taj Mahal and Sydney Opera House. She did a Sufi music video directed by Vishal Bhardwaj and written by Gulzar called as Tere Ishq Mein.

Manoj Muntashir (born 27 February, 1976) is an Indian lyricist and TV script and screen writer. He wrote the lyrics of Galliyan for the film Ek Villain. Hi popular numbers include Tere Sang Yaara from the film Rustom and Kaun Tujhe from the film M.S Dhoni: The Untold Story. He also wrote the lyrics of the song Phir Bhi Tumko Chaahunga, which was immensely liked by people. He has won awards including IIFA, Star Guild Awards and Indian Telly Awards

Mridula Garg (born 1938) is a well-acclaimed fiction writer in two languages: Hindi and English. She has published 30 books in Hindi that include novels, short story collections, plays and collections of essay. She has also rendered three of her books into English. She was a research associate at the Center for South Asian Studies in the University of California-Berkeley, USA in April 1990. Garg is also a recipient of the prestigious Sahitya Academy Award.

Novelist, author and critic Musharraf Alam Zauqi hails from Bihar, is undoubtedly one of the well-acclaimed writers of the modern era. A prolific writer who started his literary career at a very young age, has a dozen of novels like ‘Iqaab ki aankhen’, Neelam Ghar, ‘Laboratory’, ‘Pokeman Ki Duniya’, Landscape Ke Ghode and short story collections to his credit. Zauqi who is equally known for his works in hindi literay circle, has been honoured with numerous awards including the prestigious “Katha Puraskar”, “Krishn Chandra Puraskar”, and “Millennium award”. A few of his stories has also been adapted into Telefilms and Soaps.

Filmmaker, poet, artist, a fashion designer or social worker, Muzaffar Ali is a man of varied talents and interests. From writing and directing ground-breaking films like ‘Umrao Jaan’ and ‘Gaman’, to launching his own designer label ‘Kotwara’ (with wife Meera), Muzaffar Ali is known for the perfection he brings to his work.
Belonging to the aristocratic family of Kotwara (near Lucknow), Muzaffar Ali is also a lover of Sufi music. He has been involved in the designing and organizing of Jahan-e-Khusrau, an annual three-day Sufi music festival. He was conferred with a Padama Shri in 2005. He also received the Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award in 2014 for his extraordinary contribution towards communal harmony and peace.

Nadeem Shah has been a dastangoi performing artiste since 2010. The art form is an extension of Nadeem’s interest in medieval history and Urdu literature. He teaches medieval Indian history to undergraduate students at Delhi University.

Nandita Das has acted in more than forty films in ten different languages. Her directorial debut was Firaaq in 2008. She was on the jury of Cannes Film Festival twice, among others. A strong advocate of social issues, she was the Chairperson of Children’s Film Society. Das has been conferred the ‘Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters’ by the French Government.

Naseemudin Farees is well known as a poet, critic, and researcher. He is respected as a scholar for his long- drawn engagement with the literature of Deccan. He has edited some of the most important texts of ancient Deccani literature. Currently, he is a professor of Urdu at Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui (born 19 May, 1974) is an Indian film actor, well- known for his highly individual style of work in Hindi cinema. An alumnus of the National School of Drama, Siddiqui’s breakthrough role was with Anurag Kashyap’s Black Friday (2007), which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles and was nominated for the Best Film (Golden Leopard) award at the Locarno International Film Festival.

Neelesh Misra (born 5 May, 1973) is an Indian journalist, author, radio storyteller, scriptwriter, and lyricist. He is well known for his radio show, Yaadon Ka Idiot Box with Neelesh Misra on BIG FM 92.7. He is the co-founder-editor of Gaon Connection, India’s rural newspaper. He has also founded a content creation company called Content Project Pvt. Ltd. Misra currently works for “The Neelesh Misra Show” on Red FM 93.5 and “Kahaani Express” on Saavn.

