Aligarh Muslim University has sent more people to Indian cinema than most campuses its size. Naseeruddin Shah took his BA at AMU in 1971, K. A. Abbas studied English literature and law there, and lyricists Shakeel Badayuni, Jan Nisar Akhtar and Shahryar all came out of Aligarh. Directors Muzaffar Ali and Anubhav Sinha, and actors Saeed Jaffrey and Surekha Sikri, also studied at AMU or its schools.
AMU alumni in film at a glance
| Name | Known for | AMU link |
|---|---|---|
| Naseeruddin Shah | Actor | BA, 1971 |
| K. A. Abbas | Writer, director | BA 1933, LLB 1935 |
| Shakeel Badayuni | Lyricist | Joined in 1936 |
| Jan Nisar Akhtar | Lyricist | BA (Hons) and MA |
| Ismat Chughtai | Writer | Women’s College; BEd |
| Saeed Jaffrey | Actor | Minto Circle, 1938 |
| Rahi Masoom Raza | Screenwriter | PhD; taught Urdu |
| Shahryar | Lyricist | BA, MA, PhD; professor |
| Muzaffar Ali | Director | Science graduate |
| Surekha Sikri | Actor | Studied at AMU |
| Anubhav Sinha | Director | BTech, 1987 |
1. Naseeruddin Shah
Naseeruddin Shah completed his BA in arts at AMU in 1971 before training at the National School of Drama. He went on to become one of India’s most respected actors, with films such as Masoom (1983) and Sarfarosh (1999). His elder brother, Lt Gen Zameer Uddin Shah, later became Vice-Chancellor of AMU.
2. Khwaja Ahmad Abbas
K. A. Abbas graduated in English literature from AMU in 1933 and took his law degree there in 1935. He wrote Awara and Mera Naam Joker for Raj Kapoor and directed Saat Hindustani (1969), the film that gave Amitabh Bachchan his first role.
Also readWhy AMU Students and Alumni Are Called Aligs
3. Shakeel Badayuni
Shakeel Badayuni joined AMU in 1936 for his BA. As a lyricist he wrote the songs of Baiju Bawra (1952) and Mughal-e-Azam (1960), and won the Filmfare award for Best Lyricist three years in a row, from 1961 to 1963.
4. Jan Nisar Akhtar
Jan Nisar Akhtar joined AMU in 1930 and completed his BA (Hons) and MA there. He wrote film songs for Yasmin and C.I.D. and won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1976 for his collection Khaak-e-Dil.
5. Ismat Chughtai
Ismat Chughtai went to school at the AMU Women’s College and later took her BEd at AMU, around 1941. Besides her short stories, she wrote for films including Ziddi and Arzoo, and shared the Filmfare award for Best Story for Garm Hava.
6. Saeed Jaffrey
Saeed Jaffrey joined Minto Circle, the AMU school, in 1938. He acted in Satyajit Ray’s Shatranj Ke Khilari (1977) and in British films such as My Beautiful Laundrette (1985), one of the first Indian actors to build a long career in the UK.
7. Rahi Masoom Raza
Rahi Masoom Raza did his doctorate at AMU and taught Urdu there before moving to Bombay. He wrote the screenplay and dialogues of B. R. Chopra’s Mahabharat (1988) and won the Filmfare award for Best Dialogue for Lamhe.
8. Shahryar
Akhlaq Mohammed Khan, known as Shahryar, studied at AMU from his BA in 1958 to his PhD and retired as head of its Urdu Department in 1996. He wrote the songs of Umrao Jaan (1981) and Gaman, and won the Jnanpith Award in 2008. More in our list of Urdu poets and writers from AMU.
9. Muzaffar Ali
Muzaffar Ali is a science graduate of AMU. He directed Gaman (1978) and Umrao Jaan (1981), both with lyrics by his fellow Alig, Shahryar.
10. Surekha Sikri
Surekha Sikri studied at AMU before joining the National School of Drama. She won National Film Awards for Tamas and Badhaai Ho, and was widely known for the TV serial Balika Vadhu.
11. Anubhav Sinha
Anubhav Sinha graduated in mechanical engineering from AMU’s Zakir Husain College of Engineering in 1987. He directed Mulk (2018) and Article 15 (2019).
Frequently asked questions
Which Bollywood actors studied at AMU?
Naseeruddin Shah (BA, 1971), Surekha Sikri and Saeed Jaffrey studied at AMU or its schools. Dalip Tahil also spent a year at AMU before graduating from St Xavier’s, Mumbai.
Did Naseeruddin Shah study at Aligarh Muslim University?
Yes. Naseeruddin Shah completed his BA at AMU in 1971 and then trained at the National School of Drama in Delhi.
Which famous lyricists studied at AMU?
Shakeel Badayuni, Jan Nisar Akhtar and Shahryar all studied at AMU. Between them they wrote the songs of Mughal-e-Azam, Baiju Bawra and Umrao Jaan.
Who wrote the dialogues of Mahabharat?
Rahi Masoom Raza, who did his doctorate at AMU and taught Urdu there, wrote the screenplay and dialogues of the 1988 TV series Mahabharat.
For alumni in politics, science and public life, see our list of famous AMU alumni.
Sources: Wikipedia biographies of Naseeruddin Shah, K. A. Abbas, Shakeel Badayuni, Saeed Jaffrey, Rahi Masoom Raza, Muzaffar Ali, Surekha Sikri and Anubhav Sinha.
