tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-293295452024-02-21T14:18:59.909+05:30Khwaahish-e-ParwaazAditya Panthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11481497663140098296noreply@blogger.comBlogger171125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29329545.post-8486778208089600132022-07-03T12:17:00.003+05:302022-07-03T12:52:33.952+05:30'अधूरे हाफ़िज़े' - मेरा दूसरा काव्य-संग्रह <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqClk9KMz6B8PQDSbDPramDxh61PMYdapRcMXHsubCGYFGQkZnNAx3rKWuknpRwE2MSIWakY3rZo83GwhLDbJ7E9P1tCymYlZT4_MxSFgfj1HlKJzWQnpq_gzH4vZL5VwL6vqHuftCVgl-vnqLrJnpPgGqfPtncS5LP1ewknBynDzMTHpEHQ/s1024/Cover%20Adhoore%20Haafize%20Pothi%20Paperback-1024_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="753" data-original-width="1024" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqClk9KMz6B8PQDSbDPramDxh61PMYdapRcMXHsubCGYFGQkZnNAx3rKWuknpRwE2MSIWakY3rZo83GwhLDbJ7E9P1tCymYlZT4_MxSFgfj1HlKJzWQnpq_gzH4vZL5VwL6vqHuftCVgl-vnqLrJnpPgGqfPtncS5LP1ewknBynDzMTHpEHQ/s320/Cover%20Adhoore%20Haafize%20Pothi%20Paperback-1024_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />मेरे पहले कविता-संग्रह – ख़्वाहिश-ए-परवाज़ – को प्रकाशित हुए आठ वर्ष हो चले हैं । वहाँ से '<a href="https://bit.ly/3xZ5MYS" target="_blank">अधूरे हाफ़िज़े</a>' के प्रकाशन तक का यह अंतराल लम्बा रहा, किन्तु मुझे इस बात का संतोष है कि यह समय व्यर्थ नहीं गया । मुझे अहसास था कि मुझे अपने ’इल्म और हुनर तराशने की कोशिश जारी रखनी है और जो ग़लतियाँ ला-’इल्मी या अधूरे ज्ञान की वजह से मेरे पहले संग्रह में हुईं, उन्हें उर्दू शा’इरी की बारीकियाँ समझ कर सुधारने का पूरा प्रयास करना है । <p></p><p></p><blockquote>तू शा’इरी में मशक़्क़त से डर न ऐ ‘नाक़िद’<br />तराशने को हुनर जज़्ब कर निकात तमाम</blockquote><p></p><p>लिहाज़ा, इस दौरान जहाँ मैंने उर्दू ’अरूज़ की तमाम किताबें नए सिरे से पढ़ीं , वहीं कई नामवर और उभरते हुए शु’अरा के कलाम से अपनी वाक़फ़ियत बढ़ाते हुए अपना ज्ञानवर्धन किया । इससे न सिर्फ़ मेरे कलाम की ख़ामियाँ उजागर हुईं, बल्कि मेरी भाषा और विचारों को थोड़ा विस्तार भी मिला । यह तो आपको ही फ़ैसला करना है कि इन सब से मेरे कलाम को कुछ फ़ायदा हुआ भी है या नहीं ।</p><p>’अरूज़ के गहन अध्ययन से मुझे कई नई बहरों और उनके आहंगों का पता चला । इनमें कई ऐसे थे जिनका प्रयोग उर्दू शा’इरी में या तो हुआ ही नहीं है या इक्का-दुक्का जगह ही नज़र आता है । इसे एक चुनौती समझ मैंने अधिक से अधिक बहरों और आहंगों में ग़ज़लें नज़्म करने की कोशिश करने का निर्णय लिया । यह ज़रूर था कि कई आहंग लयात्मकता की दृष्टि से अन्य के मुक़ाबले थोड़े मुश्किल या कम दिलकश थे । लेकिन मैंने उसे भी एक चुनौती की तरह ही लिया । नतीजा आपके सामने है – इस संग्रह में २४ बहरों के ६५ अलग-अलग आहंगों में ग़ज़लें, नज़्में, क़ित’ए और फ़र्द मौजूद हैं । कुछ एक ग़ज़लें दोहा और रुबाई के आहंगों में भी हैं, हालाँकि इन आहंगों में ’आम तौर पर ग़ज़लें नहीं कही गई हैं ।</p><p></p><blockquote>अगरचॆ: ’इल्म-ए-सुख़न दस्त-याब है ‘नाक़िद’<br />रियाज़-ए-फ़न्न-ए-बलाग़त ज़रा है पेचीदा </blockquote><p></p><p>यूँ तो इस संग्रह में सम्मिलित सभी ग़ज़लों में मैंने ’अरूज़ से सभी नियमों का पालन करने का पूरा प्रयास किया है, किन्तु एकाध ग़ज़ल में क़ाफ़ियों के चुनाव में थोड़ी ढील भी बरती है । जैसे, उर्दू अरूज़ के अनुसार ‘बह्र’ और ‘शह्र’ क़ाफ़िया नहीं हो सकते क्यूँकि इन दोनों में प्रयुक्त ‘ह’ उर्दू वर्णमाला की दृष्टि से अलग हैं । लेकिन इन्हें उच्चारण की (ध्वन्यात्मक) दृष्टि से देखते हुए मैंने इन्हें हम-क़ाफ़िया बाँधा है । इसी तरह ‘इत्तिफ़ाक़न’, ‘फ़ौरन’, ‘क़स्दन’, ‘इत्तिला’अन’, इत्यादि को भी उच्चारण की बुनियाद पर ही हम-क़ाफ़िया बाँधा है, जबकि उर्दू ’अरूज़ इस की इजाज़त नहीं देता क्यूँकि यहाँ मूल शब्द (‘इत्तिफ़ाक़’, ‘फ़ौर’, ‘क़स्द’, ‘इत्तिला’अ’) हम-क़ाफ़िया नहीं हैं ।</p><p>जहाँ एक ओर मेरा अध्ययन जारी रहा, वहीं मेरा क़लम भी ख़ाली न बैठा । भले ही शुरू’आत में घिसट-घिसट के चला, लेकिन ज़ंग लगने से बचा रहा । धीरे-धीरे मेरी रचनात्मकता लगभग २०१९ में अपने सबसे उपजाऊ दौर में पहुँची । इसका श्रेय कुछ हद तक तो मेरे अपने इरादों को दिया जा सकता है, लेकिन यह भी ज़रूर है कि यही वक़्त था जब मेरे निकट और दुनिया भर में भी आर्थिक, सामजिक और राजनीतिक माहौल बदल रहा था, जो मेरे ख़यालों को नई-नई दिशाओं में भेजता रहा ।</p><p>फिर आया २०२०! पूरे विश्व में शायद ही कोई होगा जिसका जीवन कोरोना-काल से अछूता रहा हो । सभी का जीवन अस्त-व्यस्त सा हो गया । सारी दुनिया बस ठहर-सी गई । लेकिन मेरे क़लम में जैसे एक नई ऊर्जा का संचार हुआ । एक के बाद एक नई ग़ज़लें उभरने लगीं । इस संग्रह की लगभग दो-तिहाई ग़ज़लें इसी दौर में लिखी गई हैं ।</p><p>ऐसा नहीं है कि इन सभी ग़ज़लों के विषय वबा के इस भयावह दौर, उससे जुड़ी त्रासदियों या मेरे व्यक्तिगत संघर्ष से प्रेरित हैं । दर-अस्ल, आपको इस संग्रह में इन विषयों से सीधे जुड़ी हुई पंक्तियाँ मुश्किल से ही मिलेंगी । इस भयानक दौर ने अगर कुछ किया तो जीवन की अनिश्चितता और क्षणभंगुरता को सामने ला कर खड़ा कर दिया, जो अनेक रूपों में शब्दों का जामा ओढ़े कोरे सफ़्हों पर उतरती रही ।</p><p></p><blockquote>कई ख़्वाबों के टुकड़े सिरहाने पर पड़े हैं<br />तमन्नाओं के गोया अधूरे हाफ़िज़े हैं </blockquote><p></p><p>यही हैं मेरे हाफ़िज़े के कुछ अधूरे टुकड़े, जो अब आपके हिस्से आ रहे हैं । </p><p>'अधूरे हाफ़िज़े' यहाँ से ख़रीदी जा सकती है:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://bit.ly/3xZ5MYS">पोथी </a>(भारत और विदेश, पेपरबेक और हार्डकवर दोनों)</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.in/Adhoore-Haafize-Paperback-Imperfect-Memories/dp/1637544278" target="_blank">अमेज़न</a> (केवल पेपरबैक और भारत में)</li></ul><p></p><p>आदित्य पन्त ‘नाक़िद’</p><p>जून २०२२</p>Aditya Panthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11481497663140098296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29329545.post-82558137606125399702021-08-13T17:31:00.006+05:302021-08-26T13:19:47.577+05:30Metrical Analysis of My Poems (Part 2)<p>It’s been a little over three and a half years since I <a href="https://urgetofly.blogspot.com/2018/03/a-metrical-analysis-of-my-poems.html" target="_blank">posted on this blog</a> about the different meters (<em>bahr</em>) I had used in my <em>ghazals </em>and <em>nazms</em>. At that time I had used 23 different meters in my poetry. Since then I have been doing a lot of reading to understand the nuances of Urdu prosody, while also exploring other meters I hadn’t used before. Now that I have crossed the milestone of 50 meters and 100 <em>ghazals</em>/<em>nazms, </em>I am ready for Part 2. As things stand today, I have a collection of <strong><em>104</em></strong> <em>ghazals</em>/<em>nazms </em>(784 couplets) using <strong><em>52</em></strong> different meters. I have even tried my hand at writing <em>ghazals</em> in meters like <em>Doha</em> and <em>Rubaa’ii</em> that are almost never used for <em>ghazals</em>. </p> <p>Like in my <a href="https://urgetofly.blogspot.com/2018/03/a-metrical-analysis-of-my-poems.html" target="_blank">previous post</a>, I will list down the 29 ‘new’ meters I have used since the last post, along with their technical names, metrical feet, syllable pattern(s) and examples, one from a poem or a song by a known poet/lyricist, and another from mine. In some cases, I have not been able to provide a ‘known’ example because some of these meters have been used very rarely in Urdu poetry. I have used the standard symbols that many people use i.e <strong><em>=</em></strong> for a long syllable and – for a short one, with <strong><em>/</em></strong> denoting the end of a metrical foot and <strong><em>//</em></strong> representing a mid-point break or caesura in some meters.</p> <p>I am also providing the metrical feet or <em>arkaan </em>(singular - <em>rukn</em>) that constitute a particular meter. These metrical feet are defined by way of meaningless words called <em>afaa’iil (singular - f’el) </em>that signify the presence of a long or short syllable.</p> <hr /> <h2>Meter 24 & 25 </h2> <p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Ramal Musamman MaKhbuun Mahzuuf Maqtuu’a or Ramal Musamman MaKhbuun Mahzuuf </p> <p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: faa-‘i-laa-tun / fa-'i-laa-tun / f’e-lun or faa-‘i-laa-tun / fa-'i-laa-tun / fa-‘i-lun</em></p> <p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: =* - = = / - - = = / = = or =* - = = / - - = = / - - =</p> <p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 2 <em>ghazals</em> & 1 <em>nazm</em>; 20 couplets</p> <p><strong>Example</strong>: </p> <ol> <li>phir mujhe diidah-e-tar yaad aayaa <br />dil jigar-tishnah-e-faryaad aaya <br />(Ghalib)</li> <li>kaise mu.Nh-zor se paalaa hai paRaa <br />dil pe ‘Naaqid’ tirii har baat lage <br />(Naaqid)</li> </ol> <h2> <hr />Meter 26</h2> <p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Mutaqaarib Musamman Mahzuuf</p> <p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: fa-‘uu-lun / fa-‘uu-lun / fa-‘uu’lun / fa-‘al</em></p> <p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: – = = / – = = / – = = / – =</p> <p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 1 <em>ghazal</em> & 1 <em>nazm</em>; 19 couplets</p> <p><strong>Example</strong>: </p> <ol> <li>kahaa mai.n ne kitna hai gul kaa sabaat <br />kalii ne ye sun kar tabassum kiyaa <br />(Mir Taqi Mir)</li> <li>girebaa.n kahaa.N jis me.n mu.nh Daaliye <br />zamiir apnaa Khud be-libaada kiyaa <br />(Naaqid)</li> </ol> <h2> <hr /></h2> <h2>Meter 27</h2> <p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Rajaz Musamman Matvi MaKhbuun </p> <p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: muf-ta-’i-lun / ma-faa-‘i-lun // muf-ta-’i-lun / ma-faa-‘i-lun </em></p> <p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: = – – = / – = – = // = – – = / – = – =</p> <p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 1 <em>ghazal</em> & 1 <em>qit’aa</em>; 12 couplets</p> <p><strong>Example</strong>: </p> <ol> <li>dil hi to hai na sang-o-Khisht dard se bhar na aa.e kyuu.N <br />ro.e.Nge ham hazaar baar koi hame.n sataa.e kyuu.N <br />(Ghalib)</li> <li>wo hai.n ki apnaa lafz lafz chunte hai.n ehtiyaat se <br />apni zabaa.N ki kyaa kahe.n talKh hai be-lagaam hai <br />(Naaqid)</li> </ol> <h2> <hr />Meter 28</h2> <p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Hazaj Musamman Ashtar Maqbuuz</p> <p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: faa-‘i-lun / ma- faa-‘i-lun // faa-‘i-lun / ma-faa-‘i-lun</em> </p> <p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: = – = / – = – = // = – = / – = – = </p> <p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 1 <em>ghazal</em>; 12 couplets</p> <p><strong>Example</strong>: </p> <ol> <li>jhoomtii chalii hawaa yaad aa gayaa koii <br />bujhtii bujhtii aag ko phir jalaa gayaa koii <br />(Shailendra, Film: Sangeet samrat Tansen)</li> <li>shahr-e-dil ki vus’ate.n is tarah simaT gaii.n <br />har galii hisaar me.n kuucha kuucha ta.ng hai <br />(Naaqid)</li> </ol> <hr /> <h2>Meter 29</h2> <p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Mutadaarik Musamman Matqtuu.a Mahzuuf</p> <p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: faa-‘i-lun / faa-‘i-lun / faa-‘i-lun / f’a</em></p> <p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: = – <em>= </em>/ = – <em>= </em>/ = – <em>= </em>/ =</p> <p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 1<em>ghazal</em> & 12 couplets</p> <p><strong>Example</strong>: </p> <ol> <li>aaj sochaa to aa.Nsuu bhar aaye <br />muddate.n ho gaii.n muskuraaye <br />(Kaifi Azmi, Film: Hanste Zakhm)</li> <li>hai hayaat ek ustaad jiske <br />haath me.n tajribe ki chhaRi hai <br />(Naaqid)</li> </ol> <hr /> <h2>Meter 30</h2> <p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Mutadaarik Musamman Muzaa,’af Maqtuu.’a MaKhbuun</p> <p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: Multiple variations are possible in this meter, usually in the combination of f’e-lun (= =) and fa-‘i-lun (- - =)</em></p> <p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: (=) = / (=) = / (=) = / (=) = // (=) = / (=) = / (=) = / (=) = (any odd numbered long syllable can be broken into two shorts)</p> <p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 1 <em>ghazal</em>; 12 couplets</p> <p><strong>Example</strong>: </p> <ol> <li>ruudaad-e-mohabbat kyaa kahiye, kuchh yaad rahii kuchh bhuul gaye <br />do din ki masarrat kyaa kahiye, kuchh yaad rahii kuchh bhuul gaye <br />(Saghar Siddiqui)</li> <li>jo v’adah Khilaafii me.n maahir jis ko na rahaa kuchh paas-e-wafaa <br />wo apnii or tavajjoh kii taakiid kare to kaise kare <br />(Naaqid)</li> </ol> <hr /> <h2>Meter 31</h2> <p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Mutadaarik Musamman Saalim</p> <p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: faa-‘i-lun / faa-‘i-lun / faa-‘i-lun / faa-‘i-lun</em> </p> <p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: = – = / = – = / = – = /= – = </p> <p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 1 <em>ghazal</em>; 9 couplets</p> <p><strong>Example</strong>: </p> <ol> <li>aap kii yaad aatii rahii raat bhar <br />chashm-e-nam muskuraatii rahii raat bhar <br />(Shahryar; Film: Gaman)</li> <li>saamne qahqaho.n kii jhaRii dekhiye <br />piichhe Gamgii.n kahaani juRii dekhiye <br />(Naaqid)</li> </ol> <hr /> <h2>Meter 32</h2> <p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Ramal Musamman Mashkuul</p> <p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: ma-faa-‘ii-lun / ma-faa-‘ii-lun / ma-faa-‘ii-lun / ma-faa-‘ii-lun</em> </p> <p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: - - = – / = – = = // - - = – / = – = =</p> <p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 1 <em>ghazal</em>; 1 couplets</p> <p><strong>Example</strong>: </p> <ol> <li>ye na thii hamaarii qismat ki visaal-e-yaar hota <br />agar aur jiite rehte yahii intezaar hota <br />(Ghalib)</li> <li>na jabii.n zamii.n pe ‘Naaqid’ na dimaaG aasmaa.N par <br />na to achchhii inkisaarii na guzaaf-o-laaf achchhaa <br />(Naaqid)</li> </ol> <hr /> <h2>Meter 33</h2> <p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Sarii’a Musaddas Matvii Maksuuf</p> <p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: muf-ta-‘i-lun / muf-ta-‘i-lun / faa-‘i-lun</em></p> <p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: = - - = / = - - = / = - =</p> <p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 1 <em>ghazals</em>; 9 couplets</p> <p><strong>Example</strong>: </p> <ol> <li>Khaali na chhoRe.nge ham apni jagah <br />gar yahi ronaa hai to bhar jaae.nge <br />(Mir Taqi Mir)</li> <li>Toh mire dil me.n lagaane ghusii <br />yaad tirii jaise ki jaasuus ho <br />(Naaqid)</li> </ol> <hr /> <h2>Meter 34</h2> <p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Mutaqaarib Musamman Muzaa’af Maqbuuz Aslam</p> <p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: <em>fa</em>-‘uu-l / f’e-lun / <em>fa</em>-‘uu-l / f’e-lun / <em>fa</em>-‘uu-l / f’e-lun / <em>fa</em>-‘uu-l / f’e-lun </em></p> <p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: - = - / = = / - = - / = = / - = - / = = / - = - / = =</p> <p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 1 <em>ghazal</em>; 9 couplets </p> <p><strong>Example</strong>: </p> <ol> <li>ze-haal-e-miskii.n makun taGaful duraa.e nainaa.n banaa.e batiyaa.n <br />ki taab-e-hijraa.n nadaaram ai jaa.n na lehu kaahe lagaa.e chhatiyaa.n <br />(Amir Khusro) </li> <li>sitam-gaziida badan ko ‘Naaqid’ kuchh aisii aadat paRe jafaa ki <br />na Tiis uTThe shikasta dil me.n na dard zaKhm-o-Kharaash me.n ho <br />(Naaqid)</li> </ol> <hr /> <h2>Meter 35</h2> <p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Kaamil Musamman Saalim</p> <p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: mu-ta-faa-‘i-lun / mu-ta-faa-‘i-lun / mu-ta-faa-‘i-lun / mu-ta-faa-‘i-lun /</em></p> <p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: - - = – = / - - = – = / - - = – = / - - = – = </p> <p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 1 <em>ghazal</em>; 9 couplets</p> <p><strong>Example</strong>:</p> <ol> <li>wo jo ham me.n tum me.n qaraar tha tumhe.n yaad ho ki na yaad ho <br />wohi yaani va’ada nibaah ka tumhe.n yaad ho ki na yaad ho <br />(Momin Khan Momin)</li> <li>ki natiija khel ka kyaa huaa wahi aglii chaal ka hai madaar <br />hai shikast par kabhi Khaatima kabhi imtidaad hai zindagii <br />(Naaqid)</li> </ol> <hr /> <h2>Meter 36</h2> <p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Mutaqaarib Musaddas Muzaa’af Aslam Mahzuuf</p> <p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: LIke Behr-e-Mir, multiple variations are possible in this meter. The basic afaa’iil would be f’e-lun / f’e-lun / f’e-lu / f’e-lun / f’e-lun/ f’aa</em></p> <p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: = (=) / = (=) / = (=) / = (=) /= (=) / = (any even numbered long syllable can be broken into two shorts. Once in while, / = = / can be replaced by / - = – /</p> <p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 1 <em>ghazal</em>; 9 couplets</p> <p><strong>Example</strong>: </p> <ol> <li>jaisaa jiskaa bartan vaisaa us kaa tan <br />ghaTtii baDhtii gangaa maiyaa allah huu <br />(Nida Fazli)</li> <li>Khuu.N Khwaarii kaa daur kahaa.N rahtaa hai sadaa<br />Garq huaa fir’aun bachaa chanGez nahii.n <br />(Naaqid)</li> </ol> <hr /> <h2>Meter 37</h2> <p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Mutaqaarib Musamman Aslam Mahzuuf (Maqsuur)</p> <p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: LIke Behr-e-Mir, multiple variations are possible in this meter. It is i nfact exactly like the second half of Behr-e-Mir. The basic afaa’iil would be f’e-lun / f’e-lun / f’e-lun / f’aa</em></p> <p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: = (=) / = (=) / = (=) / = (any even numbered long syllable can be broken into two shorts. Once in while, / = = / can be replaced by / - = – /)</p> <p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 1 <em>ghazal</em>; 9 couplets</p> <p><strong>Example</strong>: </p> <ol> <li>apnii dhun me.n rehta huu.N <br />mai.n bhii tere jaisa huu.N <br />(Nasir Kazmi)</li> <li>mustaqbil kii deg chaRhe <br />maazii ke uple tuu thaap <br />(Naaqid)</li> </ol> <hr /> <h2>Meter 38</h2> <p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Munsareh Musamman Matvi Maksuuf</p> <p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: muf-ta-‘i-lun / faa-‘i-lun // muf-ta-‘i-lun / faa-‘i-lun</em></p> <p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: = - - = / = - = // = - - = / = - =</p> <p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 1 <em>ghazal</em>; 8 couplets</p> <p><strong>Example</strong>: </p> <ol> <li>gesuu-o-ruKhsaar-e-yaar aankho.n hi me.n phirte hai.n <br />‘Miir’ ye lail-o-nahaar dekhiye kab tak rahe <br />(Mir Taqi Mir)</li> <li>Thaan agar le bashar kuchh nahii.n mushkil magar <br />fikr hai mahduud kyuu.N kis ko bhalaa hai Khabar <br />(Naaqid)</li> </ol> <hr /> <h2>Meter 39</h2> <p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Munsareh Musamman Matvi Manhuur</p> <p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: muf-ta-‘i-lun / faa-‘i-laa-tu // muf-ta-‘i-lun / f’e</em></p> <p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: = - - = / = - = - / = - - = / = </p> <p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 1 <em>ghazal</em>; 8 couplets</p> <p><strong>Example</strong>: </p> <ol> <li>aa ki mirii jaan ko qaraar nahii.n hai <br />taaqat-e-bedaad-e-intezaar nahii.n hai <br />(Ghalib)</li> <li>apni hi sheKhi baghaarne ka chalan hai <br />sab ki sunii jaaye ye rivaaj nahii.n hai <br />(Naaqid)</li> </ol> <hr /> <h2>Meter 40</h2> <p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Mujtas Musamman MaKhbuun</p> <p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: ma-faa-‘i-lun / fa-‘i-laa-tun / ma-faa-‘i-lun / fa-‘i-laa-tun</em></p> <p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: - = - = / - - = = /- = - = /- - = =</p> <p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 1 <em>ghazal</em>; 6 couplets</p> <p><strong>Example</strong>: </p> <ol> <li>tum apne shikve ki baate.n na khod khod ke puuchho <br />hazar karo mire dil se ki us me.n aag dabii hai <br />(Ghalib)</li> <li>fareb khaa ki hue talKh-kaam aur ziyaadah <br />hai lazzat-e-hawas-e-inteqaam aur ziyaadah <br />(Naaqid)</li> </ol> <hr /> <h1>Meters not frequently used in Urdu poetry:</h1> <h2>Meter 41</h2> <p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: ‘Ariiz Musamman Saalim</p> <p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: ma-faa-‘ii-lun / fa-‘uu-lun // ma-faa-‘ii-lun / fa-‘uu-lun</em></p> <p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: – = = = / - = = // – = = = / - = = </p> <p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 1 <em>ghazal</em>; 15 couplets</p> <p><strong>Example</strong>: </p> <ol> <li>chale hai.n tuk milaate sabhi ahshaam tere <br />ki jaise tu Gazal hai ye tere qaafiye hai.n <br />(Naaqid)</li> </ol> <hr /> <h2>Meter 42</h2> <p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: ‘Amiiq Musamman Saalim</p> <em></em> <p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: faa-‘i-lun / faa-‘i-laa-tun // faa-‘i-lun / faa-‘i-laa-tun</em> </p> <p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: = - = / = - = = // = - = / = - = = </p> <p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 1 <em>ghazal</em>; 12 couplets</p> <p><strong>Example</strong>: </p> <ol> <li>waqt-e-ruKhsat uThaaya dard-o-Gam kaa asaasaa <br />kaash ham chhoR jaate ek ranjish zaraa sii <br />(Naaqid)</li> </ol> <hr /> <h2>Meter 43</h2> <p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Waafir Musamman Saalim</p> <p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: mu-faa-‘i-la-tan / mu-faa-‘i-la-tan / mu-faa-‘i-la-tan / mu-faa-‘i-la-tan</em></p> <p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: – = - - = / – = - - = / – = - - = / – = - - =</p> <p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 1 <em>ghazal</em>; 9 couplets</p> <p><strong>Example</strong>: </p> <ol> <li>zamaane mein koi aisa nahii.n ki jaisa wo Khuub-ruu hai miraa <br />na aisi adaa jahaa.N me.n kahii.n na aisi hayaa jahaa.N me.n kahii.n <br />(Dr. Arif Hasan Khan)</li> <li>tabiib ‘ilaaj laakh kare shifaa me.n magar wo baat nahii.n <br />ba-Khair guzar ho sab ne kahaa du’aa me.n magar wo baat nahii.N <br />(Naaqid)</li> </ol> <h2> <hr /></h2> <h2>Meter 44</h2> <p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Jadiid Musaddas MaKhbuun</p> <p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: fa-‘i-laa-tun / fa-‘i-laa-tun / ma-faa-‘i-lun</em></p> <p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: - - = = / - - = = / - = - =</p> <p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 1 <em>ghazal</em>; 9 couplets</p> <p><strong>Example</strong>: </p> <ol> <li>shab-e-Gam Khwaab dikhaa.ii diye bahut <br />kabhi to Khwaab ki t’aabiir dekh luu.n <br />(Kamal Ahmad Siddiqui)</li> <li>jo na saalim to muzaahif me.n nazm kar <br />nahi.n ‘Naaqid’ buri bahr-e-jadiid bhi <br />(Naaqid)</li> </ol> <hr /> <h2>Meter 45</h2> <p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Tawiil Musamman Maqbuuz</p> <p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: fa-‘uu-lun</em> / ma-faa-‘i-lun // <em>fa-‘uu-lun</em> / ma-faa-‘i-lun </p> <p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: - = = / - = - = // - = = / - = - = </p> <p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 1 <em>ghazal</em>; 9 couplets</p> <p><strong>Example</strong>: </p> <ol> <li>udhar se agar huaa ishaara niqaab me.n <br />unhe.n mai.n ne naam se pukaara jawaab me.n <br />(Kamal Ahmad Siddiqui)</li> <li>tabassum chhupaa rahaa hai saKhtii mizaaj ki <br />hai lahjaa mizaah ka tabii’at matiin hai <br />(Naaqid)</li> </ol> <hr /> <h2>Meter 46</h2> <p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Qariib Musaddas AKhrab Makfuuf Mahzuuf</p> <p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: maf-‘uu-l / ma-faa-‘ii-l / faa-‘i-lun</em></p> <p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: = = - / - = = - / = - = </p> <p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 1 <em>ghazal</em>; 9 couplets</p> <p><strong>Example</strong>: </p> <ol> <li>shaadaab chaman ik saraab hai <br />ye meri hai manzil nahii.n nahii.n <br />(Kamal Ahmed Siddiqui)</li> <li>taaq-e-dil-e-tiiraa me.n sham’a-e-ashk <br />raushan kare naqsh-o-nigaar-e-Gam <br />(Naaqid)</li> </ol> <h2> <hr /></h2> <h2>Meter 47</h2> <p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Muqtazab Musamman Matvi</p> <p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: faa-‘i-laa-tu / muf-ta-‘i-lun / faa-‘i-laa-tu / muf-ta-‘i-lun </em></p> <p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: = - = - / = - - = // = - = - / = - - = </p> <p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 1 <em>ghazal</em>; 6 couplets</p> <p><strong>Example</strong>: </p> <ol> <li>zindagi hai Khwaab nahii.n sab haqeeqate.n hai.n aham <br />Gam aham hain unko samajh teri hasrate.n hai.n aham <br />(Kamal Ahmed Siddiqui)</li> <li>‘Naaqid’ is jahaa.N me.n hame.n zindagi kuchh aisi mile <br />umr-e-jaavidaa.N na sahii waqt-e-Khush qaliil na ho <br />(Naaqid)</li> </ol> <h2> <hr /></h2> <h2>Meter 48</h2> <p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Mushaakil Musaddas Makfuuf Mahzuuf</p> <p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: faa-‘i-laa-t / ma-faa-‘ii-l / fa-‘uu-lun</em></p> <p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: = - = - / - = = - / - = =</p> <p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 1 <em>ghazal</em>; 6 couplets</p> <p><strong>Example</strong>: </p> <ol> <li>ye jahaa.N bhi ga.e dasht bhi ujRaa <br />yaar log bhi kyaa sabz qadam hai.n <br />(Kamal Ahmad Siddiqui)</li> <li>chaa.Ndnii ne baRe daaG diye the <br />dhuup me.n wo badan Dhaa.Np rahe hai.n <br />(Naaqid)</li> </ol> <hr /> <h2>Meter 49</h2> <p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Madiid Musamman Saalim</p> <p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: fa-‘i-laa-tun </em>/ faa-‘i-lun // <em>fa-‘i-laa-tun </em>/ faa-‘i-lun </p> <p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: = - = = / = - = // = - = = / = - = </p> <p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 1 <em>ghazal</em>; 6 couplets</p> <p><strong>Example</strong>: </p> <ol> <li>dil miraa aatish-fishaa.N dekhiye kab tak rahe <br />mere honto.n par guGaa.N dekhiye kab tak rahe <br />(Kamal Ahmad Siddiqui)</li> <li>aap se ‘naaqid’ jale kyuu.N koii ahl-e-suKhan <br />kyaa liyaa Khud ko samajh aap ne sh’ola navaa <br />(Naaqid)</li> </ol> <hr /> <h2>Meter 50</h2> <p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Basiit Musamman Saalim</p> <p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: mus-taf-‘i-lun / faa-‘i-lun // mus-taf-‘i-lun / faa-‘i-lun</em></p> <p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: = = - = / = - = // = = - = / = - = </p> <p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 1 <em>ghazal</em>; 6 couplets</p> <p><strong>Example</strong>: </p> <ol> <li>hai kaun zaalim agar chaaho samajh sakte ho <br />aaKhir ishaara miraa itna bhi mubham nahii.n <br />(Kamal Ahmed Siddiqui)</li> <li>ham ahl-e-be-chashm-o-gosh kis par bharosa kare.n <br />jis ke ‘amal me.n hai chhal yaa jhuuT aqwaal me.n <br />(Naaqid)</li> </ol> <p> </p><hr /><p></p> <h1>Meters not used or rarely used in Ghazals:</h1> <h2>Meter 51</h2> <p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Rubaa’ii (hardly ever used in a ghazal. Among the classical poets, Mir Taqi Mir is the only one who has written a single ghazal in this meter). All <em>rubaa’ii</em> meters are based on <em>Hazaj</em>.</p> <p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: </em>24 different variations are possible in this meter (and they can be used in the same <em>rubaa’ii</em>). The basic <em>afaa’iil</em> can be written as <em>maf-‘uu-l / ma -faa-‘i-lun /ma-faa-‘ii-l / fa-‘al</em></p> <p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: = = – / – = – = / – = = – / – = (the second foot can be replaced by – = = – ; two consecutive shorts can be replaced by 1 long)</p> <p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 2 <em>ghazal</em>; 18 couplets</p> <p><strong>Example</strong>: </p> <ol> <li>kal sail sa joshaa.N jo idhar aaya ‘Miir’ <br />sab bole ki ye faqiir sailaanii hai <br />(Mir Taqi Mir)</li> <li>kuchh bahr-e-rubaa’ii me.n Gazal nazm kare.n <br />’Naaqid’ diiwaan-e-miir kyaa dekhte hai.n <br />(Naaqid) <br /></li> </ol> <hr /> <h2>Meter 52</h2> <p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Doha (typically used only as a standalone couplet similar to the <em>matl’aa</em> of a <em>ghazal</em>)</p> <p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>:</em> The basic meter, although not prevalent in Arabic/Persian/Urdu poetry, can be expressed as <em>f’e-lun / f’e-lun / faa-‘i-lun // f’e-lun / f’e-lun/ f’e</em></p> <p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: = = / = = / = – = // = = / = = / = – ( a long syllable can be broken into two shorts, and two consecutive longs can be replaced by – = – as long as the change doesn’t impact the rhythm)</p> <p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 1 <em>ghazal</em>; 6 couplets</p> <p><strong>Example</strong>: </p> <ol> <li>wo suufii kaa qaul ho yaa panDit kaa gyaan <br />jitni biite aap par utnaa hii sach maan <br />(Nida Fazli)</li> <li>dharti chhoTii paR rahii asiim hai aakaash <br />kahaa.N dhare.n ye paa.Nv ham rahe adhar me.n jhuul <br />(Naaqid)</li> </ol> <hr /> <h2></h2> <h1>References:</h1> <ol> <li><a href="http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00ghalib/meterbk/00_intro.html" target="_blank">Urdu Meter: A Practical Handbook</a> by Frances W. Pritchett & Khaliq Ahmad Khaliq</li> <li><a href="http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00urduhindilinks/pybus/pybus.html" target="_blank">A Textbook of Urdu Prosody and Rhetoric</a> by Captain G. D Pybus</li> <li><a href="http://www.urdupoetry.com/articles/art5.html" target="_blank">Bah'r: The Backbone of Shaayari</a> by Irfan ‘Abid’</li> <li><a href="https://www.rekhta.org/ebook-detail/ahang-aur-arooz-kamal-ahmad-siddiqi-ebooks" target="_blank">Ahang Aur Arooz</a> by Kamal Ahmad Siddiqui</li> <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCTGa9vfQ95Zp7pNC6woJkSonGrsuxp-a" target="_blank">Ilm-e-Arooz</a>: Rekhta Foundation tutorials by Bhatnagar Shadab</li> <li><a href="https://www.rekhta.org/ebook-detail/arooz-aahang-aur-bayan-shamsur-rahman-faruqi-ebooks" target="_blank">Arooz Ahang aur Bayaan</a> by Shamsur Rehman Faruqi</li> <li><a href="http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00ghalib/index.html#index" target="_blank">A Desertful of Roses</a>: Frances W. Pritchett’s site on Ghalib’s ghazals</li> <li><a href="http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00garden/index.html" target="_blank">A Garden of Kashmir</a>: Frances W. Pritchett’s site on Mir’s ghazals</li> <li><a href="https://www.rekhta.org/" target="_blank">Rekhta</a></li> </ol>Aditya Panthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11481497663140098296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29329545.post-38363756065092158262020-05-30T20:24:00.000+05:302020-05-30T20:27:34.342+05:30Remembering Lyricist Yogesh<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In January 2013, Sangeet Ke Sitare, a music discussion group on Facebook, had done a 2-day episode on lyricist Yogesh as part of their Living Legends series. As the news of his passing came in yesterday, I was reminded of a telephonic interview conducted by Archana Gupta, followed by a write-up on his life and work in Hindi and English.<br />
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<b><i>Note: Do keep in mind the the write-ups below were written in January 2013, so some information may appear outdated.</i></b></div>
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योगेश - सरलता की परिभाषा</h3>
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अर्चना गुप्ता (जनवरी २०१३)</h4>
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सर्वप्रथम, उन सबसे क्षमायाचना जिन्हें आज कुछ कष्ट होगा पढ़ने में परन्तु योगेशजी के विषय में हिंदी के अतिरिक्त किसी और भाषा का उपयोग अत्यधिक अनुपयुक्त लगा। उन सबके लिए जो हिंदी या देवनागरी नहीं पढ़ सकते, अंग्रेज़ी अनुवाद उपलब्ध है |<br />
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योगेशजी के विषय में इतनी जानकारी आसानी से उपलब्ध है कि मैं मूल तथ्य बहुत ही संक्षिप्त रूप से आपके सामने रखूँगी।<br />
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योगेशजी मूलत: लखनऊ के निवासी थे। इनके पिताजी श्री थान सिंह गौड़ इंजिनीयर थे। उनके देहांत के पश्चात रोज़गार की तलाश में ये मुम्बई आये अपने बचपन के एक मित्र श्री सत्यप्रकाश के साथ। उस समय इनकी आयु मात्र १७ वर्ष थी। काव्य के प्रति इनकी रुचि बचपन से थी परन्तु उस क्षेत्र में कार्यरत होने का कोई विचार नहीं था| ये अपने चचेरे भाई, श्री बजेन्द्र गौड़ से मिले जो स्वयं एक लेखक थे व इंडस्ट्री में काफ़ी कुछ जमे हुए थे। उनके रूखे व्यवहार से इनका स्वाभिमान बहुत आहत हुआ और अपने मित्र के प्रोत्साहन पर इन्होंनें अपने बूते पर फ़िल्म जगत में अपना कुछ मकाम बनाने का निश्चय किया। इन्हें फ़िल्म-निर्माण के किसी भी क्षेत्र में न तो कोई प्रशिक्षण मिला था न कोई अनुभव था और न ही कोई विरासत थी। मुम्बई शहर में अपने लक्ष्य की तलाश में भटकते हुए अपने मनोभाव और विचारों को कविताओं के रूप में व्यक्त करने लगे। फिर इनकी भेंट श्री रॉबिन बैनर्जी से हुई जिनके साथ ने इन्हें सिखाया की फ़िल्मी गीतों के बोल पहले से निश्चित धुनों के अनुरूप लिखे जाते हैं। इन्होनें वही करना शुरू किया और रॉबिनजी की धुनों पर कुछ गीत लिख कर उन्हें दे दिए। तो ये कहना अनुचित न होगा कि गीतकार इन्हें समय और परिस्थितियों ने बना दिया पर अभी सफ़लता इनसे कुछ दूर थी।<br />
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लगभग एक वर्ष के संघर्ष के बाद इनके लिखे 6 गीत और रॉबिनजी की धुनें "सखी रॉबिन" (१९६२) नामक फिल्म में प्रयोग हुईं। इनमें से एक गीत "तुम जो आओ तो प्यार आ जाए" ने ख़ासी लोकप्रियता भी अर्जित की। अगले ७-८ वर्ष तक इन्होंने कुछ छोटे बजट की फिल्मों के लिए ख़ूबसूरत गीत लिखे जिन्हें फिल्मों के न चलते, बहुत अधिक सफ़लता नहीं प्राप्त हुई। इस दौर की ये फ़िल्में, "स्टंट फिल्म्स " ही थीं जैसे कि "जंगली राजा", "रॉकेट टार्ज़न" ('६३), "कृष्णावतार ", "मार्वल मैन ", "टार्ज़न एंड डेलिलाह" ('६४), "फ्लाइंग सर्कस", "ऍडवॅनचर्ज़ ऑफ़ रॉबिनहुड" ('६५), "हुस्न का ग़ुलाम", "रुस्तम कौन", "टार्ज़न की महबूबा" ('६६), "एक रात" ('६७), "लुटेरा और जादूगर" ('६८), "S.O.S जासूस ००७" ('६९)। इनमें से कई फ़िल्मों के संगीतकार श्री रॉबिन बैनर्जी थे। १९६७ में प्रदर्शित हुई फ़िल्म "एक रात" के गीत "सौ बार बनाकर मालिक ने सौ बार मिटाया होगा ..." ने भी काफ़ी लोकप्रियता प्राप्त की परन्तु अभी सफलता और योगेशजी के बीच कुछ दूरियाँ बनी रहीं।<br />
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योगेशजी का भाग्य-परिवर्तन तब हुआ जब ये सुश्री सबिता बैनर्जी के माध्यम से सुप्रसिद्ध संगीतकार श्री सलिल चौधरी के संपर्क में आये। १९६८-६९ में योगेशजी के लिखे हुए एक-दो गीत सलिल दा के संगीत-निर्देशन में स्वरांकित तो किये गए परन्तु वो फ़िल्में पूरी नहीं हुईं। अंततः १९७० में सलिल दा ने योगेश जी को पहली बार एक बड़ी फिल्म में गीत लिखने का अवसर प्रदान किया, फ़िल्म थी "आनंद"! योगेशजी ने अपनी काव्य प्रतिभा का भरपूर परिचय देते हुए "ज़िंदगी कैसी है पहेली हाय" और "कहीं दूर जब दिन ढल जाए"(*) , इन दो गीतों की रचना की। दोनों गीतों ने ख़ासी लोकप्रियता हासिल की और योगेशजी के गीतकार जीवन के सफ़लतम चरण का प्रारंभ हुआ व सलिलजी के संगीत-निर्देशन में नियमित रूप से गीत लिखने का सिलसिला भी शुरू हुआ जिसके चलते इस जोड़ी ने "आनन्द" ('७०), "अन्नदाता", "अनोखा दान" , "मेरे भैया" ('७२), "रजनीगंधा" ('७४), "छोटी सी बात" ('७५), "आनंदमहल", "मीनू" ('७७), "जीना यहाँ" ('७९), "चेम्मीन लहरें", "नानी माँ", "रूम नं २०३" ('८०), अग्नि परीक्षा ('), आदि फिल्मों के माध्यम से जनता को अत्यंत मधुर गीत दिए जिन्होंने अत्याधिक लोकप्रियता भी प्राप्त की। में जारी हुई "आखिरी बदला", इस जोड़ी की अंतिम भेंट थी। यह कहना सर्वथा उचित है कि यह संगठन योगेशजी के गीतकार जीवन के लिए सबसे महत्त्वपूर्ण सिद्ध हुआ। आज तक योगेशजी का नाम आते ही सबसे पहले इसी जोड़ी के रचे गीत याद आते हैं।<br />
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ये सत्तर का दशक वास्तव में गीतकार योगेशजी के लिए स्वर्णिम था। अन्य उल्लेखनीय संगीतकार जिनका सान्निध्य इन्हें इस दशक में प्राप्त हुआ थे, बर्मन पिता व पुत्र - श्री एस डी बर्मन व श्री आर डी बर्मन। बड़े बर्मन साहिब के साथ इन्होनें मात्र दो फ़िल्में की - "उस पार" ('७४) व "मिली" ('७५)। परन्तु दोनों के गीत अब तक श्रोताओं के मन-मस्तिष्क में इतना घर किये हुए हैं कि अनायास ही ज़ुबान पर आ जाते हैं। छोटे बर्मन साहिब का साथ इन्होनें लगभग आठ फिल्मों में दिया जिनमें से "चला मुरारी हीरो बनने" ('७७), "हमारे-तुम्हारे", व "मंज़िल" ('७९) के गीत प्रमुख रूप से सफ़ल माने जाते हैं। सुश्री उषा खन्ना व श्री राजेश रौशन के साथ भी इन्होनें कईं अच्छे व सफ़ल गीतों की रचना इसी दशक में की। वैसे इन्होनें अन्य छोटे-बड़े संगीतकारों, जैसे सुरेश कुमार, सुरेन्द्र कोहली, विजय राघव राव, भप्पी लाहिरी, वसंत देसाई, भूपेन्द्र सोनी, मीना मंगेशकर, श्यामल मित्रा, जी. एस. कोहली, वनराज भाटिया, कल्याणजी-आनंदजी, आदि, के साथ भी काम किया।<br />
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गीतकार के रूप में ये तक सक्रिय रहे हैं हालाँकि १९९८ – २००२ की अवधि में इनकी कोई फिल्म नहीं आयी। अपने कार्यकाल में इन्हें श्री हेमंत कुमार ("दो लड़के दोनों कड़के" '७८), श्री सी रामचंद्र ("तूफ़ानी टक्कर" '७८) व श्री मदन मोहन ("चालबाज़" '८०) की बनाई धुनों पर भी गीत लिखने का अवसर मिला। नए संगीतकारों में इन्होनें निखिल-विनय, अन्नू मालिक, आदेश श्रीवास्तव, दिलीप सेन-समीर सेन आदि के साथ भी काम किया। अब तक की इनकी आखिरी फिल्म "सुनो न" (२००९) के संगीत निर्देशक संजॉय चौधरी हैं जो कि सलिल दा के सुपुत्र हैं। चौधरी परिवार की ग़ैर-फ़िल्मी प्रस्तुति "जॅनरेशन्ज़" के लिए भी इन्होंनें गीत लिखे हैं।<br />
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श्री हृषिकेश मुख़र्जी व श्री बासु चैटर्जी, इन दो फ़िल्म निर्देशकों का योगेशजी की सफलता में ख़ासा योगदान रहा। जहाँ एक ओर हृषि दा के साथ इन्होंनें "आनन्द", "मिली", "रंग-बिरंगी" आदि जैसी सफ़ल फिल्मों के लिए गीत लिखे, वहीं दूसरी और बासु दा के साथ "रजनीगन्धा", "छोटी सी बात", "बातों बातों में", "प्रियतमा", "दिल्लगी", "शौक़ीन", "मंज़िल", आदि फिल्मों में भी अपनी सृजनात्मकता का परिचय दिया। यदि देखा जाए तो योगेशजी के अधिकाँश अविस्मर्णीय गीत इन्हीं दो निर्देशकों की फिल्मों के रहे हैं।<br />
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अब तक योगेशजी ने लगभग १५० फ़िल्मों में, तकरीबन ५०० गीत लिखे हैं। फ़िल्मी और ग़ैर-फ़िल्मी गीतों के अलावा योगेशजी ने अनेक टी वी धारावाहिकों के शीर्षक गीतों व विज्ञापन फ़िल्मों की तुकान्तक कविताओं की रचना भी की है।<br />
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ये तो थीं मूल तथ्यों की बातें जिनके बिना कोई भी जीवन रूप-रेखा अधूरी रहती है। अब बढ़ते हैं योगेशजी की कला के कुछ पहलुओं पर बात-चीत करने जो आज के लेख के लिए सही मायनों में मुद्दे की बात हैं। इनका नाम सुनते ही कईं गीत ख़ुद-ब-ख़ुद ही ज़हन में घूमने लगते हैं! आख़िरकार हूँ तो उस पीढ़ी की जिसने इस महान गीतकार के स्वर्णिम वर्षों में अपना बचपन जिया है, अक्सर इनके गीतों को रेडियो पर सुना और दूरदर्शन (जी हाँ, तब बस वही था) पर देखा है, विशेषतः चित्रहार में। जब इनके बारे में लिखने का विचार किया तभी लगा, एक क्षण भर भी यदि आँखें बंद कर के सोचूँ के इनके गीतों में क्या विशिष्टता है तो यही विचार कौंधता है - सादगी और सरलता - भाषा की सरलता, अमूमन विचारों की सादगी और भावनात्मक रूप से अत्यंत जटिल विषयों को भी सरलता से बखानने की कला। और ये विशेषताएँ इनके एक नहीं अनेकों गीतों में स्पष्ट रूप से दिखाई देती है।<br />
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पहले भाषा की बात की जाए तो उर्दू-प्रधान युग में इस गीतकार ने सरल, शालीन व सुंदर हिन्दी में गीत लिखे। इनकी भाषा में क्लिष्टता नहीं थी परन्तु शुद्ध शब्दों का चयन अवश्य था व बहुत ही सुंदर व बोधगम्य उपमाओं का प्रयोग सहज भाव से किया गया था। "अनुरागी मन", "मन की सीमा रेखा", "मधुर गीत गाते धरती-गगन", "अवगुण और दुर्गुणों का देखा जाना", "बोझल साँसें", "घनी उलझन", "रात के गहरे सन्नाटे", "सपनों का दर्पण", "दिन सुहाना मौसम सलोना", "अलबेला गीत", "बंधन का सुख" और "साजन का अधिकार", योगेशजी की कुछ अत्यंत शालीन अभिव्यक्तियाँ हैं जिन्हें हम सभी सरलता से सही गानों के सन्दर्भ में पहचान सकते हैं। योगेशजी अपनी इस विशिष्ट शैली का सारा श्रेय सलिल दा के सान्निध्य को देते हैं। इनका कहना है कि सलिल दा स्वयं इतनी उच्च कोटि के कवि थे कि उनके साथ हल्की भाषा का प्रयोग असंभव था। और इन गीतों की सफ़लता के बाद तो योगेशजी से सभी इसी शैली में गीत-रचना की अपेक्षा करने लगे।<br />
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अब बात आती है विचारों की सादगी की और बहुत ही सीधे और साधारण विचारों को अत्यंत सुन्दर शब्दों में बाँधने की। इस सन्दर्भ में मुझे आनंद फिल्म का वो गीत सबसे पहले याद आ रहा है जिसके बारे में योगेशजी का बताना है कि वह लिखा तो गया था श्री बासु भट्टाचार्य जी की एक ऎसी फ़िल्म के लिए जो बीच ही में बंद हो गयी और गीत बिक गया श्री ऍल. बी. लछमन को। पर हृषि दा को वह गीत बहुत पसंद आया और राजेश खन्ना, सलिल दा और हृषिकेश मुख़र्जी साहिब ने बहुत मिन्नतें कर के वह गीत लछमन जी से प्राप्त किया - जी हाँ, यहाँ, "कहीं दूर जब दिन ढल जाए" की ही बात हो रही है। यदि देखा जाए तो इस गीत के भाव बहुत साधारण हैं - लगभग पूरे गीत में (एक अंतरे को छोड़कर), गायक/नायक सिर्फ़ इतना व्यक्त कर रहा है की वह किसी को बेहद याद कर रहा है। परन्तु इस सरल से भाव की सुंदर अभिव्यक्तियाँ हैं "मेरे ख़यालों के आँगन में कोई सपनों के दीप जलाए", "मचल के, प्यार से चल के छुए कोई मुझे पर नज़र न आए", और फिर एक खोये सपने की उपमा दे कर "ये मेरे सपने, यही तो हैं अपने मुझसे जुदा न होंगे इनके ये साये" - मूल भाव वही रहा पर शब्दों का ताना-बाना इतना सुंदर कि गीत बेहद मनमोहक बन गया। और बाक़ी बचे एक अंतरे में आनन्द की व्यथा के साथ साथ उसके अन्य पात्रों से भावनात्मक बंधन की गहराई का भी वर्णन हो गया।<br />
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"कहीं तो ये, दिल कभी, मिल नहीं पाते<br />
कहीं से निकल आएँ, जनमों के नाते<br />
घनी थी उलझन, बैरी अपना मन<br />
अपना ही होके सहे दर्द पराये, दर्द पराये"<br />
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योगेशजी के अनुसार ये अंतरा उनके और उनके मित्र श्री सत्यप्रकाशजी के भावनात्मक सम्बन्ध का भी वर्णन करता है।<br />
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दूसरा गीत जो इसी याद करने के भाव से परिपूर्ण है परन्तु जिसकी भावाभिव्यक्ति कुछ भिन्न होते हुए भी किसी भी दृष्टिकोण से कम उत्कृष्ट नहीं है, फ़िल्म "छोटी सी बात" से है - जी हाँ, इशारा "न जाने क्यूँ होता है ये ज़िंदगी के साथ" की ओर है। इस गीत में सीधे सीधे शब्दों में नायिका की मन:स्थिति का वर्णन है जहाँ उसे नायक से रोज़ मिलने की आदत है - सिर्फ़ आदत - दोनों में से किसी ने अब तक अपने प्रेमभाव को स्पष्ट रूप से प्रकट नहीं किया है, विशेषतः नायिका ने। और एक दिन हमारे नायक साहिब अकस्मात ही, बिना कुछ कहे-सुने गायब हो जाते हैं। अब इस परिस्थिति में ये गीत नायिका के मनोभाव प्रकट करने के लिए एक पार्श्वगीत की तरह फ़िल्माया गया है। यहाँ योगेशजी के शब्दों का चयन कुछ इस तरह है - "जो अनजान पल ढल गए कल, आज वो रंग बदल बदल, मन को मचल मचल रहे हैं छल, न जाने क्यूँ वो अन्जान पल, सजे बिना मेरे नयनों में टूटे रे सपनों के महल" और फिर अगले अंतरे में "वही है डगर, वही है सफ़र, है नहीं पास मेरे मगर, अब मेरा हमसफ़र, इधर-उधर ढूँढे नज़र, वही है डगर, कहाँ गईं शामें मदभरी, वो मेरे, मेरे वो दिन गये किधर" । अब आप सोचिये "सजे बिना मेरे नयनों में टूटे रे सपनों के महल" - इससे अधिक प्रभावशाली शब्द हो सकते हैं क्या उस प्रेम को व्यक्त करने के लिए जिसका प्रथमाभास उसके अभाव के साथ ही हो?<br />
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प्रेम की प्रथम अभिव्यक्ति से एक और गीत याद आता है - फ़िल्म "मंज़िल" से - "रिम-झिम गिरे सावन, सुलग-सुलग जाए मन" - भाव कुछ रत्यात्मकता में भी ओत-प्रोत हैं परन्तु शब्द अपनी शालीनता की सीमारेखा का कहीं उल्लंघन नहीं करते - बात भले ही "भीगे मौसम में लगी अगन" की हो या "भीगे आँचल" की, "दहके सावन" की हो या "बहके मौसम" की। सावन की एकाकी रातों में नींद न आने जैसे अतिसामान्य भाव की प्रस्तुति के लिए योगेशजी ने जिन पँक्तियों की रचना की, वे कुछ इस प्रकार हैं "जब घुंघरुओं सी बजती हैं बूंदे, अरमाँ हमारे पलके न मूंदे" । और अपने मित्र व सम्बन्धी समाज में एक नवप्रेम की भावना को व्यक्त न कर सकने की हिचकिचाहट कुछ इस तरह बखानी "महफ़िल में कैसे कह दें किसी से, दिल बंध रहा है किस अजनबी से" - क्या संभव है इनसे अधिक उपयुक्त या सृजनात्मक अभिव्यक्तियाँ? और संभवतः अब आप भी मानने लगे होंगे कि इस गीत में भाव उतने सरल नहीं हैं जितने सरल गीतकार की प्रस्तुति से प्रतीत होते हैं।<br />
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अब "मंज़िल" के इस गीत से शुरू हुए, योगेशजी की काव्यकला की तृतीय विशिष्टता - अर्थात भावनात्मक रूप से जटिल विषयों के सरल प्रस्तुतीकरण, के अन्वेषण को आगे बढ़ाते हैं। मेरा मानना है कि इस श्रेणी का सर्वोत्तम उदाहरण है फ़िल्म "रजनीगन्धा" का गीत "कई बार यूं भी देखा है..." । इस पार्श्वगीत का प्रयोग दो पुरुषों के प्रति अपने आकर्षण से उद्विग्न नायिका की मनःस्थिति दर्शाने के लिए किया गया है। यदि गीत के बोलों पर ध्यान दें तो नायिका के मन का द्वन्द्व सहज ही स्पष्ट हो जाता है। गीत के मुखड़े में ही गीतकार ने पात्र के मन और मस्तिष्क के अन्तर्विरोध का आभास करवा दिया है, इन शब्दों से - "ये जो मन की सीमारेखा है, मन तोड़ने लगता है", और इसी अपने ही मन से विरोधाभास की अगली कड़ियाँ हैं उसकी "अनजानी प्यास" और "अनजानी आस" जो मस्तिष्क की समझ की सीमाओं से बाहर प्रतीत होती हैं - मस्तिष्क शायद सामाजिक नियमों की हदों में मन के भावों का मूल्यांकन कर रहा है और उन्हें समझने में असमर्थ है। जहाँ पहले अंतरे में, बड़ी निपुणता से गीतकार ने फूलों का सांकेतिक रूप से प्रयोग करते हुए इस भ्रांतिग्रस्त नायिका के मनोभाव को प्रस्तुत किया है, ये कह कर "जीवन की राहों में जो खिले हैं फूल फूल मुस्कुराके, कौन सा फूल चुराके, रख लूँ मन में सजाके" वहीं दूसरे अंतरे में तो पूरी उलझन अत्यंत स्पष्टता से श्रोताओं के समक्ष रख दी है। शब्द कुछ यूँ चुने हैं "उलझन ये, जानूँ न सुलझाऊँ कैसे, कुछ समझ न पाऊँ, किसको मीत बनाऊँ, किसकी प्रीत भुलाऊँ" । केवल इस एक गीत के माध्यम से पूरे चलचित्र का केंद्र-विषय या अन्तर्भाग पूर्णतः सुस्पष्ट हो जाता है। और मेरे विचार में, यही इस गीतकार की काव्य-कला में निर्विवाद दक्षता का प्रमाण है।<br />
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भावनात्मकता के अतिरिक्त, दार्शनिकता एक और अनुपम वर्ग है जिसे योगेशजी ने सुविज्ञतापूर्वक व्यक्त किया है कुछ गीतों में जिनमें से सबसे पहले "ज़िंदगी कैसी है पहेली हाय" याद आता है। यह गीत जीवन की क्षणभंगुरता, पल-पल बदलते स्वरूप और मृत्योपरांत अनिश्चितता का वर्णन करता है। शब्दों का चयन कुछ इस तरह का है - "ज़िंदगी ...कैसी है पहेली, हाए, कभी तो हंसाये, कभी ये रुलाये", "एक दिन सपनों का राही, चला जाए सपनों के आगे कहाँ"। और अंतिम अंतरा तो पूरा ही गहन सोच में डाल देता है - "जिन्होंनें सजाए यहाँ मेले, सुख-दुख संग-संग झेले, वही चुनकर ख़ामोशी, यूँ चले जाएँ अकेले कहाँ"। ऐसा कम ही होता है कि ये गीत सुनने के पश्चात आँखों में तनिक भी नमी न हो। अब इससे अधिक इनकी काव्य-कला की और क्या प्रशंसा होगी? इस गीत के विषय में योगेशजी का बताना है कि ये गीत इन्हें लगभग ज़बरदस्ती ही मिला उस गीत की एवज में जो इनसे ग़लती से अन्नदाता फ़िल्म के लिए ऎसी धुन पर लिखवा लिया गया था जो पहले से "आनन्द" फ़िल्म में प्रयोग हो चुकी थी। पहले इस गीत का प्रयोग शुरू में क्रेडिट्स के समय होना था परन्तु राजेश खन्नाजी को गीत बहुत भा गया और उनके आग्रह पर इसे फ़िल्माया गया। और भाग्य की विडम्बना देखिये की वो गीत जिसकी रचना ही नहीं होनी थी, गीतकार की पहचान बनाने में प्रमुख गीतों में गिना जाता है।<br />
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योगेशजी की ये विशिष्टताएँ जिन अन्य गीतों में उभर कर आती हैं, उनमें से उल्लेखनीय हैं "रजनीगन्धा फूल तुम्हारे ...", "आये तुम याद मुझे ...", "बड़ी सूनी सूनी है ...", "कोई रोको ना दीवाने को ...", "गुज़र जाए दिन ...", "कभी कुछ पल जीवन के ...", "हम और तुम थे साथी ...", "निस दिन निस दिन ...", "नैन हमारे, साँझ सखारे ...", "कहाँ तक ये मन को अँधेरे छलेंगे ...", "ये जब से हुई है जिया की चोरी ...", इत्यादि<br />
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पिछले दिनों योगेशजी के कई चिर-परिचित गीतों को पूर्ण तन्मन्यता से सुना तो कुछ रोचक तथ्य सामने आए। मूलतः योगेशजी भावनात्मक काव्य के रचेयता हैं - इनके अधिकाँश गीत मानवीय भावनाओं से सम्बद्धित हैं विशेषकर प्रेमभाव से। स्वप्नों से भी इनका कुछ गहरा सम्बन्ध है - संभवतः इसलिए कि प्रेम व स्वप्नों और दिवास्वपनों का एक दूसरे से गठबंधन लगभग अविवादित ही माना जाता है। कारण कुछ भी हो, इनके अनेक गीतों में स्वप्न, सपने, ख्व़ाब का उल्लेख मिलता है। उदाहरण के लिए - "कहीं दूर जब दिन ढल जाए...", "ज़िंदगी कैसी है पहेली हाय…", और "न जाने क्यूँ..." की बात तो पहले कर ही चुके, "आये तुम याद मुझे..." में "जिस पल नैनों में सपना तेरा आए", "हम और तुम थे साथी..." में "हमारे तुम्हारे सपने जो सच हुए थे, थामें हैं मेरा हाथ", "गुज़र जाए दिन..." में "ख़्वाब मेरे हो गये रंगीन", "कोई रोको ना दीवाने को...", में "उमर के सफ़र में जिसे जो यहाँ भाए, उसी के सपनों में ये मन रंग जाए", "मैंने कहा फूलों से ..." में "ओ मैंने कहा सपनों से सजो तो वो मुस्कुरा के सज गये", "मन करे याद वो दिन ..." में "तेरे संग देखे थे जो सपने हसीन"…, "मन चाहे मेहंदी रचा लूँ ..." में "मुझमें ऐसे तुम समाए मेरे सपने मुस्कुराए", "रिम-झिम गिरे सावन ..." में "कैसे देखे सपने नयन", "नैन हमारे साँझ सखारे, देखें लाखों सपने ...", "नी स, ग म प नी, स रे ग, आ आ रे मितवा ... " में "सपना देखें मेरे खोये खोये नैना, मितवा मेरे आ तू भी सीख ले सपने देखना", "रातों के साए घने..." में "लगता है होंगे नहीं सपने ये पूरे मेरे", और "रजनीगन्धा फूल तुम्हारे..." में "हर पल मेरी इन आँखों में बस रहते हैं सपने उनके" इत्यादि। यहाँ तक के इनकी ग़ैर-फ़िल्मी कृतियों में भी सपनों का उल्लेख मिलता है, जैसे "कुछ ऐसे भी पल होते हैं ..." में "चुभने लगता है साँसों में बिखरे सपनों का हर दर्पण"। वैसे "मन" और "नयन" शब्द का प्रयोग भी इन्होंनें कुछ कम नहीं किया। इनके कार्यकाल के प्रारम्भिक ६-७ वर्षों में लिखे हुए गीतों में, उर्दू शब्दों का प्रयोग भी दिखता है। अंतिम दशक में गीतों के बोलों और भाव अभिव्यक्ति का स्तर हल्का पड़ गया है परन्तु ये शायद समय की माँग कही जायेगी - सामान्यतः गीतों के बोलों से श्रोताओं का ध्यान लगभग ख़त्म ही हो गया है इस काल में। फिर भी इनकी भाषा का साथ शालीनता ने नहीं छोड़ा। वैसे देखा जाए तो योगेशजी को "बहु-उपयोगी" गीतकार नहीं कहा जा सकता परन्तु अपने क्षेत्र के विशेषज्ञ वे अवश्य रहे हैं। बदलते समय और परिवेश के साथ, दर्शकों की रूचि भी बदल गयी और इस महान गीतकार की लोकप्रियता में कमी आ गई परन्तु सत्तर के दशक में इनके लिखे गीतों को अब भी अत्याधिक सराहना मिलती है।<br />
<br />
<em>आजकल ३-४ नई छोटे बजट की फ़िल्में बन रही हैं जो योगेशजी के गीतों से सजेंगी| इनमें से एक "ये दीवानगी" लगभग तैयार है और बाकियों पर काम चल रहा है।</em><br />
<br />
<em>पारिवारिक क्षेत्र में, योगेशजी दो पुत्रियों और एक पुत्र के पिता हैं। इनके सभी बच्चे विवाहित हैं और आजकल ये अपने पुत्र व पुत्रवधू के साथ मुम्बई में रहते हैं। जब इनसे पहली बार बात हुई त़ो ये अपने पोते/पोती के जन्म की आतुरता से प्रतीक्षा कर रहे थे। दो-तीन दिन बाद ही पता चला कि ये दादा बन गए हैं और इनके यहाँ एक नन्हीं परी का आगमन हुआ है। हम सबकी ओर से इन्हें बहुत-बहुत बधाई।</em><br />
<br />
<em>अंत में मैं केवल ईश्वर से योगेशजी के लिए दीर्घायु व आरोग्य की प्रार्थना करूँगी और यही चाहूँगी कि वे फ़िल्मी ही नहीं अपितु ग़ैर-फ़िल्मी गीत व कविताएँ भी अवश्य लिखते रहें|</em><br />
<br />
<strong><u>ग्रन्थसूची संदर्भिका </u></strong><br />
<ol>
<li>योगेशजी से जनवरी 2013 में हुई बात-चीत</li>
<li>हिन्दी फ़िल्मों के गीतकार - श्री अनिल भार्गव</li>
</ol>
<br />
<strong><u>आभार </u></strong><br />
<strong><u></u></strong><br />
<ol>
<li>श्री अपूर्व मोघे - योगेशजी के गीतों की पूरी सूची के लिए जिसके अभाव में मुझे घंटों बहुत से स्रोतों और सूत्रों पर खोजबीन करनी पड़ती</li>
<li>श्री अरुण मुद्गल - योगेशजी से सम्पर्क करवाने के लिए।</li>
<li>श्री आदित्य पन्त - इस लेख व इसके अनुवाद की समीक्षा व पुनर्विलोकन के लिए</li>
<li>श्री श्याम उत्तरवार - योगेशजी पर लिखने का अवसर प्रदान करने के लिए</li>
</ol>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-US">Yogesh – Simplicity Defined</span></h3>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-US">By Archana Gupta (January 2013)</span></h4>
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<span lang="EN-US">There is so much information, so easily
available about our Living Legend of the month, Yogeshji, that I will try to
present the basic background information as succinctly as possible without
compromising the quality of the end result…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Yogeshji originally hailed from
Lucknow. His father, Mr. Than Singh Gaud,
was an engineer. After his father’s
demise, a 17 year old Yogeshji, an only son out of three children,
moved to Bombay in 1961 in search of
employment along with his childhood friend, Mr. Satyaprakash. He had a deep-rooted interest in poetry
writing but had not thought of making it his vocation at all. His cousin, Mr. Brajendra Gaud, was already
in Bombay and was fairly well established as a writer in the industry. Yogeshji was not very well-received by his
cousin and his pride was hurt. On the insistence
of his friend, he decided to establish himself independently in film line. He had no background, training, experience or
even any exposure at all in any discipline of film-making. He started expressing his thoughts and feelings
in poems while looking to fulfill his goal of establishing himself in films. He was then introduced to Mr. Robin Banerjee
working with whom he learnt that the tune for a film song is composed first and
then the words are written to fit the same meter. So he wrote a few songs based on Robin
Banerjee’s tunes and gave them to Mr. Banerjee. It is thus not incorrect to state that time
and circumstances turned Yogeshji into a lyricist but his ultimate goal of
success in films was far from realization at this point.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">In 1962, six of his songs written on Robin Banerjee’s
tunes were used for a movie called “Sakhi Robin”. Of these, one song “Tum jo aao to pyaar aa
jaaye” became fairly popular. For next
7-8 years, he wrote some lovely songs for small budget stunt films where
neither the films nor soundtracks gained any traction. These B & C grade movies included
“Junglee Raja”, “Rocket Tarzen” (’63), “Krishnaavtaar”, “Marvel Man”, “Tarzen
and Delilah” (’64), “Adventures of Robinhood” (’65), “Husn Ka Ghulam”, “Rustom
Kaun”, “Spy in Goa”, “Tarzen Ki Mahbooba” (’66), “Ek Raat” (’67), “Lutera aur
Jaadugar” (’68), and “S.O.S. Jasoos 007” (’69).