Nishat Zaidi, author of two books on Anne Sexton and Agha Shahid Ali, is a professor in the Department of English, Jamia Milia Islamia, New Delhi. She is a critic and translator of repute. Her translations and edited volumes include Story is a Vagabond, Between Worlds: The Travels of Yusuf Khan Kambalposh, A Voyage to Modernism: Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Makhdoom Mohiuddin, and Ghalib: The Man The Times.

Nishtha Gautam is Senior Editor, Features at The Quint. She is responsible for curating and creating both profound and fun culture stories for the publication. In her earlier avatars, she has taught English Literature in University of Delhi and contributed to the public policy discourse as an Associate Fellow at Observer Research Foundation. Apart from writing on gender and culture, she also pens poetry and fiction that have found place in anthologies and periodicals like The Caravan and Muse India.

Nizami Bandhu has a 700-year old rich legacy which they have upheld through centuries of dedication and tireless striving to perfection. The Nizami Bandhu hail from the legendary and lustrous Sikandra Gharana which has produced some of the finest gems of Qawaali singers over the ages. The responsibility of carrying the legacy forward is now shouldered by Ustad Chand Nizami, Shadab Faridi Nizami and Sohrab Faridi Nizami. They are also known as the Nizami Brothers.

The Nooran Sisters – Jyoti Nooran and Sultana Nooran – are a Sufi singing duo from Sham Chaurasia gharana of classical music. They are Sufi singers from Jalandhar. Their Song Allah Hoo was an instant hit on Youtube. After that, their songs like Tera Rab Ton Vee Vadh Ke Deedar and Mein Keenu Keenu Dassan contributed towards their popularity far and wide. They got their first break in Bollywood with the movie Highway in 2014 with A. R. Rahman as the music director.

Professor Obaid Siddiqui, a prominent Urdu poet and broadcaster of his generation, joined the Video and Television faculty of AJK MCRC in May 2004. Before coming to AJK MCRC he spent more than two decades as a Broadcast Journalist in various organizations in India and broad. He started his career in broadcast journalism in the early eighties when he joined All India Radio as a Programme Executive in 1983 and worked as the head of News and Current Features Unit at Radio Kashmir Srinagar until 1988. In 1992 BBC offered him a permanent job and soon he was promoted to the post of Senior Producer. In 1997 he resigned from BBC and returned to Delhi to pursue his career as a Broadcast Journalist in Television. He joined NDTV as Duty News Editor in 1997 and worked there until 2003 when his association with NDTV came to an end with the break up between STAR and its content provider NDTV. Since January 2003 he is anchoring an hour long weekly talk show Hamaare Masaail on ETV Urdu which is considered to be the most popular and most talked about show of all the ETV channels.

Padma Vibhushan Pandit Jasraj (born, 28 January 1930) is an Indian classical vocalist. He belongs to the Mewati gharana of Hindustani classical music. Pandit Jasraj has sung khayals with some flexibility, adding elements of lighter styles, including the thumri, to khayal singing. He is the founder of Pandit Jasraj schools for Indian classical music in Atlanta, Tampa, Vancouver, Toronto, New York, New Jersey, Pittsburgh, Mumbai, and Kerala. He has been the recipient of numerous awards including Sumitra Charat Ram Award for Lifetime Achievement (2014), Padma Vibhushan (2000), Padma Bhushan (1990), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award 1987, and Sangeet Kala Ratna.

Parvaaz is a contemporary Indian music band whose four members have assimilated several international progressive/psychedelic rock influences but their own expression has a rootedness that makes their sound unique. Khalid Ahamed (vocals), Mir Kashif Iqbal (guitars), Sachin Banandur (drums) and Fidel Dsouza (bass) constitute the Bangalore- based rock group. The band has so far released an EP titled Behosh (2012) and the full-length critically acclaimed album titled Baran (2014).

Writer-diplomat Pavan K. Varma is a graduate in History from St. Stephen’s College after which he took a degree in Law from the University of Delhi. He joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1976. He has been Press Secretary to the President of India, the Spokesman of the Ministry of External Affairs, Joint Secretary for Africa, High Commissioner for India in Cyprus, Director of the Nehru Centre in London, Director General of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, New Delhi, and Ambassador of India to Bhutan.

