A celebrated Hindi poet, music, and cinema scholar, Yatindra Mishra has four collections of Hindi poetry, several books on Indian classical music, cinema and translations to his name.

 Yatindra Mishra was born on the 12th of April 1977 in Ayodhya. He developed artistic sensibilities and especially musical moorings in his formative years which he spent under the tutelage of his grandmother Rajkumari Vimla Devi Ji ( 1929-1998) of Ayodhya.

In her fond remembrance, Yatindra Mishra founded the Vimla Devi Foundation in 1999 to promote literature and the arts, and since 2006 he has been organizing an annual festival of performing arts called ‘Ishwar Allah Tero Naam,’ aimed at highlighting India’s Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb.

Yatindra Mishra Books-

Yatindra Mishra has garnered both critical acclaims as well as a popular fan base for his books. His books have been widely recognized and loved all across India as well as abroad. 

He has three collections of poetry to his name – Yada Kada(1997), Ayodhya Tatha Anya Kavitayein(1999), and Dyodhi Par Alaap(2005) – besides which he has written a book on the classical singer Girija Devi (Girija) and a book of conversations with the dancer Sonal Mansingh (Devpriya).

He has also written Sur Ki Baradari(2009) about the life and work of Shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan. Vismaya Ka Bhakhan(2012) is an essay compilation on music and arts. He has edited selections from the poetry of Ajneya-Jitna Tumhara Sach Hai(2011), the prose of Ashok Vajpeyee Kis Bhugol Mein Kis Sapne Mein(2011) and Poetry Hum Apna Vasant Pahchante Hain(2014), Poetry of Gulzar Yaar Julaahe(2009). He has also presented a selection of Gulzar's film lyrics, Meelon Se Din(2010). He has translated ‘Girija’ into English and 'Vibhas', Ayodhya series of poems (German), ‘Yaar Julahey’ and 'Meelon Se Din' in Urdu.

Yatindra Mishra’s book on Lata Mangeshkar is a definitive work on the life of one of the greatest singers in India and has attracted praise from all corners.

His latest book, Akhtari: Soz Aur Saaz Ka Afsana, is based on the life, times, and music of Akhtari Bai Faizabadi Aka Begum Akhtar. He is currently working on a book on eminent lyricist, poet and filmmaker Gulzar Saheb.

Yatindra Mishra Awards & Recognitions-

Yatindra Mishra has been felicitated with many awards & fellowships. He is the recipient of the Raza Award (2007), the Bharatiya Bhasha Parishad Yuva Puraskar (2006), the Hemant Smriti Kavita Sammaan (2005), the Bharat Bhushan Agarwal Smriti Puraskar(2004), Rajiv Gandhi Rashtriya Ekta Award (2004), and the Rituraj Sammaan (1999). He was also awarded a fellowship by the Department of Culture (2003-04) and an independent fellowship from Sarai, New Delhi(2006-07).

His book Lata: Sur-Gatha won six awards in 2017, including the prestigious 64th National Film Award for Best Writing on Cinema (Swarna Kamal) and the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival Award for Best Writing on Cinema, 2016-17.

Other Works-

BBC produced a series based on the Music Composers of Hindi Cinema with Yatindra Mishra. The series is titled Sung-Sung Gungunaoge and is published on BBC World Hindi Services on the web and the Audio Version is broadcast on BBC Hindi World Radio Services.

The series, consisting of 30 episodes that aired in 2017, is dedicated to musicians like Anil Biswas, Naushad, Sajjad Hussain, Husnlal-Bhagatram, Salil Chaudhary, Vasant Desai, Ghulam Mohammed, S.D. Burman, Jaidev, O.P. Nayyar, C. Ramchandra, Madan Mohan, Shankar Jaikishan, Chitragupt, Pt. Ravi Shankar, Khayyam, Roshan, Hemant Kumar, Ravi, N. Dutta, Pt. S.N. Tripathi, Usha Khanna, R.D, Burman, Kalyanji-Aanandji, etc.

 In addition, Mr. Mishra has edited the arts and cultural magazines “Sahit” and “Thatee,” and has traveled extensively in India and abroad to attend several cultural symposia.

 Yatindra Mishra lives and works in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.