Robin Banerjee was the Music Director for many of these ventures. The 1967 release “Ek Raat” also featured a
song sung by Sh. Mohammed Rafi sahib, “Sau baar banaa kar maalik ne sau baar
mitaaya hoge” that gained some popularity but on the whole, success still
eluded him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Yogeshji’s fortune took a distinct turn for
the better when he came in contact with the renowned Music Director, Sh. Salil Chowdhury,
via Ms. Sabita Banerjee (who later became Mrs. Salil Chowdhury). In 1968-69, Salil Da recoded a couple of
songs penned by Yogeshji but as the misfortune would have it, the films got
canned on some pre-text or the other. Finally,
in 1970, Salil Da gave Yogeshji a chance to write songs for a big banner film –
“Anand”. Yogeshji also lived up to the
expectations and demonstrated his abilities as a lyricist by writing meaningful
and beautiful sounding lyrics of two immortal numbers - “Zindagi kaisi hai paheli haay...” and “Kahin
door jab din dhal jaaye…” (*). Both the
songs became extremely popular and the rest, as they say, is history. “Anand” marked the beginning of the most
successful phase of Yogeshji’s career as a lyricist. It also was the start of the most significant
and fruitful partnership of this lyricist’s career that spanned well over a
decade and produced lovely, melodious and popular songs for films like “Anand
“(’70), “Annadaata”, “Anokha Daan”, “Mere
Bhaiya” (’72), “Rajnigandha” (’74),
“Chhoti Si Baat” (’75), “Anandmahal”, “Minoo” (’77), “Jeena Yahan” (’79), </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lucida Grande";">"Chemmeen Lehren", "</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: "Devanagari Sangam MN";">Naani
Maa</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lucida Grande";">", "Room No. 203" ('80), “Agni Pareeksha” (’81)
et. The last film for this successful
partnership was “Akhiri Badla” in 1988. The
fact that as soon as one thinks of Yogeshji, the first few songs that come to
mind are all by this partnership, is a testimony to their success and the mark
that they made together.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The seventies indeed proved to be a golden
decade for Yogeshji. The other most
noteworthy music directors that collaborated a lot with Yogeshji during this
period were the Burmans - both father
and son. He did mere two films with SDB
– “Mili” and “Us Paar”, but the listeners still remember the songs very readily. With RD Burman, his association was about
eight movies long amongst which soundtracks of “Chala Murari Hero Banane”
(’77), “Hamare-Tumhare”, “Manzil” (’79)
are considered more successful.
In this decade, he also produced some really beautiful songs in
partnership with Usha Khanna and Rajesh Roshan.
Some of the other music-directors that he worked with are Suresh Kumar,
Surinder Kohli, Vijay Raghav Rao, Bhappi Lahiri, Vasant Desai, Bhupinder Soni,
Meena Mangeshkar, Shyamal Mitra, Vanraj Bhatia, Kalyanji-Anandji, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">As a lyricist, Yogeshji has remained active
till as late as 2009, though he had a quiet period from 1998 – 2002 with no
releases at all during that time. During
his illustrious career, he also got the opportunity to write words to the tunes
of the greats like Hemant Da (“Do Ladke, donon kadke” ’78),
Mr. C. Ramachandra (“Toofani Takkar”
’78) and Mr. Madan Mohan (“Chaalbaaz”, ’80). Amongst the newer Music directors, he has
worked with Nikhil-Vinay, Annu Malik, Aadesh Srivaastav, and Dilip Sen- Sameer
Sen, etc. Sanjoy Chowdhury, son of Sh. Salil Chowdhury, is the MD of “Suno Na”, Yogeshji’s last film, to date, as
a lyricist. Chowdhury family’s non-film
presentation, “Generations”, also features songs by Yogeshji.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Two film-directors who have undoubtedly
contributed non-trivially to Yogeshji’s success are Mr. Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Mr. Basu
Chatterjee. While he penned
soul-stirring numbers for Hrishi Da in outstanding films like “Anand”, “Mili”, Rang-Birangi” etc, his
output with Basu Da is no less impressive and includes euphonious songs from
movies like “Rajnigandha”, </span><span lang="EN-US">“Chhoti si Baat", “Baaton Baaton mein", "</span><span lang="EN-US">Priyatamaa</span><span lang="EN-US">", "</span><span lang="EN-US">Dillagi</span><span lang="EN-US">", "</span><span lang="EN-US">Shauqeen</span><span lang="EN-US">", "</span><span lang="EN-US">Manzil</span><span lang="EN-US">", etc. Infact, for most part, Yogeshji’s most
remarkable, memorable and inspired creations belong to the films of these two
directors. So it is completely fair to state that these two men brought out the
best in Yogeshji.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">So far, Yogeshji has written about 350
songs for about 100 odd films. Other
than film and non-film songs, he is also credited with penning title songs for
a variety of T.V. serials as well as jingles for Ad Films.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">So far we have talked about basic facts and
figures without which no profile or career sketch can be considered
complete. Lets now explore a little more
about Yogeshji’s mastery over his craft and his unique lyric-writing style,
which actually is the crux of this whole discussion. As soon as I hear his name, a number of songs
inevitably rush to my mind immediately.
Afterall, I have spent my formative childhood period during his golden
era and have heard his creations endlessly on radio and Doordarshan (think
Chitrahaar). When I first thought about
writing about Yogeshji, and spent a couple of moments reflecting on his writing
style and its distinctiveness, a couple of thoughts instantaneously flashed
through my mind. His defining trait is
Simplicity - both in terms of language and
for most part the thoughts as well. Add
to that, the ability to present perplexing subjects dealing with emotional
predicaments in seemingly effortless and lucid fashion. And these attributes are apparent in many of
his songs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Let us consider language first. In an
era dominated by Urdu words in lyrics, this lyricist chose to write songs in simple,
chaste and beautiful Hindi. His
expressions were not difficult but the word selection did tend to favor more
refined or pure words. He used elegant,
meaningful yet easily understandable imagery in his expressions with enviable
spontaneity and eloquence. “Anuraagi
man”, Man ki seemarekha", “Madhur
geet gaate dharti-gagan", “avgun aur durgunon ka dekha jaana", “bojhal
saansen", "ghanii uljhan", "raat ke gahre sannaate",
"sapnon kaa darpan", "din suhaanaa, mausam salonaa", "albelaa
geet", "bandhan ka sukh" <span style="font-family: "devanagari sangam mn";">and</span></span><span lang="EN-US"> "Saajan
ka adhikaar", are some Yogeshji’s very graceful expressions that are
instantly recognizable and which most of us can readily associate with the
correct songs that they are drawn from.
Here, it is appropriate to mention that Yogeshji gives credit for his
very poetic lyric-writing style to his association with Salil Da. According to him, Salil Da himself was such
an accomplished poet that using lose lyrics/words for his compositions was an
absolute No-no. The words had to
measure up to a certain standard. Over
time, these songs became so popular that this writing style became Yogeshji’s
recognized trademark and became a general expectation from him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Let us move on to the simplicity of
thoughts now and the ability to present simple thoughts in beautiful,
heart-warming terms. In this context,
the song that first comes to mind is one that was supposedly not even written
for the movie that it finally appeared in.
It was actually written for a Basu Bhattacharya film that got
canned. It was bought by L.B. Lachhman but Hrishi Da
liked it so much that Rajesh Khanna , Salil Da and Hrishikesh Mukherjee all repeatedly
requested and convinced LB Lachhman to give that song up. The song in questions was finally used in
Anand – yes, the reference is to “Kahin door jab din dhal jaaye…”. If we examine the words, the only sentiment
expressed in the entire song (with the possible exception of one antaraa) by
the hero/singer is that of missing someone.
The expressions used to convey this feeling take various forms like “Mere
khayaalon ke aangan mein koi sapnon ke deep jalaaye”</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lucida Grande";">, “Machal ke,
pyaar se </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: "Devanagari Sangam MN";">chal ke chhue koi mujhe
par nazar na aaye</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lucida Grande";">", and then an imagery of a lost dream is used to say “Ye
mere sapne, yahi to hain apne, mujhse judaa na honge inke ye saaye” - the same basic thought but the elucidation is
so exquisite that the song takes on almost sublime proportions. The remaining antaraa is cleverly used to reinforce
Anand’s plight as well as describe his emotional bond with other characters.</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">“Kahin to ye dil kabhi, mil nahin paate<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Kahin se nikal aayen janmon ke naate<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Ghani thi uljhan, bairii apnaa man<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Apna hi ho ke sahe dard paraaye, dard
paraaye”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Yogeshji states that he penned the above
lines in honor of his relationship with his friend Sh. Satyaprakashji.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The second song that I would like to talk
about today, also deals with the same emotion – that of missing someone. Though its style of articulation is different, it is no
less beautiful or effective. Yes, the
song under question is “Na jaane kyun hota hai yun zindagi ke saath” from the
movie “Chhoti si Baat”. This song
describes the heroine’s mental state in plain and straight words. Here, she is
simply used to meeting the hero every day -
its just a habit since he started pursuing her and following her around
predictably – neither of them has expressed their love to each other and the
lady hasn’t even admitted it to herself before this juncture, AFAIR. Now one day,
Mr. Hero quietly disappears. At
this point, this song is picturized as background song to illustrate our
heroine’s exploration of her own psyche to figure out the cause of her
restlessness and anxiety when he remains missing. Other than the mukhda that plainly states the
crux of the issue of missing someone you didn’t even think you will miss, the
words chosen to bring her emotions to the fore are “Jo anjaan pal, dhal gaye
kal, aaj vo rang badal badal, man ko machal machal rahe hain chhal, na jaane
kyun vo anjaan pal, saje bina mere nayanon mein toote re sapnon ke mahal”. And then in the next antara, she actually has
decided what his place in her life is, rest is stating the obvious - “Vahii hai
dagar, vahii hai safar, hai nahin paas mere magar, ab mera hamsafar,
idhar-udhar dhoondhe nazar, vahi hai dagar, kahan gayiin shaamen madbhari, mere
vo din gaye kidhar”. I’ll leave you to
decide if there could be more compelling words than “saje bina mere nayanon
mein toote re sapnon ke mahal” to express a love whose first realization comes
hand in hand with its supposed loss?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Talking of first expression of love reminds
me of another song, this one from the movie “Manzil” – “Rimjhim gire saawan,
sulag sulag jaaye man”. This song also manages
to convey a certain degree of sensuousness without the words ever becoming
over-explicit or crossing any bounds of decent expression. The poetic phrases employed to this effect
are “Bheege mausam mein lagi agan” , “Bheega aanchal”, “Dahkaa saawan”, and
“Bahkaa mausam” etc. The oft expressed “inability
to sleep on a lonely, rainy night” finds
Yogeshji whimsically delivering the lines “Jab ghunghruon si bajatii
hain boonden, armaan hamaare palken na moonden”. And the hesitation that one felt (yes in a
different era – not in today’s times) in admitting this new-found love in front
of family, friends and society in general is beautifully communicated via
“Mahfil mein kaise kah den kisee se, dil bandh rahaa hai kis ajnabii se” – is
it possible to find more apt or more ingenious words to convey the same? Hopefully, it is obvious that this song is
not as simple in meaning and intent as it may appear on casual hearing and the
words are actually very well chosen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Lets explore this third distinctive
characteristic of Yogeshji’s poetic/lyrical style – ability, to express complex
emotional issues simply yet effectively, further. In my opinion, the one song that personifies this trait is “Kai baar yuun
bhi dekha hai…” from Rajnigandha. This
background song is used to depict the mental state of the heroine, Deepa, who
is disconcerted by her simultaneous attraction to two men in her life. If one pays a little attention to the lyrics,
the lady’s dilemma becomes very apparent.
In the opening lines themselves, the lyricist clearly indicates that
there is a contention between the heart and mind of the character by use of
words “Ye jo man ki seemarekha hai, man todne lagtaa hai” and then “anjaanii
aas” and “anjaani pyaas” of the heart that the mind seemingly fails to understand. The head is perhaps trying to evaluate the heart’s
desires within the bounds of socially acceptable norms and finding them at odds
with what makes sense. In the first
stanza, the lyricist has cleverly hinted at the impasse using flowers as
symbols when he says “Jeevan ki raahon mein jo khile hain phool phool
muskuraake, kaun sa phool churaake, rakh loon man mein sajaa ke” while in the
second one, he clearly states the whole predicament as “Uljhan ye, jaanoon na
suljhaaoon kaise, kuchh samajh na paaoon, kisko meet banaaoon, kiskii preet bhulaaoon”. This single song actually zeroes in on the
core issue of the movie with such precision.
And that, to me, is the irrefutable evidence of this lyricist’s complete
command over his craft. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Other than sentimental songs, Yogeshji also
has some immortal creations in Philosophical category. The one song that really stands out in this
category is “Zindagi kaisi hai paheli hai…” from the movie “Anand”. This song brings to fore the fleeting nature
of life, its ever changing character and uncertainty after death. The words chosen here are “Zindagi… kaisii
hai paheli haaye, kabhi to hansaaye, kabhi ye rulaaye…”, “ek din sapnon ka
raahii, chalaa jaaye sapnon se aage kahaan…”.
And the complete last stanza is extremely thought provoking - “Jinhonen sajaaye yahaan mele, such-dukh sang
sang jhele, vahii chunkar khaamoshi, yuun chale jaayen akele kahaan”. It is rare for me to listen to these words
dry-eyed - what bigger accolade can be
there for the lyricist than this? Yogeshji told that this was a song that was
literally given to him to write due to extreme pressure exerted on Hrishi Da by
Lachhmanji. Salil da by mistake asked
Yogeshji to write a song for Annadaata on a tune that was already used in
Anand. When the situation became clear, Lachhmanji
insisted that Yogeshji be given a second song in Anand instead. Initial plan was to have this song play
during opening credits but Rajesh Khanna liked it so much that he insisted that
it be picturized on him. And as luck
would have it, a song that was not even supposed to be written became one of
the key songs that are considered prime representation of this lyricist’s
repertoire.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">These distinctive traits of Yogeshji’s
style are evident in many other songs including “Rajnigandha phool tumhaare…”,
“Aaye tum yaad mujhe…”, “Badi sooni sooni hai…”, “Koi roko na deewane ko…”,
“Guzar jaaye din…”, “Kabhi kuchh pal jeevan ke…”, “Hum aur tum the saathi…”,
“Nis din, nis din…”, “Nain hamaare, saanjh sakhaare…”, “Kahaan tak ye man ko
andhere challenge…”, “Ye jab se hui hai jiya ki chori…”, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Over the last few days, re-listening to all
the familiar songs of Yogeshji while paying close attention, revealed some
interesting trivia. Its very clear that
basically Yogeshji forte is poetry addressing human emotions especially love
- that is where most of his songs are
focused. He also seems to be fascinated
by dreams possibly because of the well accepted correlation between
dreams/daydreams and the state of being in love. Whatever the reason, words like “Sapne”,
“swapn” and “khwaab” find a mention in many a songs penned by him. Lets look at a few other than “Kahin door jab
din dhal jaaye…”, “Zindagii kaisi hai paheli haaye…”, “Na jaane kyun hota hai…” references in which
we have already discussed. We find a
“dream” reference as “Jis pal nainon mein sapna tera aaye” in “Aaye tum yaad
mujhe…”, “Hamaare-tumhaare sapne jo sach
hue the, thaamen hain mera haath” in “Hum aur tum the saathi…”, “Khwaab mere ho
gaye rangeen” in “Guzar jaaye din…”,
“Umar ke safar mein jise jo yahaan bhaaye, usii ke sapnon mein ye man
rang jaaye” in “Koi roko na deewane ko…”, “Mainen kahaa sapnon se sajo, to vo muskura ke
saj gaye” in “Mainen kahaa phoolon se…”, “Tere sang dekhe the jo sapne haseen”
in “Man kare yaad vo din…”, “Mujhmen
aise tum samaaye, mere sapne muskuraaye” in “Man chaahe mehndi rachaa loon…”,
“Kaise dekhen sapne nayan” in “Rim-jhim gire saawan…”, “Nain hamaare saanjh sakhaare, dekhen laakhon
sapne” in “Nain hamaare…”, “Sapna dekhen mere khoye khoye naina, mitwaa mere,
aa tu bhi seekh le sapne dekhnaa” in “Ni sa, ga ma pa ni, sa re ga, aa aa re
mitwaa…”, “Lagtaa hai honge nahin sapne ye poore mere” in “Raaton ke saaye
ghane…”, “Har pal meri in aankhon mein,
bas rahte hain sapne unke” in “Rajnigandhaa phool tumhaare…” etc. Dreams find a mention even in his non-film
presentations, a case in point is “Chubhane lagtaa hai saanson mein bikhare
sapnon ka har darpan” in “Kuchh aise bhi pal hote hain…”. By the way, he also tends to use “Man” and
“Nayan” fairly frequently. The first 7-8
years of his career saw him using some Urdu words also before he found and
settled into his particular style. The
last decade has seen a sharp decline in the quality of lyrics all round and
public has generally stopped paying much attention to them. This decline is somewhat noticeable in
Yogeshji’s output as well but sense of decorum is still very visible in his
creations. In all honesty, Yogeshji
can’t be called a very versatile lyricist but he is certainly a master of his
niche. In these changing times, his
popularity has certainly declined but the songs he penned in seventies still
get the appreciation and recognition that they are worthy of.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>There are 3-4 films in the pipeline for which Yogeshji is
writing the song lyrics. One of these,
“Ye Deewanagi” is almost ready while others are work in progress.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>On Family front, Yogeshji is a proud father of two
daughters and a son. All his children
are married and he lives with his son and daughter-in-law in Mumbai. When I first spoke to him, he was excitedly
waiting the arrival of a grandchild.
When I spoke to him a few days later, he had become a proud baba of a
little grand-daughter. We heartily congratulate him and his family and
wish their new arrival all the best in life.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i>Finally, I will only pray for a long and
healthy life for Yogeshji and hope that he continues to pen not only film but
non-film songs and poems as well.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><b>References: </b></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="color: #262626; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -18pt;">
</div>
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="color: #262626; text-indent: -18pt;"> A conversation with
Yogeshji conducted in January 2013</span></li>
<li><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span dir="LTR" style="text-indent: -18pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; text-indent: -18pt;">“Hindi Filmon ke
Geetkaar” by Mr. Anil Bhargav</span></li>
</ol>
<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lucida Grande";"><b>Acknowledgements: </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 39.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lucida Grande";">Mr. Apoorv Moghe – For sharing his painstakingly compiled list
of Yogeshji’s Film songs which saved me hours of research<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 39.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lucida Grande";">Mr. Arun Mudgal – For putting me in touch with Yogeshji and
putting in a word with him - Big Thank
You…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 39.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lucida Grande";">Mr. Aditya Pant – For Reviewing both the original Hindi write-up
and its English translation<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 39.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lucida Grande";">Mr. Shyam Uttarwar – For providing me the opportunity to write
about one of my favorite lyricists<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ol>
</ol>
</div>
Aditya Panthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11481497663140098296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29329545.post-48291678587298231582018-03-04T19:16:00.010+05:302021-08-25T19:15:06.422+05:30A Metrical Analysis of My Poems<p>Those who know me are well aware of my OCD-like obsession for the sanctity of meter (<em>bahr</em>) in poetry, especially urdu <em>ghazals</em> and <em>nazms</em> with rhyme. This obsession, however, is not very old though. As I have written <a href="https://urgetofly.blogspot.in/2006/05/rules-of-creativity.html" target="_blank">earlier</a>, I had spent years writing poetry (or at least what I thought was poetry) with no understanding of meters. But once I learnt more about it, it became an obsession. Whenever I come across a <em>ghazal</em> or a <em>nazm</em> following a particular rhyming pattern, I first have to read a few lines to catch the rhythm of the meter before I can really dive into the words and their meaning. This is not to say that I have mastered the art and technique of prosody, Far from it, there is still a lot more to be learned. I still do not understand the technicalities behind the metrical feet in Urdu prosody and depend wholly on the rhythm, I still stumble on some finer nuances of scansion and end up making mistakes while writing (some have carried over to my published book), and there are still some meters that I cannot grasp easily. But that only strengthens my resolve to learn more.</p><p>Someone once asked me the number of different meters in which I have composed my <em>ghazals</em> and <em>nazms</em>. I was taken aback by this question, as I had never consciously counted or even felt the need to count the number. So I decided to do some mathematical analysis of my meter-based poems to check how frequently a particular meter appeared in my poetry. It was quite a revelation: in the 491 couplets of 71 <em>ghazals</em> and meter-based <em>nazms</em> that I have written, I have used 23 different meters (or 19 if you do not count the pairs that can coexist within a poem as separate). What was not surprising was that almost two thirds of my poems were written in just seven meters. These are meters towards whose rhythm I have natural affinity. Three out of these seven meters have been listed by both Shamsur Rahman Faruqi<sup>1</sup> and G. D Pybus<sup>2</sup> as being the among the most popular meters in all of Urdu poetry. </p><p>My choice of meters is driven by one or a combination of the following:</p><ul><li>Combination of chosen rhyme words (<em>qafiya</em>) and/or refrain (<em>radeef</em>)</li><li>Meters whose rhythm come very naturally to me</li><li>Meters I have not used before (this has come into play only now when I clearly know which meters I have already used)</li></ul><p>I am listing down the various meters I have employed in my poetry along with their technical names, metrical feet, syllable pattern(s) and examples, one from a poem or a song by a known poet/lyricist, and another from mine. I have used the standard symbols that many people use i.e <strong><em>=</em></strong> for a long syllable and <strong><em>-</em></strong> for a short one, with <strong><em>/</em></strong> denoting the end of a metrical foot and <strong><em>//</em></strong> representing a mid-point break or caesura in some meters.</p><p>I am also providing the metrical feet or <em>arkaan </em>(singular - <em>rukn</em>) that constitute a particular meter. These metrical feet are defined by way of meaningless words called <em>afaa’iil (singular - f’el) </em>that signify the presence of a long or short syllable.</p><hr /><p><br /></p><h2>Meter 1</h2><p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Muzaar’e Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Mahzuuf</p><p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: maf-‘uu-l / faa-‘i-laa-tu / ma-faa-‘ii-l / faa-‘i-lun</em></p><p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: = = - / = - = - / - = = - / = - =</p><p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 11 <em>ghazals</em> & 4 <em>nazms</em>; 107 couplets</p><p><strong>Example</strong>: </p><ol><li>barbaadiyo.n ka sog manaanaa fuzuul thaa<br />barbaadiyo.n ka jashn manaataa chalaa gayaa<br />(Sahir, Film: Hum Dono)</li><li>rakkhega yaad ham ko ba-har-haal ye jahaa.n<br />hastii hamaarii dard kii tamsiil ho ga.ii<br />(Naaqid)</li></ol><h2></h2><h2><hr />Meter 2</h2><p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Rajaz Musamman Saalim</p><p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: mus-taf-‘i-lun / mus-taf-‘i-lun / mus-taf-‘i-lun / mus-taf-‘i-lun </em></p><p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: = = - = / = = - = / = = - = / = = - =</p><p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 7 <em>ghazals</em> & 1 <em>nazm</em>; 45 couplets</p><p><strong>Example</strong>: </p><ol><li>kal chaudhvii.n kii raat thii shab bhar raha charcha tiraa<br />kuchh ne kahaa ye chaa.nd hai kuchh ne kahaa chehraa tiraa<br />(Ibne Insha)</li><li>dil luutne ka ye hunar seekhe to koii aap se<br />is shahr me.n charche hai.n ab hai aap hii kii dhaak bhii<br />(Naaqid)</li></ol><h2><hr /></h2><h2>Meter 3 & 4</h2><p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Ramal Musamman Makhbuun Mahzuuf Maqtuu.a & Ramal Musamman Makhbuun Mahzuuf</p><p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: fa(a)-‘i-laa-tun / fa-‘i-laa-tun / fa-‘i-laa-tun / f‘e-lun or fa(a)-‘i-laa-tun / fa-‘i-laa-tun / fa-‘i-laa-tun / fa-‘i-lun </em></p><p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: =* - = = / - - = = / - - = = / = = and =* - = = / - - = = / - - = = / - - =</p><p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 5 <em>ghazals</em> & 2 <em>nazms</em>; 56 couplets</p><p><strong>Example</strong>: </p><ol><li>ishq par zor nahii.n hai ye wo aatish Ghalib<br />jo lagaa.e na lage aur bujhaa.e na bane<br />(Ghalib)</li><li>huu.n to hargiz nahi.n paaband-e-qawaa’id ‘Naaqid’<br />apni awaargi pe mujh ko magar naaz nahii.n<br />(Naaqid)</li></ol><h2><hr />Meter 5</h2><p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Muzaar’e Musamman Akhrab </p><p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: maf-‘uu-l </em><i>/ faa-‘i-laa-tun // maf-‘uu-l / faa-‘i-laa-tun </i></p><p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: = = - / = - = = // = = - / = - = =</p><p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 3 <em>ghazals</em> & 4 <em>nazms</em>; 53 couplets</p><p><strong>Example</strong>: </p><ol><li>saare jahaa.n se achchhaa hindostaa.n hamaaraa<br />ham bulbule.n hain iskii ye gulsitaa.n hamaaraa<br />(Iqbal)</li><li>jo sham’a karti roshan taariik zindagi ko<br />uj.Rii mazaar par kyuu.n tanhaa machal rahi hai<br />(Naaqid)</li></ol><hr /><h2>Meter 6</h2><p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Ramal Musamman Mahzuuf </p><p><strong style="font-style: italic;">Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong><i>: faa-‘i-laa-tun / faa-‘i-laa-tun / faa-‘i-laa-tun / fa-‘i-lun </i></p><p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: = - = = / = - = = / = - = = / = - =</p><p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 4 <em>ghazals</em> & 1 <em>nazm</em>; 34 couplets</p><p><strong>Example</strong>: </p><ol><li>naqsh faryaadii hai kis ki shoKhi-e-tahriir kaa<br />kaaGazii hai pairahan har paikar-e-tasviir kaa<br />(Ghalib)</li><li>liijiye diiwaan-e-'Naaqid' aap hii ke naam hai<br />ham kahaa.n in betuke ash’aar ko le jaae.nge<br />(Naaqid)</li></ol><hr /><h2>Meter 7</h2><p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: No specific technical name, simply called Behr-e-Mir as Mir Taqi Mir was the one who experimented most with this meter, which otherwise is not present in Persian or Arabic prosody.</p><p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: This meter does not exist in Arabic or Persian poetry. It can be represented in terms of standard feet (arkaans), but given the large number of variations allowed in this meter, I am not listing them down</em></p><p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: = ( = ) / = ( = ) / = ( = ) / = = // = ( = ) / = ( = ) / = ( = ) / = (any even numbered long syllable can be broken into two shorts, some of the = = feet can broken into - = -)</p><p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 2 <em>ghazals</em> & 1 <em>nazm</em>; 24 couplets</p><p><strong>Example</strong>: </p><ol><li>ulTii ho ga.ii.n sab tadbiire.n kuchh na davaa ne kaam kiya<br />dekha is biimari-e-dil ne aaKhir kaam tamaam kiya<br />(Mir Taqi Mir)</li><li>hamne taKhallus 'Naaqid' rakkha yaktaaii kii chaahat me.n<br />tab jaana kuchh aur kalaam is naam se hai mansuub hua<br />(Naaqid)</li></ol><hr /><h2>Meter 8</h2><p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Hazaj Musamman Maqbuuz</p><p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: ma-faa-‘i-lun </em><i>/ ma-faa-‘i-lun / ma-faa-‘i-lun / ma-faa-‘i-lun </i></p><p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: - = - = / - = - = / - = - = / - = - =</p><p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 3 <em>ghazals</em>; 19 couplets</p><p><strong>Example</strong>: </p><ol><li>pukarta chalaa huu.n mai.n galii galii bahaar kii<br />bas ek chhao.n zulf kii bas ik nigaah pyaar kii<br />(Majrooh Sultanpuri; Film: Mere Sanam)</li><li>na huu.n suKhanshinaas mai.n na lafzo.n kii koii samajh<br />ye log mere she’ro.n par hain karte waah waah kya<br />(Naaqid)</li></ol><hr /><h2>Meter 9</h2><p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Hazaj Musamman Saalim</p><p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: ma-faa-‘ii-lun </em><i>/ ma-faa-‘ii-lun / ma-faa-‘ii-lun / ma-faa-‘ii-lun </i></p><p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: - = = = / - = = = / - = = = / - = = =</p><p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 3 <em>ghazals</em>; 19 couplets</p><p><strong>Example</strong>: </p><ol><li>hazaaro.n Khwaahishe.n aisi ki har Khwaahish pe dam nikle<br />bahut nikle mire armaan lekin phir bhi kam nikle<br />(Ghalib)</li><li>jo hotaa hai yahaa.n dahshatnumaa 'aks-e-haqiiqat bhii<br />hai laazim ye ki vaa baab-e-taKhayyul koi kartaa hai<br />(Naaqid)</li></ol><hr /><h2>Meter 10 & 11</h2><p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Mujtas Musamman Makhbuun Mahzuuf Maqtuu.a & Mujtas Musamman Makhbuun Mahzuuf</p><p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: ma-faa-‘i-lun </em><i>/ fa-‘i-laa-tun / ma-faa-‘i-lun / f’e-l </i>and <em>ma-faa-‘i-lun </em><i>/ fa-‘i-laa-tun / ma-faa-‘i-lun / fa-‘i-lun</i></p><p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: <strong>-</strong> = - = / - - = = / - = - = / = = and - = - = / - - = = / - = - = / - - =</p><p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 3 <em>ghazals</em>; 18 couplets</p><p><strong>Example</strong>:</p><ol><li>jahaan-e-dil pe hukuumat tumhe.n mubaarak ho<br />rahii shikast to wo apne naam kar loo.ngaa<br />(Kaifi Azmi, Film: Naunihal)</li><li>Guruub-o-sharq hai.n taqdiir-e-Khur magar mujhko<br />nasheb hii nazar aata hai ab faraaz nahii.n<br />(Naaqid)</li></ol><hr /><h2>Meter 12</h2><p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Hazaj Musamman Akhrab Makfuuf Mahzuuf</p><p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: maf-‘uu-l </em><i>/ ma-faa-‘ii-l / ma-faa-‘ii-l / fa-‘uu-lun </i></p><p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: = = - / - = = - / - = = - / - = =</p><p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 3 <em>ghazals</em>; 17 couplets</p><p><strong>Example</strong>: </p><ol><li>hai.n aur bhi dunyaa me.n suKhanvar bahut achchhe<br />kehte hai.n ki Ghalib ka hai andaaz-e-bayaa.n aur<br />(Ghalib)</li><li>mumkin hai gavaaraa nahi.n hai unko ye suhbat<br />warna ye hai kyaa maajara wo ham se hai.n Khaamosh<br />(Naaqid)</li></ol><hr /><h2>Meter 13</h2><p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Mutaqaarib Musamman Saalim</p><p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: fa-‘uu-lun </em><i>/ fa-‘uu-lun / fa-‘uu-lun / fa-‘uu-lun </i></p><p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: - = = / - = = / - = = / - = =</p><p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 1 <em>ghazal </em>& 2 <em>nazms</em>; 16 couplets</p><p><strong>Example</strong>: </p><ol><li>muhabbat ki jhuuTi kahaanii pe ro.e<br />ba.Rii choT khaa.ii jawaanii pe ro.e<br />(Shakeel Badayuni; Film: Mughal-e-Azam)</li><li>masaa.il ke yuu.n silsile to bahut hai.n<br />liye aafate.n zalzale to bahut hai.n<br />nahii.n chaahiye ham ko ek aur deewaar<br />yahaa.n darmiyaa.n faasle to bahut hai.n<br />(Naaqid)</li></ol><hr /><h2>Meter 14 & 15</h2><p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Khafiif Musaddas Makhbuun Mahzuuf Maqtuu.a & Khafiif Musaddas Makhbuun Mahzuuf</p><p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: fa(a)-‘i-laa-tun </em><i>/ ma-faa-‘i-lun / f’e-l and fa(a)-‘i-laa-tun / ma-faa-‘i-lun / fa-‘i-lun </i></p><p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: =* - = = / - = - = / = = and =* - = = / - = - = / - - =</p><p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 1 <em>ghazal </em>& 1 <em>nazm</em>; 20 couplets</p><p><strong>Example</strong>: </p><ol><li>naazukii us ke lab ki kyaa kahiye<br />pankhuRi ik gulaab kii sii hai<br />(Mir)</li><li>nuur hotaa nahii.n jahaa.n me.n agar<br />’aks hote kahaa.n kahaa.n saa.e<br />(Naaqid)</li></ol><hr /><h2>Meter 16</h2><p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Hazaj Musaddas Mahzuuf</p><p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: </em><i>ma-faa-‘ii-lun / ma-faa-‘ii-lun / fa-‘uu-lun</i></p><p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: - = = = / - = = = / - = =</p><p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 2 <em>ghazal</em>; 16 couplets</p><p><strong>Example</strong>:</p><ol><li>kahe kyaa haa.e zaKhm-e-dil hamaara<br />dahan paayaa lab-e-goyaa na paayaa<br />(Zauq)</li><li>chala chal sar uTha kar yaar 'Naaqid'<br />lagii ab tak ko.ii tuhmat nahii.n hai<br />(Naaqid)</li></ol><hr /><h2>Meter 17 & 18</h2><p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Hazaj Musaddas Akhram Ashtar Mahzuuf & Hazaj Musaddas Akhrab Maqbuuz Mahzuuf</p><p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: maf-‘uu-lun </em><i>/ faa-‘i-lun / fa-‘uu-lun and maf-‘uu-l / ma-faa-‘i-lun / fa-‘uu-lun</i></p><p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: = = = /= - = / - = = and = = - / - = - = / - = =</p><p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 2 <em>ghazal</em>; 13 couplets</p><p><strong>Example</strong>: </p><ol><li>dil pahlu me.n naa-tawaa.n bahut hai<br />biimaar miraa giraa.n bahut hai<br />(Mir Taqi Mir)</li><li>Khaamoshi hai ittilaa.a detii<br />bar-paa hogaa futuur aaKhir<br />(Naaqid)</li></ol><hr /><h2>Meter 19</h2><p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Hazaj Musamman Ashtar </p><p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: </em><i>faa-‘i-lun / ma-faa-‘ii-lun // faa-‘i-lun / ma-faa-‘ii-lun</i></p><p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: = - = / - = = = // = - = / - = = =</p><p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 1 <em>ghazal</em>; 7 couplets</p><p><strong>Example</strong>: </p><ol><li>ishq se tabiiyat ne ziist kaa mazaa paayaa<br />dard kii davaa paa.ii dard be-davaa paayaa<br />(Ghalib)</li><li>shoKhiyo.n ne dil jiitaa qahqahe bhi raas aa.e<br />ra.ng 'Naaqid' aaKhir ho guftagoo ka sanjiida<br />(Naaqid)</li></ol><hr /><h2></h2><h2>Meter 20</h2><p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Ramal Musaddas Mahzuuf</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: faa-‘i-laa-tun </em><i>/ faa-‘i-laa-tun / faa-‘i-lun </i></li></ul><p></p><p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: = - = = / = - = = / = - =</p><p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 1 <em>ghazal</em>; 7 couplets</p><p><strong>Example</strong>: </p><ol><li>raah-e-daur-e-ishq me.n rotaa hai kyaa<br />aage aage dekhiye hotaa hai kyaa<br />(Mir Taqi Mir)</li><li>shaa’irii ke husn ko aazaad kar<br />’Naaqid’ apnaa bahr kii paabandiyaa.n<br />(Naaqid)</li></ol><hr /><h2>Meter 21</h2><p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Mutaqaarib Musamman Asram</p><p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: f’e-lun</em><i> / fa-‘uu-lun // f’e-lun / fa-‘uu-lun</i></p><p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: = = / - = = // = = / - = = </p><p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 1 <em>ghazal</em>; 7 couplets</p><p><strong>Example</strong>: </p><ol><li>usne koii Khat likkhaa nahii.n hai<br />usko likhe hai.n mai.n ne ka.ii Khat<br />(Bhatnagar ‘Shadab’)</li><li>mat Dhuu.nDh 'Naaqid' hai.n wo kahaa.n jo<br />qaa’il ho.n tere ‘arz-o-bayaa.n ke<br />(Naaqid)</li></ol><hr /><h2>Meter 22</h2><p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Hazaj Musamman Akhrab</p><p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: maf</em><i>-‘uu-l / ma-faa-‘ii-lun // maf-‘uu-l / ma-faa-‘ii-lun</i></p><p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: = = - / - = = = // = = - / - = = =</p><p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 1 <em>ghazal</em>; 6 couplets</p><p><strong>Example</strong>: </p><ol><li>hangaama hai kyuu.n bar-paa thoRii si jo pii lii hai<br />Daakaa to nahii.n Daala chorii to nahii.n kii hai<br />(Akbar Allahabadi)</li><li>kirdaar chamakne me.n ik umr si lagtii hai<br />baazaar me.n ae jaahil tahziib nahii.n miltii<br />(Naaqid)</li></ol><hr /><h2>Meter 23</h2><p><strong><em>Technical Name</em></strong>: Mutaqaarib Musaddas Muzaa’af Maqbuuz Aslam</p><p><em><strong>Metrical Feet (Arkaan) and Afaa’iil</strong>: fa</em><i>-‘uu-l / f’e-lun / fa-‘uu-lu / f’e-lun / fa-‘uu-l / f’e-lun </i></p><p><strong><em>Syllable Sequence</em></strong>: <strong> </strong>- = - / = = / - = - / = = / - = - / = =</p><p><strong><em>Usage</em></strong>: 1 <em>ghazal</em>; 6 couplets</p><p><strong>Example</strong>: </p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>koii safar ho tumhii.n ko manzil samajh ke jaauu.N<br />koii masaafat ho tum mirii hii lagan me.n aao<br />(Ahmad Faraz)</li><li>chiraaG kab tak yahaa.n jalegaa ye kaun jaane<br />hawaa ki raftaar tai karegii jale ki ho gul<br />(Naaqid)</li></ol><a href="https://urgetofly.blogspot.com/2021/08/metrical-analysis-of-my-poems-part-2.html" target="_blank">... Continued in Part 2</a><br /><h2><hr />References:</h2><ol><li><a href="http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00ghalib/meterbk/00_intro.html" target="_blank">Urdu Meter: A Practical Handbook</a> by Frances W. Pritchett & Khaliq Ahmad Khaliq</li><li><a href="http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00urduhindilinks/pybus/pybus.html" target="_blank">A Textbook of Urdu Prosody and Rhetoric</a> by Captain G. D Pybus</li><li><a href="http://www.urdupoetry.com/articles/art5.html" target="_blank">Bah'r: The Backbone of Shaayari</a> by Irfan ‘Abid’</li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCTGa9vfQ95Zp7pNC6woJkSonGrsuxp-a" target="_blank">Ilm-e-Arooz</a>: Rekhta Foundation tutorials by Bhatnagar Shadab</li><li><a href="http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00ghalib/index.html#index" target="_blank">A Desertful of Roses</a>: Frances W. Pritchett’s site on Ghalib’s ghazals</li><li><a href="http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00garden/index.html" target="_blank">A Garden of Kashmir</a>: Frances W. Pritchett’s site on Mir’s ghazals</li></ol>Aditya Panthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11481497663140098296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29329545.post-15361161807262153142018-02-26T19:39:00.000+05:302018-02-26T21:27:52.162+05:30Sridevi: A Fan’s Tribute<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimGZWs4r5tv4cx-i8dcwC7_GQV5h-kGo0jggYxCstfSx05GYb6DkARKL26pxkYK5nqV6phD5YfrEZNAtt3PxV1CG-8GxEIowvtVfFnI24jWAn7LWMBWo96K778Dbe0hFKBUJnY/s1600-h/Sridevi%255B8%255D"><img title="Sridevi" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Sridevi" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjur4QP5BDGzO1Qp0m2SFRX5ZMc3mIEic7gl2onbQ2TsbtouotDcoFiCwv7k6l0UJw4S00eS_Su9W2v-MGsiCKN77ffdl6uo21PJmMYGgEvhe1D45nKejqNnqEcOt9RdPsB9HrY/?imgmax=800" width="579" height="304"></a>I have admired many actresses, appreciated many career choices, and applauded many performances. But when it comes to unabashed adoration, there’s been only Sridevi. Ever since shooting stills of a whip-wielding lass standing in an off-shoulder black dress on the shores of Godavari at Rajahmundry flooded the film magazines in early 1983, I joined her fandom for life. There isn’t a single Hindi film of hers (barring probably a few dubbed films that hardly got a proper release) that I haven’t watched. The quality of films (which was mostly pathetic in the first phase of her Hindi film career) didn’t matter. As long as she was in a film, I had to watch it. That I lived in a place that did not have enough theatres to run her new releases didn’t matter either. There were enough ‘video-cafes’ around playing horrendous pirated VHS prints of her latest releases. <p>Being a fan implies being irrational. When the film rags started playing up Jaya Prada as her rival, I started ‘hating’ Jaya Prada. When Padmalaya ditched her in <em>Kaamyaab</em> and came up with the publicity stunt – “She is not Sridevi, She is Radha”, I prayed hard for the film to flop. And when <em>Tezaab</em> became a national craze and The Illustrated Weekly ran the cover story – “Sridevi is Out, Madhuri is In”, I was livid! And conflicted! For, I couldn’t get myself to ‘dislike’ Madhuri. Sridevi remained my deity, although Madhuri too climbed up the pantheon. The walls of my hostel room were testimony to this. One wall had pictures of Madhuri, while the other – bigger, I must add – had Sridevi in all her avatars. <p>Those were pre-Internet, pre-TV days, so all our information came from magazines. I devoured every available film magazine just to see what Sridevi was up to, which ‘heroes’ she was working with, how her films were doing, etc., etc. Every flop of hers dejected me, while I was elated with every hit. <p>My film memories of the 1980s are all about Sridevi – Getting scandalized by a top rated ‘winking’ song on Binaca Geet mala, while still waiting desperately to watch the film; getting dejected for not getting a ticket for <em>Justice Chowdhury</em> and making up for it immediately by watching it at a video café bang opposite the theatre that turned us away; escaping ragging at college by going off almost every single day to watch<em> Mr. India</em> in a dilapidated Varanasi theatre; watching <em>Chandni</em> first day, first show, first row, first seat, even if that meant seeing Sridevi miraculously get slimmer as she walked from my end of the 70 mm screen to the other…. <p>Sridevi’s stardom came at a time when the music in Hindi films was at its worst, but her sheer presence was enough for me to watch her perform to those songs. Rarely did I turn my attention to the hero sharing the frame with her. To the Sridevi fan in me, she is as much about those inane (at time vulgar) Jeetendra-Bappi Lahiri-Indeevar-Asha-Kishore songs choreographed like a PT routine than she is about one-woman variety show like <em>Hawa Hawai</em> or chiffon clad Yash Chopra heroine prancing around in foreign locales. <p>Here is a sampling of some of her songs, which are neither her best (or even good) nor the most popular, but do provide a glimpse into the kind of films, songs, actors and singers that define her Hindi film career.</p> <ul> <li>Saath Mere Aaogi–Justice Chowdhuri (1983)–Asha Bhosle & Kishore Kumar–Bappi Lahiri–Indeevar</li></ul> <p><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8DkpImxKff0" frameborder="0" width="560" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <ul> <li>Oye Oye Oye Garmi Hai–Maqsad (1984)–S. Janaki & Kishore Kumar–Bappi Lahiri–Indeevar</li></ul> <p><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/h5_Ck4TIZZY" frameborder="0" width="560" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <ul> <li>Superfast Love–Bhagwan Dada (1986)–Anuradha Paudwal & Kishore Kumar–Rajesh Roshan–Farouq Kaiser</li></ul> <p><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hRnKBffL_uo" frameborder="0" width="560" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <ul> <li>Jeevan Jyot Jale–Aulad (1987)–Kavita Krishnamurthy–Laxmikant Pyarelal–S. H Bihari</li></ul> <p><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8ta7kEUm8Ww" frameborder="0" width="560" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <ul> <li>Tere Aaane Se–Sherni (1987)–Sadhana Sargam–Kalyanji Anandji–Indeevar</li></ul> <p><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Lhd_qzVwOJc" frameborder="0" width="560" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <ul> <li>Jab Pyar Kiya–Watan Ke Rakhwale (1987)–Anuradha Paudwal & Mod. Aziz–Laxmikant Pyarelal–Majrooh Sultanpuri</li></ul> <p><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/n_U4NLLzxa4" frameborder="0" width="560" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <ul> <li>Dhola Dhol Manjira–Joshilay (1989)–Asha Bhosle & Suresh Wadkar–Rahul Dev Burman–Javed Akhtar</li></ul> <p><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YJG9Fxsc3rU" frameborder="0" width="560" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <ul> <li>Are You Ready–Naakabandi (1990)–Usha Uthup–Bappi Lahiri -Anjaan</li></ul> <p><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/abZGNeZLVzs" frameborder="0" width="560" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <ul> <li>Yaad Nahin Bhool Gaya–Lamhe (1991)–Lata Mangeshkar & Suresh Wadkar–Shiv-Hari–Anand Bakshi</li></ul> <p><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1w08cVDUYYE" frameborder="0" width="560" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <ul> <li>Mere Watan Mein–Khuda Gawah (1992)–Alka Yagnik & Suresh Wadkar–Laxmikant Pyarelal–Anand Bakshi</li></ul> <p><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-0SUZ0di3Po" frameborder="0" width="560" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <ul> <li>Jaanewale Zara Ruk Ja–Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja (1993)–Laxmikant Pyarelal–Javed Akhtar</li></ul> <p><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/C0WIauQxXK0" frameborder="0" width="560" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <ul> <li>I am Very Very Sorry–Chaand Ka Tukda (1994)–Lata Mangeshkar & Vipin Sachdeva–Mahesh Kishor–Sawan Kumar Tak</li></ul> <p><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/X5_0v5BgYYI" frameborder="0" width="560" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <ul> <li>Dhak Dhak Dil Dhadak Raha Hai–Laadla (1994)–Poornima–Anand Milind–Sameer</li></ul> <p><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/O0K8Qbqp5nI" frameborder="0" width="560" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <ul> <li>Mujhe Ek Pal Chain Na Aaye–Judaai (1997)–Jaspinder Narula & Hariharan–Nadeem Shravan–Sameer</li></ul> <p><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/klxi8hviwMA" frameborder="0" width="560" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>Aditya Panthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11481497663140098296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29329545.post-83770548236095058632017-05-06T20:57:00.001+05:302017-05-07T08:51:17.370+05:30The Begging Bowl …<h1></h1> <h1></h1> <h3 align="left">… Not limited by Centuries or Geography</h3> <p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8BF_kijoIsQJBTxVy2LDavWc-sNokcnU3P759uPGvn0_R-HqHeaxs1R4jeWT1pZ5_UgM__4kj89q1e-GhgLETcVECJsfvlKvsn7zURi9k9Z__a8cHA_mDKQUcFrBVbij84z0U/s1600-h/Begging+bowl%255B6%255D"><img title="Begging bowl" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="Begging bowl" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqLfWNDiHanT5xDtOygftMgIUEdu2H14m19Siz-_kx2z80PhjCbAKyzUpFD2tkDXI7hrw1cvTeRUitZcmI3a-EfzQWo0yUh58yCVqPtwJR7W88WqvCZLuezbLd9UyPjHZicPFS/?imgmax=800" width="504" height="504"></a></p> <p align="center">परदेसी कै घाघरै चहु दिस लागी आग<br>खिंथा जल कोइला भई तागे आँच न लाग</p> <p align="center">खिंथा जल कोइला भई खापर फूट मफूट<br>जोगी बपुड़ा खेलिओ आसन रही बिभूत</p> <p align="center">(The robe of the stranger-soul has caught fire on all four sides<br>The cloth has been burnt and reduced to charcoal, but the fire did not touch the thread of the soul</p> <p align="center">The cloth has been burnt and reduced to charcoal, and the begging bowl is shattered into pieces<br>The poor Yogi has played out his game, only ashes remain on his seat)<sup>1</sup></p> <p>That was the greatest fakir of all time - <strong>Kabir</strong> - equating *mind* to a begging bowl (<em>khaapar</em>)... the kind that is always keeps filling up with desire till the day it 'cracks'. The delicious pun on khaapar, meaning both the skull and a begging bowl, adds layers of meaning to this doha <p>Legends related to Buddha use the begging bowl as a symbol for non-attachment. <p>For <strong>Mir</strong>, the eyes were a begging bowl <p align="center">कासा-ए-चश्म ले के जूँ नरगिस<br>हम ने दीदार की गदाई की</p> <p align="center">(having taken the begging-bowl of the eye, like the narcissus,<br>we begged for a vision/sight)<sup>2</sup></p> <p><strong>Ghalib</strong> hinted at the begging bowl (<em>kaasa</em>) being the heart, which gets illumined by mystic enlightenment <p align="center">ज़कात-ए-हुस्न दे ऐ जलवा-ए-बीनिश कि मिहर-आसा<br>चिराग़-ए-ख़ाना-ए-दरवेश हो कासा गदाई का</p> <p align="center">(give alms of beauty, oh glory/appearance of sight, so that like the sun<br>a begging bowl may be the lamp of the <font color="#000000">Darvesh</font><font color="#000000">'s</font> house)<sup>3</sup></p> <p>In this very century, <strong>Bono</strong> brought in a similar imagery where at the 'Moment of Surrender', the *body* was a begging bowl <p align="center">I've been in every black hole<br>At the altar of the dark star<br>My body's now a begging bowl<br>That's begging to get back, begging to get back<br>To my heart<br>To the rhythm of my soul<br>To the rhythm of my unconsciousness<br>To the rhythm that yearns<br>To be released from control</p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:28fc9da1-49c6-45ac-9390-e7889f8f1c14" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/s14CZkO29-w&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/s14CZkO29-w&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Moment of Surrender - U2</div></div> <p>Around the same time, <strong>Ilaiyaraja</strong> too called the body a begging bowl (<em>pichchai paathiram</em>). The song was used by Bala to be filmed on beggars for his film<em> Naan Kadavul</em> (2009), not just any beggar but physically and mentally challenged beggars controlled by a cruel Don of a begging mafia. The video is quite graphic and a little difficult to watch, but portions showing these exploited beggars snatching away some moments of fun from a horrendous daily routine are touching.</p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:e38efe80-cba0-4cf4-bbab-96d03a84c107" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2mwIBL-nyKw&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2mwIBL-nyKw&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Pichchai Paathiram - Naan Kadavul (Tamil, 2009)–Madhu Balakrishna–Ilaiyaraja</div></div> <p> <hr> <h4>References:</h4> <ol> <li><a href="http://www.gursevak.com/readsggs?ang=1366" target="_blank">Gursevak.com – Guru Granth Sahib</a> <li>Tumultuous Poetry: A Selection and Detailed Examination of the Ghazals of Mir bu Shamsur Rahman Faruqi – extract sourced from <a href="http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00garden/02c/0299/0299_13.html" target="_blank">Frances W. Pritchett’s work on Mir</a> <li>Frances W. Pritchett’s Ghalib site – <a href="http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00ghalib/024/24_03.html" target="_blank">Ghazal 24, Verse 3</a></li></ol>Aditya Panthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11481497663140098296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29329545.post-72220842546233894932017-02-24T11:13:00.000+05:302017-02-25T13:53:57.765+05:30Soaring Romantic, Scorching Verses … Remembering Kaifi Azmi<p><em>This piece is written by <strong>Archana Gupta</strong>. It first appeared as part of the Guzra Hua Zamana series on Sangeet Ke Sitare, a music group on Facebook.