Qazi Abdus Sattar (born 8 February, 1933 at Machreta near Sitapur) is an iconic Urdu novelist and short story writer. He has penned several Urdu novels – mainly set in historical contexts –that include Shab Gazida, Dara Shikoh, Salahuddin Ayyubi, Khalid Ibn-e-Waleed, and Ghalib. A recipient of Padma Shri award, Ghalib Award, Doha Qatar Award, and Bahadur Shah Zafar Award, he worked as a Professor of Urdu at Aligarh Muslim University from where he retired in 1991.

Dr. Radhika Chopra, an exceptional Ghazal singer, is one of the few artists who has eschewed the new-age fusion music to retain the traditional, raga-based style. A purist at heart, she learnt Thumri, Dadra and Ghazal under the tutelage of Begum Akhtar’s legendary disciple, Smt. Shanti Hiranand.
Born and brought up in Jammu, Radhika is extremely well-versed in Hindi as well as in Urdu. She has been selected by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) to perform at international venues as part of an initiative to promote Indian classical music abroad.

Ustad Rashid Khan (born 1 July, 1966) is an Indian classical musician in the Hindustani music tradition. He gave his first concert at the age of eleven. In April 1980, Rashid Khan joined the ITC Sangeet Research Academy (SRA) when he was only 14. By 1994, he was acknowledged as a highly promising musician at the academy. On the basis of his outstanding work that he showed up in the subsequent years, he was decorated with the Padma Shri, as well as the Sangeet Natak Academy Award in 2006.

Rehmat Yusufzai is a prominent critic, poet, translator, and columnist. He has several critical books in Urdu to his credit. He is also an expert on the literature of Deccan. His book Urdu Shairi Mein Sanai Badai is regarded as a significant addition to literary scholarship. He has been a professor of Urdu at University of Hyderabad.

Richa Anirudh is a talented journalist from India. She is best known in India for being the Indian Prime Time News Anchor with IBN7 Hindi news channel. She is also famous for being the host of Zindagi Live on IBN7.

Rizwan Qaiser author of Resisting Colonialism and Communal Politics: Mualana Azad and the Making of the Indian Nation, is a historian of modern India. Currently, a professor in the Department of History and Culture at Jamia Milia Islamia, New Delhi, he has published over two dozen essays and has lectured and participated in equal number of national and international conferences. He is also deeply interested in Urdu literature and literary cultures.

RJ Sayema is the host of the longest running retro show of India- Purani Jeans- on Radio Mirchi. She has pioneered in bringing the short stories of Manto on Radio. Her interest in Urdu poetry is evident from some of her recitals of Nazms and Ghazals.

Saeed Naqvi is a senior Indian journalist, television commentator, and interviewer. He has written for several publications that include BBC News, The Sunday Observer, The Sunday Times, The Guardian, Washington Post, The Indian Express, The Citizen, Rising Kashmir and Outlook magazine. He started his career as a Special Correspondent at The Indian Express in 1977 and eventually became the Foreign Editor of The Indian Express, Delhi in 1984.

Dr Saif Mahmood is a New Delhi-based author, Urdu literature and culture critic, commentator, translator, traveller and rights activist. An Advocate of the Supreme Court of India, holding a doctorate in Constitutional Law, Saif thinks law and breathes literature. He is a leading South Asian name in the literary world and globally known for enthralling audiences with his passionate recitations, especially of such progressive poets as Faiz, Majaz, Sahir and Jaun Elia. He is Founder of the South Asian Alliance for Literature, Art & Culture (SAALARC). Saif’s book on the Delhi’s Classical Urdu poets – a much awaited publication in the Urdu world –is expected to be launched shortly.

A critic and researcher of remarkable talent, Sarwarul Huda taught Urdu language and literature at the Centre for Indian Languages, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi for four academic sessions. He also taught Urdu Literature at Kirori Mal College and Zakir Hussain post Graduate (Evening) College of the University of Delhi. He is currently Assistant Professor in the Department of Urdu, Jamia Millia Islamia.

