Urdu poet and screenwriter, Akhtar-ul-Iman was an important contemporary of Rashed, Miraji and Faiz. He had a formative influence on Urdu nazm and won the Filmfare Award for Best Dialogue in 1963 and 1966. This article highlights the journey of his poetic consciousness as influenced by external factors, as well as his inner battles as a poet. The article takes into account the entire body of his poetic works, from the first collection published in 1941 to the last, published in 1997.