</em></p> <hr> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVVV0BueJcpLxpcCzncKMNAr75oI775d8LWIHLiA9pDOMkNJlMx53g6BAHD58tqemIlBNhHHtp2paocsw-ochEpTVb569K0oJR_FDaHbQnjXIS0l2ocolraRmBwlKsxxhN9pML/s1600-h/Kaifi-Collage_33.jpg"><img title="Kaifi Collage_3" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="Kaifi Collage_3" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-7FdE2ft0-rKpT8Cr-KvOf4bvkEyO_VpymAn5Vlvoov0xo7L-HVWH2guH82l-Eq_ZksU-Hk-ffymSuvjMzct1Q1UrrUmegF7oav-7TfzyQ0IHCEW2nfUrdpeBP5znt9Fp7Kt/?imgmax=800" width="504" height="604"></a> <blockquote> <p align="center">दो निगाहों का अचानक वो तसादुम तौबा <br>ठेस लगते ही उड़ा ‘इश्क़ शरारा बन कर <br>... <br>अब शरारा यही उसके दिल-ए-बेदार में है <br>और 'कैफ़ी' मेरे तपते हुए अश'आर में है <p align="center">Ah! that sudden collision of two glances <br>Impact that sent a spark of romance soaring <br>… <br>Now that spark lives in her restless heart <br>And exhilaration in my scorching verses </p></blockquote> <h3>Kaifi, The Child – The Beginning </h3> <p>A child is born as a seventh child to a well to do, educated, and progressive thinking landowner and his wife. The father is way ahead of his time and has sent each of his older three boys to English schools to get a modern education and has himself decided to seek employment in the city of Lucknow, leaving his family occupation to his brother. A few years down the road, four beloved daughters of the family, sisters of this child succumb to tuberculosis, one after another. That convinces the parents that the calamities are a result of providing an English education to the older boys and they must get this child religious education so that he becomes a “Maulavi”. The child is confined to a life in the small village he was born in, kept away from a modern education and never learns any English. He is sent to a traditional Madrasa eventually but destiny has something completely different in store for him. What you ask? Well, I tell you that this child was Syed Athar Husain Rizvi, better known as Kaifi Azmi! <p>By most accounts, Kaifi Azmi was born on January 14th, 1918 in a very small village called Mijwan in Azamgarh district of Eastern Uttar Pradesh. However, he himself begins an autobiographical article stating that all he can say with surety is that he was born in pre-independent India, has grown old in independent India and will die in Socialist India! His early childhood was spent accompanying his mother who was busy running from pillar to post trying in vain to save the lives of her daughters. After the death of his sisters, he was assigned to helping his paternal uncle in the fields at a fairly tender age instead of being sent to school, while he was actually most interested in studying and would create a ruckus every time his brothers were to leave for school at the end of a break. <p>While the parents wanted Kaifi to get a religious education so that at least one of their children will be able to perform “Faatihah” – prayers for blessings on the dead, his paternal uncle wanted him to get no education at all! To Kaifi’s utter dismay, he convinced Kaifi’s father, Syed Fatah Husain Rizvi, to let the child help out in the fields. One fine day, their largest field was to be cut and uncle had to go out. Kaifi was left in charge with strict instructions to not allow any worker to cheat when keeping their own share aside. He got extremely distracted by a beautiful young lady worker and allowed her far more than her share of the grains. When the uncle returned, another old lady complained against Kaifi and the uncle was extremely upset. He told the parents that their son was unfit to take care of the family business/zamindari! It was as if fate intervened to fulfill Kaifi’s desire for an education as his parents packed him off to Lucknow for religious education at Sultanul Madaris, the largest Shia religious school in the city! </p> <h3>Kaifi, the Youth – Budding Poet & Comrade </h3> <p>Kaifi started his education at Sultanul Madaris as a boarding school inmate. Now he would go home only during holidays. Other than the fact that he was finally getting a formal education, this phase of his life was very notable on two counts. One, it was during these years that he started his own poetic journey and he was first introduced to progressive literature. Secondly, it was here that the seeds of Socialism and Communism were sown in young Kaifi’s mind and ideas like protesting against establishment/ unfair practices, etc. took root and even got put into practice. So, this was also the beginning of Comrade Kaifi’s journey. These two aspects – poetry and communist/socialist beliefs define the core of Kaifi Azmi’s personality and greatly influenced every other aspect of his existence. <p>While he had started his formal education rather late, Urdu poetry came naturally to him via the exposure through his own family. His father was not formally a poet himself but was very fond of poetry and the house was full of Urdu and Persian Diwans of several poets. All three of his brothers were proper “shu’ara” (poets) who sported a “takhallus” (pen-name) and maintained a “bayaaz”(notebook to jot down poetry). Whenever they came home for a break, poetry gatherings or she’ri mehfils /mushaa’iras would be arranged where several shu’ara from the whole district would participate. Little Kaifi would try and find excuses to hang around but was generally shunned and considered too young and too lacking in any knowledge to be allowed to even listen in. He was secretly very envious of the praise that his brothers’ poetry received from their father and yearned for some of it for himself. But his urge to participate in such activities was often stifled and he was asked to run lowly errands like serving paan, etc. Little did anyone know then that one day this child’s poetry would be recognized the world over, or that he will be counted amongst the most brilliant Urdu poets of the century and most talented lyricists in Hindi Film World. <p>He himself recounted an interesting and almost heartbreaking tale in the foreword of one of his poetry compilations. When he was about eleven years old, one such mushaa’ira was organized in Bahraich where his father was employed at an estate as tahsildar. It was a “Tarahi” mushaa’ira with “Meharbaan Hota” as the “Tarah”. This was the first mushaa’ira where he was allowed to recite and he recited a ghazal containing this she’r <p align="center">वो सब की सुन रहे हैं सबको दाद-ए-शौक़ देते हैं <br>कहीं ऐसे में मेरा क़िस्स:-ए-ग़म भी बयाँ होता </p> <p align="center">Vo sab kii sun rahe hain sabko daad-e-shauq dete hain <br>Kahin aise mein mera qissa-e-gham bhi bayaan hotaa </p> <p>The mushaa’ira was being presided upon by a well-known poet Syed Mani Jayasi and he really liked this she’r and asked for it to be repeated multiple times. Kaifi sahib recalls that while a lot of people said appreciative words to him, they all assumed and made it sound like the kalaam presented was written by one of his older brothers and handed to him to present as his own and comments ranged from “You have a sharp memory” to “You have recited very reliably and with confidence”. While these comments hurt Kaifi sahib, he was most bothered by the fact that his own father thought the same! When his brothers denied any involvement, it was decided he should be “tested” to see if the ghazal was his own creation or not! His father’s munshi, Hazrat Shauq Bahraichi was a satirist and provided the tarahi line on which Kafi was asked to write a ghazal. The misra was <p align="center">“इतना हँसे के आँख से आँसू निकल पड़े” <br>“Itna hanse ke aankh se aansoo nikal pade” </p> <p>The ghazal that Kaifi wrote in a very short while went <p align="center">इतना तो ज़िंदगी में किसी की ख़लल पड़े <br>हँसने से हो सुकून न रोने से कल पड़े </p> <p align="center">जिस तरह हँस रहा हूँ मैं पी पी के गर्म अश्क <br>यूँ दूसरा हँसे तो कलेजा निकल पड़े </p> <p align="center">इक तुम कि तुम को फ़िक्र-ए-नशेब-ओ-फ़राज़ है <br>इक हम कि चल पड़े तो बहरहाल चल पड़े </p> <p align="center">साक़ी सभी को है ग़म-ए-तिश्नः-लबी मगर <br>मय है उसी की नाम पे जिस के उबल पड़े </p> <p align="center">मुद्दत के बाद उसने जो की लुत्फ़ की निगाह <br>जी ख़ुश तो हो गया मगर आँसू निकल पड़े </p> <p>Now this ghazal may not be amongst the most stellar of his creations (and he certainly did not consider it so), considering that it came from an eleven year old’s pen, it is absolutely brilliant! And knowing this tale, one can well imagine that a few of these ash’aar (check the second one and the last one) probably describe his own mental state at the time of writing it. In any case, it convinced everyone that he had not cheated and had read his own ghazal. Now most references, even one of Kaifi sahib’s own interview claims this to be the first ghazal he penned but it seems quite obvious that this could only have been his second! In any case, while most of his early kalaam is no longer available, this ghazal survived and is well known also (as his first ghazal) as it was later immortalized by the incomparable Begum Akhtar! </p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:baa98852-2063-49d7-a88e-531157d6e331" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/UQC2BxhgN2I&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UQC2BxhgN2I&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Itna To Zindagi Mein - Begum Akhtar - Khayyam - Kaifi Azmi</div></div> <p>After the break, when he returned to Lucknow, everyone around convinced him that to be a serious Shayar, he must have an Ustaad. He secured an audience with Maulana Safi and recited this same ghazal for him in the hope of receiving an islaah (correction or improvement). The master probably recognized the potential in the young lad’s pen and advised him to continue to read & write independently without getting swayed by the true or false praise that he may be deluged with. He simply considered himself too old and too staid to adequately provide islaah to such a young, intense and impassioned pen. Master’s words were “Agar tumhare kalaam mein zabaan ki kami hai to main use zaroor theek kar sakta hoon, lekin aisa karne se tumhare fikr kii garmii chali jaayegi… Meri ray ye hai ki agar waah waah se gumraah na ho to likhte raho. She’r kii kamiyaan sookhe patton kii tarah girtii chalii jaayengi aur khoobiyaan naii konplon ki tarah phootatii rahengi.” Kaifi sahib took the advice and did exactly that. Rest, as they say, is history! <p>As stated before, Kaifi Sahib was sent to Sultanul Madaris to get a religious education and become a Maulavi but it had quite the opposite impact on his young mind. He has stated in an autobiographical article of sorts that it was here he first understood the meaning of this Farsi couplet <p align="center">मुफ़्तियान् क्-ईन जल्वः बर मिह्राब ओ मिन्बर मी-कुनन्द <br>चून् बि-ख़ल्वत मी-रवन्द, आन् कार-ए-दीगर मी-कुनन्द </p> <p>Which roughly translates to <p align="center">मुफ़्ती लोग *ये* जल्वा मस्जिद और मीनार के बीच दिखलाते है <br>(और/लेकिन) जूँ ही ख़लवत में जाते हैं "उस दूसरे काम" में लग जाते हैं </p> <p>And clearly even when interpreted most innocuously, it is a comment on the fact that religious leaders rarely ever walk the talk, that they preach one thing and practice another. Kaifi Sahib’s comment indicates a strong disillusionment with the religious leadership and indeed, he was disillusioned with the school’s policies also, so much so that he incited and led a strike amongst the students that ultimately resulted in him being expelled from Sultanul Madaris. As Ayesha Siddiqi put it, “Kaifi Sahib ko unke buzurgon ne Sultanul Madaris isliye bheja tha ke wo Faatiha padhnaa seekh jaayenge. Kaifi Sahib wahaan mazhab par Faatiha padh kar nikal aaye! <p>During this strike, he started writing revolutionary poetry to instigate his fellow students and would write almost at the rate of one nazm a day! It was during this time that he was noticed by Ali Abbas Hussaini, a noted Urdu writer, who introduced him to Azam Hussain, then editor of a daily “Sarfaraz” who not only published one of his nazms in the paper but also wrote an editorial in support of the Students’ strike. He was also introduced to Ali Sardar Jafri, who was a key student leader and a position holder in Students Federation, and this was the beginning of a lifelong association. This external support gave a new impetus to Sultanul Madaris agitation. Eventually, the strike was called off after roughly 18 months once students’ demands were accepted. <p>However, in the process, several student leaders, including Kaifi Sahib, were thrown out of the school. Kaifi sahib had anyway, by this time, given up the idea of becoming a Maulavi, although he continued his education privately and appeared for several private examinations collecting various Urdu, Arabic & Persian language degrees from Lucknow & Allahabad Universities. Though he had initially intended to do F.A also and get an “English” education, by this point he was so involved in his poetry and politics that he gave up that idea. <p>During his years in Sultanul Madaris and subsequent time in Allahabad, he was greatly influenced by the Swaraj Andolan that was on in full force in Allahabad and participated in several related agitations. In 1935, First Conference of Progressive Writers Association was held in Lucknow and was presided over by Munshi Premchand. Kaifi sahib also participated in it and from then on was associated with the movement and remained an active member right till the end. Eventually, he landed in Kanpur and got connected to Communist Party, an association that lasted a lifetime and shaped a good part of the man, his mind and the rest of his life. </p> <h3>From Comrade Kaifi to Lyricist Kaifi – Life in Bombay </h3> <p>In 1942, he joined Mill Workers Struggle in Kanpur and this lead to some fiery, scorching verses<img style="float: right; display: inline" src="http://i1.wp.com/azmikaifi.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Young-Kaifi.jpg" width="200" align="right" height="268"> like “Aakhiri Imtihaan”. He sent one of his nazms for publication to a Bombay based publication “Qaumi Jang”, an Urdu newspaper published by the Communist party. The editor, Comrade Sajjad Zaheer really liked it a lot and tracked him down to invite him to move to Bombay and work with him. Kaifi moved to Bombay and started work at the paper in 1943 for a monthly salary of R. 45/-. He was sure an official card bearing Communist Party member now. It was around this time that he got involved with Progressive Writers’ Association (PWA) and Indian Peoples Theatre Association (IPTA) as well. At this point he was also an active participant in mushaa’iras and would travel far and wide for those or for other Party business. <p>In 1947, he visited Hyderabad for one such Mushaa’ira. Here, he was noticed by Ms. Shaukat who was visiting her sister and brother-in-law with whom Kaifi Sahib was staying along with a few other luminaries like Sardar Ali Jafri and Majrooh Sultanpuri. While she was generally impressed with his exceptionally good looks, deep and resonant voice and visually articulate gestures, she was particularly impressed with the boldness of the sentiments expressed in the Nazms he had chosen that day! First one was a Nazm against Taj Mahal and the other was a nazm that has now become synonymous with Kaifi Azmi and frankly, would be enough on its own to immortalize him even if it was the only piece of poetry he ever wrote – “Aurat”. The sentiments and the male view of the female expressed in Aurat is enough to blow a woman off her feet even in today’s world, let alone 70 years ago. The kind of encouragement and partnership it offers to the beloved is simply unparalleled. Kaifi sahib has gone on record saying that it is truly a representative of his personal views with respect to a woman’s role in life both in times of war and in times of peace. The Nazm simply encourages a woman to find and express herself freely, be a man’s equal, chalk her own path and traverse it shoulder to shoulder with her man or without him and not tie herself down or hold herself back in the name of customs, society, family or even love. Shaukat Sahiba has gone on record saying while every word was impressive, she was particularly moved by the following lines and remembers them to date! <p align="center">ज़िंदगी जेहद में है सब्र के क़ाबू में नहीं <br>नब्ज़-ए-हस्ती का लहू काँपते आँसू में नहीं <br>उड़ने खुलने में है निकहत ख़म-ए-गेसू में नहीं <br>जन्नत इक और है जो मर्द के पहलू में नहीं <br>उसकी आज़ाद रविश पर भी मचलना है तुझे <br>उठ मेरी जान मेरे साथ ही चलना है तुझे </p> <p>She asked for his autograph after the mushaa’ira and that was when he first noticed her. Gradually, their attraction grew and they started writing to each other (she was in Hyderabad and he in Bombay). One sees strong shades of the romantic side of Kaifi the poet in his real life romance too. A good example is found in an utterly filmy incident – Apparently, once Shaukat Sahiba got upset at Kaifi Sahib and they had a lovers’ spat. In response, he wrote a beautiful love-letter to her with a pen soaked in his blood in an effort to convince her of his sincerity! It certainly shook her up and though her father tried to calm her down by telling her it must be the goat’s blood that Kaifi used, the lady was more than won! Who could resist a man who signed pledges of never-ending devotion in blood and promised equality and partnership hitherto unheard of in fantastic verses! One wonders could a romance have been better executed even in a planned Bollywood film! It should then be no surprise to anyone that this whirlwind courtship had a predictable, fairytale ending – despite the social and ideological differences between her family and Kaifi Sahib and despite the fact that she was engaged to another, Shaukat Sahiba married Kaifi Sahib the same year and moved to Bombay. <p>Almost no sooner was the knot tied than its strength was put to test by the reality of life as Communist party members. Kaifi Sahib lead a life of austerity that only allowed for basic subsistence –he made Rs 45/- and paid Rs. 30/- for the one room quarter and a bathroom shared amongst 10 families, and his food from the commune kitchen. There was not even enough to pay for Shaukat Sahiba’s food. So he started writing nazms on demand at the rate of Rs. 5 per nazm and wrote one per day, all of which are no longer traceable or available!! This brought him enough money to pay for her food and have some to spare, but still there was never enough. Meanwhile, a baby boy was born to the young couple who lived only for a few months before succumbing to then prevalent illnesses like typhoid and pneumonia. This loss impacted Shaukat sahiba a lot and likely left a mark on Kaifi sahib as well. <p>A few months later, when Shaukat sahiba got pregnant with Shabana, Kaifi sahib woke up to the realization that children and extension in family implies additional expenses. On his friends’ advice, he took up Shahid Latif’s offer to write songs for his film and wrote two and a half songs for Shahid Latif’s 1951 film Buzdil. For this, he was paid a princely sum of Rs. 1000/- This marked the start of next major phase in his life and career! </p> <h3>Kaifi, the Artiste Extraordinaire </h3> <p>After Buzdil, Kaifi penned most of the songs of Bahu-Beti in 1952. This was primary a Geeta Dutt soundtrack with music by S. D. Batish. While it was easy to imagine a bonafide Urdu poet penning songs of Buzdil, several of the Bahu-Beti songs are very folkish in lyrics, be it the preening “Chhumak Chhumak Mora Baaje Ghungharva”, humorously teasing “Gori Dulhaniya” or the decidedly naughty “Mose Chanchal Jawaani Sambhali Nahin Jaaye”. These songs provided an early window into the versatility of Kaifi Sahib’s pen! In the following years he penned a one or two songs of several films like Gulbahar (1954), Hatimtai Ki Beti, Naata, Sakhi Hatim, and Shahi Chor (all 1955), Laal-e-Yaman, Sultana Daku, Yahudi Ki Beti, and Zindagi (all 1956), Jannat (1957), Chandu (1958), etc. but all of these films tanked big time at the box office and took the songs also down the drain along with them. Despite some being excellent songs, very few are remembered by even the old Hindi film music enthusiasts today. <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigWrmkb_vGWJHpi7Zu3X4OFmiNAuv4IT-9oXP8-dl-YDgLjWFBiP2fj3ejb1ECnn9SxL6K-ZzdJJyJYmrJMhyZ7OJEdx5E6jSli4gSaACABVqvyL_pDvxfOPKwFwkCc7WDhPKi/s1600-h/lalarookh2.jpg"><img title="lalarookh" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 6px 0px 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="lalarookh" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh708-9NuTQmDvuP4y4xvdxxXZ5XhOKsXQe_ZfaO2Z0LT7JB7nEB8VFUJ010VQ0kIrtCiXNHAA38ePRRe_di-lY03QLyrdHqeSh4K52HS04utSFk_fzcD2JFgjjeskbQtnux8m6/?imgmax=800" width="225" align="left" height="244"></a>Kaifi sahib’s next noteworthy film ventures were in 1958 when he penned the songs of Lala Rukh and he was requested to recite one of his nazms, “Makaan”, that was filmed on Balraj Sahni in the film Sone Ki Chidiya. That nazm is an ode to the laborers who construct houses and buildings for others while most of them themselves have no roof over their heads and spend their nights on the footpaths and under the flyovers. Naturally, it touches a chord with hardworking common men and women even today. Some of the songs of Lala Rukh gained some popularity then and are heard even today (“Hai Kali Kali Ke Lab Par”, “Aana Hi Padega” and “Pyaas Kuchh Aur Bhi Bhadka Di”, etc.). The next major film for which Kaifi sahib wrote songs was Guru Dutt’s Kaghaz Ke Phool, a film that only brought heartache to its creator then (and possibly to Kaifi Sahib as well) but is now recognized as one of the all-time classics of Indian Cinema. A couple of songs from the film (“Dekhi Zamaane Ki Yaari”, Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam”) enjoy almost cult status. A story goes that Dada Burman & Kaifi Sahib worked together to create the pathos laden “Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam” and had Geeta rehearse it when there really was no situation for it in the film. It was presented to Guru Dutt, who with his keen musical acumen, instantly recognized its merit and asked for it to be recorded while readjusting the storyline to create a situation for it. Its subsequent picturization and later popularity is of course stuff that legends are made of. </p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:23ab14ad-fcae-47b0-900b-32f13a860216" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/MZ3S4-bm70s&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/MZ3S4-bm70s&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam - Kaghaz Ke Phool (1959) - Geeta Dutt - Sachin Dev Burman - kaifi Azmi</div></div> <p>Despite writing good songs, Kaifi Sahib’s films saw little commercial success and Kaifi Sahib came to be known as “unlucky”, a belief that seemed to get further validation by dismal performance of next several releases like 40 Days (“Baithe Hain Rahguzar Pe”, “Naseeb Hoga Mera Meharbaan”), Apna Haath Jagannath (“Chhayii Ghata Bijli Kadki”), Ek Ke Baad Ek, Razia Sultana, Bijli Chamke Jamuna Paar, Gyarah Hazaar Ladakiyan, Naqli Nawab, etc. Two 1961 releases fared much better musically – Shama composed by Ghulam Mohammad (“Dhadakte Dil Ki Tamanna”, “Aapse Pyar Hua Jata Hai”, “Ek Jurm Karke”, “Insaaf Tera Dekha”, and “Mast Ankhon Mein Shararat”, etc.) and Shola Aur Shabnam composed by Khaiyyam (“Jeet Hi Lenge Baazi”, “Jane Kya Dhoondti Rahti Hain”). These songs proved to have an everlasting appeal and are popular to date but this did little to counter the label of “Unlucky” and work became a bit sparse. </p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:5974e646-3e14-44f1-9ca9-2c162d3b0e61" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/LB7rZN-M00I&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/LB7rZN-M00I&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Shaguftagi Ka Latafat Ka - Shama (1961) - Recitation by Nimmi - Ghulam Mohd. - Kaifi Azmi</div></div> <p>The turning point in Kaifi Sahijb’s career came when Chetan Anand approached him to write the songs for his multi-starrer “Haqeeqat”. People warned Chetan Anand to not sign Kaifi but he quipped that he himself is considered unlucky so may be two negatives will make a positive together! And what a prophetic comment that turned out to be! Haqeeqat turned out to be a super hit, the music gained immense popularity, establishing Kaifi-Madan Mohan-Chetan Anand as a team that produced films with great music together - thrice again though with varying degrees of box-office success – Heer Ranjha in 1970, Hindustan Ki Kasam and Hanste Zakhm in 1973. The songs of these films are guaranteed to be instantaneously recalled by almost any old HFM enthusiast as soon as one mentions Kaifi sahib. After all who can forget the eternally inspiring “Kar Chale Ham Fida Jaan-o-Tan Saathiyo”, the desolate “Main Ye Sochkar Uske Dar Se Utha Tha”, the self-comforting “Hoke Majboor Mujhe Usne Bhulaaya Hoga”, utterly delightful “Zara Si Aahat Hoti Hai” or the patriotic “Hindustan Ki Kasam”, the very romantic “Har Taraf Ab Yahi Afsane Hain “, the ultimate declaration of devotion ” Hai Tere Saath Meri Wafa” or the softly sentimental “Tum Kya Jaano Tum Kya Ho”, naughtily teasing qawwali “Ye Maana Meri Jaan Muhabbat Sazaa Hai”, the very eagerly anticipatory “Betaab Dil Ki Tamanna” or the unimaginably poignant “Aaj Socha To Aansoo Bhar Aaye”. This last one is a beautiful ghazal that portrays extreme pain of the character with words like <p align="center">रह गयी ज़िंदगी दर्द बन के <br>दर्द दिल में छुपाए छुपाए </p> <p align="center">and <p align="center">दिल की नाज़ुक रगें टूटती हैं <br>याद इतना भी कोई न आए </p> <p>Certainly words that bring the pain alive for the listeners. Using such a short meter so effectively is a sure sign of a master poet in action! </p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:5007ce74-2237-4f6e-8d83-ef7db27b577b" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Sxgq4K4xwuU&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Sxgq4K4xwuU&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Betaab Dil Ki Tamanna - Hanste Zakhm (1973) - Lata Mangeshkar - Madan Mohan - Kaifi Azmi</div></div> <p>Heer Ranjha, incidentally, also marks an exclusive feat in Kaifi Sahib’s film repertoire, or even in Hindi Cinema, a feat that goes much beyond song-writing or script/dialog writing, both of which Kaifi Sahib had done before. Heer Ranjha was a unique concept in Chetan Anand’s head that he had tried executing before with different lyricists but failed - he wanted all the dialogs for the film to be in verse form but had not found a poet/lyricist who could deliver what he wanted to his satisfaction and the project was lying abandoned. After the success of Haqeeqat and its music, his hopes of bringing this idea to fruition resurfaced and he asked Kaifi Sahib to work on this project. Kaifi sahib delivered absolutely on expectation and the film was made. Unfortunately it did not jive as much with the audience and Kaifi sahib never got as much credit or recognition for this unique feat. The songs of the film, on the other hand, were much liked, be it the feathery soft touch of “Meri Duniya Mein Tum Aayiin” or the loud wail of “Ye Duniya Ye Mehfil” or the energetic, unabashed claim of “Milo Na Tum To Hum Ghabraayein” or the poignant heartbreak of “Do Dil Toote, Do Dil Haare”. </p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:71efdc1b-5ced-4630-957a-ef453410be1c" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hp6rG0N-qPs&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hp6rG0N-qPs&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Do Dil Toote - Heer Ranjha (1970) - Lata Mangeshkar - Madan Mohan - Kaifi Azmi</div></div> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2y38C07nj7h9wzp6aYoHkJsA0pEMB9r0rOaWSWjHnN2_O9jUg7tefpS_PM9zAfNCZ_znW3QaO2jvRS8oufm0kdXlwVJP8H8_JfnwAOzT5JtP0ipdhCLhyphenhyphenh8SUqPwWe7tWKFPp/s1600-h/dak-ghar_19654.jpg"><img title="dak-ghar_1965" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="dak-ghar_1965" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2AL4t7qa2lNKcNRikAaAXEdkE3xI_odUR4BVoIAViWrbGfmXSbhrHoLvUmtQobDK4v3YRbh4ASqnBC2D-h4jP-OFnKDbU8TPmwYRHNdHhd6xmXQ1eAcmsqg1msr4GDAeGdyjz/?imgmax=800" width="204" align="right" height="152"></a>Kaifi Sahib’s association with Madan Mohan was far more prolific than just the films with Chetan Anand. They also collaborated for the songs of Daak Ghar (1966), Naunihaal and Ghar Ka Chiragh (both 1967), Maan Ka Anchal, Maharaja (1970), Parwana (1971), Bawarchi, Sultana Daku (1972), Asliyat (1974). Inspector Eagle, released in 1979, much after Madan Mohan’s death, was the last venture where they shared credits for songs. <p>Haqeeqat heralded an extremely successful phase in Kaifi Sahib’s career as a lyricist that was marked by films with some evergreen songs and collaborations with the popular and not so popular Music Directors of the time, like Kohra, Faraar and Anupama with Hemant Kumar, Aakhiri Khat and Sankalp with Khaiyyam, Satyakaam with Laxmikant Pyarelal, Uski Kahani with Kanu Roy, Do Boond Paani with Jaidev, Pakeezah (“Chalte Chalte” only) with Ghulam Mohammad and Naina with Shankar-Jaikishan, etc. He won the National Film Award for Best Lyrics for the song “Aandhi Aaye Ke Toofan” of Saat Hindustani in 1969 </p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:a733a4b8-d0eb-4163-8a15-c61d0e495ef4" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Heesf1Ne7ZE&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Heesf1Ne7ZE&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Aandi Aaye Ke Toofan - Saat Hindustani (1969) - Mahendra Kapoor & Chorus - J. P Kaushik - Kaifi Azmi</div></div> <p>In February 1973, he suffered from a paralytic attack and it appeared that that may just be the end of Kaifi Sahib’s active career. But that did not turn out to be the case at all. His will power and internal strength was far more than the potency of his disease. Just five days after the attack, when he regained some of his faculties, he dictated a nazm called “Dhamaka” to Shama Zaidi capturing the explosion he had felt in his head. In the same month, even before he was released from the Hospital, he wrote a nazm called “Zindagi” that is counted amongst his choicest nazms – sign of a very positive personality and a bonafide artist. </p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:eadf5d1a-8cc1-41ed-bd47-cc308341a043" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/tSuLszA1R7s&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/tSuLszA1R7s&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Zindagi Recited by Kaifi Azmi</div></div> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPeSTp1GCVfBI-GP6__NPoOQlalGVY0S7mGxHGK_mcyvF3WqjgI3-X24SnpefnLTrgHDAJopJ6G3PlAKT1-TLWh7fopvJnrEzC5BGsH0mKmdk579kWAWoAXN91_6hpbso3uS4p/s1600-h/arth3.jpg"><img title="arth" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 6px 0px 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="arth" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Usm_CQ0xDFh1wGii_-tnCO3i8_s8-MY3clqMKieSRDokMvM0BGXu_Utf0x-qgtcH2igmzXqVhipBkp3kiIYyu42rkfm6O4mihr3PyzkeSnOj-0Qzjxg6UYm86itS_pOGrTmV/?imgmax=800" width="224" align="left" height="118"></a>After a gap of about two years, HFM world started seeing Kaifi sahib’s contributions again. Some of the more notable films from Kaifi Sahib’s second innings were Faasla with Jaidev, Toote Khilaune, Suraag, and Bhavna with Bappi Lahiri, Ek Pal with Bhupen Hazarika, Main Azaad Hoon with Amar Utpal, Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayi and Tamanna with Anu Malik and Arth with Jagjit Singh. This last one was of particular note. The film was excellent and the songs were much appreciated. While “Koi Ye Kaise Bataye” is a song with minimal music that is carried by the lyrics alone (much like “Main ye sochkar”) and very effectively portrays the confusion of a jilted spouse, “Jhuki Jhuki Si Nazar” is a question from a tentative or prospective beau, and “Tum Itna Jo Muskura Rahe Ho” is a comment of a lover who knows and reads the other well. They mark the three stages of relationships effectively. In this case, the end of one comes before the beginning of another and then there is the deep familiarity of course. All in all, it is a beautiful soundtrack where music and words combine to provide a heavenly experience. Unsurprisingly, it was lapped up eagerly by discerning music listeners and has retained its appeal to date. And then there was Chand Grahan with Jaidev that remained unreleased but had some fantastic songs like “Tumhi Ne Dil Ko Dil Samjha Nahin Hai”, “Tujh Ko Yoon Dekha Hai” and “Sansar Ke Sab Sukh Tere”. </p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:2e604f7b-52b1-44e8-95de-51eab3e46be5" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/zcoN43eDid8&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/zcoN43eDid8&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Tujhko Yoon Dekha Hai - Chand Grahan (Unreleased) - Mukesh - Jaidev - Kaifi Azmi</div></div> <p>His non-Hindi Film ventures include Bhojpuri songs of Balma Bada Nadan, a Bhojpuri film in 1964 and a couple of songs for a Bengali film Aalor Pipasha (songs were in Hindi/Urdu) in 1965. Both these films featured Hemant Kumar as the music director. </p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:6315cfc9-2aa6-402d-8d61-fa15148099e1" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2ADBziOOo9I&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2ADBziOOo9I&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Na Bajao Bansuri - Aalor Pipasha (Bengali) - Lata Mangeshkar - Hemant Kumar - Kaifi Azmi</div></div> <p>In terms of style and versatility, Kaifi sahib’s oeuvre could compete with the best in HFM world. Besides language spectrum that was already pointed out, the genre range is fairly wide too. He has ghazal as a basic tool that he has used effectively as romantic songs like “Dhadakte Dil Ki Tamanna Ho Mera Pyar Ho Tum” and “Bahaaro Mera Jeevan Bhi Sanwaaro” at one end and heartbreakingly sad songs like “Aaj Socha To Aansoo Bhar Aaye” at the other, with the usual yet unusual mujras like “Hone Lagi Hai Raat Jawaan, Jaagte Raho” in between. Then there are the almost free form nazms like “Main Ye Soch Kar Uske Dar Se Utha Tha”, “Dekhi Zamaane Ki Yaari”, and “Koi Ye Kaise Bataaye” that express pathos simply yet most poignantly, thus making themcompletely unforgettable. Add to that the qawwalis that he has penned beautifully for different kinds of situations – romance of “Ye Maana Meri Jaan Muhabbat Saza Hai” and “Dil Gayaa To Gayaa” contrast well with the devotion of “Maula Salim Chishti” of Garam Hawa. Of course there are the usual three line antara structure songs - pretty much the whole gamut of poetry “structures” find their place in his repertoire. </p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:bbbea7af-3d36-459e-bcf7-333706017f9a" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/wxlti_oTfcw&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/wxlti_oTfcw&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">DIl Gaya To Gaya - Shama (1961) - Shamshad Begum, Suman Kalyanpur & Chorus - Ghulam Mohd. - Kaifi Azmi</div></div> <p>Kaifi sahib’s lyrics traverse a broad range of emotions and exhibit his pen’s versatility on that count as well. Romance, anguish, pathos, patriotism in his songs have already been mentioned before. Add to those the wistfulness of “Kuchh Aisi Bhi Baatein Hoti Hain”, “Chalte Chalte Yoon Hi Koi Mil Gaya Tha” and “Aaj Ki Kali Ghata”, philosophic musings of “Sab Thaat Pada Reh Jayega”, “Badal Jaaye Agar Maali”, and “Zindagi Cigarette Ka Dhuan”, slight suggestiveness of “Mose Chanchal Jawani Sambhali Na Jaaye” and “Jalta Hai Badan”, hope and faith of “Naseeb Hoga Mera Meharbaan Kabhi Na Kabhi” and “Jeet Hi Lenge Baazi”, maternal affection of “Mere Chanda Mere Nanhe”, and we already see the range and sheer talent of Kaifi sahib’s pen. Then there are some obvious songs that one expects from Comrade Kaifi’s pen and these range from the songs in support of farmers (“Jhoome Baali Dhaan Ki Jeet Hui Hai Kisaan Ki”) and all labor classes (“Apne Haathon Ko Pehchaan, Murakh In Mein hai Bhagwaan”) to the obvious slaps on the faces of the corrupt politicians in the form of <p align="center">भीतर भीतर खाये चलो बाहर शोर मचाये चलो <br>(Bheetar Bheetar Khaaye Chalo, Baahar Shor Machaaye Chalo) </p> <p>and the humorous yet biting satire on the state of bureaucracy in the form of <p align="center">परमिट परमिट परमिट, परमिट के लिए मर मिट <br>परमिट बिना इस जहाँ में दो दिन भी न जिया जाए <br>दुनिया से बड़ा तू दुनिया बसाने वाले <br>तुझसे भी हैं ऊँचे परमिट बनाने वाले <br>(Permit, Permit Permit, Permit Ke Liye Mar Mit) </p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:fda716ac-3e7f-49a8-8d6f-6e6116e9ab22" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YZJ25v2o-M0&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YZJ25v2o-M0&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Permit Permit Permit - Apna Haath Jagannath (1960) - Kishore Kumar - Sachin Dev Burman - Kaidfi Azmi</div></div> <p>While all these are expected from a lyricist and poet of his caliber, he has some surprises up his sleeve too. Consider the pure fun of “Chal Chalam Chal Challam Chal”, a song written for children that subtly conveys the message of Unity in Diversity under the guise of seemingly fanciful lyrics. Then there are devotionals on both sides of the religious lines. On one end he writes songs like “Rakhta Hai Jo Roza Kabhi Bhookha Na Rahega” and “Parvardigara Hum Besahaaron Ka Tu Hi” and on the other end he pens in references from Mahabharat and Ramayan into bhajan like “Ghanshyam Ghanshyam Shyam Shyam Re” and employs both Geeta’s message as well as shlokas in inspirational songs like “Tu Hi Saagar Hai Tu Hi Kinaara, Dhoondhtaa Hai Tu Kiska Sahaara”. Surely signs of an aware individual seeped in fusion culture popularly known as Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb! Though one can’t help but notice that even in such devotional songs, Kaifi sahib’s pen often introduces and even champions basic humanity over and above any religion. For instance consider the last antara of “Rakhta Hai Jo Roza Kabhi Bhookha Na Rahega”. After proclaiming the various merits of a Roza, he eventually writes <p align="center">रोज़े का ये मतलब है के ख़ैरात करो तुम <br>भूखों की मदद जिससे हो वो बात करो तुम </p> <p>And one sees that the humanitarian aspect of the poet’s thought outshines all purely religious narrative – a feat certainly not unexpected from Kaifi Sahib. </p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:75f91b52-211c-47ac-baf9-0497951f1d7f" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/bdHZ1QP-yh4&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/bdHZ1QP-yh4&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Rakhta Hai Jo Roza - Shaan-e-Khuda (1971) - Asha Bhosle - Iqbal Qureishi - Kaifi Azmi</div></div> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhinvMeQo0HoxTxzCVE9K7NBsqrCxzfhQQ6FLkWhjbYsgudGEaV8rPW6Nqi3V97i6HRTtoZSJC9C_MQL_NsIVpwL4Kp1F791DQPsUvbI80UkrbypbpZqlx9hASHCvIL3Fa-ucSo/s1600-h/eid-ka-chand2.jpg"><img title="eid ka chand" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="eid ka chand" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKJynfFqZPdW7JAyB5pvoKs1iaFkrLQzKvWmI5hqfmv6qWJn14a1ShhEGSjqwmC4w2SpWH0flfVrrOkHZNDYo7k1RTqSy5G-BreXnQrlXYG2q45OKvsG1hr5_q0qJvMKEEQFWq/?imgmax=800" width="244" align="right" height="177"></a>Kaifi sahib was not just a poet and a lyricist but was a true multi-faceted, multi-talented artiste. His other forays into the film world include script, screenplay and dialog writing. Heer Ranjha was discussed earlier. Besides that, Garam Hawa directed by M. S. Sathyu is a very critically acclaimed and memorable film for which he wrote the dialogs and co-wrote the story and screenplay. It is amongst the most sensitive and poignant films made on India’s partition and won Kaifi sahib the Filmfare Awards for Best Dialogue, and Best Screenplay in 1975. Other films for which he wrote the script and/or dialogs are Heer (1956), Yahudi Ki Beti (1956), Parvin (1957), Miss Punjab Mail (1958), Eid Ka Chand (1958), Shama (1961), Naina (1973), Manthan (1976) and Kanneshwara Rama (1977). A collection of his lyrics titled Meri Aawaaz Suno and his verse script of Heer Ranjha are both available in book form. <p>In 1995, he stepped in front of the camera for the second time and gave a memorable performance as a lovable grandfather in Saeed Mirza’s film Naseem that was woven around the destruction of Babri masjid in 1992. His earlier appearance was a cameo as himself in Kaghaz Ke Phool in 1959. <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs6VV1o20FYwo4zReKyR4ZaiphRIdoG2GTgu74ZU7owA1NOeYtniPnuS8TzuGSkV0hIqKw3UeTyY9eNXncP0uFb0HBtqtefjwxEHhBEkgJgEE_dlQ0BKpDSrhGomemm95fhd31/s1600-h/6986_Awara-Sajde_l2.jpg"><img title="6986_Awara-Sajde_l" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 6px 0px 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="6986_Awara-Sajde_l" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9NXjqsT8bKAVJK21pzH-zMITfXBKrssz4J-X3JeQ2SYNPf19sHqpbUs87Wnu191LFkhkwV9zCqQW5wvobc1QVIhP6rnC097Rlwofg_-16NG9nPezDFiYthXU21pYcIYqFn4fO/?imgmax=800" width="164" align="left" height="244"></a>On the non-film front also, Kaifi sahib was extremely prolific in a variety of ways. Several major poetry compilations of his nazms and ghazals have been published - Jhankar, Aakhir-e-Shab, Awara Sajde, and Iblees Ki Majlis-e-Shu’ara being four original ones. Another compilation, Sarmaya, was also published with selected poems from Jhankar, Aakhir-e-Shab, and Awara Sijde and a complete collection of his works, Kaifiyat – Kulliyat-e-Kaifi is also available along with several smaller collections of selected poems like Aaj Ke Prasiddh Shaa’ir – Kaifi Azmi with an introduction by his daughter, Shabana Azmi and a detailed Author’s Note by him. Some of his politico-satires originally written as columns in Urdu Blitz have been compiled into two volumes named Nai Gulistan. Doosra Banwas is yet another of his creations and was penned in the aftermath of the fall of Babri Masjid. A set of his poems were translated into English by Pavan Varma and is available by the name of Selected Poems. Of all his published work, Awara Sajde was most controversial as well as the most appreciated one. It won Kaifi sahib several awards and accolades including Sahitya Akademi Award for Urdu in 1975, Uttar Pradesh Urdu Akademi Award, Ghalib Award, Madhya Pradesh Urdu Akademi Award, and Soviet Land Nehru Award <p>His non-film ghazals and nazms have been sung by several big and small names. Biggest and foremost amongst these is Begum Akhtar who sang these in late sixties and early seventies, four seem to be available. In 1977, a private album called Nazrana was released which contains a rich tapestry of commentary by Kaifi sahib woven around progression of a love story punctuated by his ghazals sung by Nina & Rajinder Mehta. A second one, Shaguftagi, was released in 2001 where Udit Narayan, Alka Yagnik, Kavita Krishnamurthy and Roop Kumar Rathod have lent their voices under Khayyam’s music direction. In 2003, Pyar Ka Jashn came out with some nazms and ghazals sung by Roop Kumar Rathod. All of these were personally selected by Shaukat Sahiba but only a few got recorded during Kaifi sahib’s lifetime. </p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:5851c4aa-b73b-43a8-8041-8b592e533bc0" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ni9-pxkMBnE&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ni9-pxkMBnE&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Shaguftagi - Kavita Krishnamurthy, Alka Yagnik, Roop Kumar Rathod, Udit Narayan - Khayyam - Kaifi Azmi</div></div> <p>Not only was Kaifi sahib a renowned poet, he was also a playwright par excellence. He was an active IPTA member and served as its all India president. The first play he wrote for IPTA was Bhootgaadi. In 1969, he wrote a play in verse called Aakhiri Shama specifically as IPTA’s contribution to the special Ghalib Birth Centenary celebrations. It was based on Dilli Ki Aakhiri Shama, a modern Urdu classic by Janab Farhatullah Baig that is a fictional account of a mushaa’ira held in Delhi in 1845 under the patronage of Bahadur Shah Zafar. Kaifi sahib further embellished his play borrowing incidents mentioned in Ghalib’s own letters. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD5-vbVnofz_SQPe5DQfV773spYZN3tiqsfEf_CME9zMw2DAhCNd8rVZuuQ3xJOYCfeTo3sX5rSR00jbXgFBz2T_QoktkVjWGWkXB9UoWJKZFSsJh_7TDLHPiocB840rS7mrG0/s1600-h/portrait-of-a-genius2.jpg"><img title="portrait of a genius" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="portrait of a genius" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkg7eLfBBwynmuwzFB0dHyfPODdmK5TaTYSiOST-8CQoIpfscrZDBJOA6IR-ix94jWfEQ0f8Y7dc-c_B0XMP485Vf7-9gUiP4guZfxB3ArCn9dnuliUAOy46hDxS6ofau0GOxa/?imgmax=800" width="244" align="right" height="244"></a>While the play was written for just one show, it gained so much popularity that it continued to run for a while and even gave a new lease of life to IPTA which after its period of activity and expansion in the 40s and 50s, had started dwindling in the sixties. Ghalib was a central character and was played by none other than Balraj Sahni. Kaifi sahib also penned a musical called Zehar-e-Ishq which was based on Mirza Shauq’s masnavi and is now available in book form. <p>Like many other poetry enthusiasts, Kaifi sahib seems to have been quite fascinated by Mirza Ghalib and was involved with a couple of ”Ghalib” projects apart from Akhiri Shama He provided narration as Ghalib to at least two projects. First was titled Portrait of a Genius where Begum Akhtar & Mohammad Rafi provided vocals to Ghalib’s ghazals under Khayyam sahib’s baton. The second was a short documentary made by M. S. Sathyu that was researched and scripted by Shama Zaidi and had music by Pandit Amarnath of Garam Coat fame. Ustad Amir Khan was roped into singing a ghazal for it, his only one ever, at Kaifi sahib’s suggestion. <p>Kaifi Sahib is amongst the most decorated literary figures of independent India. He was awarded Padmashree by Government of India in 1974 for his contributions to the field of Urdu literature which he promptly returned. He was also awarded the very prestigious Sahitya Academy Fellowship for Lifetime Achievement in 2002. He also received honorary doctorate degrees from Vishva Bharati University, Shantiniketan, Poorvanchal University and Agra University etc. Afro-Asian Writers Association also awarded him their Lotus award. <br><br> <h3>Kaifi, the Humanitarian </h3> <p>Kaifi sahib was a communist with dreams and aspirations for a socialist India right from his teenage and worked at grass root level for the party. His paralytic stroke and subsequent brush with death in 1973 added a new sense of urgency to the egalitarian and humanitarian aspects of his personality and he started hankering to go back to his roots – to the village he had left decades ago and had hardly ever visited. Eventually he moved to Mijwan, his native village and was shocked to see time seemed to have stood still for the village. There were no signs of any progress at all, there was not even a road that could lead one to the village. <p>Kaifi sahib established an NGO, Mijwan Welfare Society, and became a catalyst for rapid change. First step was to get a 2 Km long road built that connected the main road to the village. Next came the Kaifi Azmi Girls School which started as a Primary School but is now a High School and imparts free education to girls. The nearest Railway station, Khorasan Road, was at risk of being closed when Kaifi Sahib started an agitation against that while in a wheel chair and garnered unprecedented support from the locals. As a result, not only was the station spared, narrow gauge line was converted to regular gauge. He also got a Post Office established in Mijwan. As a result, Mijwan is well connected to several important Indian cities by rail and road and the entire world through postal services. The Mijwan Welfare Society runs the Kaifi Azmi Inter College for girls, Kaifi Azmi Computer Training Center and Kaifi Azmi Embroidary snd Sewing Center for Women also. In short, he brought about the transformation of Mijwan from a sleepy, isolated village to a model, modern one. <p>UP Government recognized his mammoth contributions by naming the road leading to Mijwan, Kaifi Azmi Road and the Highway from Sultanpur to Phulpur, the Kaifi Azmi Highway. The government of India also named the train from Delhi to Azamgarh Kaifiyaat Express in recognition of his colossal contributions. Litterateurs of UP established Kaif Azmi Akademi in his honor while Poorvanchal University, Jaunpur dedicated a Media Center to Kaifi sahib. As a mark of respect, Aligarh University has established a special Kaifi Center in its Library close to where books of its founder Sir Syed Ahmed are kept. <p>His work today is continued by Mijwan Welfare Society with active involvement from his family, especially daughter Shabana Azmi. </p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:36684182-6c2f-4305-a4c9-400f9938ba1c" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/huJohTN_emI&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/huJohTN_emI&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">MIjwan Welfare Society AV</div></div> <h3>Kaifi, the Personal Face, the Essence of the man </h3> <p>By all accounts Kaifi sahib was a simple living, high thinking, and generous individual, a loving and supportive mate and a doting and understanding father. He practiced what he preached – his real beliefs and life experiences were reflected in his poetry and his actions in real life brought his words alive - there simply was no dichotomy between what he said and did. <p>Kaifi Sahib wrote Aurat and promised, even provoked women into demanding freedom and equality. In his own personal life also, he fulfilled his promise in many a ways. Shaukat sahiba initially started working as a theatre artiste to provide additional financial support to the family but she genuinely liked her work and was encouraged and fully supported by her husband. She would often be immersed in her character almost to the exclusion of real life and it would be left to her husband to keep things in the house on an even keel. Whenever she was preparing for a new play, Kaifi sahib would provide her cues so as to help her learn and rehearse her lines! Since he mostly worked from home while she commuted even traveled, he took a lot of the household and child rearing responsibilities upon himself. His children Shabana & Baba often accompanied him to his mushaa’iras when Shaukat sahiba would be unavailable due to her work. <p>His daughter, Shabana Azmi recounts that while he always gave his children unconditional affection and sound advice / guidance, he respected and supported their decisions. He was exceptionally close to his daughter and offered her quiet encouragement irrespective of what choices she made – be it her decision to adopt acting as a career or to go on a hunger strike in support of slum dwellers. His daughter-in-law, Tanvi Azmi, another very accomplished actress, vouches that he always treated her with same respect and affection that he accorded his daughter and she felt more like a daughter than a daughter-in-law, indeed amongst highest of compliments that a father-in-law could ever receive! <p>Moving outside his family and looking at his work in Mijwan also, it becomes very clear that while he cared about the upliftment of the village and its people as a whole, the girl child occupied a special place in his heart and he went to extra lengths to make sure that they were provided the basic tools to lead an independent life and forge a future of choice. <p>He spent the last twenty years of his life living almost exclusively in Mijwaan and working tirelessly for its transformation. The man who wrote <p align="center">प्यार का जश्न नयी तरह मनाना होगा <br>ग़म किसी दिल में सही ग़म को मिटाना होगा <br>: <br>आज हर घर का दिया मुझको जलाना होगा <br>: <br>हमको हँसना है तो औरों को हँसाना होगा </p> <p>actually worked hard to light the lamps in every house of his village and bring a smile to its inhabitants. <p><img style="float: none; margin-left: auto; display: block; margin-right: auto" src="http://www.mijwan.org/images/mws3.jpg"> <p>In his personal life, Kaifi sahib himself was a man of few needs. He almost never discussed remuneration with any of his “employers” and simply accepted what was handed to him. As a result, it is not unexpected that he amassed no wealth. When he passed away in May 2002, sum total of his worldly possessions were a collection of eighteen Mont Blanc pens that he simply adored, always used for writing and took great care of and a Communist Party of India’s Identity Card! He never owned a house of his own except one that was constructed at Mijwan and was more than happy to donate whatever little savings he had to various causes, Communist Party coffers being the major beneficiaries. <p>Though a man of few words in real life, he possessed an amazing sense of humor. While his film lyrics and better known and celebrated poetry does not generally tend to be humor laden or funny, his interactions in the recorded mushaa’iras bear a witness to his ready wit and humor. His daughter recollects that he would find a way to make an “April Fool” out of her every year, without fail! He had an amazing ability to mimic people and would weave jokes around his family members that would entertain all of them over and over again. <p>It became evident to me from several incidents and testimonials that I came across that Kaifi sahib was an optimist to the core, a forward looking man who believed if one makes sincere and untiring effort towards a goal, eventually, the goal is achieved at some point. Even if effort does not come to fruition immediately, one must not give up. His leadership style was also very hands on. If IPTA needed a Ghalib centenary contribution, Kaifi sahib jumped in to write a play. If a railway station needed to be saved from being closed, Kaifi sahib showed up to stir an agitation by camping in the middle of the Railway lines! He was a rare breed - a doer, not just a talker and lead by example. <p><img style="float: left; display: inline" src="http://im.rediff.com/movies/2010/feb/15slide3.jpg" width="210" align="left" height="190">As mentioned before, he left for his heavenly abode on May 10th, 2002 leaving behind his wife Shaukat Azmi, daughter Shabana, son-in-law Javed Akhtar, son Baba and daughter-in-law Tanvi Azmi along with wider family in the form of the inhabitants of Mijwaan and countless grieving fans and a rich, very rich legacy of poetry, lyrics and above all lessons in humanity. Though he is physically no more with us, he lives on through his works in literature and his NGO. As he himself said in a song he wrote for Pt. Nehru’s last farewell in Naunihaal (and it holds good for Kaifi sahib himself too) - Lives like his should be celebrated, not mourned. Those who live like him, never die. <p align="center">ज़िंदगी भर मुझे नफरत सी रही अश्कों से <br>मेरे ख़्वाबों को तुम अश्कों में डुबोते क्यूँ हो <br>जो मेरी तरह जिया करते हैं कब मरते हैं? <br>थक गया हूँ मुझे सो लेने दो, रोते क्यूँ हो? <br>सो के भी जागते ही रहते हैं जाँबाज़ सुनो <br>मेरी आवाज़ सुनो, प्यार का राज़ सुनो <br>मेरी आवाज़ सुनो </p> <p align="center"><strong><em>Long Live Comrade Kaifi!!</em></strong></p> <hr> <h4>Acknowledgements:</h4> <p>My heartfelt thanks to Ms. Shabana Azmi for clarifying some details for this piece and providing insights into Kaifi sahib’s life and personality. <p>Many thanks to U. V. Ravindra for the beautiful Urdu translation of the Farsi she’r used above <p>Last but certainly not least, sincere thanks are due to Aditya Pant for providing me Kaifi Sahib’s complete filmography and his painstaking review of this piece.</p> <h4>References:</h4> <ol> <li>Aaj Ke Prasiddh Shaa’ir, Kaifi Azmi published by Rajpal Books <li>Documentary on Kaifi directed by A. A. Khan Afridi for NCERT <li>Hindi Filmon Ke Geetkaar by Anil Bhargav <li>Azmikaifi.com <li>urdushayari.in <li>IMDb.com <li>Myswar.com <li>Hindigeetmala.com <li>Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema <li>rekhta.com <li>youtube.com </li></ol> <hr>Aditya Panthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11481497663140098296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29329545.post-84785814107799172302017-01-21T09:01:00.001+05:302017-05-07T10:35:06.591+05:30From the Land of Tartary<p><em>This piece was written for Sangeet Ke Sitare, a music group on Facebook, for the theme - <strong>“Songs from films whose titles contain names of cities/states/countries, etc.”</strong></em></p> <hr> <p><img style="float: none; margin-left: auto; display: block; margin-right: auto" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/1806_Cary_Map_of_Tartary_or_Central_Asia_-_Geographicus_-_Tartary-cary-1806.jpg/800px-1806_Cary_Map_of_Tartary_or_Central_Asia_-_Geographicus_-_Tartary-cary-1806.jpg" width="500" height="457"></p> <p align="center">If I were Lord of Tartary,<br>Myself, and me alone,<br>My bed should be of ivory,<br>Of beaten gold my throne;<br>And in my court should peacocks flaunt,<br>And in my forests tigers haunt,<br>And in my pools great fishes slant<br>Their fins athwart the sun.