He died at 6.40 a.m. following cardiac and respiratory infe`ction, Dr J.P. Sharma, Hospital Superintendent, said.

Kaifi Azmi was admitted on March 28 for asthma and chest infection and was in the ICU till yesterday. He was also suffering from ischemic heart disease and cerebro-vascular disease, Dr Sharma said.

Dr Sharma said Kaifi was shifted from the ICU since his condition had shown improvement for the last few days. However, his blood pressure fell around midnight and he suffered from shallow breathing.

Born in Mijwan at Azamgarh district of Uttar Pradesh in 1918, Kaifi wrote his first ghazal “Itna To Zindagi Mein Kisi Ki Khalal Pade” at the age of 11. It was later immortalised by Begum Akhtar and is sung even today.

Kaifi Azmi’s poetry was a cry against injustice, oppression and communalism and his writing was known for its revolutionary fervour. “Aurat,” “Makaan,” “Bahroopni” and “Doosra Banwas” are among his notable poems.

Apart from “Awara Sajday,” his other published works include “Jhankar,” “Akhir-e-Shab” and “Nai Gulistan” — a compilation of weekly columns he wrote entirely in verse for the weekly Urdu Blitz. “Meri Awaz Suno” was a collection of his film songs. Recently, selected poems of his were translated into English by Pavan Verma as well as the original screenplay of “Heer Ranjha” in verse. “Shaguftagi”, an album of Kaifi’s poetry set to tune by Khayyam has just been released by Music Today.

One of the founders of the Progressive Writers Association, he served as its president and edited “Naya Aadab”.

“Awara Sajday” won him the Sahitya Akademi award in 1973. He was also honoured with the Padma Shri, but returned it protesting discrimination against Urdu by the Central Government.

Kaifi Azmi was also associated with the Mumbai film industry as lyricist, screenplay and dialogue writer for more than four decades. “Garam Hawa” and “Heer Ranjha” are among his famous works as a dialogue writer.

He moved to his native place some years ago but returned to Mumbai recently.

Some of the other films he wrote for were “Anupama”, “Hanste Zakhm”, “Shola Aur Shabnam”, “Pakeezah”, “Shagun”, “Haqeeqat”, “Hindustan Ki Kasam”, “Naseeb”, “Arth”, “Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayi” and “Tamanna”.

The Sahitya Akademi Fellowship was conferred upon him here last month for his eminence as an Urdu poet and “his exceptional contribution to Indian literature.”

New Delhi: Information and Broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj expressed deep sorrow at the death of Kaifi Azmi.