Mohammad Nizam - The Man of Emotive Words

On a chilly morning in October 1951, Nizam was born in the tranquil, narrow lanes of Sutahat, Cuttack -- where the scent of the earth mingled with ageless whispers. The life of Mohammad Nizam from his very origin was embedded within the cultural matrix of Odisha.

Nizam, hailed from a modest family. Although devoid of means, they were abundant in warm and traditional atmosphere. Asaad Nazim was the father of the family, gentle and unassuming -- an inheritor of stories, songs, and what endures in the faith of his traditions. Through its perpetual watchfulness, the household was converted into a study house and sanctuary, which let slip the significance of enlightenment and the aesthetics of culture as treasures inherited from one generation to another.

Nizam, as a child, wandered through the maze-like narrow streets of Cuttack; his mind laden with questions and his footsteps echoing the restless energy of an unfulfilled soul thirsting for knowledge. Mission School was his first temple of learning, the chalk dust dancing in sunlit beams, while the rustle of turning pages formed the symphony of his youth. The teachers were stern but good mentors who did not necessarily teach letters and numbers but instead quietly helped the student transmute lessons into discipline and curiosity, for sheer exhilaration of discovery.

When destiny beckoned, Nizam crossed the threshold into Christ College's venerable precincts, where the horizons of his world expanded with Aristotelian inevitability. The rooms thrummed with Socratic discussion, and the sarcophagi of knowledge stood like symbols of hidden sanctuaries. It seemed as though each professor literally toppled over in astonishment in the midst of each massive delivery of everything he had to say -- each book the cornerstone of an odyssey that led to self-discovery. Amidst this crucible of learning and lively camaraderie, the unassuming boy from Sutahat's narrow lanes began his metamorphosis into a man of substance.

Little did he know then that his journey -- rooted in the love of family, the discipline of education, and the richness of his culture -- would one day become a story worth telling.

Long before he mastered lyrical spinning, Nizam's feet had another magic to offer in the football fields: a dependable defender who for more than a glorious decade proudly bore the sporting reputation of Odisha at the national level. The government, equally recognizing his sporting exploits, placed him in the Postal Accounts department where ledgers and balance sheets became his unpoetic companions.

But the universe, that capricious scribe, had other plans here; towards the end of the 1960s, as a cultural renaissance blossomed in India, Nizam's restless creativity found a congenial home in Akashvani, Cuttack, under the banner of Yuvabaanee -- the release of Nizam's first broadcast, 'Saharara bati galaani libhi', was far from a mere song; rather, it was the faint, initial tremors of an artistic earthquake. The footballer had indeed been searching for his soul's deliverance: making words sing, weep, and flutter.

Cast your mind back to the golden crackle of Akashvani Cuttack in the late 1960s -- when radio wasn't just background noise, but the very pulse of a culture awakening. Upon this resonant chamber of dreams, a young Nizam lent the earliest music of his artistry to the world. The Yuvabaanee broadcasts or programs of 1968 -- 69 were his crucible, his notebook, his spotlight -- every emission was a stroke in the self-portrait of a poet being born.

And then -- ah, then! -- came that first, fateful broadcast: "Saharara bati galaani libhi". The very title dripped with honey and melodies caught the eye. It was a song on an unrecorded record yet there was the promise of something extra. Urdu's poetic grace on Odia's earthy tone was like Nizam's mind having made two old sweethearts meet.

This was no mere debut. This was the opening note of a symphony that would go on to echo through 160 films, 2,500 songs, and countless hearts. A symphony that would redefine not just music, but the very essence of Odisha's cultural expression -- across radio, albums, devotion, and the performing arts.

But dear reader, this -- this was only the prelude. For Nizam's journey was not one of mere milestones, but of magic. And magic, as we shall soon discover, is but the beginning...

Back in 1977, the silver screen first trod to Nizam's rhythm with Anutap, as "Nida bharaa raati madhujharaa janha" (by Saroj Patnaik) trickled like the honey sweet scents of a monsoon, that feel of sorrow stayed on perfuming the air afterwards with its lingering lilt. It came sterling rather than beginner's luck, the very first brushstroke of a work-in-progress masterpiece.