</p> <p>That was <strong>Walter de la Mare</strong> imagining the luxuries in the land of Tartary, the vast region in the middle ages stretching from the Caspian Sea in the west to the Pacific in the east. <p>Famous for its musk, references to Tartary abound the world of Urdu and Persian poetry as well. And while talking of musk, a reference to the deer (<em>aahu</em>, <em>ghazaal</em>) and the beloved’s fragrant hair cannot be far behind. <strong>Nasikh</strong> wrote: <p align="center">ज़ुल्फ़-ए-जानाँ में नहीं कोई दिल-ए-वहशी असीर<br>ये अजब तातार है जो एक भी आहू नहीं</p> <p>The<strong> Last Mughal</strong> equated the curls of the fragrant tresses to the navel (the source of musk in a deer), while bringing in a reference to Tartary… <p align="center">नाफ़-ए-ग़ज़ाल-ए-चीं है कि है नाफ़ा-ए-ततार<br>क्यूँकर कहूँ कि है गिरह-ए-ज़ुल्फ़ नाफ़-ए-ज़ुल्फ़<br>(नाफ़ = navel, ग़ज़ाल = deer, नाफ़ा = musk-bag)</p> <p>And a similar reference can be found in the<strong> Deewan-e-Ghalib</strong> as well… <p align="center">जिस जा नसीम शान:कश-ए-ज़ुल्फ़-ए-यार है<br>नाफ़ा दिमाग़-ए-आहू-ए-दश्त-ए-ततार है</p> <p align="center">(When flies in the breeze her curly hair<br>The musk of Tatar you smell everywhere)<br><em>…. Source: Ghalib: The Indian Beloved by Khalid Hameed Shaida</em></p> <p>Of course, Hindi films were also not untouched as thieves and beauties from the mysterious land made their way to the Indian screens at least three times. <p>One such instance is this…. <strong><em>Tatar Ka Chor</em></strong><br></p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:f30e2ea5-a946-46c8-82cc-d1da2e8dfef7" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/FeFwkV6Nxjk&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/FeFwkV6Nxjk&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Nigaahon Mein Base Aise – Tatar Ka Chor (1955) – Asha Bhosle – Khayyam – Prem Dhawan</div></div> <p>And, <strong><em>Tatar Ki Haseena</em></strong></p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:cd3b10cf-89a3-45db-8fea-8cab24cbd51a" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/s29y8Rn-c0o&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/s29y8Rn-c0o&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Ho Gayi Tumse Mohabbat–Tatar Ki Haseena (1968)–Suman Kalyanpur–S. Kishan–Aslam Allahabadi</div></div>Aditya Panthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11481497663140098296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29329545.post-20885058109530435892016-05-17T09:59:00.001+05:302016-05-17T09:59:32.363+05:30The Bittersweet Symphony of Life<p><em>This piece was written for Sangeet Ke Sitare, a music group on Facebook, for the theme - <strong>“Film songs where the lyrics attempt to answer the question - What is Life?”</strong></em></p> <hr> <p><em><img style="float: none; margin-left: auto; display: block; margin-right: auto" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/04/The_Verve_-_Bitter_Sweet_Symphony_CD1.jpg"></em> <p><em><a href="https//www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZdBLxuC03k" target="_blank">Meri zindagi hai naghma, meri zindagi tarana</a></em>, wrote Shevan Rizvi in 1969 for Madam to croon. Two years later, Ian Andersen called <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-ApfvedRzM" target="_blank">life a long song but with a caveat that the tune ends too soon for us all</a>! Then more than a decade later <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9YGUkKphsg" target="_blank">life turned into a love song</a> emerging from Sawan Kumar’s pen. It took another decade and a half, to turn life into a full-fledged symphony. Not just any symphony, but a <em>bittersweet </em>one. <blockquote> <p><em>Cause it's a bittersweet symphony, this life<br>Try to make ends meet<br>You're a slave to money then you die…</em></p></blockquote> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:5a8cf00a-ad2c-452c-8f97-228bc3b309ff" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1lyu1KKwC74&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1lyu1KKwC74&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Bitter Sweet Symphony - The Verve (1997)</div></div> <p>Written by their lead singer Richard Ashcroft, this 1997 song by English group The Verve was immensely popular around the time of its release, but soon ran into a controversy for plagiarism and quite literally turned into a bittersweet symphony for the group. It remains the biggest hit for the group, licensed and used by multiple companies, but they don’t get any royalties out of it.</p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:9d723ff1-81ef-4255-91a5-95ae5d796842" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ls_J6_jtvGQ&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ls_J6_jtvGQ&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">The Story of Bitter Sweet Symphony</div></div> <p align="left">The main instrumental hook of the song is so catchy that it has made a permanent home in my mind ever since I first heard it in the summer of 1998. <p>It is quite ironic that since 2008 this song is being used by ITV as the background music to the opening sequence for England's international football matches, whereas in my mind this song is inextricably linked to England’s shocking ouster from the FIFA world cup in 1998. </p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:35cb7c8f-0cea-4725-b962-c509180186da" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9Zkv3qp-BUI&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9Zkv3qp-BUI&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">ITV Sport - England Football Team Highlights Intro</div></div> <p>In June of 1998, I was on a 3 week-long visit to the United Kingdom. There were only two things one heard on TV and in pubs in the UK those days – this song and endless debates on how England was sure to win the FIFA world cup that year. When England lost a nail-biter to Argentina and crashed out of the tournament, people took to the streets creating a ruckus, with all their ire directed at one man – David Beckham. The nation-wide anger was so intense that David Beckham soon became the most hated man in the country and he chose not to return to England immediately after the defeat. And all this while, the catchy instrumental hook of this song, which was used in a TV commercial, continued to play all over the place. So every time I hear this song, I recall England’s unfortunate defeat that summer. A bittersweet symphony indeed.</p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:d21785ee-0197-42af-9254-5110f1035f47" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ULVe-R_Bpwk&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ULVe-R_Bpwk&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Vauxhall Astra - TV Commercial (1998)</div></div> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:3dd8ee9c-ede5-4437-84d5-9e3b2851be3b" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8FqKRN5FQgw&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8FqKRN5FQgw&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Nike - I Can - TV Commercial (1998)</div></div> <p>The song was later used to underscore the reversal of fortune of the lead characters in the closing scenes of the 1999 film Cruel Intentions.</p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:0cf6c502-6097-4602-b80a-106ae247568d" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ax-fO9OI7Ok&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ax-fO9OI7Ok&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Cruel Intentions (1999) - Closing Scenes</div></div>Aditya Panthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11481497663140098296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29329545.post-10747270410706294842016-04-17T12:50:00.001+05:302016-04-17T20:19:25.146+05:30‘Agar Main Poochhoon Jawaab Doge…’ - Remembering G. S Kohli<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<em>I had co-authored this piece along with <strong>Ramaswamy Narayanan</strong> for the Guzra Hua Zamana series on Sangeet Ke Sitare, a music group on Facebook.</em><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhADalejMlNn5jKVyQqA4VD5dqdnZ-1zmUVm5i26jy2CRcJMGO3GTnO5LKKQoAPgk8svVbLkBpxtQUFWMdPtkID9poD9H0bJVUw2EZ3q-pkj2xAY7HtrB_Xa3418WYA-_dkB6T_/s1600-h/G%252520S%252520Kohli%252520Collage%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img alt="G S Kohli Collage" border="0" height="623" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTfdkmqBFrwGxsOOduwL4DaYHOW9z53Ysvggn0nw5YlhthRPgl3jOnyaqqDNd31IzPCEhO_O3HBgofV9NfNTEPtt7MxncaEWKb0lDssUUqIMLQmAVVLNIuW6sBE8IoX4H5ul76/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="G S Kohli Collage" width="554" /></a><strong>Gursharan Singh Kohli</strong>, better known as just <strong>G. S Kohli</strong>, was born in 1928 in Punjab. Hardly any information is available about his early years. His journey in Hindi films started in 1952 when Dalsukh M. Pancholi gave O. P Nayyar a break in ‘Aasmaan’, and G. S Kohli was brought in as his assistant. Being an accomplished Tabla and Dholak player, he became an indispensable part of O. P Nayyar’s team. He assisted O. P Nayyar in more than 40 films, many of them along with Sebastian D’Souza, who was known to O. P Nayyar since his Lahore days. There were, however, many films of O. P Nayyar where G. S Kohli was the sole assistant. Prominent among such films are ‘Naya Andaaz’, ‘Naya Daur’, ‘Tumsa Nahin Dekha’, ‘Howrah Bridge’, ‘Phagun’, ‘Basant’, ‘Ek Musafir Ek Haseena’, ‘Kashmir Ki Kali’, and ‘Kismat’. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMgc0nOoVTe9XRqUZKWjY4cpqqOFjsa-YrFMnEmuctK3XRkX23-u8fQ6AHBcPnR7xSaQAbK9_8N93Dl7ClqaGJBrSstbdbo-L0B0iQtD-sCx-KzE-l23gbfEX7ZD7atgBfIVJH/s1600-h/lambe%252520haath%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img align="left" alt="lambe haath" border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif2KevPfrpKfN_GOvYeuTopVlZ4UTDj18atI0r9f2OGAuCrYIV7x6TRR7Hg_4FUJ8d0aoNnlYObtoOiHHgArfWYrZx63H0w98QKCZ3vAGS3PbknCn4j1fmnm-FCJCmlZk0zz62/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="lambe haath" width="153" /></a>G. S. Kohli’s first film as an independent music director was ‘Lambe Haath’ (1960). The Rafi solo ‘Pyar Ki Raah Dikha Duniya Ko’ became very popular. Anjaan wrote the lyrics for all the songs in this film, which gave Anjaan his first major hit after having been the industry for more than 6 years. Thus began a fruitful partnership between G. S Kohli and Anjaan, who went on to write almost 50% of all songs composed by G. S Kohli in Hindi films. <br />
Although ‘Lambe Haath’ did not do very well, G. S Kohli’s work in it was appreciated and more offers started coming his way. His association with Anjaan continued but was limited in his next film ‘Mr. India’ (1961). All the songs of ‘Mr. India’ were written by Jaan Nisar Akhtar except ‘Mat Poochch Mera Hain Kaun Watan’ and ‘Nazar Ye Teri Teekhi’, which were by Anjaan. G. S Kohli’s compositions in this film give an impression of what G. S. Kohli and O. P Nayyar meant to each other.<br />
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Dekha Na Jaaye - Mr. India (1961) - Geeta Dutt - G. S Kohli - Jaan Nisar Akhtar</div>
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The next film, ‘Faulaad’ (1963), brought in a partnership with another lyricist – Farooq Qaiser, even as the association with Anjaan continued. Asha sang four of the five songs in the movie. The songs which stand out are ‘Jaan-e-Jaana Yoon Na Dekho Aaj Nafrat Se Mujhe’, and ‘Paaon Mein Jhanjhar’, which was quite popular. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDDkTDv0sK1t2EiWOG3PQf2-S3eRDj-3tYM3a40oix7cmKUnR_jhjBVMoZp2umar1IZG8KnFSPj8IrWea-4YjiR2nTt1tY3v0y5YkQ28yqUxG5Zw1r2RJSXh88BOtbxFLzDzYU/s1600-h/shikari%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img align="right" alt="shikari" border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiTU5Ozlrsd3B9ZbYwWz5-Dkq8PcoiG5DbJAJLKNQkNXCbVmQj4uKbiLU902C548eRpUxz8jKWkM-8lxcOyixFMssWvmDffjKVJjh-hVUdrr5JTZoywkDQw0CEHe5klZvgx5cr/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; float: right; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="shikari" width="116" /></a> <br />
Then came the movie which made him stand out and even now he is remembered for the songs from this movie. The film was ‘Shikari’ (1963). Surprisingly after having Anjaan as his lyricist for his previous films, ‘Shikari’ had four songs written by Farooq Qaiser and two by Qamar Jalalabadi. Be it ‘Tumko Piya Dil Diya’ sung by Lata and Usha or the two Rafi-Lata duets viz, ‘Agar Main Poochhoon Jawaab Doge’ and ‘Chaman Ke Phool Bhi Tujhko’, this film established G. S. Kohli as a talented composer. <br />
One of the outcomes of the tremendous success of the Lata-Usha duet in ‘Shikaari’ was that it became almost like a G. S Kohli trademark. Most of his films after Shikari had a mandatory female-female dance duet, mostly by Mangeshkar sisters. Consider these – ‘Tadpa Le Jitna Chaahe’ (Chaar Darvesh -1964, Asha-Usha), ‘Majnoon Sa Aashiq’ (Naujawan – 1966, Lata-Usha), ‘Humre Sajan Ghar Aaye’ (Do Matwale – 1966, Lata-Usha), ‘Badi Kaafir Tumhari Nazar Nikli’ (Sangdil – 1967, Lata-Usha), ‘Hans Ke Shararat Karna Na’ (Jung Aur Aman – 1968, Krishna Kalle – Pushpa Pagdhare(?)), ‘Toot Gaya Kangana’ (Gunda – 1969, Asha-Usha), ‘Tujhe Kiya O Kitna Mana’ (Jaalsaaz – 1969, Suman-Krishna Kalle).<br />
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Female duets composed by G. S Kohli</div>
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For his next film after ‘Shikaari’ i.e. ‘Chaar Darvesh’ (1964), G. S Kohli again went to his favourite lyricist Anjaan, while also using Raja Mehdi Ali Khan’s lyrics for the first time. Jaani Babu Qawwal and Rafi sang a wonderful qawwali ‘Tere Karam Ki Dhoom’ for this film. This was followed by another musical success in ‘The Adventures of Robinhood’. One of the romantic songs sung by Rafi - ‘Maana Mere Haseen Sanam’ - was the highlight of this film.<br />
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Maana Mere Haseen Sanam - Adventures of Robinhood (1965) - Mohd. Rafi - G. S Kohli - Yogesh</div>
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Mukesh sang for the first and last time under Kohli’s baton in ‘Namaste Ji’ (1965) - ‘Bahaaro Thaam Lo’, a duet with Lata Mangeshkar. Although Anjaan was the lyricist for most of the songs, Anand Bakshi wrote two songs, out of which ‘Humein Kya Jo Har Soo Ujaale Hue Hain’ will be remembered as one of the best sad songs of Rafi. <br />
The sweet success that G. S Kohli had tasted with ‘Shikaari’ was extremely short-lived. ‘Namaste Ji’ can be termed as his last musical success as the films that came later are hardly remembered by music lovers. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrABvTc4nacpFjxXCsQYMUha08-zxfJMryW0V0xWWBv3Mcbhq-JOXr9zInTX6aC2skHB2Tcaj9Q5RYF_-PeIbj6tBy5u64syySKG_87LGwK0kZMUZmhvBkXg40_sjL4PXRnyqz/s1600-h/naujavan%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img align="left" alt="naujavan" border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS0DAZwjOPo5dKfPAWNLlTMOMmuo5ZIF2VcIaB_IiJtxPo23ZZ4rMKAYzJ0WDzbuGmEmNdYzNIa9ePYamOT7PaWXXpci1_if8JCWe49Zd_WVeZ8BWNgI9S4vl6B9i3XIGfNUpS/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="naujavan" width="154" /></a>This phase of G. S Kohli’s career saw him working with more lyricists beyond the ones he had already worked with. Naqsh Lyallpuri came in with one song in ‘Naujawan’ (1966) and then went on to write most of the songs in ‘Sangdil’ (1967). However, the more popular song of ‘Sangdil’ – Rafi’s ‘Din Bure Hote Hain Haalaat Bure Hote Hain’ – was written by Anjaan though. ‘Jung Aur Aman’ (1968) also had the trademark one song written by Anjaan, while Hasrat Jaipuri and Prem Dhawan wrote two songs each. Then came ‘Gunda’ (1969) for which Dev Kohli and Shadab wrote lyrics along with Anjaan. The association with Anjaan continued in ‘Jaalsaaz’ (1969), which also had lyrics by Farooq Qaiser and Naqsh Lyallpuri. <br />
After ‘Jaalsaaz’, G. S Kohli’s career appears to have come to a standstill. He had no films as an independent composer, while his association with O. P Nayyar, who he had continued to assist even during the period when he worked as an independent composer, also ended. <br />
Many years later, he composed for a small film called ‘Mahadaan’ (1984). This was the last film where he was the sole composer. Interestingly, like his very first film, all the songs of this film were also written by Anjaan. And all the songs were sung by his favourite singer - Asha Bhosle. Although there are two songs which have the typical G. S Kohli/ OPN flavour (with a 'sound' more in tune with the 80s), the other songs were very different, both in terms of tunes and orchestration.<br />
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Mere Dil Chal Chalen - Mahadaan (1984) - Asha Bhosle - G. S Kohli - Anjaan</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1svrbuzCvqAonnADaE2edAj0MWT4IHMGaop3odRUcJjXGbUSuJqGjGBs8IEoea3jJQVipbTlkH1NRZ9sIAUAMziWWY5ZK6OO__iXeekAPz2i-verJbznjNPPyzuNu6BJ6LqfS/s1600-h/paighaam%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img align="right" alt="paighaam" border="0" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha0eV2jL5zwUS0pNHwgC8QvuGiYZdbco1Jaxumep4RLDtITtEXWoTMXZfo49rbWzIYO4LqoMgFSe6Puaq-iyJqoVkrwJ9cNKJ7JsJCc4J5BdfhT_5qmEAn0TRExQp3zBnxiWaJ/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; float: right; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="paighaam" width="119" /></a>After ‘Mahadaan’, G. S Kohli’s name appeared for one last time in the credits of ‘Paighaam’ (1988), where he composed just one song, while the others were by Yunus Malik. It was fitting that his very last song was of a type that had almost defined him post-Shikaari – a female-female dance duet by Anuradha Paudwal & Hemlata <br />
G. S Kohli passed away on July, 25, 1996. <br />
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<h3>
Filmography</h3>
<ol>
<li>Lambe Haath (1960) </li>
<li>Mr. India (1961) </li>
<li>Faulaad (1963) </li>
<li>Shikaari (1963) </li>
<li>Char Darvesh (1964) </li>
<li>The Adventures of Robinhood (1965) </li>
<li>Namaste Ji (1965) </li>
<li>Naujawan (1966) </li>
<li>Do Matwale (1966) </li>
<li>Sangdil (1967) </li>
<li>Jung Aur Aman (1968) </li>
<li>Gunda (1969) </li>
<li>Jaalsaaz (1969) </li>
<li>Mahadaan (1984) </li>
<li>Paighaam (1988) – with Yunus Malik</li>
</ol>
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<h3>
List Of Lyricists Who Worked With G. S Kohli (in order of number of songs)</h3>
<ol>
<li>Anjaan </li>
<li>Farooq Qaiser </li>
<li>Naqsh Lyallpuri </li>
<li>Jaan Nisar Akhtar </li>
<li>Raja Mehdi Ali Khan </li>
<li>Shadab </li>
<li>Qamar Jalalabadi </li>
<li>Hasrat Jaipuri </li>
<li>Anand Bakshi </li>
<li>Prem Dhawan </li>
<li>Yogesh </li>
<li>Dev Kohli </li>
<li>Hasan Kamaal </li>
<li>Saba Fazli</li>
</ol>
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<h3>
References</h3>
<ol>
<li>Film Sangeetkar Suvarnayugwaale by Yogesh Yadav </li>
<li>Dhunon Ki Yatra by Pankaj Rag </li>
<li>Hindigeetmala, myswar, etc. for song listings</li>
</ol>
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Aditya Panthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11481497663140098296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29329545.post-34163668156790656222016-03-25T10:52:00.001+05:302016-03-25T10:52:54.466+05:30Phir Wo Bhooli Si Yaad Aayi Hai … Remembering Sapan - Jagmohan<p><em>This piece is written by <strong>Shankar Iyer</strong>. It first appeared as part of the Guzra Hua Zamana series on Sangeet Ke Sitare, a music group on Facebook.</em></p> <hr> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="561" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="559"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiExsjEyjBMSm6f0c_pKTunVjmQEOBVIZ0ZnUoMfm-UoxXdz5OOE_Fpp3eZH9iMXz_9iuaBCH9f7PW80hYJPaynBEQczS5Z3geIbOTA8vPLddZnIo4f5H-NzWHaztEJzuwE0cfa/s1600-h/Sapan%252520Jagmohan%252520Collage%252520GHZ%25255B17%25255D.jpg"><img title="Sapan Jagmohan Collage GHZ" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Sapan Jagmohan Collage GHZ" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4W99neHLRBBPp30WCgPOQiMh8NfwlcA-ScRiEH7B45mckw_efRMyqUItv5A1Gpian_2nE3gWdkCjok_Pq35ESNTict3wDzgi2I6eesRsn-_YMgZsqO_DlEIinuOf5w0Tvm3cf/?imgmax=800" width="554" height="485"></a></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="559"><em><font size="1">Picture Courtesy Kaustubh Pingle; Posters Sourced from osianama.com and other online sources</font></em></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>Some composers in Hindi Film Music (HFM) have not had the privilege of being associated with large or well-known banners. Music composer duo Sapan - Jagmohan would fall in that category; although they did work with B R Ishara, who cannot easily be called “low-profile”. That said, with more than 70 films across Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali and Bhojpuri languages, their music output deserves a closer look, greater appreciation and better representation amongst connoisseurs and masses. <h3></h3> <p>Sapan - Jagmohan began their career as duo in the early 1960s. Theirs was an interesting mix - the lilting rhythms of Punjab (Jagmohan Bakshi) with soft melodies of Bengal (Sapan Sengupta). Their overall style evolved, occasionally imbibing from various sources, but inherently built around their individual music backgrounds and erudite abilities. <h3></h3> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlqNe4XEvRgQlaNJNqnEAStpmCDlzJG_4P31y5l4vfP2-7uWIN3pi-0DQdfYc8wopdQ8C-YogcVb3vuNPpA9z2pBfsZtqo-Gt8Dw72A0b9dYzE_yx7Uy2g3EoikXKP4hD6qtAN/s1600-h/SapJag%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img title="SapJag" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="SapJag" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxLHRxkI38lU6o-QVFJ57DIIJfWnrCSY7-afiBzR6txXsm3DObKKRiE0q2dVSkMArDFOXrYY7VBA0GSkfOn8bpRcs_QcQRdeI7654FkEQiQgFylYEHgVQPH8o27L81lzxXpW4Y/?imgmax=800" width="204" align="right" height="154"></a>Born on 17 July 1932, Sapan Sengupta spent his childhood as neighbour to renowned composer and singer Pankaj Mullick. The influence was evident; Sapan regarded Pankaj-da as his guru, getting to learn and draw inspiration from the man’s work and prevailing musical atmosphere. Pankaj Mullick‘s son was Sapan’s friend and that too helped. On the other hand, the love of singing and music brought Jagmohan Bakshi (born 29 July 1929) to Bombay. Graduating from Lucknow University, Jagmohan was known to be fond of dancing and singing as a child. <h3></h3> <p>Bombay welcomed Jagmohan in 1952, while Sapan arrived on its shores in 1957. They started off as chorus singers and were part of the “Bombay Youth Choir” group formed by noted composer Salil Chowdhury. With love for music and partition memories being common, they soon became good friends. While Sapan also composed for All-India Radio when in Bombay, Jagmohan Bakshi’s individual singing attempts trace back to the very early “Mujhse aapko shikwa hai”, a song recorded for HMV (His Master’s Voice) under Dhaniram’s music. Then came two duets with Asha Bhosle, one in <i>Chham Chhama Chham</i> (1952) under O. P Nayyar’s baton, and another in <i>Taxi Driver</i> (1954) under S D Burman’s music. “Dekho maane nahin roothi haseena” from <i>Taxi Driver</i> became popular during its time. There were two other songs that Jagmohan sang and they were for composer Ramesh Naidu: (“Ghir ghir aaye badarwa” with Mohd. Rafi, <i>Hamlet</i>, 1954) and “O saathi re tu aa bhi jaa” (with Lata and Usha Mangeshkar, <i>Piya Milan</i>, 1958). </p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:bac4363e-09f8-46ca-9085-8a2efc2ce656" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/oHa8_UE79Ls&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/oHa8_UE79Ls&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Ghir Ghir Aaye Badarwa - Hamlet (1954) - Mohd. Rafi & Jagmohan Bakshi - Ramesh Naidu - Hasrat Jaipuri</div></div> <h3></h3> <p>While all this was happening, both youngsters realised the challenges of becoming (and further remaining) established mainstream singers. They moved their aspirations to becoming composers someday. In this regard, an early opportunity to record for a film <i>China Bridge </i>did come their way and a song (“Chand se pyaara hai”) is said to have been recorded in Asha Bhosle’s voice. Alas, the film never got completed! <h3></h3> <p>Take-off happened with the Punjabi film <i>Jijaji</i> in year 1961 starring Nishi, Karan Devan, Achla Sachdev, Sunder and Tun Tun. Film - maker Poonam Prakash takes credit to have given the break to them. And the duo made good use of the offer. Two songs from the film “Oye oye oye main ta jhaali aan” (Asha Bhosle) and “Aavo loko nas ke” (Mahendra Kapoor) became hugely popular. The other songs that had the audiences swaying were “Tu sun meri raaniye” (Rafi & Asha), “Main kundal waaliyan zulfaan nu” (Rafi & Suman Kalyanpur) and “Ni chittiye kabootariye” (Rafi, Shamshad Begum & Chorus). The film had lyrics by Naqsh Lyallpuri, Naresh Paul and Manohar Singh Sehrai. </p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:8a11e2e1-170c-4222-a929-0c6ab9a736a6" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/eprjYfB2oI0&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/eprjYfB2oI0&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Oye Oye Oye main Ta Jhalli Aan - Jija Ji (Punjabi, 1961) - Asha Bhosle - Sapan-Jagmohan - Naqsh Lyallpuri/ Naresh Paul/ Manohar Singh Sehrai</div></div> <p>The first released Hindi Film in Sapan – Jagmohan’s music was <i>Begaana</i>, in year 1963, produced and directed by Sadashiv J Row Kavi. It brought them in the news straightaway. The song “Phir woh bhooli si yaad” (thanks also to Rafi’s heartfelt rendition) was included in HMV’s “Yaadon Ki Manzil” collection released to commemorate hits of the 1961-63 period. The movie’s other songs sounded nice too, especially the haunting Mukesh solo “Na jaane kahaan kho gaya” and the folksy “Saagar ka jhilmil paani” (Asha, Manna Dey). It is important to add here that the film had 2 solos by Asha Bhosle (“Pyar nibhana bhool na jana” and “Tose nazar ladi sajna re”). That was start to a partnership which stayed for many years and dominated the Sapan - Jagmohan output. Asha Bhosle was soon to become their favourite singer!</p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:bd200bed-2d77-4118-bd19-1e217d2c80e5" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Gvw6Q0VClYY&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Gvw6Q0VClYY&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Phir Wo Bhooli Si Yaad - Begana (1963) - Mohd. Rafi - Sapan-Jagmohan - Shailendra</div></div> <p>Despite the promising beginning, no Hindi film came the duo’s way immediately. On the other hand, <i>Shokan Mele Di</i> (released in year 1965) was instrumental in establishing them in Punjabi films. “Jaach mainu aa gai gham khan di” with Shiv Kumar Batalvi’s stirring lyrics and Rafi’s soulful vocals (note the powerful Saxophone playing in the interludes) hit top resonance with listeners. Another song from the film that wooed masses was “Main kandiali thor ve sajna” by Asha Bhosle. A truly stunning tune!</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7JU5fMR_SJHdBMKzVoFOUQRqndbe49747KrGtqW6BAVL-BetyZ4L8s8ceobYfOxVDziNZDhfW7wsLtsYmYURyPknxkxypWmYKtudycdPq-15KE9-h4Gott9R6wuEPuuhSv-Xu/s1600-h/zimbo%252520finda%252520a%252520son%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="zimbo finda a son" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="zimbo finda a son" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJSFwpDy75Z9uhxvpXVavLqbyOWH9wE2HlSGy00P3vUmXYTAg3_2vRH2aEJPyqBIcJEaPkhEKcj0APX93AHlUWnt0AkLFIoT7Eb24DhOhh1VXwUGIObRSjBYlVy2QqUDELBSM3/?imgmax=800" width="129" align="left" height="182"></a>The sincere endeavour of<i> Begaana</i> did not usher in a movie-signing phase for Sapan- Jagmohan. In fact, their next Hindi film <i>Zimbo Finds A Son</i> only came three years later (1966). However, the fresh appeal in their music remained. Asha Bhosle’s “Kaiti kaiti neeli neeli” with its racy feel and “Dil jiske liye betab raha” were winners. There was also the nicely sung duet “Aye dil tere muqaddar ka” involving singers Bhupinder Singh and Mubarak Begum. Another Asha solo “Gungun gaoon hawa main lehraoon”, picturised on popular yesteryear TV Host Tabassum, had a distinct spirited feel to it. And so was the carefree Asha - Usha duet “Meri jaan yoon hi raho”.</p> <p>While <i>Begaana</i> had songs written by Shailendra<i>,</i> <i>Zimbo Finds A Son</i> started a long partnership for the duo with poet Naqsh Lyallpuri in Hindi films, having already worked with him in Punjabi. The evocative title song in Asha’s voice and the waltz style Rafi solo “Khuli waadiyon ka safar hai” from <i>Aayega Aane Wala</i> (1967) are gems (although lost ones) as we hear them today. Year 1967 also had an incomplete film <i>Gumbad</i> (Sudarshan Babbar’s direction) with Sapan-Jagmohan’s music.</p> <p>Their next venture <i>Teri Talash Mein </i>(1968) witnessed a couple of high impact songs. Firstly, the eerie title song (“Teri talash mein”) in Asha’s voice that sends shivers down the spine even today. Next - the quintessential, well-known Rafi solo “Teri aawaz ki jaadugari se” with an intense melancholic touch. The film’s interesting song, however, was the Rafi - Asha duet “Koi deewana tumhein chahega”. Interesting as the tune was re-used by Sapan-Jagmohan 12 years later as “Teri saanson mein kaisi khushboo hai” (<i>Shaadi Se Pehle, </i>1980). That too was a duet and sung by the same pair of singers!</p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:7d4b11a7-7f48-40d6-85d8-ad7975c45b11" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/m-Q0C8DWoVU&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/m-Q0C8DWoVU&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Teri Talash Mein - Teri Talash Mein (1968) - Asha Bhosle - Sapan Jagmohan - Naqsh Lyallpuri</div></div> <p><i>Gustakhi Maaf</i> (1969) too had some lovely melodies. The Asha solo “Sajna mera jiyara jale” stands out for its inspired feel, well adding to actor Tanuja’s expressive eyes on screen. Two other songs of contrasting nature “Tum door jaaoge kaise” (Asha) and “Aye jaan-e-jaan chali kahaan” (Asha, Rafi) add up to the score’s overall effect<b><i>. </i></b>Rafi’s poignant singing in “Shaayar to nahin hoon lekin” (<i>Insaaf Ka Mandir</i>, 1969) indicated that Sapan-Jagmohan were slowly beginning to augment their place as HFM composers.<b></b></p> <p>The duo’s first crowning glory was, perhaps, the film <i>Chetna</i> released next year (1970). The movie, which in a way, started a new trend of bold and provocative themes in commercial cinema, had one of Mukesh’s all-time popular songs “Main to har mod par”. The emoting played perfect foil to Naqsh Lyallpuri’s hard-hitting poetry “Pyar ki raah mein, phool bhi they magar, maine kaante chune”. The movie also had the sweetly tuned “Jeevan hai ek bhool” by Suman Kalyanpur<i>. </i>Another 1970 release <i>Gunaah Aur Kanoon</i> had Asha and Rafi solos of which the breezy “Aisa to kabhi mumkin hi nahin” (Rafi) deserves a mention.</p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:5376a6ed-e808-4d06-834e-8d3080434fc2" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/k8iL5_72GPE&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/k8iL5_72GPE&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Main To har Mod Par - Chetna (1970) - Mukesh - Sapan Jagmohan - Nqash Lyallpuri</div></div> <p>With the arrival of the 70s, a certain level of authoritative confidence began to show in Sapan Jagmohan’s music. <i>Do Raha</i> (1971), a film publicised as being made by young Film Institute of India graduates, had three very good solos in Asha Bhosle’s vocals (“Tumhi rehnuma ho” a pacy Cabaret style composition, “Meri bagiya ki kali” a flowing lullaby and “Dole jhumka mora” immersed in traditional folk). Moreover, the renewed feel in their orchestration, that could perhaps be attributed to Violinist and musician Uttam Singh’s entry as music assistant / arranger, brought pep and sparkle to their compositions. A small trivia for <i>Do Raha</i>: all its songs were written, for a change, by Indivar. The next film <i>Man Tera Tan Mera</i> (1971) also had some unforgettable compositions - “Kahin kaanton mein mehak hai” in Asha’s heart-rending voice was easily the best, followed by “Aye meri jaan main bhi hoon” and “Na main boli, na woh bole” (both Asha)</p> <p><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3KcZYULwL7v1AIK_k89l1sbgoRhJHIILkD0SN3FyCu_5yGcUDAKBOJdOqrWlSUCS0w_jGsB_a6K2RfXyHYsyAg0rj0hqauVHWQMj1LDIXWPAzDBrzrgW7ifxpYFUHbjzrI58c/s1600-h/baazigar%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="baazigar" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="baazigar" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTmZ0jXitgy9RolQSVHppWtOan2mwsHN0-8EtINKU02iPhAO8B6zLfXuwO-IF6af-pDPL9l-lkkIcJUEoyzgbzVZsPQKWmRfcfh68SbliqotqPg8HQxF4pXhwvh8DyCQUpTgB9/?imgmax=800" width="129" align="right" height="172"></a>Kankan De Ohle </i>(Punjabi, year 1971) requires mentioning here for a couple of songs featuring Mohd Rafi and Usha Timothy as singers. <i>Baazigar</i> (Hindi) released in year 1972 had all its four songs by Asha Bhosle (solos) set to a folksy mood, though they had nothing to write home about. The movie did not do well and so did the score. Ramsay “Horror” brothers’ <i>Do Gaz Zameen Ke Neeche</i> followed that year and it saw Vani Jairam singing for them. Once again, neither the movie nor its music did well.</p> <p>The two Rafi solos from <i>Rocky Mera Naam</i> (year 1973) viz. “Soja sanam teri jawaan” and “Dil kabhi tumne diya tha”, originally composed for the unreleased film “Tere Milne Ke Baad”, are remembered till this day for the soft and tender mood. Especially the former, ornamented with modern orchestration in the interludes. The Asha solo “Deewana dil hai pyaar ka” added further to the score’s appeal. Sapan - Jagmohan had now begun to blossom. Interestingly, “Soja sanam teri jawaan” was remade with a modern feel as “Pyaara lage” in <i>Habari</i> (1978). They are also said to have recorded a Mukesh solo “Ek chabi hai who naina mein” for a film <i>Samarpan</i> at around the 1973 period. That movie too never saw the light of the day.</p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:010c6b60-1a54-45e9-9368-e34c8c68068f" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Y2JrVSe-xOM&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Y2JrVSe-xOM&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Soja Sanam - Rocky Mera Naam (1973) - Mohd. Rafi - Sapan Jagmohan - Naqsh Lyallpuri</div></div> <p>The peppy “Roop ka nasha hai” (<i>Do Number ke Ameer</i>, 1974) in Asha’s intoxicating voice, Mukesh’s “Do honth hile” and “Mujhe teri baahon Mein” (both from <i>Nayi Duniya Naye Log, </i>1973) came as nice additions to the Sapan - Jagmohan magic. Further, scores like <i>Call Girl</i> (1974) with the tandem versions of “Ulfat mein zamane ki” (Kishore and Lata, sensitively written by Naqsh Lyallpuri) and <i>Kaagaz Ki Nao </i>(1975)<i> </i>with “Har janam mein hamara milan” (Asha, Manhar) and “Na Jaiyo Re” (Asha) endorsed their ability and lent further dimension to their creative output.</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQUSuXim6aJ-8cv24U5vnST_ID2DMVqm8h5osLJaBOndD-SpD4PP0DHU2rSoibwz1dL-c_iPBA2pKacj4QdAxxiceC6XcZCCB56w1bkvdWoGJunOT8SgEypgvP-axDKcNHS-AB/s1600-h/sajjo%252520rani%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="sajjo rani" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="sajjo rani" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPDe7O-41a5R-od4rQ1sxF5XiBRfxB1CRfKyUA3ZwnlXjo9TwE3kOdqwNj1Orgb5X2qERadpeauq_03_bxDKcGQQYB80DNHqXmD_2rcDVE0GyU-xWg8B4xdQGw6HftAUIxKrR1/?imgmax=800" width="129" align="left" height="205"></a>All four songs of <i>Mera Jeevan</i> (1976) were good with Rafi’s “Tera jogi aaya, tera jogi aaya” and Kishore’s “Mera Jeevan kuch kaam na aaya” receiving good airplay around the film’s release. <i>Sajjo Rani</i> (1976) also had some good songs: “Jiya maane na” (Asha Bhosle) and “Saanson mein chandan sa” (Aarti Mukherjee)</p> <p>Similarly, Abhi Toh Jee Lein and <i>Aaj Ki Radha</i> released in 1977 had some pleasant music. Kishore Kumar’s resounding voice was heard via two completely contrasting creations: “Na jaane agla pal” and “Yeh mehfil yoon hi sajegi”. And not to forget the ever popular duet “Tu laali hai saverewali” picturised on Jaya Bhaduri and Danny Denzongpa from the former film.</p><i></i> <p>This was followed by two Hindi-Bengali bilinguals <i>Lal Kuthi</i> <i>/ Lal Kothi</i> (1978). <i>Laal Kuthi</i> was perhaps the last score where Sapan - Jagmohan were seen in their essence. “Ke jaay re” by Asha (with its scary feel) probably ranks as one of their best ever creations. “Ta re bholano galo na” (Asha), “Karo keu noyko ami” by Kishore and the duet “Dhole jete jete” sound pristine even today. Their next venture Prohari/ Pehredaar (1979) was a valiant final attempt one feels, but only Asha’s “Jafrani rong akashe” / “Neel gagan ke panchhi’ carried a familiar infectious energy.</p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:d97ae5fc-9fef-444f-818c-77e2d5954d73" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/d0KyeZSRnBU&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/d0KyeZSRnBU&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Ke Jaay Re - Lalkuthi (Bengali, 1978) - Asha Bhosle - Sapan Jagmohan - Mukul Dutt</div></div> <p>The 80s saw Sapan - Jagmohan doing a couple of mythological films like <i>Ganga Dham</i> and <i>Sheetla Mata</i>, a few dubbed films, some Punjabi films including the very popular <i>Mamla Gadbad Hai</i>, a foray into Bhojpuri films with <i>Pyari Dulhaniya</i>, and some Hindi films, which are largely forgotten<i>. </i>There were, however, a few likeable tunes from some of the movies of the time viz. “Tujhe dil mein basa loon re” (Kishore in <i>Siskiyaan</i>, 1983), “Utre jo zindagi teri gehrayion” (Bhupinder Singh in <i>Pratibha,</i> 1984) and “Jhilmil sitaron ke naina” (Kishore in <i>Amber</i><i>,</i> 1985). The duo composed more folk-based tunes in that period. However, continuous box-office failure of a lot of their movies and changing music tastes ensured that their best was behind them. A welcome spark, however, was the title song “Man ek seepi hai” sung beautifully by Amit Kumar for Television Serial <i>Chunauti </i>(1987)</p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:f56c9e3e-f992-4c86-abd4-b2a3d742c6f8" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/r1-MTlYpZG4&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/r1-MTlYpZG4&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Man Ek Seepi Hai - Chunauti (TV serial, 1987) - Amit Kumar - Sapan Jagmohan - Yogesh (?)</div></div><i></i> <p>As with many of their notable predecessors, Sapan- Jagmohan started their innings trying to find feet during the formative years. Influences of other HFM biggies could not be avoided: “Bulati hai bahaar” (<i>Begaana</i>, 1963, Salil Chowdhury flavour), “Aaye gayo more man bhaaye gayo” {Lata, Usha in <i>Begaana</i>, the Shankar - Jaikishan (another S-J!) hangover), “Raaz-e-dil hum Se kaho” (<i>Teri Talash Mein</i>, 1968, O P Nayyar <i>andaz</i><i> </i>), “Nindiya kho kar nain hanse” (<i>Insaaf Ka Mandir</i>, 1969 showcasing some of the Jaidev-ian murkis) and “Sun pyaare sajna re” (<i>Insaaf Ka Mandir</i>, 1969 – listed in the <i>Rare Gems – Duets</i> compilation released by HMV – with typical S D Burman staccato phrasing). However, as years progressed, the self- confidence was seen in handling the different song moods: “Maate ang chola saaje” (bhajan from <i>Alingan</i>, 1974), “Chanda ki chhaon mein” (folk by Asha in <i>Sajjo Rani</i>, 1976) and “Nathaniya ne hai ram” (Mujra in Shobha Gurtu’s voice, <i>Sajjo Rani</i>, 1976). Under the name of experimentation, they dabbled well with songs like “Love can fly” (Ursula Vaz in <i>Nayi Duniya Naye Log</i>, 1973), “Main tumhare khayalon mein” (Asha in <i>Kaagaz Ki Nao</i>, 1975) and “I am a call girl” (Ranu Mukhejee, <i>Call Girl</i> 1974), to name a few.</p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:96462caa-ee71-45ea-96a4-8cb4923fbcae" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YtX5d0CzpxQ&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YtX5d0CzpxQ&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">I am a Call Girl - Call Girl (1974) - Ranu Mukherjee - Sapan Jagmohan - Naqsh Lyallpuri</div></div> <p>One cannot also deny the R D Burman melody and style of orchestration (Percussion and Horn Section especially) heard in many of their songs: “Do nigahein teri” (<i>Jeevan Sukh</i> (1973), “Dil kisiko jo diya na ho” (<i>Do Number KE Ameer, </i>1974); “Hum hain jahaan” (<i>Call Girl</i>, 1974), “Humse jo kaho” (<i>Johnny Uska Naam</i>, unreleased) , “Lo hamein baahon mein” (<i>Darwaaza,</i> 1978), “Khilta Hai Joh Raat Ko (<i>Aaj Ki Radha</i> , 1977) or even “Tumhi rehnuma ho” (<i>Do Raha</i>,1971).</p> <p>Statistically, if one were to look at their films of the 60s and 70s only, close to 70 % of Sapan – Jagmohan’s Hindi output featured song-writer Naqsh Lyallpuri. With regards to the voices used, a whopping 40 + % of their Hindi songs is attributed to solos / duets involving Asha Bhosle. The numbers go up further if the Punjabi and Bengali outputs are brought in to consideration</p> <p>When one looks at Sapan Jagmohan’s career as a whole, they emerge as strong and well-rounded composers. The fact that they were mostly relegated to B-grade movies and that seldom affected their enthusiasm proves what they were made of. As a result, their music, at least until the late 70s, rarely sounded indifferent. One wonders where they constantly drew their energies and motivation from. Yes, we all gained though!</p> <p>Jagmohan passed away on 26 Feb, 1999. Sapan Sengupta lives in Bandra, Mumbai. Though Sapan - Jagmohan’s compositions form part of music sessions, discussions and internet threads, their complete work never gets the deserved due and respect. The unmistakable passion in them to create some glittering gems requires to be explored, celebrated and applauded. HFM and its admirers will live on and so must Sapan - Jagmohan’s music!</p> <h4>FILMOGRAPHY</h4> <ol> <li>Jeeja Ji (1961) - Punjabi <li>Pardesi Dhola (1962) – Punjabi (with S. Mohinder) <li>Begaana (1963) - Hindi <li>Shokan Mele Di (1965) - Punjabi <li>Zimbo Finds A Son (1966) - Hindi <li>Aayega Aane Waala (1967) - Hindi <li>Teri Talaash Men (1968) - Hindi <li>Gustakhi Maaf (1969) - Hindi <li>Insaaf Ka Mandir (1969) - Hindi <li>Chetna (1970) - Hindi <li>Dupatta (1970) - Punjabi <li>Gunaah Aur Kaanoon (1970) - Hindi <li>Haveli (1970) - Hindi <li>Kankan De Ohle (1970) - Punjabi <li>Kulli Yaar Di (1970) - Punjabi <li>Doraaha (1971) - Hindi <li>Man Tera Tan Mera (1971) - Hindi <li>Baazigar (1972) - Hindi <li>Do Gaz Zameen Ke Neeche (1972) - Hindi <li>Jiwan Sukh (1973) - Hindi <li>Nai Dunia Naye Log (1973) - Hindi <li>Rocky Mera Naam (Tere Milne Ke Baad) (1973) - Hindi <li>Aalingan (1974) – Hindi (with Jaidev) <li>Call Girl (1974) - Hindi <li>Do Number Ke Ameer (1974) - Hindi <li>Dharam Jeet (1975) - Punjabi <li>Kaagaz Ki Nao (1975) - Hindi <li>Mera Jiwan (1976) - Hindi <li>Raakhi Aur Rifle (1976) - Hindi <li>Raees (1976) - Hindi <li>Sajjo Rani (1976) - Hindi <li>Aaj Ki Dhara (Aaj Ki Radha) (1977) - Hindi <li>Abhi To Jee Len (1977) - Hindi <li>Nachdi Jawani (1977) - Punjabi <li>Nakhro (1977) - Punjabi <li>Darwaaza (1978) - Hindi <li>Habari (1978) - Hindi <li>Laal Kothi (1978) - Hindi <li>Lalkuthi (1978) - Bengali <li>Udeekan (1978) - Punjabi <li>Pehredaar (1979) - Hindi <li>Ganga Dhaam (1980) - Hindi <li>Johnny Uska Naam (Unreleased) (1980) - Hindi <li>Shaadi Se Pahle (1980) - Hindi <li>Ek Aur Sangram (1981) - Hindi <li>Josh Jawani Da (1981) - Punjabi <li>Sheetla Mata (1981) - Hindi <li>Geet Ganga (1982) - Hindi <li>Prahari (1982) - Bengali <li>Mamla Gadbad Hai (1983) - Punjabi <li>Siskiyaan (1983) - Hindi <li>Duja Viah (1984) - Punjabi <li>Dushmano Ka Dushman (1984) - Hindi (Dubbed) <li>Milenge Kabhi (1984) - Hindi <li>Munda Naram Te Kudi Garam (1984) - Punjabi <li>Pratibha (1984) - Hindi <li>Takraar (1984) - Punjabi <li>Videsh (1984) - Hindi <li>Amber (1985) - Hindi <li>Prem Yuddh (1985) - Hindi (Dubbed) <li>Gunehgaar (1986) - Hindi <li>Maa Ki Saugandh (1986) - Hindi (with Rajesh Roshan) <li>Swarthi (1986) - Hindi <li>Pyari Dulhaniya (1987) - Bhojpuri <li>Jyoti (1988) - Bengali <li>Manimala (1989) - Bengali <li>Prem Pujari (1991) - Bengali <li>Mahashoy (1992) - Bengali <li>Tara Rani Ki Amar Katha (1994) - Hindi <li>Woh Chhokri (1994) - Hindi <li>Ghar Ka Kanoon (1995) - Hindi <li>Kumari Maa (1995) - Bengali <li>Beyadap (1996) - Bengali <li>Jiban Jouban (1997) – Bengali</li></ol> <hr> <h4>REFERENCES</h4> <ol> <li>Dhunon Ki Yatra by Pankaj Raag <li>Hindi Film Geet Kosh by Harmandar Singh ‘Hamraz’ <li>Suvarna Kaal - 1931 – 1960 by Isaak Mujawar <li>1960s write-up courtesy Kaustubh Pingle</li></ol>Aditya Panthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11481497663140098296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29329545.post-13449924808479953322016-02-06T21:23:00.001+05:302016-02-06T21:23:58.159+05:30Tum Bhool Na Jaao Unko, Isliye Suno Ye Kahani… Remembering Kavi Pradeep<p><em>This piece is written by <strong>Archana Gupta</strong>. It first appeared as part of the Guzra Hua Zamana series on Sangeet Ke Sitare, a music group on Facebook.</em></p> <hr> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9GuU8KDgVmuwKbIJ2dhNR1GCF211kGgaFZ9FZMXTM_edRSbzVdQfMHUQaEAwh0L_Bpr12a34cXqe3U1HrIO__WPbAJ8C_30cFFTwo5Yd1tm3pm6iJ0pYzkXzyDzbnZdndPWGM/s1600-h/Pradeep%252520collage%252520GHZ_1%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="Pradeep collage GHZ_1" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Pradeep collage GHZ_1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ2nYC2SbARgKDz7Em55QXaYpNqmd1yFwc1RJr4KteAVN51qr_-_j84EgUmNs_9cLmMQFPmwbxxjUPYTQAnZuKIEKrqcH_VaV2IdzWbPht6EYZkoeOKj66uHyge1IdHn73DwKB/?imgmax=800" width="554" height="484"></a> <p>When a man tells a prospective bride “Main aag hoon, paani ban kar rah sako to shaadi karoonga”, it should come as no surprise that at some point in the future, he will be best known as a firebrand, revolutionary poet and songwriter whose words shall have the power to inspire and instigate millions of cine-goers in pre-independent India, or that his best remembered poetic endeavors will be of patriotic nature and will be sung at national level programs long after he is gone, or that he will be awarded the title of “Rashtrakavi”! Indeed, the gentleman in question, is Kavi Pradeep, best remembered for his immortal song, “Ae Mere Watan Ke Logo” that is to date broadcasted over public address system as the Indian Prime Minister drives down Rajpath to pay homage to slain soldiers at Amar Jawan Jyoti before start of the Republic Day Parade, fifty three years after it was first sung at a slightly different function associated with Republic Day Celebrations. <p>Travesty is, as it often is the case for poets and lyricists, that while we remember their words and songs very well, we hardly ever think of crediting them for their songs – the songs are most often associated with the singers and then with the music directors in most people’s minds. Almost never do the people who write the songs get their due. That is the norm in our film Industry but there are a few notable exceptions to this norm like Gulzar and Sahir. Kavi Pradeep is also for most part a happier story and is well respected, decorated and awarded. But in his case also, we remember his songs far more than the man behind them. While not unexpected, it is alarming that he is still such an unknown, especially amongst the younger generation. Let’s take a look at what we know about the gentleman. <p><font size="3"><strong>Early Years (1915 – 1938) – A Spark Flies, a Fire Ignites</strong></font> <p>Pradeep was born Ramchandra Dwivedi, on February 6<sup>th</sup>, 1915, to Narayanji Bhatt Dwivedi of Badnagar (बड़नगर), Malwa (in present day Madhya Pradesh). His father was the village priest and a reasonably well to do farmer. Ramchandra was his elder sister and brother’s pet and was lovingly called “Ramu” by the family. His mother was a good singer and Ramchandra inherited her musical talent. His early “education” in music came from listening to his mother sing bhajans. His temperament, on the other hand, was reportedly inherited from his father and the “fire” in him, which was apparent from an early age, caused considerable hurdles in continuity of his education. A well-known story goes that when Ramchandra was a student in the local primary school, he was once punished by the local school teacher. He refused to fulfill the condition of the punishment as he believed it was undeserved and left the classroom to never return. That decision did not change even after the teacher apologized! <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg48VON6NxiP882fOcKL_wgYiEW9ACjsnR3j5c7ZF6a4EIRKCPFKPSteRDQ683d068dHbTIQSJFJl2uLZ8wJGiP_SykTyMzDRdvMv6HzYXohgQn-jDXU8jxtuIuszWe-WKI2CoE/s1600-h/stamp%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="stamp" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="stamp" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisHO50F-fcsAI7kOk7c9yZLO1DcHwlPzo7AcCuH_TeY1STDjwKAcVMngLYD8zYzSav7TsiaZ7oHFokjOdaTN_nD8KzaT2j2InhmY3zvb_Eb8sMIa1fHkT3MZe2vPdeaP-QXmox/?imgmax=800" width="185" align="left" height="244"></a>Since his education was interrupted, he was sent to Ratlam to his maternal uncle’s place in an attempt to let his studies continue there. One fine day, his aunt spoke harshly to him and that hurt his self-respect. He left his uncle’s home also and walked back to Badnagar – a distance of about 42 Kms, as the crow flies! He then studied in Indore for a little while before deciding to complete his intermediate education in Allahabad. At this time, the whole country was engulfed in the struggle for independence and patriotic fervors were running high. Allahabad was also a center of major political and revolutionary activities that Ramchandra was naturally exposed to. It was in the backdrop of events like Gandhi’s Dandi March, Simon Commission Protest & Lala Lajpat Rai’s death, Chandrashekhar Azad’s assassination & Bhagat Singh et al’s bombing of Central Legislative Assembly and subsequent execution, that young Ramchandra’s thoughts and poetic endeavors started shaping up. The fire that was to become “Pradeep” was ignited and was quietly smoldering, biding its time. <p>He finished his Intermediate from Allahabad and then completed his Bachelor’s degree from Lucknow. He also trained to be a teacher for a while but finally decided against joining this profession. He himself told in an interview that in those days teaching was considered such a respectable profession that he was under tremendous pressure from the family to join this profession but did not personally think that there were enough prospects and the salary was also too low to attract him. <p>During his student days in Allahabad itself, he honed his keen interest in poetry by reading the works of the Chhaayavaadi poets of the time and started writing poems. “Drum Drum Goonj Uthi Shehnai” was his first poem. Subsequently, he adopted the nom de plume of “Pradeep” and started participating in kavi-sammelans. Soon he had to his credit some notable poems like “Panipat”, “Aaj Mat Jao Pravasi”, “Sneh Ki Ye Baat Ri Sakhi”, and “Murali Ki Chhed Sureeli Taan” etc. His impressive personality, melodious voice and expressive poetry combined to make him a very in-demand poet at these poetry gatherings. Amongst his notable admirers was the pillar of Chhaayaavaad – Suryakant Tripathi Nirala who even wrote an article in his praise in “Madhuri”, a literary magazine in 1938, in which he said (and I paraphrase) that even at this young age, Pradeep is probably the brightest of the newer Hindi poets. Great poetess, Mahadevi Verma, also considered him amongst the next custodians of the Chhaayavaad tradition. <p><font size="3"><strong>Early Years in Films (1939 – 1947) – The Fire Rages and Blazes</strong></font> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt6FoZu4oFc2eDdmvPPC6Z5HURHMGcISbhUKpfcN62zcTkdG4z9vrrrhf2H-RVTzJ7IIgi1d6O48ozljHn1iIekfPW4vTmTSOPeE0AdGSv6Zlkrg6gT1FQ54mj7ZkFhPCm3-aT/s1600-h/punarmilan%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="punarmilan" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="punarmilan" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPuf3ElX_UyZvSk0OgWAZ70Q1acTLR0CiJQTwi97bJhZt9xG2uIZL39LmGalYLQCEC6PNWHe_ju_ExTs_bmR2s9iHjFpLsQJgKWmN1nwL951l2ykY1_z4e3LuopqPenhmvqutH/?imgmax=800" width="184" align="right" height="244"></a>While Ramchandra Dwivedi “Pradeep” was still trying to figure out what to do career-wise, he came in contact with journalist, artist and art teacher Ravishankar Raval. This contact proved very significant in the young poet’s life. Raval ji brought him to Bombay in 1938 where Pradeep participated in a small Kavi Sammelan. Here, he was spotted by film director N. R. Acharya who was extremely impressed with his voice. Very next day he introduced Ramchandra to Himanshu Rai, co-founder of Bombay Talkies, who heard one of his poems and offered him employment as lyric writer. While Ramchandra was still trying to decide whether or not to accept, the matter was clinched by an offer that dazzled him! He was offered an appointment letter at a salary of princely sum of Rs. 200 per month for writing lyrics! At Himanshu Rai’s suggestion, Ramchandra Dwivedi “Pradeep” dropped Ramchandra Dwivedi from his professional name and simply became “Pradeep”! <p>His first film for Bombay Talkies was Kangan in 1939. He contributed towards six songs in this film – four as a lyricist and three as a singer, one of which was an Arti composed by another Ramchandra, Ramchandra Pal (“Main To Aarti Utaroon Radheshyam Ki Re”), that he both penned and sang. The very first song he wrote was “Hawa Tum Dheere Baho”, composed by Saraswati Devi and sung by Leela Chitnis, who was Ashok Kumar’s leading lady in the film. It is a very pleasant song sung by a young girl waiting for her lover to arrive. The language in the song, while simple and colloquial (e.g. “Mere hiyaa mein uthat hilor”) clearly had some literary influence. The other two songs penned by him were “Radha Radha Pyari Radha” and “Sooni Padi Re Sitaar Meera Ke Jeevan Ki”. The film, directed by Franz Osten was a super-hit and marked a silver jubilee. Success of the film meant success of the music as well and Pradeep’s place in the studio, already secure, was even better assured.