Shiv Kumar 'Batalvi' (Punjabi: ਸ਼ਿਵ ਕੁਮਾਰ ਬਟਾਲਵੀ) was a well-known Punjabi language poet. He was most famous for his romantic poetry which was noted for its heightened passion, pathos, separation and lovers' agony. He became the youngest recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1967 for his epic verse play based on the ancient legend of Puran Bhagat, Luna (1965), now considered a masterpiece in modern Punjabi literature. With this work, he also created the modern Punjabi genre of kiss.
Today, he is counted amongst the stalwarts of modern Punjabi poetry, like Mohan Singh and Amrita Pritam, all of whom are popular on both sides of India-Pakistan border.
Whenever I read out his work, he took me to some unknown place using his own tipsiness. "Maye ni Maye, main ik shikhara yaar bnaya". I don't know whether Punjab is going to produce poets like Shiv Kumar Batalvi again. Sometimes his works make me snicker and sometimes blubber. But I know all of his works are Idyllic as I am able to understand them.
Shiv Kumar Batalvi can best be described as someone who just came to this world to create art. Before his tragic passing at 36, he managed to achieve what most people cannot in their entire lifetime. He influenced Punjabi culture in a way that his words still echo in the hearts of his readers and those who hold Punjabi folklore dear to them.