Ever wondered how the word “Patras” became a part of the name of famous author and satirist Patras Bukhari (1898-1958)?
Patras was born as Pir Ahmad Shah Bukhari, his elder brother Zulfiqar Bukhari tells about this incident in his biography.
During his school days in Peshawar, Pir Ahmad Shah's English teacher Mr. Peter Watkins used to call him “Pir”. But he used to pronounce the word in such a way that it sounded much like the French name “Pierre”, which is the equivalent to the English name “Peter” which also gets a mention in the Holy Bible.
In Persian and Urdu, Peter is written and spoken as “Patras”; a name which also appears in the  Urdu translation of the Bible. Patras must have greatly admired Peter, his English teacher, for that’s why when he started writing in Urdu he adopted “Patras” as his pen-name.
Patras Bukhari was the first Comptroller General of All India Radio and Pakistan's first Ambassador to the United Nations.

Majaz's revolutionary poems were very popular in his time. Once in Bombay a laborer asked him “Aap apni wo waali Nazm sunaiye jisme aapne kahaa hai- Rahbarii Chaluu rahii, Paighambari Chaluu rahii, Zar-garii Chaluu rahii.”

It was his Nazm “Khwab-e-Sahar”. Majaz recited the entire Nazm smilingly and read the above couplet with the refrain of “Chaluu Rahii”, instead of reading the original verse which was:

rahbarii jaarii rahii paiGambarii jaarii rahii
diin ke parde me.n ja.ng-e-zargarii jaarii rahii

The original couplet had “Jaari Rahi” instead of “Chaluu Rahi”

At another Labor’s procession, some laborers requested him to recite the Nazm in which he had written “Laal JhanDa hai humaare haath mein”.

Here too, for the delight of the laborers, Majaz did not allude to the original line which was:

“Aaj JhanDa hai humaare haath mein”

And, read the word “Laal” instead of “Aaj”

Fana Nizami Kanpuri (1922-1988), one of the most famous poets of Mushaira during his time, did not publish his collection of poems because he opined, ‘if all my Ghazals came to the notice of everyone, then what would be left recite in Mushairas where the audiences request a new Ghazal every time?’
Fana Nizami Kanpuri’s enchanting Tarannum, fresh expression, and charming personality used to steal the show at Mushairas, which were his livelihood. One of his couplets is extremely popular:
tark-e-ta.alluqaat ko ik lamha chaahiye
lekin tamaam umr mujhe sochnaa pa.Daa

He was very religious, kept a long beard and always wore Sherwani, but the mention of alcohol abounds in his couplets. He recited the following couplet at a Mushaira in Karachi:
Main Sharabi Nahin Hun Shayar Hun
Istilaahan Sharaab piitaa Hun
(I am poet, not a drunkard; I drink, in the limits of poetry)
Also present there was Josh Malihabadi who furiously stood up and uttered at once:
“Main Sharabi nahin hun Mullah hun”

“Bahraam Ki Wapasi”. No, it's not the title of a detective novel but a collection of poems by Saqi Farooqi (1936-2018). He wrote his autobiography under the title “Aap-Biiti, Paap-Biiti”, and recorded such insights in it which other writers normally don’t. He was truly a unique author and a forthright poet and critic.

Born in Gorakhpur, India, he lived in Karachi and Bangladesh and then moved to England where he became trained as a computer programmer. In his life and poetry, Saqi Farooqi was famous for surprising those around him with his creative novelties and outspoken style of conversing.

There was also a time during his life when he used to wear a thick necklace around his neck.

He was also quite fond of animals. When his pet tortoise died, he made a grave in his  beautiful lawn and wrote a Nauha (lament); while affectionately raising a dog, he read all the literature related to dogs; and even raised two tomcats, one named "Sher Khan" and the other "Ram Raj".