</p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:82555e89-010e-49bc-86bb-a6c83eb1f7a4" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/GaLG-yJNI5E&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/GaLG-yJNI5E&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Hawa Tum Dheere Baho - Kangan (1939) - Leela Chitnis - Saraswati Devi - Kavi Pradeep</div></div> <p>Kangan was followed by Bandhan the very next year. Pradeep wrote nine songs for the film and sang two. While all the songs became popular, one stands out, has special historic significance in the struggle for Indian Independence and is remembered well even today. The song was “Chal Chal Re Naujawan”. It was used in four parts in the film and while it is primarily a motivational song, very patriotic in nature, it is extremely cleverly penned and the message is well veiled. The first part is disguised as a romantic duet that uses the same refrain (and tune) “Chal Chal Re Naujawaan” and serves to set the stage for the following parts that are far more directly inspirational. The language and the message caught on instantly with the youth of the time and the song gained immense popularity amongst the cinegoers and the freedom fighters alike. On one hand, it was adopted by the “Vanar Sena” founded by Indira Gandhi as their anthem to encourage the kids to tirelessly engage in activities against the British Government, while on the other it was reportedly sung in the assemblies of the provinces of Punjab & Sindh where it was even proposed to make it our national anthem! While “Chal Chal Re Naujawaan” is the most notable song of the film, there are a couple more very mention-worthy songs. “Chana Zor Garam Babu” is an extremely fun song that if I did not know was penned by Pradeep, I would not have associated with him. “Ruk Na Sako To Jao, Tum Jao” is a beautiful and sensitive song of gracefully letting someone you love go. Sung by a colleague, it superbly portrays the feelings of both the students & colleagues of the departing school master (Ashok Kumar) as well those of the lady who loves him (Leela Chitnis) with masterfully chosen words like <p align="center">प्यारा रत्न बिछुड़ता हो जब पंथी<br>किसका हृदय न भर आता तब पंथी<br>किन्तु हमारे आँसू से तुम<br>कमज़ोरी न दिखाओ, तुम जाओ</p> <p align="center">जाने कब फिर मिलें पुराने साथी<br>जाने कब फिर मिले प्रेम की पाती<br>आज बिछुड़ने के पहले तुम<br>एक बार मुस्काओ, तुम जाओ</p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:f60055be-44cd-4e4f-9297-4090792784a3" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/y2OjHmwOFjk&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/y2OjHmwOFjk&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Ruk Na Sako To Jao - Bandhan (1940) - Arun Kumar - Saraswati Devi - Kavi Pradeep</div></div> <p>Success of Bandhan, especially Chal Chal Re Naujawan, clearly heralded the arrival of a revolutionary lyricist on the HFM scene! With this soundtrack, Pradeep had established himself very firmly and with Chal Chal Re Naujawan, he had sown the seeds of what was to later become not only his niche or trademark for several films to come, but almost his point of identification as a lyricist – the patriotic / nationalist songs! <p>After Bandhan came Punar Milan in 1940 and Naya Sansar, Jhoola and Anjaan in 1941. All these films had good music and Pradeep’s songs were well appreciated. Anjaan had another song that was very much inspirational in nature but very well veiled lyrics wise. Its words referred to as the clouds from the West (Britishers) that have cast a shadow over the East (India) and implored the youth to wake up. One has to listen to the words to appreciate the genius of the man who penned them. <p align="center">आई पश्चिम से घटा नौनिहालो जागो<br>छाई पूरब में घटा नौनिहालो जागो</p> <p align="center">लो ज़माना जागा सारा आलम जागा<br>तुमने करवट भी न ली, नौनिहालो जागो</p> <p align="center">आज जो सोवोगे कल तुम्हीं रोवोगे<br>माँ मुसीबत में पड़ी, नौनिहालो जागो</p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:a13ca2ba-1514-4fbd-885c-b29cbb5ec0e6" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/sdSqyK6lTG0&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/sdSqyK6lTG0&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Aayi Pashchim Se Ghata - Anjaan (1941) - Devika Rani - Panna Lal Ghosh - Kavi Pradeep</div></div> <p><b></b> <p>In 1943, came another film that proved to be a landmark success in Pradeep’s career – Kismet! In 1942, Mahatma Gandhi had initiated Quit India movement. In this period, World War II was at its peak, Japanese had advanced to Burma and Indian troops had been drawn into the war. Against this backdrop, Pradeep gave the country a song that, ostensibly, was a warning to Axis powers (mentioned not bowing to German or Japani by name) but in reality was also a strong and direct wake up call to the Indian population to unite and stand up against the British occupation of India, to join the struggle for Indian Independence, to openly stand in support of the Quit India movement! Read the words below and note the line “Shuru hua hai jang tumhara, jag utho Hindustani”, it purportedly referred to the Indian troops going to war against the Axis powers but was accurately interpreted by the public as a call to mobilize in support of “Quit India” movement. <p align="center">आज हिमालय की चोटी से फिर हम ने ललकरा है<br>दूर हटो, दूर हटो, दूर हटो ऐ दुनियावालो हिन्दुस्तान हमारा है</p> <p align="center">जहाँ हमारा ताज-महल है और क़ुतब-मीनारा है<br>जहाँ हमारे मन्दिर मस्जिद सिखों का गुरुद्वारा है<br>इस धरती पर क़दम बढ़ाना अत्याचार तुम्हारा है<br>दूर हटो, दूर हटो, दूर हटो ऐ दुनियावालो हिन्दुस्तान हमारा है</p> <p align="center">शुरू हुआ है जंग तुम्हारा जाग उठो हिन्दुस्तानी<br>तुम न किसी के आगे झुकना जर्मन हो या जापानी<br>आज सभी के लिये हमारा ये ही क़ौमी नारा है<br>दूर हटो, दूर हटो, दूर हटो ऐ दुनियावालो हिन्दुस्तान हमारा है</p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:b0f398aa-cdc6-4308-9616-d158feede02d" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EQ6HnCDRyJg&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EQ6HnCDRyJg&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Aaj Himalay Ki Choti Se - Kismet (1943) - Amirbai Karnataki, Pradeep & Chorus - Anil Biswas - Kavi pradeep</div></div> <p>Millions responded to the message in the song. As Pradeep himself recounted in an interview, the film opened amidst tense political milieu where several political leaders were jailed. As the song played, it brought the hall to its feet and people sang along with fervor. When the song ended, the theatre was in an uproar with calls to repeat the song abound. The screening had to be paused to replay the song before the film could be resumed. And this became a norm in several cities around the country! The import of this was not lost on the British Government either. While the censor board had been fooled initially, soon an arrest warrant was issued against Pradeep and he had to go underground for a while in order to avoid being arrested! <p>Meanwhile, the film became a runaway success, in good part on the tails of the popularity of this song and others like “Dheere Dheere Aa Re Badal” and “Papeeha Re” but primarily Door Hato, all composed by the inimitable Anil Biswas. It broke several records of the time. It was screened on a single theatre in Calcutta continually for 44 months! The film, bought by the distributor at a cost of INR 60000, raked in profits of over a crore! Once again, Pradeep’s position, as a writer of successful songs in general and Patriotic lyrics in particular, was unmistakably underscored. <p>After the death of Himanshu Rai in 1940, Rai Bahadur Chunnilal and Devika Rani landed into several disputes and there were practically two rival camps within Bombay Talkies headed by the two. When all sort of compromises failed, finally in 1943, Rai Bahadur Chunnilal, Sashadhar Mukherjee & Ashok Kumar left Bombay Talkies to establish Filmistan. Pradeep was amongst those who left Bombay Talkies with them and joined Filmistan. By now, he was being compensated at the rate of Rs. 1500/- per month. <p>Filmistan’s first production was Chal Chal Re Naujawan in 1944. Pradeep wrote about ten songs for this film whose music was composed by Ghulam Haider. Despite some very nice songs that gained some popularity, the film flopped badly unlike the song from which it borrowed its title. While Pradeep was at the zenith of his popularity, he was under exclusive contract first with Bombay Talkies and then with Filmistan and wrote only about 67 songs for a grand total of 8 films! At this point Pradeep developed some differences with Rai Bahadur Chunnilal and was served a notice. Due to these contractual limitations, he assumed an alias of “Miss Kamal” and wrote a few songs for films of other production houses in order to keep the home fires burning. These films were Kadambari in 1944, Aamrapali in 1945, and Sati Toral and Veerangana in 1947 and he penned about forty odd songs for these. </p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:fb3b2fea-6b35-4e4f-a50d-ce3e267197e3" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/vaXqxJEdIOQ&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/vaXqxJEdIOQ&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Piya Mere Saath Rahenge - Amrapali (1945) - Amirbai Karnataki - Saraswati Devi - Miss Kamal (Kavi Pradeep)</div></div> <p>Amidst these early professional successes, Pradeep also reached a couple of major milestones in his personal life. He met and married Bhadra Ben in January 1942 after she consented to be the water-like calming and balancing force to his raging fire in their personal life. It was a union that lasted till death did them part after over fifty five years of togetherness. In 1946, they were blessed with a baby girl whom they named Sargam. <p><font size="3"><strong>Pradeep in Independent India (1947 – 1968) – The Fire Scorches and Burns</strong></font> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW3H9Z_6Ol6dIyGE_aolkMT4hPzvaB0uX0rKA48qwxnSnLgvO2TlYFzfWvmLRGyoni7b0Stgw_bACSiSiQKrB4eugreUsmeO_BXsXTzmIGa6eds9ltmoFxtdJtc6HGYZjSY14h/s1600-h/girls%252520school%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitcWnoXc3ssvq7XO54-wx0x9TKVjb9ng9wJ-Ts63cbxXSIw6upMcR7GSsdcEyTMyrUe-JKVUe9Vl_LqvDqbmF1YukbG7R265PskK-DNUAAwCab_k3wxSic_uH0P14XIMDrSeTv/?imgmax=800" width="244" align="left" height="185"></a>The fire that was Pradeep was still burning, quietly, but steadily even though he had gone through a few years of relatively quiet period due to reasons mentioned above. Though Pradeep’s beginnings in independent India were less than ideal, he had not given up by any means. He had actually decided to venture into film production himself, likely a direct consequence of the altercation with Rai Bahadur in which he had gotten the short end of the stick. In 1949 he teamed up with Gyan Mukherjee & Amiya Chakrabarty to create a production house named Lokmanya Productions and produced a film named Girls’ School. The film was directed by Amiya Chakrabarty and music was given by Anil Biswas & C. Ramachandra. Naturally, all nine songs were penned by Pradeep. This was the first time Lata gave voice to Pradeep’s words as well as the first time CR set them to tune, though all the three did not collaborate on any one song yet. The film had some lovely songs, some which were different from Pradeep’s well known and expected style. For instance, while “Kuchh Sharmaate Hue Aur Kuchh Saham Saham”, a perky Lata solo, perfectly describes the feelings of excitement, anticipation and apprehension of a young girl who has just taken that first step towards falling in love, “Tum Hi Kaho Mera Man Kyun Rahe Udaas Nahin”, gives expression to a woman’s confusion. “Gori Ek Baat Sun Badi Mazedar Hai” and “O Shahar Ke Baanke Babu”, especially the former, are out and out light & fun duets by Shamshad & Chitalkar. Despite some lovely music, the film bombed badly at the box office and Pradeep lost a lot of money. This cured him of his itch to produce films and he settled back full-time into doing what he knew best, i.e., writing songs. </p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:a0bc7fbb-ba72-4395-95a9-12236c892cff" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/CeemOzVjQGw&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CeemOzVjQGw&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">O Shahar Ke Baanke Babu - Girls School (1949) - Shamshad Begum & Chitalkar - C. Ramchandra - Kavi Pradeep</div></div> <p>In 1950, some of the old Bombay Talkies’ crowd tried to revive the now flailing company via a film titled<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7p6w90qRxoKkI3NYWkLke5uVv3qt2EXvGeWCIzb5hpb8iMgmz6Aow-8yVay4XlxUDJYwaMVNopot43EFYiH7ZEBKUliSrjieWQxZ_nLRJrDYDC8HdQ9RYNzRxcvk9T9eIbZmM/s1600-h/Mashaal%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="Mashaal" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Mashaal" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju8wvdRDbQVqdC9O_KRADAz8VhptzOF9cYXsE_2-BBuAOZfvfZYv8fZqtwXy2RVx4RMGszLZv1Ez_xWeYmlUM2bFTMrkbbJk7W-qnGLxKqlIAw73_UCM0xSTwNUtAaosOuwNvd/?imgmax=800" width="244" align="right" height="164"></a> Mashaal (Samar was an alternate title for the same). It was directed by Nitin Bose and S. D. Burman composed its music while Ashok Kumar was the leading man. Pradeep penned seven songs for this film. Amongst these, most notable are “Oopar Gagan Vishaal”, a Manna Dey solo that marvels at this world, the ultimate creation of the ultimate creator, “Mere Man Hanste Hue Chal”; a truly motivational Lata solo that drives home the point that life undergoes change at all times and one must face all hardships calmly, tirelessly and with good attitude if one desires to emerge victorious in this battle of life; and last but not least, the very sweet and innocent Lata solo, “Aankhon Se Door Door… Kaun Hain Mere Wo” that is also a personal favorite. Preet Ka Geet was another 1950 film that Pradeep wrote songs for working with Shyam Babu Pathak as the composer. This was also the year when Geeta Dutt rendered Pradeep’s words for the very first time. <p>Over next three years, he wrote ten songs only, nine for a film called Chamki and one for Kafila. Of these, Chamki’s Lata solo “Pyar Ko Mat Kaho Koi Pyar” is remembered even now. Then came 1954, a watershed year for Pradeep. While one of the films for which he wrote the songs i.e. Ritu Vihar did not find a release, he had four releases this year in the form of Baap-Beti, Chakradhari, Nastik and Jagriti. It is these last two that were very significant in his career albeit in different ways. <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhchCmrvw2IfIu38uI17YPiYFrA6r_cHGZ_WI266uMsy_TJE98yyHQSss9eoPunuy_B4ymD7oDdit-FXVgJolO68zjrHKY_4_FPcxRZmdlkMNDKsWJ-yZt616zMdN0Wt_SwX2IF/s1600-h/jagriti%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="jagriti" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="jagriti" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin_sn7GlCP1E0z-WHVmrKTETt9NWaw4vW26czkeaUAMbnafAt2kkZOM1Pznu0ifn1sSV4odhegtrLnNmN4cYSSvS7XS6e6CTfQwpTYpQwfVUJdHtMc5ew_oQz3q3QxUStOzaB2/?imgmax=800" width="244" align="left" height="153"></a>Jagriti was sensitive film dealing with a wayward child, his relationship with an unconventional teacher and a handicapped model student. Its emotional appeal was tremendous but its most memorable feature was its songs. Pradeep wrote four songs for this movie, three of them the classic patriotic/inspirational songs that he had now come to be known for, and one mother-child song talking of a dreamland and all four of them went on to become classics. The first three are frequently played to date on National TV and in schools especially on National Holidays. “Hum Laaye Hain Toofaan Se Kashti Nikaal Ke”, “Aao Bachcho Tumhein Dikhaayein” and “Sabarmati Ke Sant” were all written to remind the younger generation of the tremendous sacrifices that various freedom fighters made to gain independence. While “Sabarmati Ke Sant” was dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi and extolled the virtues of the doctrine of non-violence, “Hum Laaye Hain Toofan” was more generic and focused mostly on how to operate and live so as to preserve the hard earned independence and develop the country, issues that were of paramount import at the time (and still are to date). “Aao Bachcho”, also sung by Pradeep, tried to instill National Pride and reinforce feelings of Unity in diversity by listing the distinctive features of India and recounting the innumerable sacrifices made by different communities for independence and honor at various points in history, glorifying different states and their contributions as well as recalling the shared pain of atrocities the people had borne. </p> <p>The language and expression of these songs, much like Pradeep’s previous endeavors, struck a chord with the general population of the country whose wounds from the struggle of Independence, subsequent partition and then the Kashmir War were still fresh. These songs as well as the film, all became overnight successes, so much so that the film was copied/remade as Bedari in 1957 in Pakistan. Not just the film but all of its four songs were also copied. Hemant Kumar’s music was retained almost unchanged though it was credited to Fateh Ali Khan and Pradeep’s fiery lyrics were only slightly modified by Faiyyaz Hashmi by switching some words around to adapt them to Pakistani context while leaving a lot of the thought process and all central ideas intact! Examine this: </p> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="550" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="270"> <p>The Jagriti song by Pradeep reads: <p>पासे सभी उलट गए दुश्मन की चाल के <br>अक्षर सभी पलट गए भारत के भाल के <br>मंज़िल पे आया मुल्क़ हर बला को टाल के <br>सदियों के बाद फिर उड़े बादल गुलाल के <p>हम लाए हैं तूफ़ान से किश्ती निकाल के <br>इस देश को रखना मेरे बच्चो संभाल के <br>तुम ही भविष्य हो मेरे भारत विशाल के <br>इस देश को रखना मेरे बच्चो संभाल के <p>देखो कहीं बरबाद न होवे ये बग़ीचा <br>इसको हृदय के ख़ून से बापू ने है सींचा <br>रक्खा है ये चिराग़ शहीदों ने बाल के <br>इस देश को... </p> <p>दुनिया के दाव पेंच से रखना ना वास्ता <br>मंज़िल तुम्हारी दूर है लम्बा है रास्ता <br>भटका न दे कोई तुम्हें धोखे में डाल के<br>इस देश को... <p>ऐटम बमों के जोर पे ऐंठी है ये दुनिया <br>बारूद के इक ढेर पे बैठी है ये दुनिया <br>तुम हर क़दम उठाना ज़रा देख भाल के<br>इस देश को... <p>आराम की तुम भूल भुलय्या में न भूलो <br>सपनों के हिंडोलों पे मगन होके न झूलो <br>अब वक़्त आ गया मेरे हँसते हुए फूलो <br>उट्ठो छलाँग मार के आकाश को छू लो <br>तुम गाड़ दो गगन पे तिरंगा उछाल के<br>इस देश को... </p></td> <td valign="top" width="280"> <p align="right">And the parallel Bedari song by Fayyaz Hashmi: <p align="right">पासे सभी उलट गए दुश्मन की चाल के <br>खेले हैं हमने खेल कुछ ऐसे कमाल के <br>मंज़िल पे आई क़ौम हर बला को टाल के <br>बरसों के बाद फिर उड़े परचम हिलाल के </p> <p align="right">हम लाए हैं तूफ़ान से कश्ती निकाल के <br>इस मुल्क़ को रखना मेरे बच्चो संभाल के <br>बरसों के बाद फिर उड़े परचम हिलाल के <br>इस मुल्क़ को रखना मेरे बच्चो संभाल के </p> <p align="right">देखो कहीं उजड़े न हमारा ये बग़ीचा <br>इसको लहू से अपने शहीदों ने है सींचा <br>इसको बचाना जान मुसीबत में डाल के<br>इस मुल्क़ को... </p> <p align="right">दुनिया की सियासत के अजब रंग हैं न्यारे <br>चलना है मगर तुमको तो क़ुर’आँ के सहारे <br>हर इक क़दम उठाना ज़रा देख-भाल के<br> इस मुल्क़ को... </p> <p align="right">तुम राहत-ओ-आराम के झूले में न झूलो <br>काँटों पे है चलना मेरे हँसते हुए फूलो <br>लेना अभी कश्मीर है ये बात न भूलो <br>कश्मीर पे लहराना है झंडा उछाल के<br>इस मुल्क़ को... </p></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>Déjà vu? Well, the story repeated in the other three songs as well. Since imitation is the highest form of flattery, this was certainly a great compliment for Pradeep that a so called bitter enemy nation inadvertently paid him, especially when these songs gained immense popularity in Pakistan as well. <p>The other film of note in 1954 was Nastik with music by C. Ramachandra. Three songs of this film are noteworthy – “Gagan Jhanjhana Raha”, a Lata-Hemant duet, devotional/motivational combo, “Kanha Bajaye Bansuri” a sweet Radha-Krishna solo by Lata and last but not least “Dekh Tere Sansar Ki Haalat”, a dejected and glum but accurate analysis of the society and country of the time that is even more true and relevant today than it was then with words like: <p align="center">आया समय बड़ा बेढंगा, आज आदमी बना लफ़ंगा<br>छल और कपट के हाथों अपना बेच रहा ईमान, <br>राम के भक्त रहीम के बंदे, रचते आज फ़रेब के फंदे </p> <p>... and the para that expresses not only the pain of partition but rings true for every incident that has been a result of racial, class-based or communal violence in India - then and now <p align="center">जो हम आपस में न झगड़ते<br>बने हुए क्यों खेल बिगड़ते<br>काहे लाखों घर ये उजड़ते<br>क्यों ये बच्चे माँ से बिछड़ते </p> <p>… A song, and one of many similar ones in this phase of Pradeep’s career, that has stood the test of time, has proved that this man’s pen was timeless and forever relevant. </p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:e6a784d7-9309-4c43-b6ac-e58e3713409c" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1_5LLtxAB4I&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1_5LLtxAB4I&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Dekh Tere Sansar Ki Haalat - Nastik (1954) - Pradeep - C. Ramchandra - Kavi Pradeep</div></div> <p>Unfortunately or fortunately, Nastik also gave Pradeep a second label beyond Patriotic – that of a religious / devotional lyrics writer and this was a label that sort of relegated him to B-Grade films over next several years. As the landscape of the Hindi Film Music evolved rapidly, Pradeep somehow seemed to lose pace though the flashes of earlier brilliance showed throughout in the form of one or two substantial and expressive songs per soundtrack or so. <p>Amongst his notable creations in later half of fifties are “Tere Dwar Khada Bhagwan” from Waman Avtar (’55), “Koi Laakh Kare Chaturai” from Chandi Puja (’57), “Tune Khoob Racha Bhagwan Khilauna Maati Ka”, “Aaj Nahin To Kal Bikharenge Ye Baadal” (mukhda similar to earlier Mashaal song), “Pinjre Ke Panchhi Re, Tera Dard Na Jane Koy” (I find this one particularly moving) all from Naag Mani (’57), “Bigul Baj Raha Azadi Ka … Kahni Hai Ik Baat”, an early warning against internal terrorist and corrupt elements from a far-sighted poet from Talaq (’58), “Jhuk Jhuk Jhola Khaye Re”, “Mukhda Dekh Le Prani” and “Main Natkhat Ik Kali” all from Do Behnen (’59), “O Dildaar Bolo Ek Baar” and “Taar Taar Baj Raha Dil Ke Surbahar Ka” from School Master (’59). </p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:2c1b030c-46d8-4c69-b80b-7058e280e4ff" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1f6o0duCOCc&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1f6o0duCOCc&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">O Dildaar Bolo Ik Baar - School Master (1959) - Lata Mangeshkar & Talat Mahmood - Vasant Desai - Kavi Pradeep</div></div> <p>One film of this period, that deserves special mention, is Paigham (’59), composed by C. Ramchandra. The film featured a couple of really nice songs like “Badla Saara Zamana”, a hard-hitting comment on how much social and moral degradation had occurred in the society in the first decade after independence disguised as comic song, and a lovely romantic duet by Asha-Rafi “Jawani Mein Akelepan Ki Ghadiyaan Humko Na Bhaayein”. However, the real gem in the soundtrack that once again set the general public’s sentiment ablaze and proved Pradeep still had his finger on people’s pulse was this Manna Dey song “Insaan Ka Insaan Se Ho Bhaichara”. Full of hope and desire for social justice and equality for all in a class-less society with strong basis in kinship & solidarity amongst its citizens, this song once again brought Pradeep to forefront of cine-goers and film music listeners’ mind. </p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:f840bf7c-0c97-4229-9cf1-dbf1ce1f94bc" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JeVCuf8T0TY&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JeVCuf8T0TY&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Insaan Ka Insaan Se - Paigham (1959) - Manna Dey - C. Ramchandra - Kavi Pradeep</div></div> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWoc2Fgu_cFlkzWEVbPHpiB6hxvKMaxR23S77yggDcc8Qe7z1JsJeJZlzo7iTg951WuG49wSbp2lYhalqLgTVvw85dodb-iJFZPD7ue7m_CPacODaTX4tJPoPu7b11vJ5HJ5w1/s1600-h/aanchal%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="aanchal" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="aanchal" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpYhwPk26RCDC10z2N6XntJR7pJlz6ESVq_EvjgBaCzaRxiX8jhLrePcrnny37o_6s1W1Ora-TpRLS1CUwDoOgvszRN6SwJQgy1dHgKU4PFqPEI-QYzhR65w8dpPqhGMfTkc9y/?imgmax=800" width="184" align="right" height="244"></a>Early sixties continued in the same vein with a number of average films and songs peppered by a few hits and some songs of substance. A few that warrant a mention are “Sanwariya Re Apni Meera Ko” – a sweet love song with parallel from Krishna-Meera by Suman K, “Gaa Rahi Hai Zindagi” – a supremely sweet duet, “Tu Har Ek Museebat Ka Muqabla Kar” – an inspirational number, all from Aanchal (’60), “Aaj Ke Is Insaan Ko Ye Kya Ho Gaya” and “Laakhon Log Chale Hain Bilakhte”, both expressing the pain of partition and events that followed, both from Amar Rahe Ye Pyar (’61), “Kateeli Kateeli Nasheeli Nasheeli”, “Na Jaane Kahan Tum The”, both from Zindagi aur Khwab (’61), “Jagat Bhar Ki Roshni Ke Liye”, “Main Ek Nanha Sa, Main Ik Chhota Sa Bachcha Hoon”, “Meghva Gagan Beech Jhaanke”, all from Harishchandra Taramati (’63), “Jhuk Gayi Re Palak Aayi Ang Mein Lachak”, “Main Tum Pe Teer Chala Doon”, both from Veer Bhimsen (’64), etc. He wrote for six more films between 1965 and 1968 but none of the songs really stood out in any significant way. </p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:6d6c903d-8be4-42c9-a339-5748dd4675d5" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qOG3YE-zTuc&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qOG3YE-zTuc&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Meghva Gagan Beech Jhaanke - Harishchandra Taramati (1963) - Lata Mangeshkar - Laxmikant Pyarelal - Kavi Pradeep</div></div> <p>Most of the sixties would have passed more or less uneventfully except for two spectacular honors that got bestowed on Pradeep. In 1961, Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama recognized Pradeep’s immense contributions to films and conferred Sangeet Natak Akademi Award on him. It is the highest recognition given to practicing artists<u><sup> </sup></u>in India! <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiMems5Hl2l24_uk8xhljaNAIAH8Rvgl_8aZ5X4X2FyaxED2A1aIvrutXz5PoJquye7aUAuVzSEezbKmgURRuTgV5YoC8qf2OifeJtYYxXWjCzXHGy7M3toZhpX2YWavwGbnGh/s1600-h/Pradeep-Lata-CR%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="Pradeep-Lata-CR" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Pradeep-Lata-CR" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8cWehGyr_MOkjcJgrnlIqH1bccrXfwRyEKaqavuLQTKVdM9Z_xd0F4DdxuFAbIaYwoTPocQ_RMvj_RMtgeMJTX3yu0H_uUebFIqPQfw2nypoqlDgnk8w-HyYepJgN9pt6aect/?imgmax=800" width="207" align="left" height="244"></a>In 1962, when the country was in the midst of a war with China, Pradeep was very impacted by stories of valor of service men. He himself mentioned being so moved by news items about martyrdom of Brigadier Hoshiyar Singh on Sela Pass and Param Vir Major Shaitan Singh Bhati in Laddakh that he thought he must write about them. One day, while he was walking in Mahim, Mumbai, a half-line came to him, “Jo Shaheed Hue Hain Unki Zara Yaad Karo Qurbani”. He noted that half line on the foil of a cigarette box by borrowing a pen from a passerby. And that was the humble beginning of this iconic song that we know as “Ae Mere Watan Ke Logo”! A few weeks later, he was approached to write a patriotic song for a special show in Delhi that was being organized around Republic Day (1963). The main purpose was to re-instate a nation’s wounded pride due to the lost war and music seemed like a reasonable way to provide a salve. Pradeep roped in longtime associate, C. Ramachandra to provide music and was extremely keen to have Lata Mangeshkar render it. According to one of his interviews, he wrote rest of the words of the song keeping Lata’s voice and persona in mind. This was the time when Lata & CR were not even on talking terms with each other so getting them to agree to work together was certainly no piece of cake. While CR agreed readily, it took a lot more to get Lata to agree and she only agreed on the condition that Pradeep would be present at all rehearsals. The song was written, composed and was ready to be sung and the D-Day arrived. Tragically, Pradeep, the man who got the song to the point where it was ready for show time, was not even invited to the show! The song was performed on January 27<sup>th</sup>, 1963, in the presence of several luminaries and dignitaries including then President Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, then Prime Minister Pt. Nehru, several film industry stalwarts like Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Raj Kapoor, Rajendra Kumar, Mohammed Rafi, Hemant Kumar etc. and as is well known now, moved Pandit Nehru to tears. When he met Lata after the show, he enquired about the lyricist of the song and was disappointed to not find him there! He later met with Pradeep in Bombay on March 21<sup>st</sup>, 1963 and even had him perform the song at a meeting that evening. For writing this song Pradeep was conferred the honor of "Rashtriya Kavi" (National Poet) by the government of India and thus Ramu became Kavi Pradeep! At the same time, Kavi Pradeep decided in consultation with Lata & CR to donate all proceeds from this song to the War Widows fund. Lata and all the musicians worked for free to prepare a recorded track of this song and gave the track to HMV on the condition that all royalties forever would be donated to War Widows Fund! In my mind there is no doubt that this is the one song that even by itself would have been enough to secure Kavi Pradeep’s position as a Patriotic poet of the highest order had he done no other work at all in his life! Such is the power of his words in this song. </p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:c196525f-4e4c-44a0-875e-98b7f8313596" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DSJ1MMGi_IQ&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DSJ1MMGi_IQ&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Ae Mere Watan Ke Logo - Non-Film (1962) - Lata Mangeshkar - C. Ramchandra - Kavi Pradeep</div></div> <p>After the 1965 war also Kavi Pradeep and C. Ramachandra created a song dedicated to war widows “Pranaam Un Dulhanon Ko” that was sung by Asha Bhosle at then Prime Minister, Sh. Lal Bahadur Shastri’s residence. While it is a very nice song, it suffers from comparison with “Ae Mere Watan Ke Logo” and that magic could not be recreated. Not unexpectedly, this song never caught the public’s imagination and is now all but lost in oblivion. <p>On the personal front, by this time Kavi Pradeep and Bhadra Ben were parents of two baby girls. Their younger daughter, Mitul, was born in 1956. <p><strong><font size="3">Later Years (1969 – 1988) – The Fire Smolders, Embers Glow</font></strong> <p>In 1969, Sashadhar Mukherjee brought Kavi Pradeep and O.P. Nayyar together for the first time. This pairing of a “romantic” music director and “serious” lyric writer clicked and worked defying all odds. The result of this pairing was the soundtrack of Sambandh featuring twelve songs. Multiple songs in this soundtrack focused on parent-child relationships – both mother-son and father-son. Amongst all the twelve songs, one song, the very first one that they had created together, simply stood out. The song was “Chal Akela Chal Akela, Tera Mela Peechhe Chhoota Raahi, Chal Akela” prodding one to keep going even if they are left alone in their journey of life and no one is there to support them. The words certainly reflected some of poet’s own feelings as by this time he also, like many others of his generation, was slightly disillusioned with conditions prevalent in India, especially the moral degradation of the society in the post-independence era. Once again, Kavi Pradeep’s simple but heartfelt words resonated with the audiences. The song became a super hit and brought Kavi Pradeep back to limelight. </p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:5c9be5f4-a246-47a3-838b-3c65dbefbc50" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pflINcgXW9Q&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pflINcgXW9Q&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Chal Akela Chal Akela - Sambandh (1969) - Mukesh - O. P Nayyar - Kavi Pradeep</div></div> <p>In 1971, Kavi Pradeep wrote couple more philosophical songs, namely “Samay Ke Haath Ka Kathputla”, and “Kabhi Dhoop Kabhi Chhaon”, both from film named Kabhi Dhoop Kabhi Chhaon, that gained some popularity. Otherwise 1970s were a time that Kavi Pradeep spent engulfed in a wave of religious films. He must have written songs on scores of Hindu Gods and Goddesses during this time. While this trend started right with Nastik, 1971 onwards Kavi Pradeep was almost exclusively a lyric writer for religious films only. Unprecedented success of Jai Santoshi Ma’s songs like “Main to Aarti Utaroon Re”, “Madad Karo Santoshi Mata”, and “Yahan Wahan Jahan Tahan” etc., further ensured that this trend continued through the 1980s too. </p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:5ecaef85-aba5-4c0e-8e7c-0f71d9a10655" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9oRDAZg9k0s&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9oRDAZg9k0s&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Madad Karo Santoshi Mata - Jai Santoshi Maa (1975) - Usha Mangeshkar - C. Arjun - Kavi Pradeep</div></div> <p>From 1971 to 1985, Kavi Pradeep wrote songs for only 22 films out of which 17 were religious or mythological and in one of the remaining five, he only contributed one song and that too a bhajan! Mid-eighties saw the rise of Disco and lewd lyrics. From 1985 to 1988, Kavi Pradeep wrote lyrics for 6 films of which four of them only featured one song each by him. It was fairly obvious that Kavi Pradeep was not the right fit for writing lyrics in these times. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn0wZkfpeu2nw6H9fRnUmx66zy2b_fr2Grgkfc5XnAeO1UpYRWkeskz3-Y6aDABs4hVPBD0L7SAfZbM6id_krj1caSCEKkVdOd1OplzTmCKL5S3qtvDnZhaizpcQedSxxu-FIO/s1600-h/balram%252520shri%252520krishna%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="balram shri krishna" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="balram shri krishna" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilCO1mAafXGDEtUN_lmZlH7vidzoNCiG6nVBHFqYBImBIgDXXNBjFqLUXX1AhxMclgF2eJ90D0ARnMjQPwNgLoS2-fqjLZmW5_IdLCIwit4SXh0w5zrkHcgpJltxXA-hnuhjHl/?imgmax=800" width="180" align="right" height="244"></a> <p>If one examines the songs that Kavi Pradeep wrote for various films, especially the religious ones, two things become amply clear. Firstly, he was very deeply entrenched in the Hindu traditions and mythology. This is apparent from the varying references to different mythological tales and characters that find their way into his lyrics. Some of it, of course, must have been a function of the story lines and situations in the films, but his words leave a distinct impression that he knew the intertwined stories well and once in a while, these references come up in non-religious films’ songs as well. Secondly, it appears that he was basically a storyteller. He has told so many mythological and historical tales in detail in the songs he wrote. For instance, “Kuchh Yaad Karo Apna Pawansut Wo Baalpan” from Bajrangbali (‘76) recounts various childhood exploits of Hanuman, “Dekho Logo Ye Leela Lalaam” from Balram Shri Krishna (’68) tells the tale of Sudama’s visit to Sri Krishna in great detail, “Suno Sunaoon Tumhen Ek Kahani” from Chandi Puja (’57) is obviously a song that tells a tale, and then there is the almost 12 minute long Ramleela sequence in verse form from School Master (’59), all bearing a testimony to his propensity as well as mastery in telling tales through songs. <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE3VEVBgn5rsvEK912Qq3Awl5Y4qn2l3Eefjlc6K_sqCipWGo6ncjzsb-YNBf35W57qm0HAxFmJxwgEzdmtaTF9JwUmE6yuY0xiWF16VaWRzpA3tet7Bc4w0Ayv70JIWpap_32/s1600-h/zindagi%252520aur%252520khwab%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="zindagi aur khwab" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="zindagi aur khwab" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhri3TFWT-WYCRsyzX_CSZX_R7IRwxIR-yjPhYaW3SDCbK60fyRRRBpcTuSan-hkfheEUdooJHgx6ggoLZ-hZpl5colrHrHcncpDBL0LAm_bivAKKV5vIMLuHzsl0reH2bGKHnQ/?imgmax=800" width="181" align="left" height="244"></a>Considering that Kavi Pradeep has this huge (and well deserved) association with patriotic lyrics, one tends to overlook his pen’s versatility. In his half a century long career as a film lyricist, he has penned songs of varying moods and hues. Other than patriotic, inspirational, philosophical and devotional songs that have already been discussed at length above, one also finds songs of romance (“Mere Jeevan Ke Path Par” - Anjaan ,“Na Jaane Kahan Tum The” - Zindagi Aur Khwab, “Taar Taar Baj Raha” – School Master, “Gaa Rahi Hai Zindagi” – Aanchal), songs characterizing familial affection (“Apne Bhaiyaa Ko Naach” – Bandhan, “Ae Maa Too Kahan”,” Ae Meri Aankhon Ke Taare” - Aankh Ka Tara, “Apni Mata Ke Dulare Bachche” - Sambandh), and light-hearted or comic songs (“O Meri Saas Ke Ladke” – Chakradhari, “Gori Ek Baat Sun Badi Mazedar Hai”, “O Shahar Ke Baanke Babu” - Girls School) including satires like “Badla Sara Zamana” from Nastik in Kavi Pradeep’s oeuvre. There are even a couple of mujra or nautanki like songs thrown in for a good measure though his lyrics remain fairly restrained in those numbers as well. <p>Kavi Pradeep’s language generally remained simple, what one would call ‘bol-chaal ki bhasha’ with only ever so slight tilt towards sanskritized Hindi. His lyrics occasionally showed a slightly stronger chhayaavaadi language influence, especially in the earlier songs (check “<a href="https://soundcloud.com/archana-5/runak-jhnak-chapal-charan-amrapali" target="_blank">Runak Jhnak Chapal Charan</a>” from Amrapali) but not overtly much. His lyrics never relied on any unusual or hard Urdu words either – “Saral” and “Saras” is how I would describe his language. <p>In his almost half a century long career, he wrote about 525 songs for about 75 films and sang fifty odd songs. <p>After 1988, though Kavi Pradeep did not write any more film songs, he continued to write poetry. His poetry as usual reflected what he absorbed from his surroundings. In an interview, he recited this one piece that seems to be his call to people in positions of eminence to examine their own behavior and values and is universally applicable to all of us. <p align="center">कभी कभी ख़ुद से बात करो, कभी कभी ख़ुद से बोलो <br>अरे अपनी नज़र में तुम क्या हो, ये मन की तराज़ू पे तोलो </p> <p align="center">हरदम तुम बैठे न रहो शोहरत की इमारत में <br>कभी कभी ख़ुद को पेश करो आत्मा की अदालत में <br>केवल अपनी कीर्ति न देखो, अपनी कमियों को भी टटोलो </p> <p align="center">अपनी नज़र में तुम क्या हो ये मन की तराज़ू पे तोलो <br>कभी कभी ख़ुद से बात करो, कभी कभी ख़ुद से बोलो</p> <p>It is an absolutely natural message from a man who, by his own admission, never asked for anyone else’s opinion on his work. He once recounted that he has another “Pradeep” inside him whom he brings out whenever he is ready with a new piece of poetry. He reads the piece to his alter ego and figures out from his reaction whether the piece is ready or needs more thought – what a personification of a conscience at play! In all there are about 500 – 600 non-film poems of his with his daughter Mitul Pradeep, some of these have been previously published in magazines but there is no book or compilation yet. <p>In 1997, Kavi Pradeep was honored with Dada Sahib Phalke Award in recognition of his lifetime achievements and contributions to Indian Cinema. It is the highest award in cinema in India as of today! I believe Kavi Pradeep is amongst very few individuals who have received both the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award as well as the Dada Sahib Phalke Award! <p>This extremely proud and principled poet breathed his last on December 11th, 1998 at the age of 83 leaving behind his wife of almost fifty seven years and two daughters. His younger daughter, Mitul Pradeep, set up and manages Kavi Pradeep Foundation. An award, Rashtriya Kavi Pradeep Samman, has also been constituted in his memory and veteran poet Gopaldas Neeraj was its first recipient on March 24th, 2015. <p>On his 99<sup>th</sup> Birth Anniversary in February 2014, a crossing in Ville Parle, Mumbai was also dedicated to him and is now known as Rashtriya Kavi Pradeep Chowk. <p>May the memory of this inimitable poet live on forever via his rich and meaningful legacy. <p><font size="3"><strong>List of Composers Kavi Pradeep Collaborated With</strong></font></p> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="550" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="183"> <p align="left">1. Ajit Merchant <br>2. Anil Biswas <br>3. Avinash Vyas <br>4. Bappi Lahiri <br>5. Bhola Shreshtha <br>6. Bhupen Hazarika <br>7. Bulo C. Rani <br>8. C. Arjun <br>9. C. Ramchandra <br>10. Chitragupta <br>11. Dattaram <br>12. Gaurang Vyas <br>13. Ghulam Haider <!--EndFragment--></p></td> <td valign="top" width="183"> <p>14. Hari Prasanna Das <br>15. Hemant Kumar <br>16. Jamal Sen <br>17. Kalyanji Anandji <br>18. Laxmikant Pyarelal <br>19. Manna Dey <br>20. N. Dutta <br>21. Nadeem Shravan <br>22. Neeta Sen <br>23. O. P Nayyar <br>24. Pannalal Ghosh <br>25. Prem Dhawan <br>26. Rahul Dev Burman </p></td> <td valign="top" width="183"> <p>27. Ramchandra Pal <br>28. Ravindra Jain <br>29. Roshan <br>30. S. D Burman <br>31. S. N Tripathi <br>32. Salil Chowdhury <br>33. Sanmukh Babu <br>34. Saraswati Devi <br>35. Shivram <br>36. Shyam Babu Pathak <br>37. Sonik Omi <br>38. Usha Khanna <br>39. Vasant Desai </p></td></tr></tbody></table> <p> <hr> </p> <p><font size="3"><strong>Filmography</strong></font></p> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="550" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="183"> <p>1. Kangan (1939)<br>2. Bandhan (1940)<br>3. Punarmilan (1940)<br>4. Anjaan (1941)<br>5. Jhoola (1941)<br>6. Naya Sansaar (1941)<br>7. Kismat (1943)<br>8. Chal Chal Re Naujawaan (1944)<br>9. Kadambari (1944)<br>10. Aamrapali (1945)<br>11. Shikari (1946)<br>12. Sati Toral (1947)<br>13. Veeraangana (1947)<br>14. Girls School (1949)<br>15. Mashaal (1950)<br>16. Preet Ka Geet (1950)<br>17. Chamki (1952)<br>18. Kafila (1952)<br>19. Baap Beti (1954)<br>20. Chakradhari (1954)<br>21. Naastik (1954)<br>22. Ritu Vihar (Unreleased) (1954)<br>23. Jaagriti (1955)<br>24. Waaman Avtaar (1955)<br>25. Basant Panchami (1956)<br>26. Dashera (1956)<br>27. Lalkaar (1956)</p></td> <td valign="top" width="183"> <p>28. Ram Navami (1956)<br>29. Chandi Pooja (1957)<br>30. Naag Mani (1957)<br>31. Talaaq (1958)<br>32. Do Behnen (1959)<br>33. Paigaam (1959)<br>34. School Master (1959)<br>35. Aanchal (1960)<br>36. Amar Prem (1960)<br>37. Amar Rahe Ye Pyaar (1961)<br>38. Zindagi Aur Khwab (1961)<br>39. Harishchandra Taaraamati (1963)<br>40. Veer Bheemsen (1964)<br>41. Shankar Seeta Ansuya (1965)<br>42. Shri Ram Bharat Milan (1965)<br>43. Netaji Subhaash Chandra Bose (1966)<br>44. Veer Bajrang (1966)<br>45. Balraam Shrikrishna (1968)<br>46. Har Har Gange (1968)<br>47. Sambandh (1969)<br>48. Kabhi Dhoop Kabhi Chhaanv (1971)<br>49. Tulsi Vivaah (1971)<br>50. Hari Darshan (1972)<br>51. Agni Rekha (1973)</p></td> <td valign="top" width="183"> <p>52. Mahasati Saavitri (1973)<br>53. Baal Mahabharat (1974)<br>54. Har Har Mahadev (1974)<br>55. Kisan Aur Bhagwan (1974)<br>56. Jai Santoshi Maa (1975)<br>57. Bajrangbali (1976)<br>58. Raksha Bandhan (1976)<br>59. Aankh Ka Tara (1977)<br>60. Bolo He Chakradhari (1977)<br>61. Chhath Maiya Ki Mahima (1979)<br>62. Krishna Sudaama/ Krishna Bhakt Sudama (1979)<br>63. Naagin Aur Suhagan (1979)<br>64. Baba Taraknath (1980)<br>65. Karwa Chauth (1980)<br>66. Mangalsutra (1981)<br>67. Anmol Sitare (1982)<br>68. Sati Aur Bhagwan (1982)<br>69. Jai Baba Amarnath (1983)<br>70. Rusvai (1985)<br>71. Veer Bheemsen (1985)<br>72. Badla Naagin Ka (1987)<br>73. Diljala (1987)<br>74. Saamri (1987)<br>75. Shiv Ganga (1988)</p></td></tr></tbody></table> <hr> <p><font size="3"><b>References</b></font> <ol> <li>Hindi Filmon Ke Geetkar By Anil Bhargava </li> <li>Various interviews and documentaries available on Youtube specially <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvaPpGDJZcM" target="_blank">Unki Nazar Unka Shahar</a> </li> <li><a href="http://www.myswar.com" target="_blank">myswar.com</a> </li></ol>Aditya Panthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11481497663140098296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29329545.post-22077841038993885632016-01-30T13:51:00.001+05:302016-01-30T14:01:32.977+05:30One Tune, Many Songs - From Folk to Film<p>Hindi film music has always drawn inspiration from traditional folk music. There are countless examples of film songs based on popular folk tunes. In this post I’m focussing on one Punjabi folk tune that has given birth to multiple songs through the years. </p> <p>The first time I came across this tune when I was just around 8 years old. The song was extremely popular and could be heard on radios blaring from paan shops everywhere. Those were the days when the team of Manmohan Desai, Amitabh Bachchan and Laxmikant Pyarelal was at its peak, and anything they touched was destined to be popular. The film was <em>Suhaag</em> (1979) and the song - <em>teri rab ne bana di jodi</em>.</p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:5f47d3f6-15a8-4cd0-a893-927527d29bc6" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><div><object width="425" height="319"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kkJNOxWPWUA&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kkJNOxWPWUA&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="319"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Teri Rab Ne Bana Do Jodi - Suhaag (1979) - Mohd. Rafi, Asha Bhosle & Shailendra Singh - Laxmikant Pyarelal - Anand Bakshi</div></div> <p>It was decades later that I came across other songs based on the same folk tune. Interestingly, I discovered these songs in the reverse order of their vintage. </p> <p>First was this Mohd. Rafi - Shamshad Begum duet from <em>Sawan</em> (1959). Like the Suhaag songs where the characters are disguised as Punjabis, this song was also in a Punjabi setting. Helen’s presence in the songs adds an extra charm to this rambunctious song.</p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:5a991736-60ec-4044-8cbf-ad1b077f9b11" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YiFPAJHCS4U&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YiFPAJHCS4U&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Meri Ghaghri Noon Ghunghroo - Sawan (1959) - Mohd. Rafi & Shamshad Begum - Hansraj Bahl - Prem Dhawan</div></div> <p>The next song is from <em>Afsar</em> (1950). The video of the song is not available, but the composition is not as ‘Punjabi’ sounding as the earlier songs, although the tune is exactly the same. Sung by Manmohan Krishna (possibly filmed on him as well), this songs seems to be in a comic situation.</p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:4091cc89-1552-4394-bab6-e8d5fde26116" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/F5X7k7QoD2g&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/F5X7k7QoD2g&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Jhat Khol Kivaad Pat Khol De - Afsar (1950) - Manmohan Krishna - Sachin Dev Burman - Vishwamitra Adil</div></div> <p>I finally come to a song that I discovered quite recently thanks to some rare songs shared by Shri Girdharilal Vishwakarma. This song is composed by A. R Qureishi as an exchange between two females with contrasting philosophies of life in general.</p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:7aa218fc-a6bc-4fb9-8d85-744e71fd0ca1" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2LTqL1b9i-A&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2LTqL1b9i-A&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Haye Mast Jawani Aayi - Maa Baap Ki Laaj (1946) - Naseem Akhtar & Rajkumari - A. R Qureishi - Unknown Lyricist</div></div> <p>I am quite sure there will be more songs based on this tune. The search continues …</p>Aditya Panthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11481497663140098296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29329545.post-86097439881360523532016-01-10T12:21:00.001+05:302016-01-10T13:48:44.794+05:30Ek Baar Jeevan Mein Aata ‘Vasant’ Hai - Remembering Vasant Desai<p><em>This piece is written by <strong>Medha Gawai</strong>. It first appeared as part of the Guzra Hua Zamana series on Sangeet Ke Sitaare, a music group on Facebook.</em></p> <hr> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdAKjMG7uypLcuYe3108s19_aMk6xxSP4KkOQQhPD-wlz_Q6Sv4kWNQ9LEjW4S5WPISf6U2aZ5UrfjLX1Fji9WxBnep94v_wLS5ZeOwcVMu3J4WsG1zIJr9QKizdPrs2Sl4mfu/s1600-h/Vasant%252520Desai%252520GHZ%252520Collage%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img title="Vasant Desai GHZ Collage" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Vasant Desai GHZ Collage" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAD2_ft_z9_ZkGuH_SpIaZJY84IGh_zEUmsO-D-KDql-pHJdRGTk8q-03xUcCOV-58VGLuZUrMrb7lk4h6fawApWGKvSgW0qCjFyb7IiKnz6ijhSnkBNkBrgIk0g2zelPR0V5S/?imgmax=800" width="574" height="643"></a></p> <p>His birth name was "Atmaram" but his refreshing personality earned him the name "Vasant". A signature Jasmine garland, a symbol of blessings from the legendary Sane Guruji, adorned his wrist. "Parimal" was the home where his timeless melodies were born. Steeped in the colors of classical tradition and the earthy fragrance of folk, they enlivened the listeners' minds. Vasant Desai's musical era was that blissful spring in the garden of Indian film music.