Raza was born into a Muslim family in the village of Gangauli, located in the Ghazipur district of Uttar Pradesh.[2] He was the younger brother of educationist Moonis Raza and scholar Mehdi Raza.[3]
Raza completed his early education in Ghazipur before pursuing higher education at Aligarh Muslim University, where his academic focus was centered on Muslim theology. He earned a doctorate in Hindustani Literature and embarked on a literary career.[4][1] Writing under the pseudonym Shahid Akhtar, he contributed novels to the Urdu magazine Rumani Duniya from Allahabad. Raza later became a lecturer in Urdu at Aligarh Muslim University before relocating to Bombay (now Mumbai).[5]
Foray into Hindi films and television
Raza's career in Hindi films began with the romantic drama Mili (1975), directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee. His dialogues in the film were highly praised, marking the beginning of his successful career in the Hindi film industry.
He won his first Filmfare Award for Best Dialogue for Raj Khosla's drama Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki (1978), which dealt with themes of love, sacrifice, and societal expectations. His dialogues were instrumental in conveying the emotional depth and complexity of the film.
After working for various successful films like Gol Maal (1979), Karz (1980), Judaai (1980) and Disco Dancer (1982), Raza's next prominent venture was the romantic drama Tawaif (1985), directed by B. R. Chopra. Showcasing the life and dilemmas of the life of a courtesan, his dialogues were instrumental in humanizing the characters and conveying the emotional depth of the narrative, contributing significantly to the film’s critical acclaim. His work on the film earned him his second Filmfare Award for Best Dialogue.
He gained significant recognition on Hindi television for writing the screenplay and dialogues for the television serial Mahabharat, which was based on the ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharata.[1] The serial became one of the most popular TV shows in India, achieving a peak television rating of approximately 86%.[6]
Raza then collaborated with Honey Irani to write the screenplay and dialogues for Yash Chopra's musical romantic drama Lamhe (1991), which was a pioneering film that explored unconventional themes of love across generations. Raza’s dialogues, which were pivotal in conveying Lamhe's complex emotions and progressive themes, earned widespread critical acclaim upon the film's release. At the 37th Filmfare Awards, the film won a leading 5 awards, including a third Filmfare Award for Best Dialogue for Raza. Lamhe was Raza's final film to release in his lifetime, and over the years, it has been hailed as an all-time classic and the finest film of Chopra, Irani and Raza's careers.
After his death, Raza's dialogues were featured in two more of Yash Chopra's productions, Parampara (1992) and Aaina (1993).