Comes the 1980s dawning, Nizam breathes life out of his pen, changing that into a magic wand that thrives the cinema. Gauri (1981) bestowed his words into the wind like temple bells that sway, while Phula Chandan lacked nothing in luster for 'Nahi Mo pade Aji Nupura' (by Saroj Patnaik), its childish rhythm reflecting mischief in ankle bells' teasing chime. In that year, his chameleon genius was on exhibition in the song 'Ninaad' from 1983; there was the childlike wonder of 'Daddy I Love You' to the first flush of romance in 'Prathama Prema Re' (by Basudev Rath -- Odia music's golden era); every lyric was a different pigment in his rainbow.

1984's Sanskar and 1985's Janani revealed Nizam's profound depth. The latter's "Maa Lo Maa" (Bhubaneswar Mishra) became every Odia mother's lullaby, while "Koili Kore Kuhu Kuhu" turned dawn choruses into love letters. When Kasturi (1988) and Sagar (1988) arrived, their waves carried Nizam's words to new shores -- one fragrant with musk, the other salty with longing.

In 1989, the best-known composition carrying Nizam's magical words from Rajanigandha was "Tu Mora Sapanara Suneli Sandhya" ( composer - Basudev Rath). More than just a State Award-winning song, it was molten gold poured into twilight -- the definitive soundtrack for generations of lovers. A little secret: this is the only melody my fingers drift to, unthinking, whenever I sit before a synth.

The 1990s saw Kagaja Phoola (1994) come to life with Nizam's soft hand, while Jeebana Sathee (1997) was given another State Award to show that his pen was still magically flowing. By these times, translated into words, his soul did not slip -- for instance, Mate Ta Love Helaare (2008) threw out the contemporary love.

The 2010s became Nizam's victory lap. Dream Girl (2009) and Aare Sathee Aa (2009) proved his relevance in changing times. "Tu Tha Mu Jauchi Rushi" (2010) and "Om Namah Sivaya" (2010) balanced earthly love with spiritual yearning, while "Mu Kana Ete Kharaap" (2010) showcased his evergreen wit. Baalungaa Tokaa (2011) and Hero (2011) bookended this golden period, their lyrics shimmering like the last fireflies of summer.

From the golden poetry of Samar Salim Saaiman to the silent charisma of Maanini--from the teasing charm of "Chori Chori Mana Chori" to the profound naughtiness of "Mana Mora Prajapati" -- each film glittered in Nizam's crown. These were not mere stories brought to life; they were the very breath of Odia celluloid, the invisible thread stitching screen to soul.

Long after the final reels stopped spinning, Nizam's legacy endures -- not in dusty awards or fading film strips, but in the way an old melody can still make a grandmother smile, a middle-aged man sigh, a young girl dream. For in Odisha's collective memory, Mohammad Nizam remains the eternal lyricist -- the man who didn't just write songs, but gave voice to every unspoken heartbeat of an entire culture.

The Alchemy of Collaboration: Nizam's Symphony with the Maestros
In the grand orchestra of Odia cinema, Mohammad Nizam emerged not as a soloist but as the perfect first violin--his lyrics dancing in sublime harmony with the industry's finest composers. His career unfolded as a golden chronicle of creative alchemy: from his debut with Saroj Patnaik's haunting "Nida bharaa raati" in Anutap (1977) to the playful brilliance of Basudev Rath's "Daddy I Love You" in Ninaad (1983). With Bhubaneswar Mishra, he scaled spiritual heights in Janani (1985), while his State Award-winning collaboration with Subash Ram on "Tu Mora Sapanara" (Rajanigandha, 1989) became the stuff of legend. Across decades, his words adapted effortlessly -- from Prem Anand's energetic "Chalu Chalu" to Sourin Bhatt's contemporary "Tora Chehera" -- proving his poetry could make melodies sparkle in any era. These were no mere partnerships, but sacred dialogues where words and music became inseparable, crafting not just songs, but the very soul of Odia cinema.

Even in his twilight years, Nizam's collaborations with composers like Shanti Raj Khoshla (Keun Duniaaru Aasila Bandhu) retained their magic--a testament to a poet who understood lyrics weren't just verses set to tune, but the heartbeat of the melodies itself. Like Rumi to his musicians or Tagore to his composers, Nizam's legacy lives on in every note that still whispers his words to Odisha's skies.

Mohammad Nizam's genius, though immortalized in film lyrics, pulsed far beyond cinema -- his words seeped into Odisha's cultural consciousness through radios, temples, and stages alike. The airwaves in that late-1960s era absolutely crackled with his debut in Akashvani Cuttack's Yuvabaanee, more than just a simple melody--the generation had awakened lyrically through it. Before television was born in this land, as the heartbeat of the land was transmitted through radio waves, it was poetry by Nizam in which the Odia youth first saw their reflection--their modern identity--again, much before the silver screen could crystallize their dreams.