</p> <p>Vasant Desai was born in Sonawade in Konkan, the coastal belt of Maharashtra on June 9, 1912. Music was a maternal legacy. His mother was the daughter of a keertankar and every morning young Vasant would wake up to the strains of abhanga-s and ovee-s (traditional songs) in her sweet voice. Konkan was a festive region, bustling with cultural activities. Vasant regularly took part in the village folk theater and regaled the audience with good acting and singing. He then bought a harmonium and got associated with the local bhajan mandali. The love of chorus singing took roots here. A close relative realized his passion, took him under his wings, and brought him to Kolhapur, the happening place of art and culture. There, young Vasant again tried his hands at acting but was disappointed at repeatedly being offered female roles. He gave up the thought and concentrated on singing. </p> <p><font size="3"><b><i><u>Anand Kanda Prabhat Jhaali</u></i></b><b><u> - "Prabhat" of an Illustrious Career</u></b></font></p> <p>It was around 1929 when V Shantaram with three of his contemporaries had left Maharashtra Film Company and formed Prabhat Films. The young ambitious owners were gathering fresh talent to fill in various departments. Possessed with an acting fever, a youthful Vasant knocked on their door. Shantaram was not impressed but noticing the sincerity took him in as an office boy. Vasant Desai did all kinds of odd jobs, ungrudgingly & wholeheartedly. As a bonus he got to do bit roles in their films."Khooni Khanjar" (1930) was his first film, in which he appeared as a soldier. At Prabhat he came in contact with people from all walks of life who had a positive influence on him. An actor by the name "Mane Pehelwan” impressed upon him the importance of physical fitness. Vasant got into daily rigorous workouts, a routine that stayed with him till the end. <p>Talkie era began in 1932 with Alam Ara and Prabhat ushered in with the launch of the bilingual film “Ayodhyecha Raja"/ “Ayodhya Ka Raja". For its music the chiefs took in a renowned actor, singer and an ace harmonium player of the defunct Gandharva Natak Company, Govindrao Tembe. Tembe would notice Vasant spending hours in the music room running his fingers on various instruments. He realized his musical acumen and made him a part of his music department. In keeping with his background of stage, Tembe composed a Naandi (opening song of a play) for the first talkie. The song "Jai jai Rajadhiraj, Harishchandra maharaj ", was in Vasant Desai's voice. One can say thus that the Marathi talkie era began with the voice of Vasant Desai. This was followed by films like "Maya Machhindra", "Sairandhri", and “Sinhagad" with music by Tembe, and Vasant Desai as a key player of his team. In "Sinhagad" Desai sang a powada (inspirational ballad) "jyachi kirti sarya jagtat". Master Vinayak, a teacher turned actor-director, was by now also a part of Prabhat; Desai and Master Vinayak became good friends. <p>In 1933, Prabhat shifted base to Pune .Vasant Desai moved along; Govindrao Tembe and Master Vinayak did not follow suit. Fortunately for Prabhat, Shantaram discovered another renowned composer of Sangeet Natak, Keshavrao Bhole and got him to be its new music director. Bhole went on to expand the scope of the music department by adding technologically advanced instruments. Bhole's style was quite distinct from that of Tembe's. He laid stress on a big orchestra. Background music was his forte. He would study the scenes and then carefully select instruments. At times he made use of natural and environmental sounds for background music .Vasant Desai learned and absorbed his style of music making. Bhole went on to compose outstanding music for "Amrit Manthan", “Chandrasena”, "Sant Tukaram", "Kunku/ Duniya na mane", “Sant Dnyaneshwar" and Vasant Desai contributed to each of them. He sang the song "aali murkat murakat sakhi" in the film “Amrit Manthan". <p>As Bhole developed confidence in his assistant, he entrusted him with the background score of the film “Sant Dnyaneshwar" (1940). Desai lived up to his expectations. Through many scenes in the film his thoughtfulness and ingenuity came across. One remarkable example was the sequence of Dnyaneshwar's Samadhi at the film's climax, where his use of Malkauns and Bhairavi strains through a swarmandal enhanced the grandeur and the celestial feel of the scene. In the film Desai also got an opportunity to compose two songs, "anand anand avagha" and "amhi daivache daivache shetkari". The latter enacted and sung by him in an authentic rustic manner became hugely popular. He made the line “Karu kaam, smaru naam, mukhi raam hari re" a motto of his life. </p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:3b8450c2-a255-484e-b1e6-ad0c4094c4a3" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gbjsbUTlR0g&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gbjsbUTlR0g&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Aamhi Devaiche - Sant Dnyaneshwar (1940) - Vasant Desai - Keshavrao Bole</div></div> <p>With Prabhat's next venture "Dharmatma" in association with Bal Gandharva, Master Krishnarao entered as the new music director .Master Krishnarao's emphasis was on melody and crispness of tune .He would compose multiple tunes for a song before settling on one. Vasant Desai adapted to his manner of composing. Master Krishnarao gave music for “Amar Jyoti”, the bilinguals "Aadmi"/ "Manoos" and "Shejari"/ "Padosi", in "Amarjyoti" he had Desai sing some songs. Around that time Vasant Desai began to learn classical music from Ustaad Inayat Khan of Agra Gharana. Later he learnt from Ustad Alam Khan, Shankarbua Ashtekar and Dagar brothers. <p>All good things must come to an end! Things soured at Prabhat and in 1942, after a glorious inning, Shantaram left his institution. Vasant Desai soon followed his mentor. He had spent 13 valuable years of his life at Prabhat, learned a great deal from his mentors and contributed to their success. He carried that experience and the discipline of Prabhat with him and on that foundation went on to build his own musical monument. <p><font size="3"><b><i><u>Rut Basant Ki Aayi – </u></i></b><b><u>The Rajkamal Bond<i></i></u></b> </font> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2-PYGPw001Cstkc7I1XLzXR9voMOi_ZmqlIqWOU0NMPBD1GDSZQBeJ_-NcEyLop_08Gh_WGWoumiMi-VsfT0T7vvWAt5A-R6nLhwVmuQgzhEBwMVdaShybFPCH42g0cp_OMsN/s1600-h/shakuntala%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="shakuntala" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="shakuntala" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK18QuMeUlt6-Fa56NWClfhnLXy7Lky240S7321OVBHBqGKNdkxGnvcNdyoEU_IC5Fm8NVniV5N1ca13qNHk4CL5Yl3-GQZRmzpUPU9vf9vHFhY-k6-9F0ICuPb1bK7Aug3705/?imgmax=800" width="164" align="left" height="244"></a>V Shantaram established "Rajkamal" in October 1942 and now with complete faith in Vasant Desai, handed him over its music department. "Shakuntala"(1943), the first film of Rajkamal was a runaway success thanks mainly to its song "Jeevan ki naav na dole" in Jayashree's voice, which sold thousands of copies. Vasant Desai was now there to stay! <p>Shantaram’s films were off beat, experimental and Desai was expected to be in tune with them. He did little things that made a difference, like the echo effect in "jo dard ban ke zamaane mein" in the film "Parbat Pe Apna Dera" sung by Zohrabai, which he achieved despite technological limitations. In" Dr Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani ", a narrative on an Indian doctor on a mercy mission to China, he did a study of Chinese music and composed songs in a scale similar to that used in Chinese music. The film "Jeevan Yatra"(1946) set a milestone as the song" chidiya bole chu chu" in a young Lata Mangeshkar's voice became her first solo Hindi film song to be seen on screen. Dahej, a film with a social message had "ambuva ki daari pe gaaye re koyaliya”, another huge hit in Jayashree's voice. <p>A real challenge to him was the music of two Marathi films, both based on renowned Shahir-s (folk poets) who lived during the Peshwa rule in the history of Maharashtra. The films were bilinguals - "Lok Shahir Ram Joshi" made in Hindi as "Matwala Shayar Ram Joshi", and "Amar Bhupali", made both in Marathi & Bengalis. Desai strived to achieve a musical ambience that would reflect the culturally rich era of the Shahirs .He met folk singers, learned folk traditions such as powada, bhedik lavani, koot, sawal jawab, etc. and adapted them into songs that to date stand as "one of a kind" in the folk genre. The hard hitting, satirical powada “hata tatane pata"("thaat baat se math mein baitha") in Hindi, that mocked the so called upper class with its pseudo clout, struck a chord with the masses. "Sundara manamadhe bharali"("sundar naar sukumar") set the tone for shringaric lavanis in films. "Ram Joshi" in Marathi was a big success and led the Tamasha genre in films. </p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:3b9bfce3-c202-4a98-bad3-93035da1398c" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YXLYHYiuy2Y&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YXLYHYiuy2Y&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Sundara Manamadhe Bharali - Shahir Ram Joshi - Jairam Shiledar - Vasant Desai - Ram Joshi</div></div> <p>This was followed by "Amar Bhupali", a bi-lingual film on the life of Shahir Honaji. Vasant Desai put his heart and soul into its music. He studied in depth the character of Honaji, travelled to his home town, visited his descendants and after a careful study came up with what he felt convinced was a tune, a hymn, Honaji would compose. That "song of the dawn" rendered by Pandit Nagarkar and Lata Mangeshkar with the soothing rhythm of an earthen "Ghada” went on to become "amar". The male voice in the Bengali version was that of Manna Dey. The film's epilogue that read " Peshwai ended, The British ruled and left but the Bhupali of Honaji continues to play on the lips of people of Maharashtra" couldn't have been more prophetic! The film had abundance of shringaric lavanis; "latpat latpat tuza chalana", "sundara mhane dilwara", "ghadi ghadi are man mohana", the virah- lorn "tujhya preetiche dukkha mala", a baithakichi lavani "nako door deshi jau sajana",a gavalan "sanga mukund kuni ha pahila", a powerful powada “phadphad pahadakto jhenda”,each a masterpiece! With Amar Bhupali Lavani became a regular feature in Marathi films, placing Vasant Desai at the helm of this genre. With Rajkamal, tabla expert Vasantrao Achrekar and Baburao Nechkar became Desai's assistants. In later years, Kailasnath Jaiswal was also associated with him. Sebastian in the earlier years and Enoch Daniel later on were his music arrangers. </p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:2eca49e8-eda9-4280-9e1b-7257f612d2e1" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mKNscB0wJ4E&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mKNscB0wJ4E&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Latpat Latpat Tujha Chaalan - Amar Bhoopali (1951) - Lata Mangeshkar - Vasant Desai - Honaji</div></div> <p>"Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje", his next film for Rajkamal remains one of his most celebrated films. The film emphasized the richness and value of Indian classical dance, and it was determined to utilize Indian instruments alone. Vasant Desai travelled to various regions of India, met experts in the field and invited them to be a part of the classical ensemble. Thus tabla maestro Pandit Samta Prasad from Banaras, Khol expert Sudarshan of Calcutta, Sitarist Ustad Halim Zafar Khan, Mridang player Ramdas convened at Rajkamal. Santoor was introduced in films with Shiv Kumar Sharma from Kashmir. Ustad Amir Khan accepted the invitation to render the title song. It was initially recorded in Raag Darbari, much to Shantaram's disapproval! Vasant Desai was disappointed but reworked on it and set it in Raag Adana. It made the song more impressive and suitable as a title song. Ustad Amir Khan with vocals, especially the rapid fire taans turned it to gold. The film had a myriad of dances comprising Shiv tandav nrittya, Radha-Krishna nrittya, Menaka nrittya, a tribal dance, a Rati- Madan duet, a raagmala of ritu-s. One can only imagine the hours of dedication that must have gone in to synchronize the kathak toda-s, tabla bol-s, the sur and the orchestra! Vasant Desai and his associates worked tirelessly to help achieve Shantaram's dream. The film ran to packed houses mainly on the strength of its dances and music. </p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:2aed161e-18ed-43d2-9c42-525cdc544c46" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_lyANSP4FI0&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_lyANSP4FI0&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Shiv Tandav - Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje (1955) - Vasant Desai</div></div> <p>After the color spectacle, Shantaram made the stark and dark "Do Aankhen Barah Haath". For a subject that did not have much scope for music, Vasant Desai came up with a score that was situational and alluring. Again he added his touch to make the songs stand out. The use of chorus in "Aye malik tere bande hum" gave it a serene feel. "Umad ghumad kar aayi re ghata" and "saiyan jhooton ka bada" had the unique high pitched sound of a one string folk instrument called "koka". The lori "main gaoon tu chup ho ja" had an imaginative rhythm that simulated the sound of an oscillating window pane gently hitting a copper pot on the window sill. The songs added to the film's appeal. <p>After 12 films, 16 years, name and recognition at Rajkamal there came a time when Vasant Desai made the decision to part with his Guru. He left Rajkamal in 1958. <p>He returned years later to do the film "Iye Marathichiye Nagari", made in Hindi as "Ladki Shayadri Ki". It had beautiful songs in Asha Bhosle's voice, a classical "tohari ungali se", with intricate taans rarely heard in Suman Kalyanpur's voice, and "Vandana karo", the first song Classical vocalist Pandit Jasraj sang for films. <p><font size="3"><b><i><u>Basanti Phool Khile </u></i></b><b><u>- Beyond Rajkamal<i></i></u></b></font> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxfNcUVNPbZOlrKJuICSeKFrTmz8d2PjW2b8JEmPoskKqn4bvx9wpAtNJT4lGzV2z8cKdCgbBfHv8GtAWQtpMqRO9KiC0tymRaPYFG2ufqMs9dC2fx0XWjmboqZBsZJRxC1W7X/s1600-h/Shobha%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="Shobha" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Shobha" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjilYvxPnzicqDu93tWYYYYtW1ZiKmVt9XGzpoRh1NSH-lYBMAQ0wN7z3oLJURM7uDq6wM8Kwb0es5Oili-EXeymb03ElhUQOWBxK6wvVVnNdL2YOVQJWQecafsd39rfg_BR46x/?imgmax=800" width="183" align="right" height="244"></a>Vasant Desai did outstanding work with V. Shantaram, but it was often overshadowed by the Shantaram touch. V. Shantaram had a say in the music of his films and Desai had to work within confines of the director's vision. Leaving Rajkamal helped him come out of Shantaram's shadow and create a style that would be called his own. His work outside of V. Shantaram films began while he was employed at Prabhat. He had composed two songs for good friend Master Vinayak's film "Chhaya"(1936), however due to contract obligations this was done on the sly and he was not officially credited. At Rajkamal he was under no contract and able to freelance. He composed for three films of Wadia Movietone, of which "Shobha"(1942) is credited as his first official film as a composer. "Aankh Ki Sharm", Wadia Movitone’s next film also had music by Vasant Desai. “Aankh milte hi mohabbat ho gayi" was a nicely composed mujra in Amirbai Karnataki's voice, a tune that seems to have inspired many film mujras in the years that followed. <p>The earlier films “Subhadra”, “Nai Talim”, “Uddhar”, “Narsimha Avatar”, were an unsung Lata paradise and one can get carried away describing the beauty of each of their gems! To mention a few -"Aa gayi bahar"(Nai Talim, 1949), a gentle piano melody with amazing chadhav -utaar throughout was quite a departure from his usual style."Kaha raam he raam", "basanti phool khile, din patjhad ke gaye beet" (Uddhar, 1949) stood out for their amazing chorus backed crescendo. "Narsimha Avatar" (1949) was studded with bhajan-s in the voices of Lata Mangeshkar, Lalita Deolkar and written by Pandit Narendra Sharma, all heavenly. <p>Hyderabad Ki Nazneen (1952) is a top notch offering by Vasant Desai which unfortunately has been largely forgotten. It had two Lata stunners - “jaao chamka subah ka sitara" with that lovable stretch on "jaa~~o" and the honey sweet “kya kya na log chal base" with a nice tabla base. It also had had Rajkumari’s "nazron mein samane se qaraar" which is rated among her best sung songs. Talat Mehmood's "keh rahi hai raat andheri" was an unusual composition with an aura of mystery that kept pace with the eerie screen sequence. </p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:46680d85-92a9-4c3d-bead-77811ff7f5fe" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TQb9XypDjE0&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TQb9XypDjE0&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Keh Rahi Hai Raat Andheri - Hyderabad Ki Nazneen (1953) - Talat Mahmood - Vasant Desai - Noor Lakhnavi</div></div> <p>Dhuaan (1953), a Dhaniram composed album had a lone Vasant Desai number "main sagar ki mast leher", replete with intricate taans and harkats, chorus, and the irresistible "milan ho kaise" refrain, a song that you can never have enough of! <p>Vasant Desai did two films for Sohrab Modi – “Sheesh Mahal” (1950) and “Jhansi Ro Rani"(1953), a spectacular biopic on the courageous queen stood out for its spirited songs and a background score that reflected the intensely nationalistic spirit of that period. <p>His most well-known film after leaving Rajkamal was Vijay Bhatt directed "Goonj Uthi Shehnai" (1959).The film with the hero as a Shehnai player brought center stage an instrument not seen in films before and Vasant Desai made sure to get the nation's best known maestro, Ustad Bismillah Khan to offer his services. The songs attained heights of popularity and are loved even today. The highlights of the film were really the instrumental and vocal passages scattered throughout. The jugalbandi sessions between shehnai student (Ustad Bismillah Khan) and his Guru (Ustad Amir Khan) depicting the learning period of the disciple, the jugalbandi between shehnai and sitar were enthralling. Vasant Desai chose raagas that would symbolically map the learning phases of the disciple. It took some efforts to convince the great Bismillah Khan to play for a film, within the constraints of a recording studio. Vasant Desai maintained tremendous patience and endurance as he attended to Khansaheb's needs and succeeded in extracting from the maestro's shehnai, an offering film goers would cherish a lifetime. Goonj Uthi Shehnai became a hit and needless to say mainly because of the music. </p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:5cec8810-2aab-49a0-a2aa-7d7ce0e579b7" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-OIvPhkOSuk&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-OIvPhkOSuk&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Raagmala - Goonj Uthi Shehnai (1959) - Ustad Amir Khan & Ustab Bismillah Khan - Vasant Desai</div></div> <p>Following the success of "Goonj Uthi Shehnai", Atre films launched a film with emphasis on classical music named "Amar Samadhi". Maestros Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Ustad Nazakat Ali, Salamat Ali, Dagar Bandhu were roped in. Vasant Desai was quite charged about the music. He aspired to make it as memorable as "Amar Bhupali", however the film could not be completed. Two songs and a raagmala in the voices of Lata Mangeshkar and Ustad Salamat Ali were recorded. A clip of the raagmala is available for listeners, it gives a glimpse of how marvelous the entire score was slated to be. <p>In 1961 he returned to Wadia brothers to compose for "Sampoorna Ramayan", a classical score mainly in Lata Mangeshkar's voice, and can be considered among the best in his repertoire. Similarly exquisite raaga based compositions in films like “Pyar Ki Pyaas”, “Ram Rajya”, “Amar Jyoti” and “Bharat Milap” in the 1960s. <p>Aashirwad in 1968, had Ashok Kumar return to singing after decades under Desai's baton. The lovingly rendered Railgadi song became a favorite with children. The pensive "Jeevan se lambe" filmed on a gadiwaan had the jingle of bells tied around the bull's neck serving as the rhythm.”Ek tha bachpan" in Gurjari Todi is one of Lata Mangeshkar's most moving renditions and also the last time she recorded for Desai. One fails to fathom why, but her rendition did not live up to Desai's expectations. It led to ill feelings and the two never worked together again. <p>In Hrishikesh Mukherjee's next film "Guddi" he brought in newcomer Vani Jairam. "Hum ko man ki shakti dena" and "bole re papihara" (a classical bandish rearranged into a light song) soared to heights of popularity and her very first film helped Vani Jairam establish a firm footing in the film industry. She then went on to sing a good number of songs for Vasant Desai. The songs “bikhre taar mile phir man ke" (“Grahan”, written by Vasant Desai himself), "mere shyam" and "ek to main ek murli birahan" (“Jai Radheshyam”) are her remarkable renditions. </p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:8adeeddf-f300-41e0-bc05-da01a96bec5a" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mEwPGXd9saY&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mEwPGXd9saY&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Bikhre Taal Mile - Grahan (1973) - Vani Jairam - Lyrics & Music by Vasant Desai</div></div> <p>His last two films were "Rani Aur Lalpari”, a children's film and a suspense drama "Shaque". "Shaque" had "meha barasane laga”, a beautiful rain composition with undertones of mystery fitting the theme. <p>"Desai was a musical conservative, but a flexible one … He was well immersed in the world of music but kept himself away from world music," writes musicologist Ashok da Ranade in his book "The Hindi Film Song". A common theme in many of his songs was the classical base, use of alaaps and intricate taans and chorus interwoven with the main voice and forming part of the interludes. He was fond of a particular taal which is described as धिंत्रक धिंधा । तिंत्रक तिंता –This unique keherva taal was made popular by Vasant Desai through songs like "nirbal se ladai balwan ki", "piya te kahaan gayo", "mhane chakar rakho", "aye malik tere bande hum", "runanubandhachya jithun padlya gathi"(Marathi).He worked with many lyricists but seems to have tuned in most with Pandit Bharat Vyas. <p>A mention must be made of his fascination for rain songs and the raagas associated with rains. "Dar lage garje badariya" (Sur Malhar), "jhir jhir barse sawani akhiyaan" (Gaud Malhar), "na na barso baadal" (Miyan Malhar), "badalon barso nayan ki kor se" (Bhairavi), "sawan ke jhoole pade","umad ghumad kar aayi re ghata", "bole re papihara" and "sawan ghan garje" (Miyan Malhar) and his last "meha barasane laga hai" (Jayant Malhar) had myriads of shades and moods associated with the rains. <p><font size="3"><b><i><u>Shyamsundar Roop Nayan Rajeev </u></i></b><b><u>- Marathi Films<i></i></u></b></font> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1IuJI1k8GnyhFR69n1Fg0b6tVCLa7zS1_ifTyYOeGqmxlE_amivS7Q_GccgAtljGsy-3Fd-jF5SJ4lUx-Znc1qSNpBEIlfrL1zTjQob9EZu0z6x8rzTsKedA7WRRPBJ-vRtVm/s1600-h/amar_bhoopali%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="amar_bhoopali" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="amar_bhoopali" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM2pfAQ1EGb3M_MSLgHynN2kZpLL9iZM4QPbie9g-Kc2X0L3mU97GPsavHm88FUJpDq81NGCYA7Ho6tEiUzucZ3-q2vz0FtnWBUV4eegsTeoSMVAjjD__R6qh-otcLE3Hpwtq3/?imgmax=800" width="165" align="left" height="244"></a>Vasant Desai composed for 20 odd Marathi films. As mentioned earlier, "Lok Shahir Ram Joshi" (1947) was the first Marathi film for which he composed music, followed by Sakharpuda (1949) and "Amar Bhupali" (1951), which remains one of his greatest and most cherished works. <p>"Shyamchi Aai" (1953), made by the noted litterateur Acharya Atre, was a heavy melodrama about the sentimental mother-son bond and set in rural Konkan. "Bharajari ga pitambar" composed in the traditional tune was a favorite with women."Chhadi laage chham chham" with the interesting use of Morchhang became a hit with kids. "Shyamchi Aai" was the first film to win the President's gold medal that year and remains a milestone in the field of Marathi films. <p>"Kanchanganga" a Lata Mangeshkar production had the rare classical "shyamsundar roop nayan rajeev" and “bol veene bol" among others. “Badalati nabhache rang kase" in “Ye Re Majhya Maglya" is a less heard but a charming song. <p>Asha Bhosle sang most of his Marathi film songs. His songs in "Molkarin" (Gujarati version “Moti Baa”), “Chhota Jawan”, “Dhaya Te Santaji Dhanaji”, “Swayamvar Jhaale Seeteche”, have been immortalized by Asha Bhosle. Most of the songs in Marathi films were critically acclaimed and popular in households. Vasant Desai was always proud of the fact that his songs had made it to the kitchen. </p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:29de8cd0-cc73-49f2-b48e-28b3d5538cc2" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/XwFHiSSnVLA&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/XwFHiSSnVLA&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Shankara Karunakara - Dhanya Te Santaji Dhanaji (1968) - Asha Bhosle - Vasant Desai - Jaywant Khebudkar</div></div> <p>"Bayano Navare Sambhala" (1974) was a film on Indian dance forms and it starred Gopi Krishna and Jayshri T. The film won the best music award at the1974 Maharashtra State film festival."Ubhi ashi trailaukya sundari”, a raagmala sung by Asha Bhosle, Pramila Datar with a superb tarana finale by Khansaheb Ghulam Khwaja was voted the best Marathi song at Sursingar Samsad. Vasant Desai's mastery in the classical arena had esteemed classical vocalists render their vocals for films. Pandit Bhimsen Joshi's "ramya hi swargahun Lanka" (Swayavar jhaale Seeteche), with the quintessential Panditji taan-s, alaaps interspersed with lovely Jaltarang is a spellbinding rendition! A Sant Tukaram abhang in Bhimsen Joshi's voice, "Ratrandin amha yuddhacha prasang" from the film "Raja Shiv Chhatrapati" is a lesser known but a must-listen. Shobha Gurtu ("Raja Shiv Chhatrapati” & “Dhanya te Santaji Dhanaji”) and Ustad Amir Khan (“Ye Re Majhya Magalya) were other classical vocalists who sang for Marathi films under Vasant Desai's music direction. </p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:a3e27613-731d-4639-be8b-7e3c04514ab3" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/juq16lSm6KA&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/juq16lSm6KA&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Ramya Hi Swargahuni Lanka - Swayamvar Jhaale Seeteche (1964) - Pt. Bhimsen Joshi - Vasant Desai - G. D Madgulkar</div></div> <p><b><i><u><font size="3">Malaygiricha Chandan Gandhit </font></u></i></b><b><u><font size="3">– Setting the Stage with Natyasangeet</font><i> </i></u></b> <p>The early part of the 20th century was hailed as the golden age of Marathi Musical Drama (Sangeet Natak). Around the mid-1930s, with the advent of talkie and aging of the prominent, it began its descent. In 1960 noted playwright Bhalchandra Pendharkar took upon himself to revive the dying theater with a play on the life of a Sanskrit poet called "Panditraj Jagannath". He approached good friend Vasant Desai, who accepted the offer with some hesitation. Natyasangeet was time-consuming, it had its limitations and set conventions. Certain raaga-s were favored and there was a pattern to song situations. Vasant Desai chose to break away from those traditions and for his very first play composed a "theme song" that would appear in parts through the play. That song, "Jai gange bhagirathI' composed in three different styles and ragas; a solo, a chorus and a finale with a crescendo became the high light of the play and contributed immensely to its success. The play ushered in a renewed era of Sangeet Natak. "Jai Jai Gaurishankar" (1966) on the life of Shiv-Parvati was another peak in Desai's Natyasangeet career. </p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:55131b42-45c8-4bd3-92f2-85fe202a431d" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hZmqD1glEvo&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hZmqD1glEvo&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Jai Gange Bhagirathi - Panditraj Jagannath (Drama, 1969), Pt. Prasad Sawkar - Vasant Desai - Vidyadhar Gokhale</div></div> <p>Vasant Desai composed for 14 Marathi plays. "Preeti Sangam," Dev Dinaghari Dhavala", and "Geeta Gaati Dnyaneshwar" are some that are remembered for their outstanding natyageet-s <p>Among his other endeavors in Theater were the Nrittya-natika-s (Ballets). He took anecdotes from the lives of great men and women from various walks of life and presented them as a musicals. "Bhavana", "Sant Sakhu" with Vyjayantimala as the lead, "Shiv Darshan", "Vishwadarshan" were some of his acclaimed ballets. <p><font size="3"><b><i><u>Yaadein</u></i></b><b><u> - Background Music<i></i></u></b></font> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiIQ8TwKLAaiNqEtg4J8w1VtgJMjrQ8-eQRDOBNJYy9hXCzuZlUexw_2SoNkipLI73ECSxAbJBwc4mZPyZ8ar1dDisQ6CM-qQe73oWsGzZid7Fc99YPlxzCl8ZSeZhpkZigcNe/s1600-h/shyamchi%252520aai%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="shyamchi aai" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="shyamchi aai" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOMUmTyCDXA3kr5X7vTl5f_-b751J4Wp6HMcezb-Omp_ZedAxG6sDk7TmBAm4cDvToXK4wApp76Dk2eFHefcmIQCSNFQCxhDJH8lk1S5VVKnaXGKWi19aq-aiGymffOGDIpg2t/?imgmax=800" width="181" align="right" height="244"></a> <p>From his early years at Prabhat he had developed a keen interest and insight into background score of films. He had received praise for his background score of Sant Dynaneshwar. Shantaram would entrust him with the background score even in films where another composer was chosen for the songs. With time his experience and expertise made him a sought out composer of background music .He gave as much importance to background music as he did to the songs. For Sohrab Modi's grand epic "Jhaansi ki Rani" he used an ensemble of 60 odd musicians with only the traditional Indian instruments .In “Ram Rajya” some 140 musicians including greats like Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Allarakha, and Halim Zafar Khan gathered to score the music. Besides instrumental tunes he used nature's sounds, everyday household noises where apt and made scenes realistic. <p>An illustration of his exemplary work was "Shyamchi Aai", the acclaimed Marathi film on the sensitive mother-son bond. The story written by the revered social reformist and freedom fighter Sane Guruji was rooted in idealism, earthy philosophy, traditions and culture of Maharashtra .Vasant Desai composed exceptional music conforming to these standards. He agonized most over the choice of a right sound to underscore the moment when the name and statue of Sane Guruji appeared in the credits. No instrument in his mind could do justice to the Legend of his stature. In the end he resolved to the sound of a cow's mooing in the background! The symbolic expression of a mother's love aptly summarized the theme and highlighted the essence of Sane Guruji's life. <p>"Yaadein", Sunil Dutt's one actor, one night film with little dialogue was another test of his virtuosity. Vasant Desai did a painstaking study of each scene, and then chose the right instrument, the right tone that would help the narrative smoothly carry forward. In certain scenes he did away with instrumental music. The sound of toys for the children's room, the "saptapadi" chant in a scene involving the memories of the wife was a novel idea that brought the scenes alive. </p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:da25310a-7727-4766-96c5-2317ee0ca020" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4y1pbwYCGUo&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4y1pbwYCGUo&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Background Music & Dekha Hai Sapna Koi - Yaaden (1964) - Lata Mangeshkar - Vasant Desai - Anand Bakshi</div></div> <p>He also did the background score for films like “Zalzala", "Ferry", "Kabhi Andhera Kabhi Ujala", and is recognized for the wonderful score of the song-less film "Achanak". <p><font size="3"><b><i><u>Ek Sur Ek Taal </u></i></b><b><u>– Beyond Films and Theatre</u></b> </font> <p>Vasant Desai considered it his duty to utilize his talent for the welfare of society. He took up a mission to foster the love and appreciation of Indian music among masses, importantly children and youth. In October, 1954 a “Balak Melava" was organized at Shivaji Park, Mumbai and graced by the Prime Minister, Pandit Nehru. To commemorate the occasion Vasant Desai rehearsed and presented over 150,000 children who sang "Jana gana mana" in unison to the amazement of the Prime minister. Similarly during Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri's reign he presented the Nationalistic song written by Pt. Bharat Vyas, "Bharat mein mahabharat hoga" at Azad Maidan. He composed patriotic songs during the Indo-China war and rendered them as group songs in events held to boost the troops. <p>On the footwork of this concept arose the state wide movement called “Ek sur, ek taal". Launched in 1972. It was aimed at assembling a large group of children on one platform and introduce to them the concept of "sur" and "taal" through group singing. The project, intended to instill in them the spirit of unity and secularism, was a brain child of the Education Minister .Vasant Desai, entitled "Music director of the state", was given the task of implementing it. He selected poems from the Balbharati textbooks and set them to simple and attractive tunes that students could easily recite. He travelled to remote towns and held camps to train teachers and students. He promoted the love of group singing, rhythm and poetry and in turn awakened a Nationalistic spirit. He was passionately involved in this project until his untimely death. <p>"He namrata ke samrat", an address to the almighty written as a free verse by Mahatma Gandhi was set by Desai to a melodious tune. The song recorded in Manna Dey's voice was released in 1969, the birth centenary year of Gandhiji, as a tribute to the great leader. </p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:fbdb6739-fe56-4de4-b4e8-f4ee6e5b68ab" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/iPZDg5f6jqo&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/iPZDg5f6jqo&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">He Namrata Ke Samrat - Non-Film (1969) - Manna Dey & Chorus - Vasant Desai - Gandhiji</div></div> <p>He recorded Vande Mataram in 3 versions; a vocal in his voice along with a chorus, an instrumental version with all Indian instruments and a third version with all western instruments. <p>Spiritual at heart, he organized and performed at various Bhakti-sangeet programs. Among his major accomplishments was the tune he set on M.S. Subbulakshmi's request to "Matreem bhajata", a benediction by Chandrasekarendra Saraswati. The tune set as a raagmala was rendered by Subbulakshmi at United Nations before an enthralled audience. <p>He also composed several devotional songs, Meera bhajans, and abhanga-s in the voices of Chandrani Mukherjee, Mahendra Kapoor, Vani Jairam and others; and gave music for 13 short films. </p> <div id="scid:0ABB7CC8-30EB-4F34-8080-22DA77ED20C3:dcf4a702-4ed0-47fd-bc71-a25bff1f3a18" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 425px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto"><div><object width="425" height="239"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/vww9Ta-3Imo&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/vww9Ta-3Imo&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="239"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Ek Anek Aur Ekta - Short Film (1974) - Vasant Desai - Pt. Vinay Chandra Moudgilya</div></div> <p>He had no formal education but he was self-taught. The years at Prabhat had helped him develop an interest in literature as Prabhat films were often based on the lives of literary saints and shahir-s. He became a good writer. In the later years he wrote regularly for noted Marathi weekly, Rasrang. His articles were autobiographical; about his life, his music and the state of Indian music. <p>He was a gifted orator -articulate, outspoken and witty. He delivered impactful speeches on various occasions urging to maintain a dignified standard in film music .He was one of the very few individuals from the music field to be appointed as the President of "All india Natya Parishad" . He worked to resolve issues affecting professional theater and to bring back its lost prosperity. <p>1967 he was awarded Padmashree, and in 1974 he became a member of Maharashtra state assembly. <p><font size="3"><b><i><u>Vidhi Ne Dekho ... Kaisa Khel Rachaya </u></i></b><b><u>– The End</u></b> </font> <p><em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQx2kAuFWUwXLZKVm8bc65-S8yB6YXTmQ1KwmgXOzsJdZAIKETRilMFnt_eJ2qZuuDenh87b4DaagCGXgI7fSXjQqlAM2GCsl0ZFQhr3zGmt_2oiHK_-Odtezu3TlcY1eiSfWt/s1600-h/shaque%252520dedication%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="shaque dedication" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="shaque dedication" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD7KV86mxzzyQ655MfHE5IWDxg2QRm1PMOYErh-FrjdfT83WIr7Ft_i_m90Jzzp4k6-R14bxo_P0sjAM9JHGx7o6rPt4ZlHTGxkan4TQV8ZC11mE9eQ1TT0SvhNh7_uB1OL_kC/?imgmax=800" width="244" align="left" height="155"></a>December 22nd, 1975</em> - Vasant Desai was returning home after recording a song to promote Indira Gandhi's 20 point program. The song was "hanste gaate mauj manate"! He got into a malfunctioning elevator, he was crushed to death in seconds! How ironical that a man who had earned good health and physique through tremendous self-discipline and cultivated habits let it helplessly get mutilated at the hands of a freaky machinery! The news shocked the entire film fraternity and his admirers who could not come to terms with how a man with such kindness in his heart could have been subjected to such a gruesome end! His funeral was attended by a large number from the film fraternity and mourned by thousands of children whose lives he had touched. <p>"Shaque", his last film released after his death opened with an emotional tribute - A picture of him smiling beside his harmonium, the signature strains of "Ghanshyam Sundara" in the background and the credits that read “dedicated with love to Vasant Desai. Strangely Shaque had a song with the words" abhi na parda girao thehero, ke dastan aage aur bhi hai". <p> <p><b><i><u><font size="3">...To Khinch Ke Mere Paas Aaoge Tum...</font></u></i></b> <p>A traditionalist, Vasant Desai strived to propagate Indian culture and values and to take it to the heart of the masses. A true patriot, he remained committed to the advancement of nationalistic spirit through his work. A dignified human being, he stayed out of controversies and unaffected by lack of award recognition. <p>He was married, only to his music! <p>Loosely translating from a paragraph in his biography by Madhu Potdar - in a speech delivered at a Natya sammelan he had said, "My ragini is called life, taal is my wisdom; vaadi is labor, samvaadi - determination. My music may not have the wizardry of tunes or marvels in taal but it will always have a firm sur of commitment to my work and a sama of responsibility ". <p>The fact that his music continues to be nostalgically revisited years after it was made is a tribute to those melodic virtues he maintained all his life. <hr> <p><b><u><font size="3">Filmography</font></u></b></p> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="575" border="1"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="292"> <p align="center"><strong>Hindi</strong></p></td> <td valign="top" width="281"> <p align="center"><strong>Marathi</strong></p></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="292"> <ol> <li>Shobha (1942) <li>Aankh Ki Sharm (1943) <li>Mauj (1943) <li>Shakuntala (1943) <li>Parbat Pe Apna Dera (1944) <li>Dr. Kotnis Ki Amar Kahaani (1946) <li>Jeevan Yatra (1946) <li>Subhadra (1946) <li>Andhon Ki Duniya (1947) <li>Matwala Shair Ramjoshi (1947) <li>Mandir (1948) <li>Sona (1948) <li>Nai Taleem (1949) <li>Narsinh Avtaar (1949) <li>Uddhaar (1949) <li>Dahej (1950) - with S. Purushottam <li>Hindustaan Hamaara (1950) <li>Sheesh Mahal (1950) <li>Jeevan Tara (1951) <li>Hyderabad Ki Naazneen (1952) <li>Aanand Bhawan (1953) <li>Dhuvaan (Smoke) (1953) - with Dhaniram <li>Jhansi Ki Rani (1953) <li>Jhanak Jhanak Paayal Baje (1955) <li>Toofaan Aur Diya (1956) <li>Do Aankhen Barah Haath (1957) <li>Do Phool (1958) <li>Mausi (1958) <li>Ardhaangini (1959) <li>Do Bahanen (1959) <li>Goonj Uthi Shahnaai (1959) <li>Samraat Prithviraj Chauhan (1959) <li>School Master (1959) <li>Pyaar Ki Pyaas (1961) <li>Sampoorn Raamaayan (1961) <li>Rahul (1964) <li>Yaaden (1964) <li>Amar Jyoti (1965) <li>Bharat Milap (1965) <li>Ladki Sahyadri Ki (1966) <li>Ram Raajya (1967) <li>Aashirwaad (1968) <li>Guddi (1971) <li>Grahan (1973) <li>Jai Raadhe Krishna (1974) <li>Rani Aur Laal Pari (1975) <li>Shak (1976) <li>Amar Samadhi (Unreleased, 1950s) <li>Kaamdev (Unreleased, 1960s) </li></ol></td> <td valign="top" width="281"> <ol> <li>Lokshahir Ramjoshi (1947) <li>Sakharpuda (1949) <li>Krantiveer Vasudev Balwant (1950) <li>Amar Bhoopali (1951) <li>Majhi Zameen (1953) <li>Shyamchi Aai (1953) <li>Kanchanganga (1954) <li>Ye Re Majhya Magalya (1955) <li>Umaji Naik (1960) <li>Baap Majha Brahmachari (1962) <li>Chhota Jawan (1963) <li>Molkarin (1963) <li>Swayamwar Jhale Seeteche (1964) <li>Iye Marathichiye Nagari (1965) <li>Dhanya Te Santaji-Dhanaji (1968) <li>Lakshman Rekha (1970) <li>Bayano Navare Sambhala (1974) <li>Raja Shiv Chhatrapati (1974) <li>Tuch Majhi Rani (1976)</li></ol></td></tr></tbody></table> <hr> <p><em><b>References:</b></em> <ol> <li>Vasant Veena- by Madhu Potdar <li>The Desai Trio And The Movie Industry Of India - by Nilu N. Gavankar <li>Hindi Film Song - Music Beyond Boundaries - Ashok Da Ranade <li>V Shantaram, The Legacy Of The Royal Lotus - by Kiran Shantaram, Sanjit Narwekar <li>Dhunon Ki Yatra - by Pankaj Rag <li><a href="http://www.soundsofsonawade.com">www.soundsofsonawade.com</a> <li>Articles from Loksatta, internet blogs, RMIM archives. </li></ol> <hr>Aditya Panthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11481497663140098296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29329545.post-10905000613364064132016-01-01T13:08:00.000+05:302016-01-02T21:36:37.550+05:30Interpreting My Poem - XIII<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_5mDxw-y6T0NXXpcyfWrZ-8zgYNncLnfpInZrramNf3HbcbZISmFlS7KyhofDdPUkIy1Ici3HaMnDNCuqBXXgWb-7A32uvU_wyiojwWj8XCOni-82wj4yGkGEYqyFjpmtm7DA/s1600-h/pnp-quill-and-parchment%252520%2525281%252529%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="pnp-quill-and-parchment (1)" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="pnp-quill-and-parchment (1)" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguhelPchhS-YBvvYvec6GM5sPmLYeVuAOOXjWHSMBL4r90aG_oZJ4Nq6_e1VYWO5HC_oNMZv0PEZEjcUT4YrngZd4cn3D0MwV4-C8scqeqlIL9_ZAd655v3HS_-vqX3SUhKrS4/?imgmax=800" width="564" height="377"></a></p> <p>It’s been a long time, but what better day than the first day of the year to put up another of my <em>ghazals</em>!The <em>ghazal</em> was written more than a year back, a few months after <a href="http://www.amazon.in/Khwaahish-Parwaaz-Urge-Hindi-Edition/dp/1495972879" target="_blank">my book of poems</a> was published, but it is ‘new’ in the sense that I haven’t shared it publicly before. </p> <p>As with similar posts earlier, all the translations and interpretations here are by <strong>Archana Gupta</strong>, and as usual she has done a brilliant job at it. Any first-person references in the English text refer to her. </p> <hr> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="551" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="253"> <p><strong>मुज़लिम करे न ख़ाना-ए-दिल चश्म-ए-सुरमगीं </strong></p> <p><strong>बेदम ही न कर छोड़े कहीं ज़ुल्फ़-ए-अम्बरीं</strong></p></td> <td valign="top" width="296"> <p align="right">May kohl-lined eye not turn my heart gray <p align="right">Let not her fragrant hair suck my breath away</p></td></tr></tbody></table> <p> <hr> [मुज़लिम = Becoming dark, dark, black, mysterious, One who enters into, or walks in, darkness, ख़ाना-ए-दिल = heart's house (basically heart), चश्म-ए-सुरमगीं = kohl rimmed eyes, बेदम = breathless, ज़ुल्फ़-ए-अम्बरीं = fragrant hair] <p>Seen literally, the lover is skeptic of the effect that the beloved’s kohl lined eyes and fragrant hair may have on him. While both are usually considered assets that enchant the lover (and many have written volumes in their praise), this poet feels that they might serve to harm him - direct implication is that he suspects the beloved’s intent/fidelity etc. Viewed generally, these metaphors are used to express the poet’s skepticism at anything that appears to be very attractive at first glance, all that glitters is not gold etc. - he suspects that such “attractions” may actually harm him in unexpected manner or may be disguises for more sinister intents/entities. <hr> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="562" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="245"> <p><strong>तारीक चश्म कर दे न नज़्ज़ारा ख़ुशतरीं </strong> <p><strong>क्यूँकर है ख़ौफ़ सा ये तह-ए-दिल में जा-गुज़ीं</strong></p></td> <td valign="top" width="315"> <p align="right">Pleasant sight masks something dire and dark <p align="right">Why is this fear lodged deep in my heart</p></td></tr></tbody></table> <p> <hr> [तारीक = dark, ख़ुशतरीं = extremely pleasant, तह-ए-दिल = bottom of the heart, जा-गुज़ीं = making a place for itself] <p>This is a verse that can be interpreted in two ways that are markedly opposite in meaning. <ul> <li>First is the direct continuation of the thought expressed in the last <em>she’r</em>. Literally, it simply states that a fear that the very pleasant sight may actually blind me (darken my eye) has taken hold deep down in my heart. The metaphor, of course, appears to be representing the poet’s anxiety that while all seems well, even great, in his life, all that appears bright, smooth and desirable might have some hidden problems. Or, if all is indeed well, something very bad is lurking behind and all the “wellness” cannot last … and this misgiving is ever-present. This is also the poet’s preferred reading of this she’r. <li>There is, however, a completely opposite reading also possible where the tone is more self-deprecating or self-mocking. Here the poet expresses a fear based on his natural pessimism and skeptic tendencies. He expresses that he is so used to being unhappy and entertaining dark, brooding thoughts that he is always afraid that while life is in reality good, his tendency to treat all the goodness (things and people) with wariness may actually spoil the things for him, that his negativity may actually overpower the pleasantness in his life and darken his world like a self-fulfilling prophecy. And this fear is firmly lodged at the bottom of his heart. This is my preferred reading of this <em>she’r</em> and is represented by the following couplet:</li></ul> <blockquote> <p>Perspective may darken the pleasant sight <br>Oh why does this thought make my heart so tight </p></blockquote> <p>In either case, this is an expression of a person afraid to be happy and forever expecting misery and sadness from his existence. <hr> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="564" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="271"> <p><strong>महफ़िल के ना-गुज़ीर ग़ुल-ओ-शोर से परे </strong> <p><strong>ख़लवत-कदे की आब-ओ-हवा राहत-आफ़रीं</strong></p></td> <td valign="top" width="291"> <p align="right">Far from the clamor of festivity <p align="right">One finds solace just when solitary</p></td></tr></tbody></table> <p> <hr> [ना-गुज़ीर = inevitable, ग़ुल-ओ-शोर = noise, din, clamor, ख़लवत-कदे = lonely house or house of loneliness or place to be solitary in, राहत-आफ़रीं = one that provides relief] <p>Very straightforward, simple statement and oh so in line with this loner poet’s perpetual claim in life. He is comfortable only in his own company, away from other people and compulsions of socializing or even exchanging pleasantries with acquaintances - so no parties and social gatherings for him please… <hr> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="559" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="253"> <p><strong>होगा ज़रूर कुछ मेरे नज़दीक दीदनी </strong> <p><strong>तशरीफ़ इस गली में जो लाए तमाशबीं</strong></p></td> <td valign="top" width="304"> <p align="right">Something worthy there must be about me <p align="right">That brings voyeurs to my vicinity</p></td></tr></tbody></table> <p> <hr> [दीदनी = worth seeing, तमाशबीं = onlookers, especially ones who take pleasure in watching someone else's misery] <p>Again a couple of different interpretations are possible: <ul> <li>For one, the poet/speaker is unaware what is happening around him but from the fact that there is so much activity around, he gathers that something special / worth participating in must be going on . Implication is that the speaker is highly unaware of his surroundings generally and may be either mostly self-absorbed or absorbed in another’s thoughts (this is unstated though). In any case, he lives in his own world. <li>The other is that while the poet/speaker does not believe there is anything extraordinary about him, enough people, even strangers, have been telling him/praising him on some pretext or the other, to the point that he has also started believing it. This second reading is the one that I favor as primary for the <em>she’r</em>. </li></ul> <hr> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="569" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="243"> <p><strong>जो नावक-ए-नज़र पे जताया है ऐतिराज़ </strong> <p><strong>वो आ रहे हैं दश्ना लिए ज़ेर-ए-आस्तीं</strong></p></td> <td valign="top" width="324"> <p align="right">I claimed that her gaze was such a killer <p align="right">She brought under her sleeve, a hidden dagger!</p></td></tr></tbody></table> <p> <hr> [नावक-ए-नज़र = sharp/killer glances (arrows of eyes), दश्ना = dagger, ज़ेर-ए-आस्तीं = under the sleeve] <p>The poet/speaker/lover claims that the other party/beloved is very contrary. Objecting to something mild that he found objectionable simply caused her to take an even stronger/bigger step in the same direction. He asserts that telling her that she was killing him with her glances (a milder weapon) simply made her dig in her heels and come at him with an actual dagger (a much more lethal weapon) hidden under her sleeve - And he went from the frying pan to the fire. <hr> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="570" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="240"> <p><strong>बख़्शे है सब्ज़-ज़ार को शबनम जो ताज़गी </strong> <p><strong>अश्क-ओ-अरक़ से पाएँ वही आरिज़-ओ-जबीं</strong></p></td> <td valign="top" width="328"> <p align="right">Dewdrops on a lawn impart it vigor and glow <p align="right">Tears and sweat the same to cheeks and forehead bestow</p></td></tr></tbody></table> <p> <hr> [सब्ज़:-ज़ार = a place abounding greenery, a lawn, अश्क-ओ-अरक़ = tears & sweat, आरिज़-ओ-जबीं = cheeks & forehead] <p>Water tends to make things look fresher. A lawn looks beautifully fresh in the morning after being adorned by dewdrops. And while one normally would not consider tears or sweat to be beautifying agents, the poet claims they are. Tears impart the same freshness to the cheeks and sweat to the forehead. I interpret this second line to somehow mean that labour (sweat being its sign) imparts a dignity to the forehead and ability to bear pain (tears being the sign) does the same for the cheeks, that industriousness and perseverance are the virtues that bestow freshness and glow to a face. <hr> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="572" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="252"> <p><strong>ऐ हक़-शिनास वक़्त-ए-क़यामत ये क्या हुआ </strong> <p><strong>रहमत-नज़र रक़ीब मिले दोस्त ख़श्मगीं</strong></p></td> <td valign="top" width="318"> <p align="right">Oh Lord, on doomsday, what's this vagary <p align="right">Rivals are kind, but friends cross and angry</p></td></tr></tbody></table> <p> <hr> [हक़-शिनास = God i.e. one rendering to everyone his due (on judgement day); ख़श्मगीं = angry] <p>This one reminds me of the famous Nida Fazli <em>she’r</em> in terms of the sentiment expressed <p><em>tere jahaan mein aisaa nahiin ki pyaar na ho <br>jahaan ummiid ho is kii vahaan nahiin milataa</em> <p>Poet/speaker seems surprised that he is being shunned by friends while foes are perhaps empathizing. Why? A few possibilities exist… <ol> <li><em>Haq</em> also means truth, so on doomsday, the truth is revealed. Those who were considered as foes during lifetime, were in reality well-wishers, whereas friends turned out to be contrary. <li>Or, during one's lifetime, one was tolerant of foes and hard on friends, so on judgment day, friends were angry and foes kind. <li>Or could it be that the speaker/poet has done something wrong (that he perhaps does not realize/know) which has angered his friends but pleased his rivals (hence may not actually be good for him in reality - unsure of ones own actions again?) </li></ol> <hr> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="574" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="260"> <p><strong>दर्जा-ब-दर्जा रुतबे में बढ़ता रहा बशर </strong> <p><strong>और ज़ेर-ए-पा-ए-हस्ती खिसकती रही ज़मीं</strong></p></td> <td valign="top" width="312"> <p align="right">The world gains stature with a certainty <p align="right">Mankind looses touch with reality/ humanity</p></td></tr></tbody></table> <p> <hr> [दर्जा-ब-दर्जा = step by step, बशर = Mankind; ज़ेर-ए-पा-ए-हस्ती = from under the feet of mankind/from under my feet] <p>Another <em>she’r</em> with a couple of possibilities. <ul> <li>First one is a comment on the apparent “progress” of this society. While in general our impression is that the world is progressing ad that society has advanced, but in reality, people seem to have lost touch with basic human values. <li>Second interpretation assumes a “jealous” tone on part of the speaker/poet. While the world is progressing by leaps and bounds, in comparison, I seem to be losing my position - maybe because I am not progressing at all or just not progressing as much, hence falling behind. </li></ul> <hr> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="572" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="244"> <p><strong>माहौल गर्म चाहिए वरना ये है मुहाल </strong> <p><strong>बारिद क़लम से पैदा हों अश'आर आतिशीं</strong></p></td> <td valign="top" width="326"> <p align="right">The milieu must be conducive you see <p align="right">Cold pens can't write verses that are fiery</p></td></tr></tbody></table> <p> <hr> [मुहाल = Impossible; बारिद = cold, frigid; आतिशीं = fiery, splendid] <p>I am not too sure how to explain this one. Ostensibly the ask is for “<em>garam mahaul</em>”, so that the pen may produce revolutionary or fiery verses. The poet seems to be saying that there must be anger or extreme dissatisfaction against the surroundings and happenings for a poet to pen fierce, rebellious or defiant thoughts. To some extent this makes perfect sense - times of political turmoil like struggle for Indian independence, partition, Military rule in Pakistan and associated atrocities have been the setup in which some of the most radical poetry of modern times was produced in the subcontinent. Similar pattern is observable in rest of the world also and extends to prose as well. <p>Though the poet talks only of the “<em>Aatishiin ash’aar</em>”, personally, I think the analogy is extendible to all poetry, intact to all art forms to some degree but certainly to the written word. A heart must feel an emotion deeply to be able to translate it to the written word. And most poignant poetry and prose comes from the pain and suffering. A comfortable or routine existence, and lack of any real challenge combined with simply an inability to feel non-personal pain/hardship leads to complacence that is guaranteed to cause the pen to become listless, thus ineffective. In short, to be a good poet or writer, either one must experience an emotional upheaval (could be pleasant but strong emotions too but more likely suffering & hardship) personally or possess a fine ability to empathize with others and be in tune with others' emotions - one <em>must</em> feel strongly. <hr> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="567" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="238"> <p><strong>ज़ाहिर करे निकात वो कितने भी हों दक़ीक़ </strong> <p><strong>'नाक़िद' को बे-वजह नहीं कहते हैं ख़ुर्द:बीं</strong></p></td> <td valign="top" width="327"> <p align="right">He brings to fore all nuances and every subtlety <p align="right">'Naaqid' is indeed the microscope he is said to be</p></td></tr></tbody></table> <p> <hr> [निकात = Points, nuances; दक़ीक़ = subtle, minute; ख़ुर्द:बीं = critic, fault-finder, literally - a microscope] <p><em>Naaqid</em> is the poet’s <em>takhallus</em> or pen-name. Literally means “a critic”, more specifically a person whose business it is to examine a coin and ascertain its goodness – <em>Khare-khote ka hisaab karne waala</em>. It is a term that is also used for literary critics - therefore a meaning that fits our poet. This couplet simply seems to be in self-praise (if ability to criticize can be praised) and claims that no matter how fine or subtle the points may be, <em>Naaqid</em> evaluates them correctly and reveals them to the world and that is why he is known literally as a microscope - one who reveals every minor facet of a thing/fact/ person (or poem) under examination. I felt is was a very clever weaving in of the <em>takhallus</em>. <hr>Aditya Panthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11481497663140098296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29329545.post-87870243046002152492015-12-28T05:32:00.011+05:302016-01-01T14:28:41.671+05:30Ghalib’s ‘Unpublished’ Ghazal - Mumkin Nahin …<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW0O-vtZTXhUPMuLRC6Hi5bwqdKKjVLzOPm_PPk6dGlUyOxw69CE3PeqBvWAwKXz8zKh7qMBe8duUIzSzYEKF7z4sto46BjWy7puGtbcj-fXrydZJK5N57QeCa9FXVf5fEieJT/s1600-h/Ghalib%252520Unpublished%25255B15%25255D.jpg"><img title="Ghalib Unpublished" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Ghalib Unpublished" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiXo-ppxU5AoBeqevosfV6vknFX4BI18ipXdpZtG5MU7mTXBAIHz-dNQ5jeJXQLMOZzhigm8nw8DFgfZKOeP7qsffhPTfKQbhqNIkkXaVi_6RU-K0Q9MR4nSN81e7qwGmSsoq8/?imgmax=800" width="575" height="652"></a></p> <p>It was Ghalib’s 218th birth anniversary yesterday. I spent the day poring over some of his unpublished <em>ghazals</em>, which are available on Dr. Frances Pritchett’s site <a href="http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00ghalib/raza/" target="_blank">here</a>. I focussed my attention on three <em>ghazals</em> that are written in the same pattern i.e. same meter, rhyme and refrain. Although the rhyme chosen by Ghalib for these <em>ghazals</em> is quite uncommon, through his sheer mastery on the language he came up with as many as 25 different verses in these three <em>ghazals</em>. It was interesting that while two of them were written during Ghalib’s heady days of youth around 1816, the third came at the fag-end of his life in 1867. The last one is the one I’ve chosen to write about today. The tone of this <em>ghazal</em> is quite sad, almost an expression of helplessness.</p> <hr> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="582" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="253"> <p><font size="2">मुमकिन नहीं कि भूल के भी आरमीदा हूँ </font> <p><font size="2">मैं दश्त-ए-ग़म में आहू-ए-सय्याद-दीदा हूँ</font></p></td> <td valign="top" width="329"> <p>Mumkin nahin ki bhool ke bhi aarameedah hoon <p>Main dasht-e-gham mein aahoo-e-sayyad-deedah hoon</p></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>(आरमीदा = relaxed; दश्त-ए-ग़म = forest of grief; आहू-ए-सय्याद-दीदा = deer that has seen the hunter) <p>In the opening verse, the poet sets the tone.for this ghazal - a lament about his condition, with strong overtones of self-pity at times. In this verse, the poet mentions that he is so grief-stricken that it is impossible for him to be relaxed and calm. His situation is like that of a deer who is so scared after seeing a hunter in the forest that he cannot stop running. <hr> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="582" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="247"> <p><font size="2">हूँ दर्दमन्द जब्र हो या इख़्तियार हो </font> <p><font size="2">गः नाला-ए-कशीदा गः अश्क-ए-चकीदा हूँ</font></p></td> <td valign="top" width="335"> <p>Hoon dardmand jabr ho ya ikhtiyaar ho <p>Gah naalah-e-kusheedah gah ashk-e-chakeedah hoon</p></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>(दर्दमन्द = miserable; जब्र = force; इख़्तियार = liberty; गः = sometimes; नाला-ए-कशीदा = a long lament; अश्क-ए-चकीदा = oozing tears) <p>Continuing with a description of his misery, the poet says that he is always in a state of misery, whether perforce or by choice. Sometimes he is like a long-drawn cry of lament, and sometimes just like a drop of tear uncontrollably oozing out of the eye. <hr> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="582" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="248"> <p><font size="2">जाँ लब पे आई तो भी न शीरीं हुआ दहन </font> <p><font size="2">अज़ बसकि तल्ख़ी-ए-ग़म-ए-हिजराँ चशीदा हूँ</font></p></td> <td valign="top" width="334"> <p>jaan lab pe aayi to bhi na sheereeN hua dahan <p>az-baskih talkhi-e-gham-e-hijraan chasheedah hoon</p></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>(जाँ लब पे आई = on the verge of death; शीरीं = sweet; दहन = mouth; अज़ बसकि = Inasmuch as; तल्ख़ी-ए-ग़म-ए-हिजराँ चशीदा = one who has tasted the bitterness of the sorrow of separation) <p>This verse involves wordplay among words having a strong affinity i.e. lab, dahan and chasheedah; talkhi and Sheereen. They say death is cure-all. A lifetime of suffering magically disappears at the time of death. However, the bitterness of the sorrow of separation is so strong that even arrival of death cannot sweeten it. <p><u>Addendum</u>: U. V Ravindra has an interesting interpretation: <blockquote> <p><em>You suggest the meaning of "inasmuch as" for "az bas-kih", but I wonder if he hasn't actually employed it in the sense of "to the extent that, extremely" (इस हद तक).