Harivansh Rai Bachchan, Poet
Poet

Harivansh Rai Bachchan

Born 27 November 1907 · Uttar Pradesh — Died 18 January 2003

Authored the Hindi poetic work Madhushala, a landmark of the Nayi Kavita movement.

Harivansh Rai Bachchan was an Indian poet and writer of the Nayi Kavita literary movement of early 20th century Hindi literature. He was also a poet of the Hindi Kavi Sammelan. Bachchan is best known for his early work Madhushala. He was the father of Amitabh Bachchan, and grandfather of Shweta Bachchan Nanda and Abhishek Bachchan.

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A detail that
surprised us

“

Harivansh Rai Bachchan dropped his ancestral surname Srivastava and legally adopted 'Bachchan' in 1941 to oppose the caste system and name his family after his poetic pen name.

The Story

1
In 1907, Harivansh Rai Srivastava was born in Babupatti village, Uttar Pradesh, where his childhood nickname 'Bachchan' (meaning child) became his lifelong pen name.
2
🌟 In 1941, after teaching English literature at Allahabad University, he traveled to Cambridge University to complete a PhD on W.B. Yeats, becoming one of the few Indians of his time to earn this degree abroad.
3His breakthrough poem 'Madhushala' (1935) used the metaphor of a tavern to explore themes of life and existence, blending Hindi, Awadhi, and Urdu influences in a style that challenged traditional Hindi poetry norms.
4After his first wife Shyama died of tuberculosis in 1936, his poetry shifted tone, but the arrival of his second wife, Teji Bachchan, in 1941 brought a new joyousness and sensuality to his works.

🏅 Awards & Honours

—
Padma Bhushan

🔍 One thing most people don't know

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Though fluent in Hindi and Awadhi, Bachchan could not read Persian script but was influenced by Persian and Urdu poetry, especially Omar Khayyam, which shaped his poetic style.

📸 Through the Years

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🗓️ A Life in Moments

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Birth
Birth in Babupatti, Uttar Pradesh
Harivansh Rai Srivastava was born in a Hindu Kayastha family in Babupatti village, United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, British India.
1907
📖
Publication
Publication of Madhushala
Bachchan published 'Madhushala', his early and most famous work, which became a milestone in the Nayi Kavita literary movement.
1935
📚
Education
PhD at Cambridge University
He completed his doctoral thesis on W.B. Yeats at St Catharine's College, Cambridge, after leaving his teaching post at Allahabad University.
1941
🌟
Other
Adoption of 'Bachchan' surname
Harivansh Rai and his wife Teji legally adopted 'Bachchan' as their family surname to reject caste-based surnames like 'Srivastava'.
1941
⚡
Career
Nominated to Rajya Sabha
Bachchan served as a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha, India's upper house of Parliament, until 1972.
1966
🏅
Award
Received Padma Bhushan
He was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India for his contributions to Hindi literature.
1976
🕊️
Death
Death in Mumbai
Harivansh Rai Bachchan passed away due to respiratory failure at the age of 95 in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
2003
More moments to come...
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🗝️Discoveries

Swipe to uncover hidden stories
01 / 04
👤PERSONAL

In 1941, Bachchan's academic journey took him to Cambridge where he was amazed by the coexistence of Victorian architecture and modern literature, studying poets like Byron and Wordsworth alongside his research on Yeats.

02 / 04
🏆ACHIEVEMENT

Harivansh Rai Bachchan was nominated to the Rajya Sabha from 1966 to 1972, marking a rare instance of a literary figure serving in India's upper parliamentary house.

03 / 04
🌍HISTORICAL IMPACT

The poem 'Agneepath', penned by Bachchan, became a cultural emblem, its verses used in two major Bollywood films decades apart, linking literature with mainstream popular culture.

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"मिट्टी का तन, मस्ती का मन, क्षण भर जीवन, मेरा परिचय" (Body of clay, mind of fun, life of a moment, my introduction).

— Harivansh Rai Bachchan

🎙️ Speeches & Recordings

These recordings preserve the legacy of Bharat's icons
Memory of the great poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan | Big B recites his father's poem
·YouTube
More from this archive
Memory of the great poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan | Big B recites his father's poem
01
Memory of the great poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan | Big B recites his father's poem
YouTube
1984 - Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan's Speech on 'Rajendra Babu as Autobiographer' | Part 2
02
1984 - Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan's Speech on 'Rajendra Babu as Autobiographer' | Part 2
YouTube
Harivansh Rai Bachchan | Poet & Writer | देहरी का दीप
03
Harivansh Rai Bachchan | Poet & Writer | देहरी का दीप
YouTube
Harivansh Rai Bachchan reciting his own poem along with Amitabh Bachchan - A Rare Video
04
Harivansh Rai Bachchan reciting his own poem along with Amitabh Bachchan - A Rare Video
YouTube
Harivansh Rai Bachchan - poetry legend no more
05
Harivansh Rai Bachchan - poetry legend no more
YouTube
Harivansh Rai Bachchan | The Voice That Made Hindi Poetry Immortal
06
Harivansh Rai Bachchan | The Voice That Made Hindi Poetry Immortal
YouTube
Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan Interview। डॉ. हरिवंशराय बच्चन का एकमात्र साक्षात्कार । हिंदी युग
07
Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan Interview। डॉ. हरिवंशराय बच्चन का एकमात्र साक्षात्कार । हिंदी युग
YouTube
1984 - Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan's Speech on 'Rajendra Babu as Autobiographer' | Part 1
08
1984 - Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan's Speech on 'Rajendra Babu as Autobiographer' | Part 1
YouTube
हरिवंशराय बच्चन का जीवन परिचय/Biography of Harivansh Rai Bachchan #harivanshraibachchan #biography
09
हरिवंशराय बच्चन का जीवन परिचय/Biography of Harivansh Rai Bachchan #harivanshraibachchan #biography
YouTube
Harivansh Rai Bachchan | Poet | क्षितिज से ऊपर उठा कार्यत्ना करके एक तारा...
10
Harivansh Rai Bachchan | Poet | क्षितिज से ऊपर उठा कार्यत्ना करके एक तारा...
YouTube

🌱 What changed because of them

Harivansh Rai Bachchan revolutionized Hindi poetry by blending traditional forms with modern themes and a Hindustani vocabulary, deeply influencing the Nayi Kavita literary movement. His poem 'Madhushala' remains a cultural touchstone, and his works have been immortalized in Indian cinema, notably inspiring films like 'Agneepath'. He also helped popularize Hindi literature through his academic and public service roles, including his Rajya Sabha tenure.

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