Majrooh Sultanpuri was part of the formidable quartet that ruled Hindi Cinema in the 1950s and early 60s, the others being Sahir Ludhianvi, Shakeel Badayuni and Shailendra but Majrooh Saab outlasted them all working right up to his death, his career spanning over five decades and over 350 films, many of them extremely successful at the box office.

Majrooh Saab's songs touched the core of human experience. And although a product of the hoary adabi tradition of classical Urdu poetry, his film songs adhered to simple Hindustani, which struck a chord in both the commoner and the connoisseurs alike. To quote another well noted lyricist Prem Dhawan...

"Majrooh blended popularity with purity of thought and expression"

Majrooh Saab was born Asrar Hussain Khan in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, the son of a police constable. After studying Persian in Aligarh, he moved to Bombay. His early and best-known independent poetry was in the ghazal form.

He made his film debut with the K.L.Saigal starrer Shahjehan (1946) which included the latter's ever popular Jab Dil hi Toot Gaya. But his major breakthrough was Mehboob Khan's Andaaz (1949) with hit songs like Tu Kahe Agar, Jhoom Jhoom ke Naacho Aaj, Hum Aaj Kahin Dil Kho Baithe, Toote na Dil Toote na and Uthaye Ja Unke Situm.

Although Majrooh Sultanpuri worked with top music directors of the day - Anil Biswas, Naushad, Madan Mohan, O.P. Nayyar, Roshan and Laxmikant Pyarelal his associations with S.D. Burman and R.D. Burman stand out, particularly his work with the latter in the frothy Nasir Hussain musicals like Teesri Manzil (1966), Yaadon ki Baraat (1973) and Hum Kissi se Kum Nahin (1977). He continued writing ever youthful songs even in Hussain's son Mansoor Khan's films - Qayamat se Qayamat Tak (1988) and Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander (1992).

Majrooh Saab was the first film lyricist to be awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for his invaluable contribution to Indian Cinema. He has also been a recipient of the Iqbal Samman from the Madhya Pradhesh Government, the Sant Gyaneshwar Puraskar of the Maharashtra Government and an award from the Maharashtra State Urdu Academy for Ghazal, his collection of Urdu Ghazals.