Equally enduring is Nizam's spiritual heritage. A modern-day Sala Beg, he wrote devotional songs and bhajans for Lord Jagannath that became the staple among festivals and temples. The code became a medium for bhakti and longing, bridging the chasm of Sufi and Hindu spirituality, forming one of the few voices for syncretic harmony in an age of division. His house in Dargah Bazar, Cuttack, became a site for collaboration for artists, writers, and musicians who congregated here to learn, create, and sustain the artistic spirit of Odisha.

As television arrived in Odisha during the 1990s, Nizam pivoted with ease, scripting over fifty serials and cultural programs. His TV narratives were not mere entertainment--they were emotionally textured, rooted in folklore, family, and everyday struggles. But it was in the open-air arenas of Jatra that Nizam's pen found a direct line to the people. He wrote over seventy plays and folk dramas, blending music, moral allegory, and humor to tackle themes like caste, poverty, and devotion. His scripts turned remote village maidans into theatres of emotion and awareness.

Mohammad Nizam's words are transmitted beyond the mere film set through radio, television, stage, and prayer. His non-film work was not something that was done on the side--it was a parallel legacy; the voice of Odisha in all forms it dared to assume.

The echoes still exist. If you were to tune into an old radio just right on a sticky, warm night near Cuttack, some say you could catch a faint note of the young poet's first-ever song drifting through the static. And of course, in dusty village fields, when one jatra troupe sets down its drums, someone would truly exclaim, "If only Nizam Saheb had written a script for us tonight..." His words weren't merely inked on paper--they were lived, thunderously and quietly, with nothing but the open sky and crackling speakers for company--once etched on the night air of Odisha, never to be washed away.

Mohammad Nizam's words carried with them an unassuming sorcery -- infecting the hearts of listeners with velvet subtlety that never really let go of their spirit. Across decades, this subtle magic gave rise to the creation of a legacy, with that legacy drawing honors as would flowers call bees. His lyrical journey across silver screen realms, crackling radio airwaves, makeshift stages, and temple sanctuaries didn't merely earn him institutional honors but something far aflame: an eternal presence in the cultural consciousness of Odisha.

The state first anointed his genius in 1989, bestowing the Odisha State Film Award for Best Lyricist upon "Tu Mora Swapna Ra Suneli Sandhya" from Rajanigandha -- a song that distilled longing into liquid verse. This recognition repeated in 1997 for Jeebana Sathee's soul-stirring "Dukha Sathe Mu", proving his quill never lost its golden ink.

Beyond governmental laurels, cultural custodians showered him with distinctions: the Sikandar Award for elevating regional artistry, the Yadumani Das Memorial Award for safeguarding Odia musical heritage, and the National Art Talent Award for enriching India's lyrical tapestry. The Akshaya Mohanty Foundation Award formed a poetic full circle--connecting one musical colossus to another in torch-passing tribute.

This was not immortality, though, which the true immortalizing thing could not go into a frame or inscription: his glories--the bhajans--will reverberate still in temple air; his film lyrics still reverberate in countless marriages and as people across roadside chai shops; the verses of Jatra gas them up across dusty fairgrounds. Awards decorate his wall, but it is these one million spontaneous hums of his songs across kitchens and fields and crammed buses that build up his real monument.

Artistry's cruel paradox lies in its unequal exchange: the hands that gift magic to millions often find themselves empty when most in need. Nizam, the poet who taught Odisha to sing its soul, spent his final years in quiet battle -- not against the muse that never abandoned him, but against the unrelenting tides of illness and life's harsh realities.

By 2009, kidney disease had begun its slow siege. Dialysis became routine -- a mechanical purgatory between pain and fragile hope. Yet even as his body faltered, his spirit found solace in Gulshan Ara Haque's extraordinary love, his wife who gave not just her heart but her kidney -- a sacrifice as profound as his most moving lyrics. For a while, life whispered promises of continuance.

When the end came on September 21, 2015, it arrived amid heartbreaking circumstances. Administrative protocols, blind to poetry and legacy, initially delayed his final journey over unsettled hospital dues--a temporary but painful bureaucratic impasse. True to his lifelong commitment to Odia culture, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik swiftly intervened, ensuring the state honored its beloved lyricist properly. Fellow artists, those whose careers had danced to Nizam's rhythms, rallied to support his family, proving that while systems may sometimes stumble, humanity remembers its debts.