Formed in 2015 by classically trained guitarist Paulo Vinícius from Brazil and UK based vocalist Tanya Wells, Seven Eyes compose songs that bring together their diverse musical influences (which include Folk, Jazz, Brazilian, Hindustani classical music) with an aim to explore a confluence of cultures and languages.

Shabana Azmi was among the first actresses of parallel cinema, which is famous for its realistic content and serious approach. One of the finest actresses of the industry, she has been a part of many foreign films and projects as well. Besides proving her acting prowess, she has also been actively engaged in social work, especially women’s rights. Shabana Azmi has been honored with the National Film Award for Best Actress five times. She has also been honored with international awards in film festivals like Taormina Arte Festival (Italy), Chicago International Film Festival and L.A. Outfest. Shabana Azmi has been conferred with prestigious honors like Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan by the Government of India, Martin Luther King Professorship award by the University of Michigan.

Prof. Shafey Kidwai has been teaching communication sudies, film studies, Broadcast journalsim, Editing, sports journalsim and urdu Journalsim for more than 30 years. His recent book titled, Urdu Literature and Journalism : Critical Perspectives published by the Cambridge University Press, has received widespread critical acclaim.
His column on culture and literature Going Native appears in Friday Review, the Hindu. fortnightly
His research dissertation Cementing Ethics with Modernism: An Appraisal of the Sir Sayyid’s Periodicals (2009) is considered as one of the substantial works on the nineteenth century journalism. He has prepared the ‘Style Book'(2002) for the ETV, Hyderabad and ‘Glossary of Mass Communication in Urdu'(2003) for NCPUL, New Delhi.
He has been on the editorial board of several peer He review journal including Global Media published by the university of Purdue USA and Calcutta University.

Shamim Hanfi is one of the most respected literary critics, playwrights, and poets of India. A former academic at the Department of Urdu at Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi, he has also been the editor of its prestigious magazine, Jamia. He has authored a number of respectable books in literary criticism. Some of these that need mention include Jadidiyat ki Falsafiyana Asaas; Nayi Sheri Riwayat; Tareekh, Tehzeeb aur Takhleequi Tajurba; Urdu Culture aur Taqseem ki Riwayat; Khayal ki Musaafat; and Qari Say Mukalma. He has also written four plays, translated four books, and brought out four books for children which he admits of enjoying immensely. Hanfi’s poetry collection Aakhiri Pehar ki Dastak was published by Rekhta, one of its first ventures in publishing, in 2015. A not-so-known fact about Hanfi is that he maintains a keen interest in painting, pottery and the performing arts.

Shamsur Rahman Faruqi is a distinguished Urdu critic, poet, fiction writer, and theorist. His works span over different genres, from literary history and criticism to poetry and fiction. Considered an authority on llm-e bayan (the science of poetic discourse) and classical poetry, he is also a noted lexicographer. Faruqi’s book Ka’i Chaand the Sar-e Asmaan, written in 2006, has been hailed as a masterpiece of Urdu fiction. An English version of this book, called Mirror of Beauty, was published in 2013. He has also translated his stories into English which are included in a book titled The Sun Rose from the Earth. He has also been credited with spearheading the revival of the Dastangoi style of storytelling in India. He was awarded the Saraswati Samman for his work She`r-e Shor-Angez, a study of the major eighteenth-century poet Meer Taqi Meer.

Shankar Musafir is an educationalist and works for UNESCO. He has written a book on pedagogy for primary education. He is a bright storyteller and a passionate performer.

Shairf Hussain Qasmi is a highly respected scholar of Persian language and literature. He has published a history of Persian literature in Urdu and also translated major Persian texts into Urdu. He is well-known for his translation of Meer Taqi Meer’s life writing called Zikr-e-Meer. He served as a professor of Persian in Delhi University for a long time.

