Last Updated:June 21, 2025, 18:57 IST
From melancholic ghazals to magnetic film lyrics and contemporary indie playlists, younger generations are rediscovering the lyrical power of Urdu.
Urdu remains integral to Indian cinema, shaping mood and narratives.
In an age driven by technology and social media, when languages are being diminished to emojis and abbreviations, Urdu, a language of silken metaphors and layered meanings, is experiencing an unexpected renaissance.
This revival isn’t happening in dusty libraries or nostalgic drawing rooms. It’s happening in browser tabs, pop playlists, poetry festivals, and digital classrooms. And at the center of this cultural resurgence are digital platforms making Urdu accessible to a generation that may not read the script but feels the sentiment deeply, and organisations which have resulted in the rise of a community of Urdu speakers and learners.
Urdu Language: The Soul Of Hindi Film Industry
If Indian cinema has a heartbeat, it often pulses in Urdu. From the timeless words of Sahir Ludhianvi and Kaifi Azmi to the modern poetics of Javed Akhtar and Gulzar, Urdu has long been the language of love, loss, and revolution on screen.
Even in today’s multiplex blockbusters, Urdu quietly holds ground. Whether in soulful lyrics or poignant dialogues, its presence infuses emotional gravity into mainstream storytelling. Far from being ornamental, the language shapes mood, builds character, and elevates narratives.
At a time when storytelling is going global, Urdu gives Indian cinema a unique linguistic signature – one that resonates from Mumbai to Melbourne.
A Global Community Of Ghazal Aficionados
Beyond the silver screen, Urdu’s sonic legacy lives on through music. The ghazal, once confined to classical music settings, is now being reinterpreted by contemporary artists across genres -from fusion to folk, jazz to electronic. Artists like Ali Sethi, Prateek Kuhad, and Aabha Hanjura are blending Urdu poetry with modern sounds, drawing younger audiences into a tradition once thought of as niche. Streaming platforms are filled with curated ghazal playlists, while verses by Ghalib and Faiz go viral on social media.
The past decade has seen the emergence of a generation of young Urdu poets, with their readership across the world. Jashn e Rekhta offers a robust medium to promote the voices of these budding artists and also serves as a platform for dialogue between the poets and their audience. The roaring crowds and the teary eyes at the mushairas are a testimony to the passion today’s youth holds towards Urdu poetry.
At the heart of this revival is rekhta.org, the world’s largest digital platform dedicated to Urdu literature. With over 60,000 works by 5,000 poets, alongside translations, transliterations, and audio renditions, Rekhta is transforming how Urdu is discovered and consumed.
Together, these programs ensure that Urdu is not just preserved – it is activated, performed, shared, and celebrated. Far from being forgotten, the ghazal is finding new resonance as both timeless poetry and an aesthetic counterpoint to fast culture.
Not Just A Language – A Movement Towards Shared Cultural Expression
In a culturally complex and multilingual India, Urdu has always been a language of bridges, not boundaries. With its roots entwined with Persian, Arabic, Turkish, and local vernaculars, it evolved as a product of cultural confluence. Today, this same versatility makes Urdu a powerful tool for contemporary cultural expression. Whether in music videos, digital art, theatre performances, or street poetry slams, Urdu continues to adapt, expand, and inspire.
What’s happening around Urdu today isn’t just preservation – it’s cultural momentum. It’s the realisation that language isn’t static ink on a page, but something alive, lived, and loved. Through storytelling, technology, and creativity, Urdu is speaking again, confidently, and across continents.
Our life needs a bit of style to get the perfect zing in the daily routine. News18 Lifestyle is one-stop destination for everything you need to know about the world of fashion, food, health, travel, relationshi…Read More
Our life needs a bit of style to get the perfect zing in the daily routine. News18 Lifestyle is one-stop destination for everything you need to know about the world of fashion, food, health, travel, relationshi… Read More
- Location :
Delhi, India, India
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