Akhtar ul Iman was a noted Urdu poet and screenwriter in Hindi cinema, who had a major influence on modern Urdu nazm. He preferred nazm over more popular ghazal as a mean of poetic expression. He left behind a substantial legacy for new generation of poets to follow which explores new trends and themes in modern Urdu poetry giving a new direction to the modern and contemporary Urdu nazm with emphasis on philosophical humanism.
He won several literary and cinema awards for his poetry.