Shilpa Rao (born 11 April 1984) is an Indian singer & Performer. Rao rose to widespread prominence with the release of “Khuda Jaane” from Bachna Ae Haseeno (2008). She was nominated for the Best Female Playback Singer award for the song, in 54th Filmfare Awards. She had the honour of becoming the first and the only musician from India to get a chance of singing in the famous and critically acclaimed Coke Studio Pakistan with the song “Paar Chanaa De” (2016).

Shubha Mudgal (born 1959) is a well-known Indian singer of Hindustani classical school. Mudgal was awarded the 1996 National Film Award for her music direction in Amrit Beej. She is also the recipient of the 1998 Gold Plaque Award for Special Achievement in Music. In addition, she was honoured at the 34th Chicago International Film Festival for her music in the film Dance of the Wind (1997). Mudgal was also honoured with the prestigious Padma Shri in 2000.

Shubhra Gupta is a very well-know film critic and a senior columnist at “The Indian Express”. In 2012, she won the Ramnath Goenka award, one of India’s most prestigious awards, for Best Writing on Film.

Siraj Ajmali is a poet and critic of considerable worth. His book entitled Taraqqi Pasand Urdu Ghazal has been well received in Urdu circles. He has also made studies of the classical and modern poets with remarkable expertise. As a poet, Ajmali has distinguished himself quite well among his contemporaries. Currently, he is professor at Aligarh Muslim University.

Sohail Hashmi, writer, activist, film maker who is known for Urdu Hai Jiska Naam, a film on the History of Urdu Language that he conceptualized, researched and scripted for the Ministry of External Affairs, was shown on Discovery channel.
Sohail is deeply interested in the heritage of Delhi and has written on the lesser known monuments of Delhi, its water bodies its landscape, its language, its food and it’s wonderful eating places. Sohail loves to show-off his city to anyone who is interested, through his Heritage walks.

Syed Muhammad Ashraf belongs to a famous Sufi family of Marehra Shareef. Born in Sitapur in 1957, Ashraf holds a position of prominence among the fiction writers of Urdu. Central Sahitya Akademi, Iqbal Samman, and Katha Awardee, Syed Muhammad Ashraf’s writings have ushered in a new age in the genre of Urdu short story. Credit of telling the tale anew goes to Ashraf. His major works include Daar Se Bichhde, Number Daar Ka Neela, Haina Series, and Aakhiri Swariyaan. A senior Revenue Officer, he is currently a Member of Income Tax Commission, Kolkata.

Sukhan is a 3 hour long performance (mehfil) enriched with a plethora of compositions from Urdu literature, Hindustani Classical music, and Sufi music. The group creatively draws upon dastan tradition and renders gems from Urdu prose, poetry, and short stories in a dramatic manner to the great appreciations of audiences composed of both the young and the old.

Varun Grover (born 26 January, 1980) is a well-known Indian comedian, screenwriter and lyricist. Grover was born in Sundernagar, Himachal Pradesh, where he spent his formative years before moving to Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. He went on to graduating in Civil Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, BHU in 2003. Finally, he pursued his interest in music and went on to win the Best Lyricist award at the 63rd National Film Awards (India) 2015-16.

Ms. Rehman is considered to be one of the most prominent actresses of the “golden era” of Indian cinema, as well as a classic Bollywood beauty. The protege of filmmaking icon Guru Dutt, she is known for her roles in critically acclaimed movies like ‘C.I.D.’, ‘Pyaasa’, ‘Kaagaz Ke Phool’, and ‘Khamoshi’. Of note is her on-screen chemistry with Dev Anand, including ‘Guide’, which won her a Filmfare Best Actress Award.

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Zafar Ahmad Siddiqui is a celebrated litterateur, researcher, and linguist. He has worked especially in the areas of Eastern poetics and classical Urdu Poetry. His essays on Ghalib are considered to be significant contributions to Ghalib studies. He is one of those scholars who have had remarkable expertise in three languages—Arabic, Persian and Urdu. He has served as professor of Persian at Aligarh Muslim University.