Kaifi Azmi was born in 1918 in Azamgarh, UP in a family of small landholders. Kaifi's real name is Syed Athar Husain Rizvi. Born in a Zamindar family in Mijwan, Azamgarh, Kaifi Azmi wrote his first ghazal ‘Itna To Zindagi Mein Kisi Ki Khalal Pade’ at the age of eleven. It was immortalized by Begum Akhtar and is sung even today.

He joined the Communist Party at the age of 19 and joined Ali Sardar Jafri in writing for the party’s paper, ‘Qaumi Jung’ and moved to Bombay.

Kaifi, along with Faiz and Makhdoom formed the troika of modern revolutionary Urdu poetry. This poetry has served to inspire and delight three generations of Urdu-lovers throughout the world. Its combination of romantic idealism and sympathy with the exploited classes has fired the imagination of successive generations of Urdu poets who followed in their wake. Kaifi’s first collection of poems Jhankar was published in 1943. Later collections include Awara Sajde and Sarmaya.

Kaifi was not a poet whose work was confined to the printed page. In his youth he was an ardent trade-unionist and later he became a social and cultural activist. He believed that poetry should be used as an instrument for social change and has written several poems against communalism, religious fundamentalism and for the rights of woman. His best known poems are ‘Aurat’, Makaan’,‘Daaera’,‘Saanp’, ‘Bahuroopni’ etc.

His published works include Jhankar, Aakhir – e – Shab, Awara Sajde, Sarmaya, Kaifiyaat, 'Kaifi Azmi selected poems' translated by Pavan Verma in English, ‘Nai Gulistan’ an anthology of articles he wrote for Urdu Blitz, ‘Meri Awaaz Suno’ a selection of his film lyrics and the script of Heer Ranjha in Devnagri.

Shortly after Independence, a group of progressive writers, theatre persons and musicians migrated to Bombay hoping to use the popular medium of Hindi films as a vehicle for revolutionary ideas. While directors like Bimal Roy and Khwaja Ahmed Abbas strove to create the “New Cinema”, Sahir, Jan-Nissar Akhtar, Majrooh, and Kaifi changed the tenor and vocabulary of the Hindi film song. Their most prolific era 1955-1975 is considered the golden age of the Hindi film song. Kaifi wrote his first lyric for the film Buzdil directed by Shahid Lateef in 1952. His noted film songs are from Shama, Kaagaz Ke Phool, Shola Aur Shabnam, Anupama, Aakhri Khat, Haqeeqat, Hanste Zakhm, Arth etc. Apart from writing songs, he also wrote Chetan Anand’s film Heer Ranjha entirely in verse and created history in dialogue writing. He won the National Award and Filmfare Award for the screenplay and dialogue of M.S. Sathyu’s master piece, Garm Hawa. Kaifi also acted in Saeed Mirza’s award winning film Naseem.

He was (till illness made it impractical) an eager participant in mushairas and literary gatherings which he dominated with his dramatic reading style and sonorous voice. Recognized as one of the finest Urdu poets of our times, Kaifi Azmi is the most awarded Urdu poet of India. Just a few weeks before his demise, Kaifi was made a Fellow of the Sahitya Akademi, the first Urdu poet to be thus honoured. He has also been awarded with the Padma Shri, Maharashtra Gaurav Award, Yuva Bhartiya Award, Delhi Government State Award and the prestigious international Afro-Asian Writers Lotus Award along with countless other awards.

Kaifi has been honoured with Doctorates from many universities in India, such as Purvanchal University and Agra University, the most prestigious being from the Vishwa Bharti University in Shanti Niketan.

He has had several Jashn-e-Kaifi’s in his honour, both in India and abroad, such as in the United States of America, Dubai, Doha and Pakistan.

He was the All India President of the Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA) and an active member of the Progressive Writers Association (PWA). IPTA Mumbai has performed more than 300 shows of his adaptation of Farhatullah Baig’s “Aakhri Shama” (first performed in 1969 at the Diwan-e-Aam of the Red Fort on the occasion of Ghalib’s 100th death anniversary). On one occasion he even doubled up in the role of “the Pahalwan” in place of an actor who fell ill. He was actively involved in the administration and organisation of IPTA till his last days. Kaifi inspired and led a whole generation of theatre enthusiasts across India, to make theatre relevant in today’s times.

His energy and enthusiasm was unbelievable. To those who didn’t know him, it was difficult to believe that he had suffered from a severe stroke almost thirty years ago. But this did not deter him from striving to strengthen IPTA or single-handedly trying to transform and upgrade his native village, Mijwan in Azamgarh U.P. In this connection he would haunt, harass and convince officials and politicians in Lucknow and Delhi to bring necessary amenities to his village. For the last twenty years of his life Kaifi Azmi lived in Mijwan and he transformed it from a village in oblivion to a model village. It now has three schools, a maternity ward and a Computer Training Centre.

In recognition of his efforts, the U.P. Govt. under Mulayam Singh Yadav, named the road leading to Mijwan “Kaifi Azmi Road” and the highway from Sultanpur to Phulpur the “Kaifi Azmi Highway.” The Government of India has also named the train from Delhi to Azamgarh “Kaifiyaat” in recognition of his contribution to society.

The Purvanchal University has instituted “Kaifi Azmi Media Centre” in Jaunpur. The U.P.government has donated land to build a Kaifi Azmi Academy in Lucknow. Kaifi Azmi Park in Juhu Mumbai has been built in his memory. There is also a Kaifi Azmi Park in Phoolpur. Plans are afoot to install a Kaifi Azmi statue in Hyderabad.

Kaifi went down fighting till the last for all the causes which he fiercely supported in his life, in his work and in his art.