Poet-lyricist Kaifi Azmi belonged to the golden period of Hindi film music from the 1950s to the mid-1970s when Shailendra, Sahir Ludhianvi, Shakeel Badayuni, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Neeraj and others wrote exquisite lyrics.

Dinesh Raheja lists some of Kaifi Azmi's most moving songs:

When Kaifi teamed up with S D Burman for Guru Dutt's Kaagaz Ke Phool, he came up with some scintillating gems like that treatise on disenchantment: Dekhi zamane ki yaari, bicchde sabhi baari baari.

But one of the most popular choices is the deeply emotional Waqt ne kiya kya haseen situm; tum rahein na tum, hum rahein na hum. Soulfully tuned by the senior Burman, this song was further enhanced by Geeta Dutt's pain-lashed voice to make it the perfect theme song for a lost season of grace.

This is one of actress-singer Suraiya's last recorded numbers. She sounds lilting, adeptly articulating and vocally interpreting Kaifi's poetry.

The romanticism of Hemant Kumar's sonorous voice and Kaifi's mesmerising words tinged with the haunting quality in keeping with the eerie mood of the film. Yeh nayan dare dare holds you spellbound even today.

Two other Kohraa songs, both penned by Kaifi are still crystal clear: the pessimistic O bekarar dil ho chuka hai mujhko aansoon se pyar mujhe tu khushi na de and the positive Raah bani khud manzil, peeche reh gayee mushkil.

When it was re-employed in the recent patriotic fare Tinnu Verma's Maa Tujhe Salaam, this otherwise routine film came to life and made one's eyes well with tears. Who can be unaffected by the poignancy of Rafi's voice in lines like Zinda rehne ke mausam bahut hai magar, jaan dene ki rut roz aati nahin... baandh lo apne sar pe kafan saathiyon.

Lata's Kuch dil ne kaha, kuch bhi nahin is a dilemma we all experience at some time or the other. The Bheegi bheegi fiza number has Asha at her animated best as she lends lip to Kaifi's picturesque description of the monsoons in Mahableshwar, the Maharashtra hill-station.

The prize catch of the album is Hemant Kumar's soul-stirring plea Ya dil ki suno duniyawalon ya mujhko abhi chhup rehne do. The lyrics eloquently capture the plight of the protagonist who is unloved by her own father Yeh phool chaman main kaisa khila, maali ki nazar mein pyar nahin.

It is one of Kaifi's lighter numbers, which was a huge success and a favourite on Indian radio shows even today.

Kaifi Azmi wrote just one number, Chalte chalte, yuhin koi mil gaya tha in the film. Rest assured, it is not a number that just happened and became a thumping success. The tragic pining of courtesan Meena Kumari is evocatively captured in Kaifi's line, Woh charaag bujh rahein hain, mere saath jalte jalte.

Besides, Geeta Roy's velvety vocals extraordinaire -- soft and seductive -- easily makes this one of Kaifi's top 10 hits.

There are several judaai songs in Hindi cinema but this is one of the most poignant.

Pooja (Shabana Azmi), who has signed her divorce papers at her husband's request, sails into well-wisher Raj Kiran's house minutes later to celebrate her birthday. She tries to smile bravely but her eyes betray her sadness. And Raj, in a bid to assuage her, uses Kaifi's words to question her turmoil: Jin zakhmon ko waqt bhar chuka hai, tum kyon unhe chhede jaa rahe ho.

It compels you to ask : Who will fill the void left by Kaifi?