<br>The way I'm reading this couplet, this latter meaning seems to make for a rather interesting interpretation. I see a play on words here -- in addition to lab-dahan-chasheedan and talKhi-sheereen -- between hijraaN-AND-jaaN lab pe aanaa. One notes with considerable interest that, in Urdu poetry, death is all too often indistinguishably linked with visaal, and one contrasts that with hijr. At the same time, one also observes that "jaaN lab pe aana" is synonymous with the impending arrival of death, of _getting a taste of death_, if you will. With this, the picture now emerges of Ghalib telling us, "I have developed such a taste for the bitterness (talKhi) of the pain of separation (hijr), that even the promise of the sweet taste of union (sheereeni) I experience in the throes of death (visaal) holds no fascination for me."</em></p> <p><em>The delectability of the contrast is in noting that the visaal is ostensibly going to be with the same beloved in whose hijr Ghalib is virtually at death's door, and yet, he's clinging to the hijr and rejecting the promised visaal because he prefers the delicious pain of the former to the untrustworthy (to him) pleasure of the latter. I don't know about you, but to me this multi-layeredness is quintessentially Ghalibian in its entire construction from beginning to end.</em></p></blockquote> <hr> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="582" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="241"> <p><font size="2">नै सुब्ह: से 'अलाक़ा न साग़र से वास्ता </font> <p><font size="2">मैं मा'रिज़-ए-मिसाल में दस्त-ए-बुरीदा हूँ</font></p></td> <td valign="top" width="341"> <p>nai sub.h se ‘alaaqa na saaghar se wasta <p>main ma’ariz-e-misaal mein dast-e-bureedah hoon</p></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>(सुब्ह:= rosary; 'अलाक़ा = affinity; saaghar = wine glass; ma’ariz-e-misaal mein = as an example; dast-e-bureedah = amputated hand) <p>The poet laments the fact that he is no longer a master of his own free will. He can no longer choose either the path of piety or the pleasures of debauchery - like an amputated hand that can neither hold a rosary nor a cup of wine. <hr> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="582" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="247"> <p><font size="2">हूँ ख़ाकसार पर न किसी से है मुझको लाग </font> <p><font size="2">नै दाना-ए-फ़ितादा हूँ नै दाम चीदा हूँ</font></p></td> <td valign="top" width="335"> <p>hoon khaaksaar par na kisi se hai mujhko laag <p>nai daana-e-fitaada hoon nai daam cheedaah hoon</p></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>(ख़ाकसार = ‘like dust’; लाग = enimosity/ love; दाना-ए-फ़ितादा = scattered seed; दाम चीदा = carefully laid trap) <p>This verse doesn’t resolve well in my mind. The connection between the two lines doesn’t appear seamless. This is further complicated by the ambivalence of the word ‘laag’ that can mean both love (attachment) and hatred (enmity). What the poet is probably saying is that he does not blame anyone for his lowly existence and holds no enmity. He might be lying in dust, but he’s neither like seeds that have fallen on the ground and can be used to catch birds, nor a carefully laid trap to ensnare them. <hr> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="582" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="248"> <p><font size="2">जो चाहिए नहीं वो मेरी क़द्र-ओ-मन्ज़िलत </font> <p><font size="2">मैं यूसुफ़-ए-ब-क़ीमत-ए-अव्वल ख़रीदा हूँ</font></p></td> <td valign="top" width="334"> <p>jo chahiye nahin wo meri qadr-o-manzilat <p>main yusuf-e-ba-qeemat-e-awwal khareedah hoon</p></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>(क़द्र-ओ-मन्ज़िलत = dignity and value; क़ीमत-ए-अव्वल = first offer; ख़रीदा = bought) <p>This verse rests on the story of Joseph (Yusuf), where he was auctioned as a slave at the lowest possible price. The poet says that his true worth is not realized, much like Yusuf, who would eventually turn out to be a Prophet, was sold off very cheaply as a slave. <hr> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="582" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="252"> <p><font size="2">हरगिज़ किसी के दिल में नहीं है मेरी जगह </font> <p><font size="2">हूँ मैं कलाम-ए-नग़्ज़ वले ना-शुनीदा हूँ </font></p></td> <td valign="top" width="330"> <p>hargiz kisi ke dil mein nahin hai meri jagah <p>hoon main kalaam-e-naghz vale naa-shunidaah hoon</p></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>(कलाम-ए-नग़्ज़ = a fine composition; वले = but; ना-शुनीदा = unheard) <p>This verse is like a continuation of of the earlier verse as the poet once again laments the fact that his worth is totally ignored by people. No one values him – he is like a rare and fine composition that no one has heard. There is another flavour to this verse if one assigns a boastful tone to it – Of course, no one values me! How can they, when they do not have the capacity or the refined taste to appreciate me! <hr> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="582" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="254"> <p><font size="2">अहल-ए-वर'अ के हल्क़े में हरचन्द हूँ ज़लील </font> <p><font size="2">पर ‘आसियों के ज़ुमरे में मैं बर-गुज़ीदा हूँ</font></p></td> <td valign="top" width="328"> <p>ahl-e-vara’a ke halqe mein harchand hoon zaleel <p>par ‘aasiyon ke zumre mein main bar-guzeedah hoon</p></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>(अहल-ए-वर'अ = pious, chaste people; हल्क़े = circle; हरचन्द = although; ज़लील = disgraced, आसियों = sinners; ज़ुमरे – company; बर-गुज़ीदा = chosen one) <p>After complaining about bot being valued in the earlier verses, the poet unapologetically changes his stance with a defiant tone of ‘so what’? He says that although the pious might not find him worthy of his company, the sinners do give him an exalted place. <hr> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="582" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="252"> <p align="justify"><font size="2">पानी से सग-गुज़ीदा डरे जिस तरह असद </font> <p align="justify"><font size="2">डरता हूँ आईने से कि मर्दुम-गुज़ीदा हूँ</font></p></td> <td valign="top" width="330"> <p>paani se sag-guzeedah dare jis tarah asad <p>darta hoon aaine se ki mardum-guzeedah hoon</p></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>(अहल-ए-वर'अ = pious, chaste people; हल्क़े = circle; हरचन्द = although; ज़लील = disgraced, आसियों = sinners; ज़ुमरे – company; बर-गुज़ीदा = chosen one) <p>Thiis final verse is a bit problematic. While the meaning is self-evident, the connection between the two lines appears very tenuous and unsatisfying. I hope someone helps me ‘understand’ this one. We all know that hydrophobia is one of the complications of rabies caused by dog bite. Ghalib is equating that with his own situation where he has been ‘bitten’ by men and that has led to a situation that he is scared of looking into the mirror. Now how does it relate to hydrophobia caused by dog bite? Is the first line talking about a dog contracting rabies and hence hydrophobia when another dog bites it? That might make some sense if the reason for the dog being scared of water can be ascribed to it seeing its own image in the water and mistaking the image to be of the other dog that bit it. In that case, the second line links well with it i.e. A man ‘bitten’ by another man is scared of looking at the image of any man, including his own. Still, this seems like a very contrived analogy to me. <p><u>Addendum</u>: In a discussion on this she’r, U. V Ravindra gave his explanation, which made a lot of sense to me. I’m quoting it here verbatim: <blockquote> <p><em>“I think the "paani-aaina" pairing is used for the sake of ri'aayat-e-lafzi (economy of words), to depict, on the one hand, the similarity between the two as reflective objects, and, on the other, to throw light on Ghalib's misplaced anxieties. Just as hydrophobia is a symptom, not the cause, nor even the effect, of having been bitten by a rabid dog: the real cause being the inability to drink liquids, which gives rise to the irrational fear of liquids themselves, so also is spectrophobia, the fear of mirrors, the result of misplaced anxieties that are the symptom of Ghalib's having been "bitten" by 'that human' (or all men*): the real cause being his own inability to form a relationship (with 'that human', or all humans), which gives rise to the irrational fear of mirrors. The mirror is an apt allegorical device here as it is the object which he sees his own reflection.<br>The other interesting question is whether Ghalib is blaming himself (cf. aaina) for his affliction or 'that man' (cf. mardum.gazeedah).</em></p> <p><em>*PS: "bitten by all men" seems an unlikely cause of Ghalib's misfortune here. I think he's specifically talking about one person. This is also in line with the image of rabies he's conjuring up, here: one doesn't need to be bitten by "all dogs", just one 'bad dog', to contract hydrophobia.”</em></p></blockquote> <hr> <p><strong>References:</strong></p> <ol> <li><em>Deevan-e-Ghalib Kaamil Nushkha-e-Gupta Raza, Tareekhi Tarteeb Se</em> by Kalidas Gupta ‘Raza’ <li>Index of Ghalib’s unpublished ghazals on Desertful of Roses by Frances Pritchett</li></ol>Aditya Panthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11481497663140098296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29329545.post-20201789966902774632015-12-27T07:30:00.000+05:302016-04-17T20:19:52.524+05:30Remembering Pandit Shivram Krishna<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<em>I had co-authored this piece along with <strong>Ramaswamy Narayanan</strong> for the Guzra Hua Zamana series on Sangeet Ke Sitare, a music group on Facebook.</em><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrWPRn3j3fu0kH5gs2N-NwdosZiCYv6jdwNcJt3-cAe9GqFS89TfEeH1ugwY_4bPx1Lo68fIlgOMOSSsXSgKeu-5uWQ6c1mKP7WfBJr7GIZ3YS0s1tERwbI6xgcFvxjRKwXU08/s1600-h/Shivram%252520Collage%252520for%252520GHZ_2%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img alt="Shivram Collage for GHZ_2" border="0" height="633" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0BBaNwRdvNJZwBKFwOCfsQ485uDQBSTwPwzrfSkTpnlecC8dQ_hVrCrZnJiuOFzVWwBiR-wYsC0wk3SyIR3MxgcNjxiRI46nnZ5hyrpQqFDkXd-tie4rKWZ09UuZSWURVp153/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Shivram Collage for GHZ_2" width="554" /></a><br />
If one tries to think of music directors who gave music to films which had Hindu mythological stories, one can easily recall S. N. Tripathi, Avinash Vyas & Chitragupta. Another composer whose major work was mostly for such films, but is not remembered as much, is Pandit Shivram Krishna also known as Pandit Shivram, or simply Shivram. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiECpA4h8GiwQRuPt26m-3U5bxJmRtpFtyrD9juqcYEWGi-dWLobXSsnauMh7EJBe47hgb8BBTKttePzHOWhZXNxMfmK-G-mlzt3oavN39FI76kvosZSrO9X_l8ZbqhJ4nyxLbW/s1600-h/tbcr%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img align="left" alt="tbcr" border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheDSuWsqw3Ah0wYp8yMkma9NdSQEg0YyPDRlm0AQAfJSWMtYWgBz1W04m1nrzpSAzgBssNS81bPFHWIstnwZdYHoiVbaaEzj7QXCRnRhufWBnIR6EbkH-EjLo4vFaL3mEsg_y6/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="tbcr" width="188" /></a>Pt. Shivram Krishna was born at Jodhpur on March 22, 1927. He started learning music at the age of 8 under the tutelage of his father Master Tulsidas, who worked with Marwar Record Company, Jodhpur from 1934 onwards. He was later employed in the court of the Maharaja of Jodhpur, Umed Singh as a singer/musician. It was the name and fame of Khemchand Prakash that inspired him to try his luck in films. At the age of 16, he went to Lahore where he worked under Pandit Amarnath and Master Ghulam Haider for around three years, only to return to Jodhpur at the time of partition. From the year 1948 till 1950 he worked as a music director with His Masters Voice in Lucknow, and then made his way to Mumbai in 1951. <br />
At Mumbai, Pt. Shivram was given his first break by V. Shantaram, who signed him for two of his films – Teen Batti Chaar Raasta (1953) and Surang (1953). The music of both the films was appreciated and the films became silver jubilee hits. Besides these, V. Shantaram gave him two more films in 1960 - ‘Phool Aur Kaliyan’ and ‘Kaale Gore’, the first winning the National Award for Best Children film, while the second remained unreleased. He used the voices of V. Shantaram’s daughters Charusheela and Madhura in these children films.<br />
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Guzri Thi Raat Aadhi - Surang (1953) - Lata Mangeshkar - Shivram Krishna - Shevan Rizvi</div>
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Following the success of his initial films, Pt. Shivram caught the attention of Dhirubhai Desai and Nakhshab Jarchavi, who signed him for their next films, Oonchi Haveli (1955) and Raftaar (1955) respectively. The songs of these two films were also quite successful. Then came Sati Ansuya (1956), another film by Dhirubhai Desai that started the trend and literally sealed his fate as a composer of mythological films. Barring Naya Kadam (1958), a social drama, and Rangeela Raja (1960), a stunt film, and the two children films by V. Shantaram, all the films he got after Sati Ansuya were religious/ mythological films. In all, out of the 23 films he composed for, as many as 14 were religious/ mythological films.<br />
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Songs from Oonchi Haveli - Asha Bhosle, Mohd. Rafi, Shamshad Begum, Shivram & Parshuram - Shivram Krishna - Bharat Vyas</div>
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Despite composing some good songs for these films, the success he got with his initial films could not be repeated given the limited popularity of such films and similarity in the genre of songs. Barring a few songs from Shravan Kuman (1960), Kan Kan Mein Bhagwan (1963) and Sati Naari (1965), most of the songs are all but forgotten. ‘Tum Naacho Ras Barse’ by Mahendra Kapoor in Sati Naari fetched Pt. Shivram the Swami Haridas Award in 1966.<br />
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Tum Naacho Ras Barse - Sati Naari (1965) - Mahendra Kapoor - Pt. Shivram Krishna - Neeraj</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnEwboQZLyVCOyI-ETuzyQ7-zi6qcnCG9X3vTGT6mC4uOC1WDSN2UCBHKQEVD8HF0yxcMVfJ0CF8cJsHo9fnLLtJhV3ShQVzaHdAy5wT3adTep_R4AB1XDUXF5jGtwETXFSRoU/s1600-h/mpty%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img align="right" alt="mpty" border="0" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi66c4N5yWTlDsQR8p2t5j_4SqzMNIBJX5ytpxmcYLpun20seUGWPBbAD0qYYuutp91S_iqXSZCfyAZBUDX1nrGxa437MCsuS1Xb1EMG0Vx27seQGhR3kcbkSHSqHbSSy1fO9sS/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="mpty" width="173" /></a>The last two Hindi films of Pt. Shivram were Sampoorna Teerth Yatra (1970) and Mahapavan Teerth Yatra (1975), both of which have the unique distinction of featuring what could be the longest Hindi film songs, running 45 and 70 minutes respectively. Both these songs were about the various places of pilgrimage in India and were almost similar in tune and structure. Interestingly, he had also composed two more songs on similar lines in Durga Pooja (1962) and Kan Kan Mein Bhagwan (1963). <br />
Pandit Shivram gave music for various regional languages such as Rajasthani, Bhojpuri, Punjabi, Haryanvi, etc. He was the default composer for Rajasthani films all through the 1960s, starting with the first Rajasthani film Babasa Ri Ladli (1961). He also composed for several Marwari and classical music non-film albums. As a proficient Harmonium player, he teamed with table-nawaaz Ustaad Nizamuddin Khan to produce a classical album. Pandit Shivram was as good a vocal artist as he was a harmonium player. He sang in films like Oonchi Haveli, Rangeela Raja, Sati Ansuya, Badrinath Yatra, etc.<br />
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Mr. Mizaji Aapa Chauraste Pe - Dhani Lugaai (Rajasthani, 1964) - Mukesh & Shamshad Begum - Shivram Krishna - Pt. Indra</div>
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The lyricists Pt. Shivram worked with were more or less decided by the films he worked in. While he worked with the likes of Asad Bhopali, Shevan Rizvi, Pyare Lal Santoshi, Nakhshab Jarchavi, etc. in his non-mythological films, predominantly ‘Hindi’ writers like Bharat Vyas, Kavi Pradeep, Neeraj, Madan Bharti and Pt. Indra wrote for his mythological films. Pt. Indra and Bharat Vyas were his prime contributors for Rajasthani films. <br />
Pandit Shivram died in February 1980 leaving behind a family of musicians. His daughter Jayshree Shivram is a singer. Two of his sons, Jugal Kishore and Tilak Raj jointly composed for a few Hindi films, debuting with Bheegi Palkein (1983). His third son, Naveen Shivram had started his musical career with giving music for the serial Apnapan in 1999 and went to compose for a few small time Hindi films and some Rajasthani film and non-film albums as well. Another son, Mukesh, was also a composer and is no more. <br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: small;">Filmography</span></u></b><br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" style="width: 569px;"> <tbody>
<tr> <td valign="top" width="275"><strong>Hindi</strong> </td> <td valign="top" width="292"><strong>Rajasthani (Partial)</strong></td></tr>
<tr> <td valign="top" width="275"><ol>
<li>Teen Batti Chaar Raaste (1953) </li>
<li>Surang (1953) </li>
<li>Oonchi Haveli (1955) </li>
<li>Raftar (1955) </li>
<li>Sati Ansuya (1956) </li>
<li>Shravan Kumar (1956) </li>
<li>Jai Ambe (1957) </li>
<li>Gauri Shankar (1958) </li>
<li>Naya Kadam (1958) - with Narayan </li>
<li>Kaale Gore (1960) </li>
<li>Phool Aur Kaliyaan (1960) </li>
<li>Rangeela Raja (1960) </li>
<li>Durga Pooja (1962) </li>
<li>Kan Kan Mein Bhagwan (1963) </li>
<li>Mahasati Behula (1964) </li>
<li>Sati Naari (1965) </li>
<li>Shankar Sita Ansuya (1965) </li>
<li>Shri Ram Bharat Milan (1965) </li>
<li>Veer Bajrang (1966) </li>
<li>Badrinath Yatra (1967) </li>
<li>Qaatil (1970) </li>
<li>Sampoorna Teerth Yatra (1970) </li>
<li>Mahapavan Teerth Yatra (1975)</li>
</ol>
</td> <td valign="top" width="292"><ol>
<li>Babasa Ri Ladli (1961) </li>
<li>Nanibai Ko Mayro (1962) </li>
<li>Baba Ramdev (1963) </li>
<li>Dhani Lugaai (1964) </li>
<li>Gangaur (1964) </li>
<li>Gopichand Bharthari (1965) </li>
<li>Gogaji Pir (1969)</li>
</ol>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><em> </em></b><br />
<hr />
<b><em> </em><span style="font-size: small;"><u>References:</u></span></b> <ol>
<li>‘Suvarnayugwaale Sangeetkar’ by Prof. Yogesh Yadav</li>
<li>‘Dhunon Ki Yatra’ by Pankaj Rag</li>
<li>Information and picture from research work of P. S Chaudhury and writings by Murlidhar Soni (shared and validated by Pavan Jha)</li>
<li>Information and pictures provided by Girdharilal Vishwakarma</li>
<li><a href="https://in.groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/vividhbharati/conversations/topics/2219">https://in.groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/vividhbharati/conversations/topics/2219</a></li>
<li>myswar.com</li>
</ol>
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Aditya Panthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11481497663140098296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29329545.post-66428558589276831532015-11-24T17:14:00.001+05:302015-11-24T17:14:04.138+05:30The Legends of Parijat<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCNaUOM6cE7_HwR_HJbVvQDIfSt8vDoJLY-IJ8kvpZZs5ut4k_BF_0BidLeU_etWhfCUqhDu8REXDhd7zn_iZzMW4B_uB2nwBMdhpuc9QAER3UOy1Up9Uop86pQC1z2UWfi1o0/s1600-h/Parijata-flowers1%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img title="Parijata-flowers1" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Parijata-flowers1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRqW6gh_jaxByhHBxekcq8raILrinbfMFAFMwA7QTSCw7BmwobJgQiO4eDN8Oabr1dlilXtO5I8hX4yl1XAqXd0KDiiuj4miwdLFAhXzQxYAy2sqI7brWFwuyPHyMtD2waKyeP/?imgmax=800" width="554" height="355"></a> <p><em>Parijat</em>, also known as <em>Harsingar</em> or Nyctanthes arbor-tristis or Night-flowering Jasmine or Shefali or Shiuli, is a flower that blooms at dusk and withers at dawn. <p>Legend, at least a version of it, has it that the <em>Parijat</em> tree was one of the things that emerged out of <em><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samudra_manthan" target="_blank">Samudra Manthan</a></em>. The tree became the property of the Gods and found a place on <em>Indralok</em>. Once, when Krishna was visiting <em>Indralok</em> with one of his wives Satyabhama after killing Narakasur, Indra gifted a <em>parijat</em> flower to him. On his return to Dwarka, Krishna gifted the same to his other wife Rukmini. A jealous Satyabhama, instigated by Narad of course, demanded that Krishna bring the entire tree to her. Unwilling to part with the divine tree, Indra challenged Krishna to a battle. Indra was about to lose when Aditi (mother of the Gods) intervened and called off the fight. She also granted the tree to Krishna. In order to avoid any further disputes at home, he planted the tree in Satyabhama’s garden in such a way that although the tree was in her garden, its flowers fell on the side of Rukmini’s garden. And the two queens lived happily ever after, singing this song…. <p>फूले पारिजात रे अँगना हमार रे </p> <p>स्वर्गलोक का वृक्षराज ये, धरती पे आया है आज ये <br>द्वारिका के द्वार रे ... </p> <p>सींचें मिल के दोनों रानी, प्रभुचरणों का निर्मल पानी <br>गायें गीत मल्हार रे ... <p>सोने की सुहानी डाली, पतियाँ रे मरकत वाली <br>छायेंगी घरबार रे ... <p>मूंगे की डंठल आयें, मोती की पंखुड़ियाँ आयें <br>अमृत की रसधार रे ... <p>फूल हमारे डोर तुम्हारी, हिलमिल गूंथें आओ दुलारी <br>पिया गले के हार रे ... <p>This song is from a Hindi-Marathi bilingual by Raja Paranjape - Shri Krishna Satyabhama (Hindi)/ Parijatak (Marathi)<br></p> <div id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:e48538f0-3341-4391-8254-573260a4da54" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><div><object width="448" height="252"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TA26qSjuRgE?hl=en&hd=1"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TA26qSjuRgE?hl=en&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="448" height="252"></embed></object></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Phoole Parijat Re – Shri Krishna Satyabhama (1951) – Malati Pande – Keshavrao Bhole – Pt. Mukhram Sharma</div></div> <p>Another legend talks about why the tree only blooms during night time. A princess named Parijat fell in love with <em>Surya</em>, the Sun God, who did not reciprocate. Dejected, she committed suicide and the tree emerged from her ashes. Unable to bear the sight of the one who rejected her, the flowers wither as soon as the sun rises. <p>Here’s a song that talks about the nigh-blooming feature of this tree. <p>साँझ खिले भोर झरे फूल हरसिंगार के<br>रात महकती रही … <br></p> <div id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:ca3178d6-d634-4d7b-889b-d381d22a5dc8" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><div><object width="448" height="252"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/KhZXA-S6pOw?hl=en&hd=1"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/KhZXA-S6pOw?hl=en&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="448" height="252"></embed></object></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Sanjh Khile Bhor Jhare - Phir Bhi (1971) - Hemant Kumar & Ranu Mukherjee - Raghunath Seth - Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan</div></div> Aditya Panthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11481497663140098296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29329545.post-10623891833835230602015-06-05T15:16:00.001+05:302015-06-05T17:14:44.387+05:30In Which Lily White Turns Emerald Green<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUnFmKnQdOmcBB-8XtZFBxMUYzMuNPwRC1KpoxDds9nQ8MOzyNHP94RM5mHEwmr9AnQHA3p6covyZdGPUlofqIOltOanrb1JOuM2cKRuuLns-dEoKfQXlk-FMjXKfyWg7Nw2Nt/s1600-h/Barnes%252520Iqbal1%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" title="Barnes Iqbal1" border="0" alt="Barnes Iqbal1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG-tx73F3ymujP-iIv0WRwBshbIITY4zXwCdNnxj9ZORTlRZt82v8uro85HTTKV4mGccDH7ciZdeE73diWoNrs4CUR-66Fvvm3W2DvtfxZXGfsDT62yNCCWqQrNlupkQHp1wCV/?imgmax=800" width="504" height="357"></a><strong><em></em></strong></p> <p><strong><em>William Barnes</em></strong> was a 19<sup>th</sup> century English writer, poet, Church of England minister and philologist. He wrote more than 800 poems on a variety of subjects. One of his well-known poems is <em>A Mother’s Dream (Mater Dolorosa)</em>, written around 1867. It is a poignant first person description of a mother’s dream about her lost son. </p> <p><strong><em>Allama Iqbal</em></strong> must’ve been touched by this poem, as he translated it in Urdu and included in his collection <em>Baang-e-Dara</em> (1924). The translation, called ‘<em>Maan Ka Khwaab</em>’ is extremely faithful to the source. The 24 lines of the original lead to 15 couplets (30 lines) in the adaptation. The extra lines by Iqbal, especially the ones corresponding to the last stanza of the original, add more emotion and poignancy to the mother’s lament. And the build up to the ending of the Urdu version packs a wallop that I find much more effective. </p> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="560"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="264"> <p><strong>A Mother’s Dream (Mater Dolorosa)</strong></p> <p><em><font style="font-weight: normal">William Barnes</font></em></p></td> <td valign="top" width="294"> <p align="right"><strong>Maa.N Ka Khwaab</strong></p> <p align="right"><em><font style="font-weight: normal">Allama Iqbal</font></em></p></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="264"> <p><font size="2">I'd a dream to-night<br>As I fell asleep,<br>O! the touching sight<br>Makes me still to weep:<br>Of my little lad,<br>Gone to leave me sad,<br>Ay, the child I had,<br>But was not to keep.</font></p> <p><font size="2">As in heaven high,<br>I my child did seek,<br>There in train came by<br>Children fair and meek,<br>Each in <strong>lily white</strong>,<br>With a lamp alight;<br>Each was clear to sight,<br>But they did not speak.</font></p> <p><font size="2">Then, a little sad,<br>Came my child in turn,<br>But the lamp he had,<br>O it did not burn!<br>He, to clear my doubt,<br>Said, half turn'd about,<br>'Your tears put it out;<br>Mother, never mourn.'</font></p></td> <td valign="top" width="294"> <p align="right">मैं सोई जो इक शब तो देखा ये ख़्वाब<br>बढ़ा और जिससे मेरा इज़्तिराब</p> <p align="right">ये देखा कि मैं जा रही हूँ कहीं<br>अँधेरा है और राह मिलती नहीं</p> <p align="right">लरज़ता था डर से मेरा बाल बाल<br>क़दम का था दहशत से उठना मुहाल</p> <p align="right">जो कुछ हौसला पा के आगे बढ़ी<br>तो देखा क़तार एक लड़कों की थी</p> <p align="right"><strong>ज़मुर्रद</strong> सी पोशाक पहने हुए<br>दिये सब के हाथों में जलते हुए</p> <p align="right">वो चुप चाप थे आगे पीछे रवाँ<br>ख़ुदा जाने जाना था उनको कहाँ</p> <p align="right">इसी सोच में थी कि मेरा पिसर<br>मुझे उस जमा'अत में आया नज़र</p> <p align="right">वो पीछे था और तेज़ चलता न था<br>दिया उसके हाथों में जलता न था</p> <p align="right">कहा मैंने पहचान कर मेरी जाँ<br>मुझे छोड़ कर आ गए तुम कहाँ</p> <p align="right">जुदाई में रहती हूँ मैं बेक़रार<br>पिरोती हूँ हर रोज़ अश्कों के हार</p> <p align="right">न परवा हमारी ज़रा तुमने की<br>गए छोड़ अच्छी वफ़ा तुमने की</p> <p align="right">जो बच्चे ने देखा मेरा पेच-ओ-ताब<br>दिया उसने मुँह फेर कर यूँ जवाब</p> <p align="right">रुलाती है तुझको जुदाई मेरी<br>नहीं उस में कुछ भी भलाई मेरी</p> <p align="right">ये कह कर वो कुछ देर तक चुप रहा<br>दिया फिर दिखा कर ये कहने लगा</p> <p align="right">‘समझती है तू हो गया क्या इसे<br>तेरे आँसुओं ने बुझाया इसे’</p></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>In one of the stanzas above, William Barnes describes that the mother in her dream sees a number of children dressed in ‘lily white’. But in Allama’s vision their apparel is emerald green. Just a seemingly simple change in the colour of the apparel, makes the poem resonate with cultural specificity. Given that both William Barnes and Allama Iqbal was religiously inclined, it would be safe to say that they chose the colour according to their faiths. In Christianity, white signifies purity, innocence and holiness; whereas the green occupies similar significance in Islam. <p>Another notable aspect of the Urdu version is that it is written in an extremely simple language, which I find quite uncharacteristic of Iqbal. However, the depth of expression is not compromised one bit. At the surface it can simply be taken as a mother’s lament for a dead child, and the dream providing her a sign for closure. It can also be about a son coming on his own and starting on a new life (symbolized by green), but who is unable to find his way (symbolized by the lamp which does not burn) as the attachments keep pulling him back. Following the path shown by others (other children with burning lamps) is the only thing he can do in such circumstances, and that makes him a laggard in the journey of life. In order for him to find his own identity and direction and not be left behind in the journey, he has to be assured that the mother is not mourning his absence. <p>Listen to this poem here:</p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; width: 448px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:a55cf2ec-1a92-49d2-8864-388984494ebd" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div><object width="448" height="252"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/spmzztEQYzA?hl=en&hd=1"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/spmzztEQYzA?hl=en&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="448" height="252"></embed></object></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Maa.N Ka Khwaab - Allama Iqbal (adapted from William Barnes)</div></div> Aditya Panthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11481497663140098296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29329545.post-33736282621784788002015-06-02T11:26:00.001+05:302015-06-02T11:26:39.309+05:30Shamsul Huda Bihari - A Forgotten Lyricist of Popular Songs<p><em>This article was written as part of the ‘Guzra Hua Zamana’ series on Sangeet Ke Sitare, a music group on Facebook.</em></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6399zcAhb2kGk6S_JVTmCT5C-4e9ux4AFcQ6AFaeFSOZOwSwcy9Q5z2KoKp2R1fD18-HjajAFXrb1511FP-p8I9KuPw1YP_Dm20jrKxLpqandGhTkQn6PXh94m4Gk-w-6thRB/s1600-h/S%252520H%252520Bihari%252520SKS%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" title="S H Bihari SKS" alt="S H Bihari SKS" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibcJ4PYZ-BHqtEX7uEe6sqh-4zYbcZzLJajg6ajF5rR2eG8y8aWfvh_DwSvq2Ehn3yTzIL7tVloNDohnWmGzjvLqbSm6EpI1C1p5RRHm-qEsgjJy7IiXFP0CXgfravk8_lBZJ0/?imgmax=800" width="424" height="480"></a></p> <p>Lyricists are the least remembered among all the contributors to film songs. You could find reams of paper written about composers, and terabytes of online space devoted to singers, but when it comes to appreciating the value of a lyricist, the world suddenly turns miserly. The situation assumes tragic proportions when one realizes that there are a few lyricists who have written some of the most popular songs of all time, but they are rarely discussed or even remembered. One such forgotten lyricist of popular songs is <strong>Shamsul Huda Bihari</strong> (S. H Bihari). <p>S. H Bihari was born in the Arrah district of Bihar in 1922. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree from one the most prestigious colleges in the country of the time – Presidency College, Kolkata. It was in Kolkata that he developed an interest in sports and even played football for Mohun Bagan. However, his real passion was poetry and that brought him to his brother in Mumbai around 1947. In his initial Mumbai years, he worked as an assistant manager in a rubber factory. <p>It is said that S. H Bihari got his first break in films when Anil Biswas, who had a keen ear for fine poetry, heard one of his <em>ghazals</em> and took him on to write two songs for <i>Laadli</i> (1949). Around the same time he got a few more assignments to write a few songs for films like <i>Aaiye</i> (1949) and <i>Duniya</i> (1949). This trend continued for the next few years as he wrote one or two songs in some more films. While quantity remained elusive, this was the period when he got a chance to work with established great composers like Anil Biswas, Gyan Dutt, C. Ramchandra and Shyam Sundar. In some of his earlier films, he was credited as ‘H. S Huda’ or simply ‘Huda’.</p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; width: 448px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:1e752cfa-4c97-412a-8517-ca4cb9dccad8" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div><object width="448" height="252"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/m2Rn13of2gE?hl=en&hd=1"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/m2Rn13of2gE?hl=en&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="448" height="252"></embed></object></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Main Ik Chhoti Si Chingari _ Laadli (1949) - Meena Kapoor - Anil Biswas</div></div> <p>The first film where he got to write most of the songs was Bhagwan’s <i>Rangeela</i> (1953). Nine of the eleven songs of this Jamal Sen composed film were written by him. One of the songs from the film went – <p align="center"><em>dil aaj mera gaane laga geet pyaar ke<br>lo dheere dheere aa hi gaye din bahaar ke</em></p> <p align="center"></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; width: 448px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:3b975ddc-d5cb-4a2c-9475-d71583b0eb14" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div><object width="448" height="252"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kebxpo9uSiA?hl=en&hd=1"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kebxpo9uSiA?hl=en&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="448" height="252"></embed></object></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Dil Aaj Mera Gaane Laga - Rangeela (1953) - Mohd. Rafi & Asha Bhosle - Jamal Sen</div></div> <p>This proved prescient, as he would soon get his first major break that would take him on the path of success and make him known in the industry for his romantic songs. The film that brought in the sweet smell of success was S. Mukherjee’s <i>Shart</i> (1954). Sharing credits with Rajinder Krishan in this film, S. H Bihari wrote nine songs, including the two most romantic and well-remembered songs – ‘na ye chaand hoga na tare rahenge’, and ‘dekho wo chaand chhup ke karta hai kya ishaare’. </p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; width: 448px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:a0aec8c5-e692-4a3b-a0f0-7c6fa2b5f21b" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div><object width="448" height="252"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TusufnWyrd8?hl=en&hd=1"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TusufnWyrd8?hl=en&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="448" height="252"></embed></object></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Na Ye Chaand Hoga - Shart (1954) - Geeta Dutt - Hemant Kumar</div></div> <p>How he landed up with the <i>Shart</i> assignment has an interesting tale. At a time when he hardly had any work and daily sustenance itself was a huge challenge, he used to make the rounds of Filmistan just to get to meet S. Mukherjee once. Luck was not on his side, though. He would wait from morning till evening, but chances of meeting the doyen of Filmistan seemed remote. Once, by chance, he bumped into S. Mukherjee, who did not acknowledge his greetings but asked him casually, “kya bechte ho?” S. H Bihari was prompt in his response, “… dil ke tukde, magar wo nahin jinki tareef filmi geeton mein is tarah ki jaati hai – ‘ek dil ke tukde hazaar hue, koi yahan gira koi wahan gira’”. S. Mukherjee was suitably impressed and S. H Bihari got the assignment.</p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; width: 448px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:7992c9bd-bf97-4f5c-bbba-65cb273d71a4" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div><object width="448" height="252"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ii4wLhp6d_Q?hl=en&hd=1"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ii4wLhp6d_Q?hl=en&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="448" height="252"></embed></object></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Vividh Bharti Interview - S. H Bihari</div></div> <p><i>Shart</i> established a partnership between Hemant Kumar & S. H Bihari that would result in almost 80 songs in 12 films, all in a brief period of 3 years. Barring a handful of exceptions, S. H Bihari worked almost exclusively with Hemant Kumar during this period. While this partnership could not repeat the success of the first film, it resulted in numerous gems like ‘chaand se poochho sitaaron se poochho’ (<i>Daaku Ki Ladki</i>, 1954), ‘chhupa le daagh-e-jigar’ (<i>Bahu</i>, 1955), ‘tum jo mile o sanam (<i>Hamara Watan</i>, 1956), ‘mohabbat ka nateeja’ (<i>Arab Ka Saudagar</i>, 1956), ‘dil chhed koi aisa naghma’ (<i>Inspector</i>, 1956), ‘ye hansta hua karvaan’ (<i>Ek Jhalak</i>, 1957), ‘nayi manzil nayi raahen’ (<i>Hill Station</i>, 1957), etc. It was around the same time that he also penned two Hindi songs for Hemant Kumar in the Marathi film, <i>Nayikinicha Sajja</i> (1957). The Hemant Kumar – S. H Bihari partnership came to an abrupt end in 1957. However, the two collaborated once again many years later in <i>Bees Saal Pehle</i> (1972), which came at a time when Hemant Kumar’s career in Hindi films was on its last leg, and S. H Bihari was again going through a rough patchy professionally thanks to a lower demand for romantic songs and better established partnerships of other lyricists with the successful composers in the 70s.</p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; width: 448px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:56c98e60-654e-44a9-b4e1-51f21ccd44a1" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div><object width="448" height="252"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/z1XaQ2l0174?hl=en&hd=1"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/z1XaQ2l0174?hl=en&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="448" height="252"></embed></object></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Dil Chhed Koi Aisa Naghma - Inspector (1956) - Lata Mangeshkar - Hemant Kumar</div></div> <p>Interestingly, for S. H Bihari the next important partnership came about with Ravi, who probably worked closely with him while working as an assistant with Hemant Kumar. Together, Ravi and S. H Bihari produced 38 songs in 11 films. Again, this partnership lasted just a few years – from <i>Ghar Sansar</i> in 1958 to <i>Isi Ka Naam Duniya Hai</i> in 1962, before appearing one more time in <i>Sindbad Alibaba Aladdin</i> in 1965. The combination resulted in some diverse genre of songs like the preachy ‘bhala karne wale bhalaai kiye ja’ (<i>Ghar Sansar</i>, 1958), the philosophical ‘isi ka naam duniya hai’ (<i>Isi Ka Naam Duniya Hai</i>, 1962), the tipsy ‘ye mehfil ye botal ye rangeen paani’ (<i>Isi Na Naam Duniya Hai</i>, 1962), or even a comic song like ‘mooliram aur bhindimal ka nikal gaya hai diwala’ (<i>Dulhan</i>, 1958).</p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; width: 448px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:e3e47ec3-9d8c-4beb-aeef-82d78a69fcb4" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div><object width="448" height="252"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/r0Us5FNeNxg?hl=en&hd=1"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/r0Us5FNeNxg?hl=en&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="448" height="252"></embed></object></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Mooliram Aur Bhindimal Ka - Dulhan (1958) - Mohd. Rafi - Ravi</div></div> <p>That brings us to S. H Bihari’s most successful pairing with any music director – O. P Nayyar. After testing the waters with a song each in <i>Basant</i> (1960), <i>Mitti Mein Sona</i> (1960) and <i>Hong Kong</i> (1962), the collaboration gained steam with <i>Ek Musafir Ek Haseena</i> (1962) and continued through thick and thin till <i>Bin Maa Ke Bachche</i> (1980). This heady journey resulted in classics like ‘bahut shukriya badi mehrbaani’ (<i>Ek Musafir Ek Haseena</i>, 1962), ‘deewana hua baadal’ (<i>Kashmir Ki Kali</i>, 1964), ‘raaton ko chori chori’ (<i>Mohabbat Zindagi Hai</i>, 1966), ‘zulfon ko hata de chehre se’ (<i>Sawan Ki Ghata</i>, 1966), ‘yehi wo jagah hai’ (<i>Ye Raat Phir Na Aayegi</i>, 1966) ‘kajra mohabbat wala’ (<i>Kismat</i>, 1968), and ‘chain se humko kabhi’ (<i>Pran Jaye Par Vachan Na Jaye, </i>1974), along with a host of other popular as well as relatively lesser celebrated songs. In all, O. P Nayyar and S. H Bihari collaborated on 89 songs in 24 films.</p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; width: 448px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:f3b99bf6-e95f-4392-958f-4be2905f5282" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div><object width="448" height="252"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1t65hyPgJk4?hl=en&hd=1"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1t65hyPgJk4?hl=en&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="448" height="252"></embed></object></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Phir Miloge Kabhi - Ye Raat Phir Na Aayegi (1966) - Mohd. Rafi & Asha Bhosle - O. P Nayyar</div></div> <p>In a radio interview, S. H Bihari narrated an interesting incident when, while writing for O. P Nayyar’s <i>Mohabbat Zindagi Hai</i>, he encountered an extreme case of writer’s block that prevented him for coming up with the appropriate words for Rafi’s ‘tumhari mulaqat se mujhko’. The situation was so bad that it started a bout of self-doubt and his confidence took a severe beating. Seeing his predicament, Asha Bhosle took him out for tea and assured him that writing songs was his ‘baayen haath ka khel’. These seemingly simple words worked wonders for his self-confidence and he felt rejuvenated to write the song to perfection.</p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; width: 448px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:8cd1a229-d920-42f3-9550-34abff8e1013" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div><object width="448" height="252"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7r9AVRCgdX8?hl=en&hd=1"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7r9AVRCgdX8?hl=en&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="448" height="252"></embed></object></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Tumhari Mulaqat Se - Mohabbat Zindagi Hai (1966) - Mohd. Rafi - O. P Nayyar</div></div> <p>S. H Bihari was never a very prolific lyricist, but after 1972 his output declined significantly. A man who averaged around 14 songs a year in the twenty years from 1952-1972, wrote less than 5 songs per year for the next ten. But his career would soon see a revival, although for a very short period. <p>S. H Bihari’s last successful partnership came in the 1980s with Laxmikant Pyarelal. K. C Bokadia roped him in to write the story, dialogues and lyrics of <i>Pyar Jhukta Nahin</i> (1985). The film was a runaway success, both at the box-office and musically. Once again, after a long time, songs written by S. H Bihari were playing everywhere. This led to a brief but substantial partnership with Laxmikant Pyarelal, arguably the most successful composers of that period. Although they had an already existing, very strong partnership with Anand Bakshi, Laxmikant Pyarelal worked with S. H Bihari in as many as 16 films over a short span of 3 years, many of which released after his untimely death on February 25, 1987.</p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; width: 448px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:217bd715-f0a3-444f-b385-a80e6631059f" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div><object width="448" height="252"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/cf3lpiA311w?hl=en&hd=1"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/cf3lpiA311w?hl=en&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="448" height="252"></embed></object></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Tumse Mil Kar - Pyar JHukta Nahin (1985) - Lata Mangeshkar & Shabbir Kumar - Laxmikant Pyarelal</div></div> <p>In his career of close to 40 years, S. H Bihari wrote more than 420 songs for 32 composers in 114 films. He worked at least once with almost all the major composers of his era, with the notable exception of Naushad, S. D Burman and Salil Chowdhury. <p>If one quickly glances over the list of songs written by S. H Bihari, it is very obvious that love and romance was the predominant theme. While he did write songs of other genres, he was at his best while writing on themes of love. Whether it was an expression of unbridled joy at the realization of love in ‘ang ang mein umang’ (<i>Bahu</i>, 1955) or ‘mera akele jiya kaise laage re piya’ (<i>Inspector</i>, 1956); an expression of a man’s jealousy at the very prospects of an imaginary rival in ‘tumhara chahnewala’ (<i>Kahin Din Kahin Raat</i>, 1968); a description of the beloved’s beauty in ‘ye chaand sa roshan chehra’ (<i>Kashmir Ki Kali</i>, 1964); the very thought of probable separation in ‘zindagi kaise kategi’ (<i>Meri Biwi Ki Shaadi</i>, 1979); sadness of actual separation in ‘kabhi aansoo bahaate hain’ (<i>Madhur Milan</i>, 1955); or the bitterness following a messy break-up in ‘chain se humko kabhi’ (<i>Pran Jaye Par Vacan Na Jaye</i>, 1974); all moods and flavours of love and romance are evident in S. H Bihari’s songs.</p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; width: 448px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:6ed28635-ad1e-4860-9013-e8c37fa69dbd" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div><object width="448" height="252"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DWu5r1lidKc?hl=en&hd=1"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DWu5r1lidKc?hl=en&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="448" height="252"></embed></object></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Zindagi Kaise Kategi - Meri Biwi Ki Shadi (1979) - Lata Mangeshkar - Usha Khanna</div></div> <p>Although lyric writing was his primary vocation, he also dabbled in other areas of film writing. Some of the films where he was involved with story, screenplay, and/or dialogue writing were <i>Isi Ka Naam Duniya Hai</i> (1962), <i>Karate</i> (1983), and <i>Pyar Jhukta Nahin</i> (1985). <p>At the time of his death, S. H Bihari was at the second peak of his career. Had it not been for his untimely death, it is very likely that would have enjoyed success for some more time. But who knows what compromises he would have had to make during this period when Hindi film music had reached its nadir and the scope of good lyrics was dwindling. It is best that we remember him for his limited, but good work. <h5>List of Composers who Worked with S. H Bihari</h5> <ol> <li>Anil Biswas <li>Aziz Nazan <li>B. N Bali <li>Bappi Lahiri <li>Basant Prakash <li>Bulo C. Rani <li>C. Arjun <li>C. Ramchandra <li>Chitragupta <li>Ganesh <li>Gyan Dutt <li>Hemant Kumar <li>Iqbal Qureishi <li>Jagjit Singh <li>Jamal Sen <li>Kalyanji Anandji <li>Laxmikant Pyarelal <li>Madan Mohan <li>Mohd. Shafi <li>N. Dutta <li>O. P Nayyar <li>R. D Burman <li>Ram Ganguly <li>Ramchandra Pal <li>Ravi <li>Roshan <li>Shankar Jaikishan <li>Shaukat Haidari <li>Shyam Sundar <li>Snehal Bhatkar <li>Sonik Omi <li>Usha Khanna</li></ol> <hr> <p><b><u></u></b> <h5>References</h5> <ul> <li>Hindi Filmon Ke Geetkaar by Anil Bhargava <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=22&v=Ii4wLhp6d_Q" target="_blank">Radio interview with S. H Bihari</a> <li><a href="http://www.shbihari.com/" target="_blank">S. H Bihari website</a> <li><a href="http://myswar.com/" target="_blank">Myswar</a> <li>Songs shared by collectors on YT and other public fora</li></ul> Aditya Panthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11481497663140098296noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29329545.post-27095169000942611422015-03-29T12:06:00.001+05:302015-03-29T12:16:16.489+05:30Angels & Prophets … and Ghalib<blockquote> <p align="left"><em>“Appreciation of poetry is a complex process, especially in the context of Urdu poetry. Besides a good understanding of the language, it is important for a reader to understand the cultural backdrop and conventions of Urdu poetry…”</em></p></blockquote> <p>Some years ago, I had written <a href="http://urgetofly.blogspot.in/2006/07/knowledge-and-poetry.html" target="_blank">a short piece</a> about how ‘Knowledge’ is essential to the understanding of ‘poetry’. I am reminded about that today in the context of how poets refer to historical/ legendary/ mythical characters in their poetry. And that takes me to an unpublished <em>ghazal</em> by Ghalib that abounds with references to Proper Nouns, especially Angels, Prophets and other references from the mythology of Abrahamic religions.</p> <p><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" border="0" src="http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00ghalib/raza/raza246iilkii.jpg?" width="500" height="298"></p> <p>This <em>ghazal</em> per se is not very exciting in terms of themes covered. However it demands knowledge and understanding of religious texts, mythology and history. In order to make some sense of it, I had to refer to a lot of other material. If the usual thrill of breaking one’s head over deciphering the meaning(s) of the verses was missing, there was an excitement of trying to learn more about other religions and cultures. <p>What is unique about this Ghazal is that 4 out of the 6 verses have Proper Nouns that are crucial to the understanding of the verses. If one verse talks about the Horn of Archangel Raphael that signals the arrival of doomsday, another talks about the Prophet Jacob’s blindness on account of grieving for his son Joseph and the river Nile (Joseph was incarcerated in Egypt). One invokes the Crown of Archangel Gabriel, while another talks of the Evangel or gospel truth. The final verse, obviously, has another Proper Noun – the poet’s pen name. In addition, one must also know that in Persia, blue was the colour of mourning. And of course, what most Indians would be familiar with, that a black mark is meant to ward off the evil eye. <p>Here is the <em>ghazal</em> (written in 1821). I have tried to do a literal translation of it in English, but as we know, translating successfully in another language is a are skill, which I certainly do not possess. <p><strong>फूँकता है नाला हर शब सूर इस्राफ़ील की <br>हम को जल्दी है मगर तूने क़यामत ढील की</strong> <p>(नालह = lament; सूर = horn; इस्राफ़ील = Angel Raphael) <p><em>Phoonkta hai naala har shab soor Israafeel ki<br>ham ko jaldi hai magar tune qayamat dheel ki</em> <p>Each night the lament blows the <a href="http://angels.about.com/od/SearchAngelsMiracles/p/Meet-Archangel-Raphael.htm" target="_blank">horn of Raphael</a><br>I’m impatient, but doomsday pays no heed <p align="right"><strong>की हैं किस पानी से याँ याक़ूब ने आँखें सुफैद <br>है जो आबी पैरहन हर मौज रूद-ए-नील की</strong> </p> <p align="right">(याक़ूब = Jacob; सुफैद = white; आबी = like water, light blue; मौज = wave; रूद-ए-नील = River Nile) <p align="right"><em>Ki hain kis paani se yaaN Yaqoob ne aakhen sufaid<br>hai jo aabi pairahan har mauj rood-e-Neel ki</em></p> <p align="right">With what has <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_in_Islam" target="_blank">Jacob</a> washed his eyes clean<br>Every wave of Nile mourns in blue clothes</p> <p><strong>’अर्श पर तेरे क़दम से है दिमाग़-ए-गर्द-ए-रह <br>आज तनख़्वाह-ए-शिकस्तन है कुलह जिबरील की </strong></p> <p>(‘अर्श = skies; तनख़्वाह-ए-शिकस्तन = the reward of destruction; कुलह = crown; जिबरील = Angel Gabriel) <p><em>’arsh par tere qadam se hai dimaagh-e-gard-e-raah<br>aaj tankhwah-e-shikastan hai kulah Jibreel ki</em> <p>The dust on the road feels proud that you step on it<br>the trampling is a reward as great as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriel" target="_blank">Gabriel</a>’s crown <p align="right"><strong>मुद्द'आ दर-पर्दा या'नी जो कहूँ बातिल समझ <br>वो फ़िरन्गीज़ादा खाता है क़सम इंजील की</strong> </p> <p align="right">(मुद्द'आ = complain; दर-पर्दा = aside; बातिल = permanent, truth; फ़िरन्गीज़ादा = British; इंजील = The New Testament) <p align="right"><em>Mudd’a dar parda ya’ani jo kahoon baatil samajh<br>wo firangizaada khaata hai qasam Injeel ki</em></p> <p align="right">“Forget everything else, whatever I say is the gospel truth”<br>So says the British lad, taking an oath on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_in_Islam" target="_blank">Evangel</a></p> <p><strong>ख़ैरख़्वाह-ए-दीद हूँ अज़-बहरे दफ़'अ-ए-चश्म-ए-ज़ख्म <br>खेंचता हूँ अपनी आँखों में सलाई नील की</strong> </p> <p>(ख़ैरख़्वाह-ए-दीद = well-wisher of the eyes; अज़-बहरे = on account of; दफ़'अ-ए-चश्म-ए-ज़ख्म = banish the wound of the eye i.e. evil eye; सलाई = needle; नील = black) <p><em>Khairkhwah-e-deed hoon az behr-e-dafa’-e-chashm-e-zakhm<br>kheenchta hoon apni aankhon mein salayi neel ki</em> <p>I am a well-wisher of the eye, so to ward off the evil eye<br>I draw a black mark on the eye with a needle <p align="right"><strong>नाला खेंचा है सरापा दाग़-ए-जुर'अत हूँ असद <br>क्या सज़ा हैं मेरे जुर्म-ए-आरज़ू तावील की</strong> </p> <p align="right">(नालह = lament; सरापा = completely; दाग़-ए-जुर'अत = guilty of courage; जुर्म-ए-आरज़ू तावील = crime of expressing the desire) <p align="right"><em>Naala khencha hai saraapa daagh-e-jur’at hoon Asad<br>kya saza hai mere jurm-e-aarzoo taaveel ki</em></p> <p align="right">Having expressed my lament, I’m guilty of intrepidity<br>Now, what is the punishment of my crime of expressing my desire?</p> <hr> <p>I am not giving detailed explanation for this entire <em>ghazal</em>, but would want to highlight one couplet that I find the most interesting due to multiplicity of meaning. <p align="center"><strong>ख़ैरख़्वाह-ए-दीद हूँ अज़-बहरे दफ़'अ-ए-चश्म-ए-ज़ख्म<br>खेंचता हूँ अपनी आँखों में सलाई नील की</strong> </p> <p>The way one looks at the first word (ख़ैरख़्वाह-ए-दीद) would determine how the couplet unfolds itself. Let’s ask the question - well-wisher of whose eyes?