When Sahir Ludhianvi, the progressive Urdu poet and Bollywood lyricist, wrote "Main pal do pal ka shayar hoon..." for "Kabhi Kabhie" little would he have known that the song would sum up his fate too.

As the world remembered the great 'shayar' on his 87th birth anniversary Thursday, there were no celebrations in Ludhiana -- the city he immortalised by suffixing its name to his.

Sahir was born here on March 8, 1921. Although he migrated to Lahore in 1947 and finally shifted base to Mumbai, he always kept in touch with his native place.

Even during the peak of his career he had made his many stopovers to the city.

Sahir shot to fame with Guru Dutt's "Baazi" in the early 1960s. He worked with the leading composers and directors of his time who all thought his versatility was matchless.

Sahir has been credited with penning some of the finest Bollywood songs. Be it "Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaye To Kya Hai" from Guru Dutt's "Pyaasa" or "Chalo Ek Bar Phir Se Ajnabee Ban Jayen" from "Gumrah" or "Allah Tero Naam, Ishwar Tero Naam" from "Hum Dono" -- it's difficult not to get hooked to his songs.

But it's not just his lyrics, he was also a respected author. His works in Urdu "Talkhiyan" and "Parchaiyaan" have been translated in many languages. Unfortunately, several half-hearted attempts to keep Sahir -- who passed away on October 25, 1980 -- 'alive' in the city he loved and always came back to, have boomeranged.

In 1995 the then Chief Minister, Beant Singh, had announced setting up a memorial for Sahir. But the project was abandoned just as soon.

Later, a road was named after Sahir. However, no memorial or signboard was ever put up there.

So the only treat a handful of die-hard Sahir fans, who are proud of his association with Ludhiana, can now look forward to is an annual mushaira held in his memory at the end of March every year.