At Dargah Bazar, thousands gathered -- not for ceremony, but for communion. Film stars stood shoulder-to-shoulder with street vendors, united in grief for the man whose words had been their collective voice. The flames that consumed his mortal form could not touch his true legacy.

Today, his songs still rise -- from wedding mandaps to protest grounds, in lullabies and battle cries. His son Asad Nizam now tends the flame, ensuring the music flows uninterrupted into new generations. For true art never dies -- it merely changes hands, growing richer with each passing.

"His words were not just lyrics - they were Odisha's heartbeat." -- Prafulla Kar

• Full Name:Mohammad Nizam
• Profession:Odia lyricist, film songwriter, scriptwriter (Ollywood)
• Language:Odia, Urdu, Hindi, English
• Date of Birth:2 October 1951
• Place of Birth:Sutahat, Cuttack, Odisha, India
• Date of Death:21 September 2015 in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
• Place of Eternal Rest:Dargah Bazar, Cuttack.
• Years Active:1968 - 2015
• Family:
  • Father:Shri Aasad Naazim
  • Mother:Smt. Gulshan Hara
  • Wife:Smt. Gulshan Hara
  • Son:Asad Nizam (Music Director)
• Major Domains:
  • Film Songs - (160+ Odia films)
  • Total Number of Songs (2500+)
  • Radio (AIR Cuttack - Yuvabaanee)
  • Television (50+ serials and cultural programs)
  • Stage Plays / Jatra (70+ productions)
  • Devotional Music (Bhajans, Jagannath songs)
• Notable Songs:
  • "Hrudaya Ra Ehi Sunyata Ku" - Samar Salim Simon (1978), Music: Mushir - His Golden Collection
  • "Mu je eka pagala bhanra" - Samar Salim Simon (1978), Music: Mushir - His Golden Collection.
  • "Mun Paradeshi Chadhei Gaaibara Sapna Nei" - Manini (1979), Music: Radha Krushna Bhanja - A classic
  • "Tu Mora Swapnara Suneli Sandhya" - Rajanigandha (1989), Music: Subash Ram - His most iconic romantic classic.
  • "Nida Bharaa Raati Madhujharaa Janha" - Anutap (1977), Music: Saroj Patnaik - His film debut, now a timeless melody.
  • "Mana Mo Khojutila Jemitika Manatie" - Rajanigandha (1989), Music: Subash Ram - State Award-winning melancholic ballad.
  • "Dukha Sathe Mu" - Jeebana Sathee (1997), Music: Subash Ram - Award-winning portrayal of emotional endurance.
  • "Jeebana Kalasa Purna Karicha" - Rajanigandha (1989), Music: Subash Ram - Richly layered and poetic love song.
  • "Nahi Mo Pade Aji Nupura" - Phula Chandan (1982), Music: Saroj Patnaik - A classic remembered for lyrical elegance.
  • "Daddy I Love You" - Ninaad (1983), Music: Basudev Rath - A popular track that broadened his thematic range.
  • "Are Re Re" - Music: Abhijit Majumdar - Catchy and vibrant; a modern mass hit.
  • "Kichi Hau Hau Kichi Hela" - Music: Abhijit Majumdar - Light-hearted and romantic, widely loved.
  • "Mana Khale Tate Chahe" - Music: Abhijit Majumdar - A heart-touching love song that gained wide popularity.
  • "Chalu Chalu" - Music: Prem Anand - A contemporary hit from his later collaborations.
  • "Sorisa Phulara" - Music: Santiraj Khosla - Known for its unique flavor and lyrical charm.
  • "Mo Priya Tharu" - Music: Prafulla Mushir - A beloved romantic track, often cited among his finest non-film work.
  • "Maa Pari Kie Haba" - Devotional - A spiritually resonant bhajan that continues to be cherished.
  • "Jagannath Swami" - Devotional - Deeply devotional and still sung during festivals and rituals.
• Awards & Recognitions:
  • Odisha State Film Award - Best Lyricist (Rajanigandha, 1989)
  • Odisha State Film Award - Best Lyricist (Jeebana Sathee, 1997)
  • Sikandar Award
  • Yadumani Das Memorial Award
  • National Art Talent Award
  • Akshaya Mohanty Foundation Award
• Nickname/Title:Modern-day Sala Beg (for devotional contributions)
• Legacy:
  • Creative force across radio, television, cinema, and stage
  • Cultural icon of Odisha whose works are still widely performed and cherished