</p> <ol> <li>I am a well-wisher <em>my own</em> <em>eye</em>, so in order to save it from evil’s eye, I draw a black mark on it. <li>I am a well-wisher of <em>your eyes</em>… for this to make sense, one would have to look at the implied meaning i.e. I blind myself by pricking my eyes, so that I cannot cast my evil eye on your beautiful eyes. <li>A third meaning emerges if the poet considers the harm caused by the evil eye to be much worse than that caused by blindness. As a well-wisher of his own eyes, he prefers to blind himself than let an evil eye fall on them. </li></ol> <p>I don’t think I have been able to capture the essence of नज़र लगाना in the above explication. But that’s the best I could.</p> Aditya Panthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11481497663140098296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29329545.post-51781738161824825312015-03-27T18:32:00.001+05:302015-03-27T19:17:58.425+05:30Tune, Composer, Language - It’s All the Same<p>There is no shortage of instances where music composers have re-used their tunes across many songs, either as-is or with variations. A vast majority of such instances happen in the case of composers who work in multiple languages and freely port their tunes from one language to another. Composers like Salil Chowdhury, S. D Burman, R. D Burman, Hridaynath Mangeshkar, Ilaiyaraja, A. R Rahman, etc. would dominate this category. However, there have also been many examples where composers have done that within the same language. </p> <p>In this post I am highlighting some examples where such re-use has happened within the same language. It is impossible to provide an exhaustive list, not only because such a list is very large, but also because it is not humanly possible to be aware of all such cases. I have only tried to look at various categories of such re-use and tried to provide one example for each. I have also tried to cover a wide range of composers and time periods (1940s-90s).</p> <p>So let’s dive in …</p> <p> <hr> <h4>Masters of Re-use</h4> <p>No discussion on re-use of tunes within the same language can be complete without the mention of Pt. S. N Tripathi and Rahul Dev Burman who did this several times. Both belong to completely different schools of composing, which reflects in the way the re-use appears in their compositions.</p> <p><strong><u>S. N Tripathi</u></strong> </p> <div style="padding-bottom: 10px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:4fcb826b-1e8e-4936-b10d-50790bc5c40e" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div><object width="448" height="252"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/QrZ19q0kpRQ?hl=en&hd=1"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/QrZ19q0kpRQ?hl=en&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="448" height="252"></embed></object></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Phulbagiya Mein Bulbul Bole - Rani Roopmati (1959) - Lata Mangeshkar & Mohd. Rafi - S. N Tripathi - Bharat Vyas</div></div> <div style="padding-bottom: 10px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:381c83cc-24c4-4b54-9419-8a3d89255b63" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div><object width="448" height="252"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xXC0KpqKghM?hl=en&hd=1"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xXC0KpqKghM?hl=en&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="448" height="252"></embed></object></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Been Baja Mere Mast Sapere - Naag Champa (1976) - Asha Bhosle - S. N Tripathi - Bharat Vyas</div></div> <p> <p><strong><u>Rahul Dev Burman</u></strong></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 10px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:2da55bb9-dcf9-40ce-bbde-092770c3fb12" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div><object width="448" height="252"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/yUkdgDMddrs?hl=en&hd=1"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/yUkdgDMddrs?hl=en&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="448" height="252"></embed></object></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Saajan Kahan Jaoongi Main - Jaise Ko Taisa (1973) - Lata Mangeshkar - Rahul Dev Burman - Anand Bakshi</div></div> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:ca55b95e-e99b-4f77-a37e-d1c2b4f164c8" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div><object width="448" height="252"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/b9TthGkNdeY?hl=en&hd=1"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/b9TthGkNdeY?hl=en&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="448" height="252"></embed></object></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Jahan Pe Savera Ho - Basera (1981) - Lata Mangeshkar - Rahul Dev Burman - Gulzar</div></div> <p> <hr> <p>Let’s now look at some categories in which one can classify re-use of a tune within the same language:</p> <h4>Exact Replica</h4> <p>What does a composer do when he loves a tune very much, but the film for which he composes that doesn’t reach the audience? He re-uses it of course. With the hope that it reaches more people the second time round. This is probably what happened with Aziz Hindi when he composed a song in Rajkumari’s voice in <em>Dil Ke Tukde</em> (1940s). The film did not get a release, so he created another song for <em>Biwi</em> (1950), which was an almost exact replica.</p> <div style="padding-bottom: 10px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:0c450cc7-3c45-4441-aa57-4221a4f11672" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div><object width="448" height="252"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lkAmWfJ98qE?hl=en&hd=1"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lkAmWfJ98qE?hl=en&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="448" height="252"></embed></object></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Kaali Kaali Raat Beeti Jaaye Barsaat - Dil Ke Tukde (Unreleased, 1940s) - Rajkumari - Aziz Hindi - Nazim Panipati</div></div> <div style="padding-bottom: 10px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:ad9d6de5-d8f6-4c1c-9631-142cad292cae" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div><object width="448" height="252"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lV2qKBZik7s?hl=en&hd=1"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lV2qKBZik7s?hl=en&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="448" height="252"></embed></object></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Birha Ki Raat Mose Kaati Nahin Jaat - Biwi (1950) - Asha Bhosle - Aziz Hindi - Nazim Panipati</div></div> <hr> <h4>Same <em>Mukhda,</em> Different <em>Antaras</em></h4> <p>There are many instances where a composer uses just a portion of the tune of one song in another. Here is an example where S. Mohinder re-used the tune of the <em>mukhda</em> of one of his songs in another song. The <em>antaras</em>, however, were tuned differently. The lyricist was the same.</p> <div style="padding-bottom: 10px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:998ded4b-da49-49f4-8d8a-7f265a1eb82c" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div><object width="448" height="252"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7Ir_Uyz_Z0I?hl=en&hd=1"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7Ir_Uyz_Z0I?hl=en&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="448" height="252"></embed></object></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Husn Ki Mehfil Saji Saji - Sun To Le Haseena (1958) - Mohd. Rafi & Asha Bhosle - S. Mohinder - Raja Mehdi Ali Khan</div></div> <div style="padding-bottom: 10px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:de4d2878-f7ad-4a01-b0c0-659b8c5febe8" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div><object width="448" height="252"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/yb-ETaujN5M?hl=en&hd=1"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/yb-ETaujN5M?hl=en&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="448" height="252"></embed></object></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Raat Ki Dulhan Saji Saji - Captain Sheroo (1963) - Asha Bhosle - S. Mohinder - Raja Mehdi Ali Khan</div></div> <hr> <h4>Different <em>Mukhda</em>, Same <em>Antaras</em></h4> <p>There have been instances where the composers have chosen the tune of an <em>antara</em> to be repeated. Like this case where the <em>antara</em> of a seductive song is lifted and dropped as-is into a romantic song.</p> <div style="padding-bottom: 10px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:a7d8b3e0-7480-446f-881c-bf21a25fb179" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div><object width="448" height="252"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/J4WX66HPkxo?hl=en&hd=1"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/J4WX66HPkxo?hl=en&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="448" height="252"></embed></object></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Band Kamre Mein Ek Ladki - Agent Vinod (1977) - Asha Bhosle & Mahendra Sandhu - Raamlaxman - Ravinder Rawal</div></div> <div style="padding-bottom: 10px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:ee2bca36-2207-46f2-8063-a3876197f709" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div><object width="448" height="252"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EMOEjA6UMsQ?hl=en&hd=1"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EMOEjA6UMsQ?hl=en&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="448" height="252"></embed></object></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Ye Mausam Ka Jadoo - Hum Aapke Hain Kaun - Lata Mangeshkar & S. P Balasubramanyam - Raamlaxman - Ravinder Rawal</div></div> <hr> <h4>Parts Re-used in Different Songs</h4> <p>Some composers have re-used their tunes across different songs. Take this case for example. Laxmikant Pyarelal created a <em>bhajan</em> for <em>Kala Aadmi</em> (1978), which had the chorus singing one tune, and the <em>mukhda</em> was in another tune.</p> <div style="padding-bottom: 10px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:71cf75f9-0769-4870-a212-de872f3f1d97" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div><object width="448" height="252"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/QFsEFz9waTw?hl=en&hd=1"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/QFsEFz9waTw?hl=en&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="448" height="252"></embed></object></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">He Jagpaalak - Kala Aadmi (1978) - Manna Dey & Suman Kalyanpur - Laxmikant Pyarelal - Verma Malik</div></div> <p>Around 13 years later, they reused the tune of the chorus portion of this song for the initial portion (<em>Natkhat Bansiwale Gokul Ke Raja</em>) of this song from <em>Saudagar</em> (1991).</p> <div style="padding-bottom: 10px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:a86b8e77-d879-45df-994d-ad5f52b80429" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div><object width="448" height="252"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8PNdcRmBdNE?hl=en&hd=1"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8PNdcRmBdNE?hl=en&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="448" height="252"></embed></object></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Radha Nachegi - Saudagar (1991) - Lata Mangeshkar & Mohd. Aziz - Laxmikant Pyarelal - Anand Bakshi</div></div> <p>And the <em>mukhda</em> of the <em>Kala Aadmi</em> song resurfaced a few years later as the <em>mukhda</em> of this song from <em>Bhairavi</em> (1996)</p> <div style="padding-bottom: 10px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:0c67ac44-ebae-4e78-804f-b2b15257ad2a" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div><object width="448" height="252"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/dDdvl0o0Hjw?hl=en&hd=1"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/dDdvl0o0Hjw?hl=en&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="448" height="252"></embed></object></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Moh Maya Ko Tyag Re Praani - Bhairavi (1996) - Roop Kumar Rathod - Laxmikant Pyarelal - Amit Khanna</div></div><br><br> <hr> <h4>Re-created, then Dubbed!!</h4> <p>There have been a few curious cases where a composer re-use his tune from another language, but at the same time someone decided to dub the original film. So you end up with a tune appearing twice in one language without the composer intending to do so. A. R Rahman had created a brilliant song in the Tamil film <em>Duet</em> (1994). The tune was picked up for the Hindi film, <em>Kabhi Na Kabhi</em> (1997), but while the Hindi film was still being made, the Tamil film was dubbed in Hindi as <em>Tu Hi Mera Dil</em> (1995). And we got these two songs in Hindi, one with some really atrocious lyrics, and another where the singers were simply not able to catch up with the high notes. The recreated version, however, had a different arrangement and the <em>antaras</em> were also slightly different.</p> <div style="padding-bottom: 10px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:9060bc05-ece5-4c7d-9fab-ff420bf04a41" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div><object width="448" height="252"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/WwWoDUHrzxs?hl=en&hd=1"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/WwWoDUHrzxs?hl=en&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="448" height="252"></embed></object></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Anjali Anjali Pushpanjali - Tu Hi Mera Dil (1995) - S. P Balasubramanyam & Chitra - A. R Rahman - P. K Mishra</div></div> <div style="padding-bottom: 10px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:c3f5be76-75c1-464e-a77e-969f5a06a097" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div><object width="448" height="252"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7IoXPdceRnY?hl=en&hd=1"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7IoXPdceRnY?hl=en&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="448" height="252"></embed></object></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Mil Gayin Mil Gayin Wo Manzilen - Kabhi Na Kabhi (1997) - Alka Yagnik & Kumar Sanu - A. R Rahman - Javed Akhtar</div></div> <hr> <h4>Same Language? Not Quite…</h4> <p>There is at least one instance I am aware of where two similar songs are in the same language, but the films are in different languages. Sachin Dev Burman had composed a few Hindi songs for a Bengali film <em>Chaitali</em> (1969). He took the <em>mukhda</em> tune of one of them, made a few modifications, and turned into another song that turned out to be his swan song. The Hindi film was Deewangee (1976).</p> <div style="padding-bottom: 10px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:57b39ddf-4c54-4c0a-867e-fe542f0d94b8" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div><object width="448" height="252"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xU_7T2G8AWM?hl=en&hd=1"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xU_7T2G8AWM?hl=en&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="448" height="252"></embed></object></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Paayal Baaj Gayi - Chaitali (1969) - Lata Mangeshkar - Sachin Dev Burman - Anand Bakshi</div></div> <div style="padding-bottom: 10px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:284f5efd-a4b5-47b6-88c3-569df4911c1d" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div><object width="448" height="252"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/W3vY4UZYxiQ?hl=en&hd=1"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/W3vY4UZYxiQ?hl=en&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="448" height="252"></embed></object></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Chal Sapnon Ke Shahar - Deewangee (1976) - Kishore Kumar - Sachin Dev Burman - Anand Bakshi</div></div> <hr> <h4>Crossing the Borders</h4> <p>Now, the final category for this post. Same composer, same language… but the tune has travelled past national borders. Nisar Bazmi never got much success while he was composing for Indian films. He migrated to Pakistan in the early 60s, and became quite successful as a composer there. In this example, he reused one his tunes sung by Lata Mangeshkar in India (co-composed with Chic Chocolate) for a Noor Jehan song in Pakistan.</p> <div style="padding-bottom: 10px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:ed6ffbe8-7b60-47f8-b298-cbe42ca7a963" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div><object width="448" height="252"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/uyTxU_UcKzQ?hl=en&hd=1"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/uyTxU_UcKzQ?hl=en&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="448" height="252"></embed></object></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Balam Ji Bade Naadaan - Kar Bhala (1956) - Lata Mangeshkar - Nisar Bazmi & Chic Chocolate - Majrooh Sultanpuri</div></div> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:c8763a1a-05e3-4cad-b691-aa7a9ec5249e" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div><object width="448" height="252"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ssqcmo2bW-c?hl=en&hd=1"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ssqcmo2bW-c?hl=en&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="448" height="252"></embed></object></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Nayanva Chalayen Baan - Anjuman (1969, Pakistan) - Noor Jehan - Nisar Bazmi</div></div> Aditya Panthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11481497663140098296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29329545.post-35579825815012752032014-11-20T22:29:00.001+05:302014-11-23T20:36:29.508+05:30Some Company, Finally<p><strong><em>This piece first appeared </em></strong><a href="http://www.outlookindia.com/article/Some-Company-Finally/292602"><strong><em>here on Outlook online version</em></strong></a><strong><em>.</em></strong></p> <p><strong><em><a href="http://moifightclub.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/libaas_1988.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="libaas_1988" border="0" alt="libaas_1988" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhznpf_hC4_jLthIKaTjetJJ9v2r_YHKwIgycEb86EbpcfjupVUB9iyS-bSep_8D3Cxhtx0gwkKi_sJZyJEd14BfQc0XjgsuKlppz62BPfuy8fg01htBdpT-jCHdsJrfPTGS6XP/?imgmax=800" width="475" height="366"></a> </em></strong></p> <p>It is interesting how a regular occurrence in one’s life can make one become a part of a truly rare and unique event. <p align="center">नहीं कुछ भी था ख़ास उस रोज़ लेकिन<br>ख़बर क्या थी दिन फिर न ऐसा उगेगा</p> <p><b><i>Flashback January 19, 1992</i></b>: The India International Film Festival is in full swing at Bangalore. As part of the Indian Panorama section, several Indian films are being screened at various theatres. I am keen to watch a few, but haven’t firmed up my mind as my college is on the outskirts of the city and one has to change several buses to reach the Majestic area where most of the films are being shown, not to mention the huge academic pressure week after week. Finally, I choose one film for two reasons – one, it is being screened on a Sunday, and secondly, I am in awe of the filmmaker. Now the tougher part – finding company. I ask several of my film buff friends, but there’s not one soul willing to sacrifice a relaxing Sunday afternoon ahead of a grueling academic week, that too for a film that is most definitely of the serious kind. Failing to convince anyone to come along, I venture alone. A series of long bus rides later, I reach the theatre – a small, dilapidated one among many other similar theatres in the area. As the scenes unfold on the screen I find myself enjoying the film – totally the kind one would from the director. Some of the scenes are really powerful, the acting uniformly good and the songs a treat for the ears. The film ends, I am convinced that I made the right choice, and I am back in the hostel preparing for another taxing week of assignments and quizzes … <p>What I didn’t realize at that time, and not even for many more years after that, was that I had been part of a very rare event. The film that I saw would never come to the public view again for a very long time, and I would be one of the 100 odd people lucky enough to have watched it. Nothing would have indicated to me at that time that this film would be one of the most talked about films in the future, with people dying to get an opportunity to catch a glimpse of it. <p>Gulzar’s <b><i>Libaas</i></b>. <i>That</i> was the film I saw on that Sunday afternoon. And the screening that I witnessed was probably the only public screening that ever happened of that film. <p>Till now. <p>Now that I hear that another screening of the film will take place later this month at the India International Film Festival at Goa, I realize that the sense of exclusivity that I had enjoyed so far among the people I know, would soon go away. But I also feel happy that I finally have some company. <p align="center">खड़े थे जहाँ मुद्दतों से अकेले<br>सुना है वहाँ आज जमघट लगेगा</p> <p><strong><em></em></strong></p> <hr> <p>P.S: The film finally found some more viewers at the IFFI at Goa on November 22, 2014. Here’s a clip of a brief interaction with Gulzar before the screening. As I see it, I can’t help but think again how lucky I was!</p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:acc228ad-2145-43bd-a35a-c71769948eca" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/oU4g6NlewnI&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/oU4g6NlewnI&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="355"></embed></object></div><div style="width:425px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">IFFI Goa 2014 – Gulzar speaking at the start of the screening of Libaas, which opened a retrospective of his films</div></div> Aditya Panthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11481497663140098296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29329545.post-16822635428433745892014-04-25T22:22:00.001+05:302014-04-25T22:22:00.612+05:30Husnlal-Bhagatram - The ‘First’ Composer Duo<p><em>This article was written as part of the ‘Guzra Hua Zamana’ series on Sangeet Ke Sitare, a music group on Facebook</em></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghTWhs-SY8nLGL8tIYtEfY-0wmhTMf4PUqExkJ4JqoEPc3dDaAkc2q-DcAkrT2wc1hXUuU6WsfmW6GwWD544I9P_vZCHvOARS6wkEp0wg8Yuzu4ri5CH4NBNq0gV-Uw8gpDiRK/s1600-h/Husnlal%252520Bhagatram%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" title="Husnlal Bhagatram" border="0" alt="Husnlal Bhagatram" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjomikS8VBjh1otYfPqaGtoR1QGTlhFyfJvOMlrMWg-AKNuyXkNr18djiSJNfhcwbtOcpOC9b9wsSUCoW7uWpOrlZ2sqAjGY5D6GVo5l6W0PGfMjMGrn7TBMLsSlbhvUaVfXybN/?imgmax=800" width="454" height="490"></a></p> <blockquote> <p>A pre-pubescent boy plays the violin, while a man cries his heart out on stage singing ‘<em>ae dil mujhe rone de</em>’… <p>The same boy narrates a tale of ill-fated lovers as he plays a harmonium hanging around his neck and lip-syncs to the voice of his real-life sibling - ‘<em>do dilon ko ye duniya milne hi nahin deti</em>’…</p></blockquote> <p>This boy, in a peculiar way, symbolizes two brothers who made their debut in this very film ‘Chaand’ (1944). One, an expert violinist and an accomplished classical singer, while the other, a talented harmonium player. We’re talking about the first popular music composer duo of the Hindi film industry – <strong>Husnlal-Bhagatram</strong>. <p>Brothers of composer Pt. Amarnath, Husnlal and Bhagatram made their debut as music composers with Prabhat Film Company’s ‘Chaand’ (1944). Thus began a career that saw a meteoric rise and, sadly, a dramatic fall as well. <p>Bhagatram and Husnlal were born in Jalandhar district in 1914 and 1920 respectively. In the early years they learnt music from their elder brother Pt. Amarnath, and later underwent formal training in classical music from Pt. Dilip Chandra Vedi of Jalandhar. Husnlal went on to learn violin from Ustaad Basheer Khan. It was this rigorous training that made violin such an important part of their compositions, right from their first film ‘Chaand’, where violin played a very prominent role in the background score as well. Most of the time Husnlal would play the violin solos in their compositions himself. <p>Before the brothers joined hands to compose as a duo, Bhagatram had already composed for around 9 films in 1939-40, either solo, or sharing credit with composers like Ramgopal Pande and Madhulal Master. None of these films met with much success and he had to wait for some years before tasting success with his brother. <p>Husnlal-Bhagatram emerged on the scene at a time when the Punjabi school of rhythm-based music had gained foothold in the Hindi film industry with the growing popularity of the works of masters like Ghulam Haider. They exploited this opportunity to the fullest with their brand of simple, hummable tunes embellished with pacey rhythm. <p>Following the success of the music of ‘Chaand’, Prabhat Film Company commissioned the brothers again to compose for their next feature ‘Hum Ek Hain’ (1946), a topical film based on National integration. The film marked the debuts of Dev Anand and Rehman as actors and Guru Dutt as a choreographer. It also featured Husnlal’s voice as a singer for the first time in a duet with Amir Bai Karnataki. The songs of this film were in a template similar to the ones from ‘Chaand’, a style that would soon develop into an easily identifiable Husnlal-Bhagatram style.</p> <p>They continued to get a small number of assignments in the following years, including Noor Jehan’s ‘Mirza Sahiban’ (1947), which they got associated with when their elder brother Pt. Amarnath fell ill during the making of the film and eventually passed away. It was with ‘Pyar Ki Jeet’ (1948) that the brothers truly came on their own and began their rapid ascent in the industry. Suraiya’s ‘<em>tere nainon ne chori kiya</em>’, ‘<em>o door jaane waale</em>’, and Rafi’s ‘<em>ik dil ke tukde hazaar hue</em>’ from this film became immensely popular and are remembered to this day.</p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:0a278c22-b6e8-4e69-ba58-c65bb83283b7" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div id="9a002f21-1cae-4ff2-84b3-0f55fd823281" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTbk2SIZG3E" target="_new"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Sbu48vgU7e4/U1qSjxL3V7I/AAAAAAAAGXw/LQwz60qduv4/videof27c25132a54%25255B30%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('9a002f21-1cae-4ff2-84b3-0f55fd823281'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"448\" height=\"252\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/eTbk2SIZG3E?hl=en&hd=1\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/eTbk2SIZG3E?hl=en&hd=1\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"448\" height=\"252\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" alt=""></a></div></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Ik DIl Ke Tukde Hazaar Hue - Pyar Ki Jeet (1948) - Mohd. Rafi - Husnlal-Bhagatram - Qamar Jalalabadi</div></div> <p>With ‘Pyar Ka Jeet’ and ‘Aaj Ki Baat’ in 1948 started a mutually beneficial collaboration between Suraiya and Husnlal-Bhagatram. Suraiya sang more songs for them than any other composer, while she was second only to Lata Mangeshkar in terms of number of songs sung by any female singer for Husnlal-Bhagatram. Suraiya lent her voice to around 58 songs composed by Husnlal-Bhagatram for 9 films (not counting 6 songs that were used both in ‘Amar Kahani’ and ‘Kanchan’). <p>Soon after Mahatama Gandhi’s death in 1948, Husnlal-Bhagatram teamed up with Rajinder Krishan and Mohd. Rafi to compose a multi-part song - ‘<em>suno suno se duniyawalo baapu ke ye amar kahani</em>’. The song became extremely popular due to it topicality and an instantly hummable tune, which admittedly tends to sound a bit monotonous due to its length.</p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:6ecbc0a1-57f5-4ab1-b207-f8f83229a760" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div id="77e82561-7226-4e04-be75-11f6ebcf8fb9" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqMh5TUvJVw" target="_new"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-4DzCxVa3-QM/U1qSklRfGeI/AAAAAAAAGX4/Yv_JxbaCu24/video93c2903294a7%25255B27%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('77e82561-7226-4e04-be75-11f6ebcf8fb9'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"448\" height=\"252\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/CqMh5TUvJVw?hl=en&hd=1\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/CqMh5TUvJVw?hl=en&hd=1\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"448\" height=\"252\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" alt=""></a></div></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Suno Suno Ae Duniyawalo - Non-film (1948) - Mohd. Rafi - Husnlal-Bhagatram - Rajinder Krishan</div></div> <p>The years 1949 and 1950 were the most successful years for Husnlal-Bhagatram. Not only did they compose for as 19 films during these two years, many of their songs climbed the popularity charts with regularity. Their biggest hit during this period was probably ‘Badi Behen’. ‘<em>Chup chup khade ho</em>’, sung by Lata Mangeshkar and Premlata in this film would surely count among the most well-known songs of the duo and can even be called their signature song. The soundtrack was studded with numerous other gems by Suraiya and Lata. In the same year Husnlal-Bhagatram brought together their favorite female singers in two duets in ‘Balam’, and repeated the feat a few years later with another duet in ‘Sanam’ (1951).</p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:09c53ab7-6f20-4184-a564-8874fe2f6e95" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div id="70c38dd7-0e41-496a-a3ef-8213b65b064d" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBi6i6U71WQ" target="_new"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-iW_BFvAYmgk/U1qSlYhPxyI/AAAAAAAAGX8/3tFvTKI-4Lg/video71cf08972ed7%25255B23%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('70c38dd7-0e41-496a-a3ef-8213b65b064d'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"448\" height=\"252\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/bBi6i6U71WQ?hl=en&hd=1\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/bBi6i6U71WQ?hl=en&hd=1\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"448\" height=\"252\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" alt=""></a></div></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Duniyawalo Mujhe Batao - Balam (1949) - Lata Mangeshkar & Suraiya - Husnlal Bhagatram - Qamar Jalalabadi</div></div> <p>Husnlal-Bhagatram worked with a variety of singers, but as was the norm of that period, their female solos and duets far outnumber male solos. Apart from Lata Mangeshkar and Suraiya, their top two singers in terms of number of songs, they also worked with other major singers of that period starting from Zeenat Begum, Zohrabai Ambalewali, Amirbai Karnataki, Paro, etc. in the early phase, to Geeta Dutt, Shamshad Begum & Meena Kapoor at their peak, to Asha Bhosle and Suman Kalyanpur during the last phase of their career. At the same time, they also employed the voices of other female singers like Rajkumari, Surinder Kaur, Meena Mageshkar, Madhubala Jhaveri, Nirmala Devi, etc., although usually as a one-off case. Among male singers, they did the most work with Mohd. Rafi, followed by G. M Durrani and Talat Mahmood. Their usage of singers like Mukesh, Manna Dey and Kishore Kumar was extremely limited. They even made Khayyam sing a duet with Zohrabai in ‘Romeo & Juliet’ (1946) when Khayyam was working under them, and towards the end of their career they roped in Purushottam Das Jalota for a song in ‘Shaheed Bhagat Singh’ (1963). <p>No discussion about Husnlal-Bhagatram can be complete without talking about their partnership with Lata Mangeshkar. It was the 1949-1950 period that saw the beginning of Lata Mangeshkar’s dominance among female singers in Hindi films. Many music directors of that period had an important role to play in honing her talent and Husnlal-Bhagatram’s contribution cannot be overestimated. Around 105 songs in 29 films over a period of 8 years is quite a significant output. One can find all possible moods in the songs they created for Lata Mangeshkar - melancholy in ‘<em>dil hi to hai tadap gaya</em>’ (Aadhi Raat, 1950), youthful romance in ‘<em>khushiyon ke din manaye ja</em>’ (Afsana, 1951), thrill of first love in ‘<em>aaj laila ko majnun ka pyar mila</em>’ (Adl-e-Jehangir, 1955), the fear of separation in the Pahadi-infused duet ‘<em>sun mere saajna</em>’ (Aansoo, 1953), purity of motherly love in ‘<em>aankhon ka tara</em>’ (Aansoo, 1953), dejection in ‘<em>lut gayi ummeedon ki duniya</em>’ (Jal Tarang, 1949), playful banter in ‘<em>mori bhabhi ke gaal gulaabi</em>’ (Raakhi, 1949), complaint to the almighty in ‘<em>zamane bhar ko hansane wale</em>’… the list can go on and on.</p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:6c193a01-c6fc-49aa-8daf-8c81bfdf32eb" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div id="3b7a3e85-4ad8-4dd0-935b-7b3951dcd68b" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onnR5Zp_BJQ" target="_new"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-XG5FpSX-P3M/U1qSmfxYr0I/AAAAAAAAGYI/Pohfhv-CYlA/video317ce4b3f699%25255B21%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('3b7a3e85-4ad8-4dd0-935b-7b3951dcd68b'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"448\" height=\"252\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/onnR5Zp_BJQ?hl=en&hd=1\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/onnR5Zp_BJQ?hl=en&hd=1\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"448\" height=\"252\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" alt=""></a></div></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Aankhon Ka Tara - Aansoo (1953) - Lata Mangeshkar - Husnlal Bhagatram - Qamar Jalalabadi</div></div> <p>Their most lasting partnership with any person in the film industry was with lyricist Qamar Jalalabadi. From their first film ‘Chaand’ (1944) to ‘Shaheed Bhagat Singh’ (1963), they created close to 160 songs in 24 films. Their work together captures almost every possible genre and mood one comes across in Hindi film songs – romantic, sad, frivolous, motherly love, devotional, patriotic, <em>qawwali</em>, <em>ghazal</em>, and so on. The other prominent lyricists they worked with include Rajinder Krishan, Sarshar Sailani, Mulkraj Bhakri, and Majrooh Sultanpuri. <p>While analyzing the composing style of Husnlal-Bhagatram in his book “Hindi Film Song: Music Beyond Boundaries”, Ashok Ranade says, “The duo is fond of fast pace and it is actualized mainly through <em>dholak</em> and employment of atonal drums such as <em>matka</em> or idiophones such as <em>ghunghroo</em>, etc.” He goes on to add that the essence of their style is “that the rhythmic pulse is quickly, unambiguously and immediately established.” One wouldn’t say that this is something unique to them, as many composers have followed this strategy, but they surely seem very fond of it. Another aspect of their composing style in Ashok Ranade’s words is that “they make a musical statement which consists of successive song-lines with a descending and repetitive tonal contours”, which “appears to resolve the melody into completeness and it seems easier to remember” and “very few notes are used in those lines”. One of the adjectives that Ashok Ranade uses more than once while describing their style is ‘bright’, even for sad songs. He wonders if brightness was their “main and stabilized mood” as is evident in their melodic phrasing and choice of instruments and orchestration. Think ‘<em>do dilon ko ye duniya</em>’, ‘<em>chup chup khade ho</em>’, ‘<em>chale jana nahin</em>’, ‘<em>wo paas rahen ya door</em>’, ‘<em>ik dil ke tukde</em>’, ‘<em>o door jaane waale</em>’, ‘<em>tere nainon ne chori kiya</em>’, ‘<em>gori gori chandni hai</em>’ or any of the more popular songs, the ‘brightness’ will shine through and the above described composing style will be abundantly evident. <p>One style feature that makes many of Husnlal-Bhagatram’s fast-paced songs catchy and instantly likeable is their tendency to punctuate the melody lines with very short and catchy orchestral phrases as a trigger for repetition of words or line, or by inserting short pauses at the end of a <em>mukhda</em> or <em>antara</em> before the rhythm moves forward. There are many examples to illustrate this point but I would pick two songs that to my mind can be easily identified as Husnlal-Bhagatram creations. The first example is Suraiya’s popular ‘<em>tere nainon ne chori kiya</em>’ from ‘Pyar Ki Jeet (1948). The pause after ‘<em>tere nainon ne</em>’ is filled with a brief flute piece that becomes such an integral part of the tune that if you try humming the tune, that flute piece would instantly play in your mind. </p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:a4fa2cd4-fcc2-41a1-8e23-089b993e36ec" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div id="8f9b9e85-4c18-483c-8172-d026b9e266f3" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31hDdhyiJdM" target="_new"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-sbFwL0XJjK8/U1qSm4iZSKI/AAAAAAAAGYQ/aYqugMcuwz4/videod2684de95994%25255B18%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('8f9b9e85-4c18-483c-8172-d026b9e266f3'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"448\" height=\"252\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/31hDdhyiJdM?hl=en&hd=1\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/31hDdhyiJdM?hl=en&hd=1\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"448\" height=\"252\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" alt=""></a></div></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Tere Nainon Ne Chori Kiya - Pyar Ki Jeet (1948) - Suraiya - Husnlal Bhagatram - Rajinder Krishan</div></div> <p>The other song that I would use as an example is Lata’s ‘<em>tum dil ko tod doge</em>’ from ‘Farmaaish’ (1953). The prelude itself is enough for one to identify it as their creation, but let’s look at the rest of the composition. The first line is broken right at the middle and filled with a music piece, then at the end of the line comes another music piece before the line is repeated in exactly the same manner. In the <em>antaras</em>, a similar approach is followed, although the musical punctuation is used at the end of each line and a lovely pause is introduced at the end of the cross-line.</p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:66cbcc34-7da0-47e4-b555-178c0687a3d2" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div id="fb9927b4-3d2c-4426-844b-37fad62b6284" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5U09kSiMoA" target="_new"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-P_e5Gv6tJyg/U1qSnwQcZKI/AAAAAAAAGYY/Ja8QwQwkPG4/video851ef09f5c72%25255B16%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('fb9927b4-3d2c-4426-844b-37fad62b6284'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"448\" height=\"252\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/U5U09kSiMoA?hl=en&hd=1\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/U5U09kSiMoA?hl=en&hd=1\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"448\" height=\"252\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" alt=""></a></div></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Tum DIl Ko Tod Doge - Farmaaish (1953) - Lata Mangeshkar - Husnlal Bhagatram - Qamar Jalalabadi</div></div> <p>Husnlal-Bhagatram are often accused of being repetitive in their approach. In “Dhunon Ki Yatra” Pankaj Raag says, “It has to be agreed that there wasn’t much variation in their style and their obsession with Punjabi <em>Pahadi</em> or Punjabi <em>Kaafi</em> often made their style repetitive.” Ashok Ranade has also not credited Husnlal-Bhagatram with much innovation or path breaking approach, but he does say that “they served a kind of historical role. Apart from firming up the idea of a composing pair, their work during the early phase of the later modern period built a bridge between early, theatre-oriented, raaga-heavy music and the film music which looked to new composing formulae, new tonal colours and virtuoso voices demanding ambitious music that afforded them a performing scope”. <p>While it is true that many of their songs sound alike, but their repertoire needs more exploration to dispel this theory. They have more variety in their creations than they are credited for, especially in their early and later phases. This could probably because of the fact that their more popular numbers from their peak (1948-1951) tend to have a similar template. One does see a gradual movement away from their trademark style starting with 1952-3, which ironically marks the beginning of their declining years. The songs from that period may be less popular but present a refreshing change in Husnlal-Bhagatram’s music style, both in terms of orchestral flourish as well as wider spread-out melodies.</p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:127b83c6-f404-4869-afff-032eb139f9ed" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div id="d05cb3f4-4faf-462d-b781-aa17435f10a8" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GURA5AW6LDc" target="_new"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/--yAdihsaKnw/U1qSornedkI/AAAAAAAAGYg/YAqC1Yj-PYc/video84aeab2ea72a%25255B14%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('d05cb3f4-4faf-462d-b781-aa17435f10a8'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"448\" height=\"252\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/GURA5AW6LDc?hl=en&hd=1\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/GURA5AW6LDc?hl=en&hd=1\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"448\" height=\"252\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" alt=""></a></div></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Mast Hai Apne Aap Mein - Apsara (1961) - Asha Bhosle - Husnlal Bhagatram - Qamar Jalalabadi</div></div> <p>After the dizzying heights they reached in 1949-50, success slowly started eluding Husnlal-Bhagatram. Despite good soundtracks like ‘Afsana’ (1951), ‘Raja Harishchandra’ (1952), ‘Aansoo’ (1953), ‘Shama Parwana’ (1954) and ‘Adl-e-Jehangir’ (1955), they had to remain content with a handful of films with B-list producers. New composers like Shankar Jaikishan (Shankar was closely associated with them in his early days and one could say that early SJ music had reflections of the HB style) and later O.P Nayyar created unassailable positions for themselves in the industry, while some of their seniors and contemporaries like Naushad, C. Ramchandra, etc. held strongly to their positions. Lack of support from successful producers and actors probably added to their woes. The film company that they worked the most with – Famous Pictures – too underwent dwindling fortunes in the 50s. However, director D. D Kashyap, who worked with them in their very first film, remained loyal to them and went on to use their service in 6 films over a span of 12 years. Towards the 60s, they had to be content with a handful of C-grade films like ‘Tarzan & Circus’ (1965) and ‘Sher Afghan’ (1966). <p>Disillusioned with the ways of the film industry, Husnlal moved to Delhi where he started teaching music and performed off and on at concerts and gatherings. Listening to a few clips of his classical singing and violin recital from that period, one wonders what turn his luck would have taken had he pursued a career in classical music instead of getting mired in the fickleness of the film industry. Bhagatram remained in Bombay, but the only work that came his way was as an instrumentalist in the orchestra of other composers. Husnlal passed away in 1968 while on a morning walk. His brother followed him in 1973. Their family legacy is being carried forward by Bhagatram’s son Ashok Sharma, a noted sitar player, and his wife Zarin Daruwala Sharma. <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:d5dec2d9-36fb-402c-abb8-003d8d945ad8" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div id="f86f53cd-568c-4a2d-aa29-9547b6a44794" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwPaDvyn3HE" target="_new"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-loCG1v1Ym7g/U1qSpSr21VI/AAAAAAAAGYo/CFJG9FEwFBo/video752458478671%25255B11%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('f86f53cd-568c-4a2d-aa29-9547b6a44794'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"448\" height=\"252\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/ZwPaDvyn3HE?hl=en&hd=1\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/ZwPaDvyn3HE?hl=en&hd=1\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"448\" height=\"252\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" alt=""></a></div></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Violin Recital by Pt. Husnlal (Raag Piloo)</div></div> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:2e84e540-6301-4dae-82fb-10dd7aa17aa5" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div id="f287d612-0d73-4b2f-b73c-2c950ab88487" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3oAxe2jNdI" target="_new"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-hYjdwLAKT_w/U1qSqRt049I/AAAAAAAAGYw/r_p4ZtOfk2Q/video23e672608855%25255B9%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('f287d612-0d73-4b2f-b73c-2c950ab88487'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"448\" height=\"252\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/K3oAxe2jNdI?hl=en&hd=1\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/K3oAxe2jNdI?hl=en&hd=1\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"448\" height=\"252\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" alt=""></a></div></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Classical Vocal by Pt. Husnlal (Raag Yaman)</div></div> <p><b><u>Husnlal-Bhagatram Filmography</u></b> <ol> <li>Chaand (1944) <li>Hum Ek Hain (1946) <li>Nargis (1946) <li>Heera (1947) <li>Mirza Sahiban (1947) – with Pt. Amarnath <li>Mohan (1947) <li>Romeo & Juliet (1947) <li>Aaj Ki Raat (1948) <li>Lakhpati (1948) <li>Pyar Ki Jeet (1948) <li>Amar Kahani (1949) <li>Badi Behen (1949) <li>Balam (1949) <li>Bansuriya (1949) <li>Bazaar (1949) – with Shyam Sundar <li>Hamari Manzil (1949) <li>Jal Tarang (1949) <li>Naach (1949) <li>Raakhi (1949) <li>Sawan Bhadon (1949) <li>Aadhi Raat (1950) <li>Apni Chhaya (1950) <li>Birha Ki Raat (1950) <li>Chhoti Bhabhi (1950) <li>Gauna (1950) <li>Meena Bazar (1950) <li>Pyar Ki Manzil (1950) <li>Sartaj (1950) <li>Surajmukhi (1950) <li>Afsana (1951) <li>Sanam (1951) <li>Shagun (1951) – with Sardul Kwatra <li>Stage (1951) – with Sardar Malik <li>Kafila (1952) – with Bhola Shreshtha <li>Raja Harishchandra (1952) <li>Aansoo (1953) <li>Farmaaish (1953) <li>Shah Ji (Punjabi) (1954) <li>Shama Parwana (1954) <li>Adl-e-Jehangir (1955) <li>Kanchan (1955) <li>Aan Baan (1956) <li>Mr. Chakram (1956) <li>Dushman (1957) <li>Jannat (1957) <li>Krishna Sudama (1957) <li>Trolley Driver (1958) <li>Apsara (1961) <li>Shaheed Bhagat Singh (1963) <li>Main Jatti Punjab Di (Punjabi) (1964) <li>Sapni (Punjabi) (1965) <li>Tarzan And Circus (1965) <li>Sher Afghan (1966) <li>Bambi (Unreleased) (1940s) <li>Kya Baat Hai (Unreleased) (1950s)</li></ol> <p><b><u>Bhagatram Filmography</u></b> <ol> <li>Bahadur Ramesh (1939) <li>Bhedi Kumar (1939) <li>Chashmawali (939) <li>Deepak Mahal (1940) - with Ramgopal Pande <li>Hamara Desh (1940) <li>Hatimtai Ki Beti (1940) - with Madhulal Master <li>Sandesha (1940) <li>Tatar Ka Chor (1940) - with Ramgopal Pande</li></ol> <hr> <em><b>References:</b></em> <ol> <li>Hindi Film Song: Music Beyond Boundaries by Ashok Da. Ranade <li>Dhunon Ki Yatra by Pankaj Raag <li>Myswar.com</li></ol> Aditya Panthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11481497663140098296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29329545.post-4055845192311360302014-03-30T20:43:00.001+05:302014-03-31T09:15:45.528+05:30Muhafiz - Faiz in Bhopal<p><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" src="http://www.hanwayfilms.com/wp-content/uploads/In-CustodyFilmPoster.jpg" width="450" height="474"></p> <p>When Ismail Merchant decided to make his directorial debut, it was his love for Urdu poetry and a strong connection with his Indian roots that probably made him choose Anita Desai’s <em>In Custody</em> as the book to base his film on. For the role of the old, once famous poet, Noor Shahjahanabadi, who metaphorically represented the declining state of the Urdu language in India, he made a seemingly unlikely choice – Shashi Kapoor. At that time, it was tough for me to imagine the suave charmer I remembered him as (Utsav's lecherous <em>Sansthanak</em> notwithstanding), doing justice to that role. But all my apprehensions came to a naught when I saw the film. So well had Shashi Kapoor ensconced himself under the skin of the character, that it was tough to imagine any other actor of that time doing as much justice to the role. Even his physicality added a dimension to his portrayal of the role. Noor was Shashi Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor was Noor.</p> <p>Quoting Caryn James’ review in the New York Times – <blockquote> <p>“Lying on his side in a narrow bed is a corpulent, aging Indian poet named Nur. He is a curiously imposing figure, even with his back to the camera, and provides what may be the greatest role in the long career of Shashi Kapoor. Almost 30 years ago, Mr. Kapoor was the slender, handsome youth in the early Merchant-Ivory film ‘Shakespeare Wallah’, and more recently the outraged father in Stephen Frears's ‘Sammy and Rosie Get Laid’. In Ismail Merchant's rich and enticing ‘In Custody’, Mr. Kapoor turns Nur into a present-day Balzac: fierce and wise, yet with all the signs of having lived a little too well."</p></blockquote> <p>Apart from a solid supporting cast, Ismail Merchant’s masterstroke was to use poetry of Faiz Ahmed Faiz as the soul of the film. All the <em>nazms</em> and <em>ghazals</em> used in the film, barring one, were Faiz’s published work. Interestingly, the review quoted above cites the use of poetry as a flaw in the film, but that’s only because it is impossible for a western viewer to appreciate the nuances of Urdu poetry through translations. <p><em>Muhafiz</em> (In Custody, 1994) had some great music by Ustad Zakir Hussain and Ustad Sultan Khan. The film opens with Shashi Kapoor’s voice reciting the <em>nazm</em> <em>Aaj Ik Harf Ko</em>, followed by Suresh Wadkar singing it. <p align="center">आज इक हर्फ़ को फिर ढूँढता फिरता है ख़याल<br>मधभरा हर्फ़ कोई ज़हर भरा हर्फ़ कोई<br>दिलनशीं हर्फ़ कोई क़हर भरा हर्फ़ कोई<br>आज इक हर्फ़ को फिर ढूँढता फिरता है ख़याल ...</p> <p align="center">हर्फ़-ए-उलफत कोई दिलदार-ए-नज़र हो जैसे<br>जिससे मिलती है नज़र बोसा-ए-लब की सूरत<br>इतना रौशन कि सर-ए-मौजा-ए-ज़र हो जैसे<br>सोहबत-ए-यार में आगाज़-ए-तरब की सूरत<br>हर्फ़-ए-नफरत कोई शमशीर-ए- ग़ज़ब हो जैसे<br>आज इक हर्फ़ को फिर ढूँढता फिरता है ख़याल ...</p> <p align="center">ता-बद शहर-ए-सितम जिससे तबाह हो जाएँ<br>इतना तारीक कि शमशान की शब हो जैसे<br>लब पे लाऊँ तो मेरे होंट सियाह हो जाएँ<br>आज इक हर्फ़ को फिर ढूँढता फिरता है ख़याल ...</p> <p> </p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:6e4624e1-e79a-4c92-aaec-c8c301ca45b0" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div id="5463d63f-0302-4afd-bef8-14c688899c7a" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sak99N9Z-_8" target="_new"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-AvLpfSCFux8/Uzjk16ne4II/AAAAAAAAGWw/XJ-em4YketI/videobf7be43f54be%25255B13%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('5463d63f-0302-4afd-bef8-14c688899c7a'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"448\" height=\"252\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/sak99N9Z-_8?hl=en&hd=1\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/sak99N9Z-_8?hl=en&hd=1\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"448\" height=\"252\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" alt=""></a></div></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Aaj Ik Harf Ko - Muhafiz (In Custody) - Shashi Kapoor & Suresh Wadkar - Ustad Zakir Hussain & Ustad Sultan Khan - Faiz Ahmed Faiz</div></div> <p>The Taj-ul-Masajid in Bhopal is one of the largest mosques in Asia. The distinctive three domes and two tall minarets overlooking a lake make this a prominent landmark of the city. The construction of the mosque started sometime in the mid-19<sup>th</sup> century, but had to be called off for paucity of funds after 1957. Construction resumed only in 1971 and was finally completed in 1985.</p> <p>Since the city of Bhopal formed the backdrop of the film it was obvious that Taj-ul-Masajid would have a role to play. One of Faiz’s more famous <em>nazms</em> was again used to great effect in the final moments of the film when the poet dies leaving behind his poetic legacy in custody of the professor/journalist character played by Om Puri. The Taj-ul-Masajid featured prominently during this scene in a single long shot towards the end that lasted for almost a minute. The ‘crown among mosques’ was not merely a backdrop, but a significant character during this scene – someone silently overlooking the end of a legacy, but with an assurance that the legacy would not be forgotten as long as it stands there as a reminder.</p> <p align="center">चश्म-ए-नम जान-ए-शोरीदा काफ़ी नहीं <br>तोहमत-ए-इश्क़-ए-पोशीदा काफी नहीं <br>आज बाज़ार में पा ब-जौलाँ चलो </p> <p align="center">दस्त-अफ़शाँ चलो मस्त-ओ-रक़साँ चलो <br>ख़ाक-बर-सर चलो ख़ूँ-ब-दामाँ चलो <br>राह तकता है सब शहर-ए-जानाँ चलो </p> <p align="center">हाकिम-ए-शहर भी मजमा-ए-आम भी <br>तीर-ए-इलज़ाम भी संग-ए-दुश्नाम भी <br>सुब्ह-ए-नाशाद भी रोज़-ए-नाकाम भी </p> <p align="center">इनका दमसाज़ अपने सिवा कौन है <br>शहर-ए-जानाँ में अब बा-सफ़ा कौन है <br>दस्त-ए-क़ातिल के शायाँ रहा कौन है </p> <p align="center">रख़्त-ए-दिल बाँध लो दिलफ़िगारो चलो <br>फिर हमीं क़त्ल हो आएँ यारो चलो <br>आज बाज़ार में पा ब-जौलाँ चलो </p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:75bd3157-90f2-4397-986f-0edbbf83da8e" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div id="0f555ce9-9be4-45e9-be67-7be925d32fcd" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzLOFgVm218" target="_new"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-mLbxCmPn-OM/Uzg0mYIUuoI/AAAAAAAAGW4/cHCJoBVodio/video5fd4844b7a3a%25255B13%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('0f555ce9-9be4-45e9-be67-7be925d32fcd'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"448\" height=\"252\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/fzLOFgVm218?hl=en&hd=1\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/fzLOFgVm218?hl=en&hd=1\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"448\" height=\"252\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" alt=""></a></div></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Aaaj Baazaar Mein - Muhafiz (In Custody) - Hariharan - Ustad Zakir Hussain & Ustad Sultan Khan - Faiz Ahmed Faiz</div></div> Aditya Panthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11481497663140098296noreply@blogger.com0