Lyricists Anonymous

No, this isn’t some organisation like Alcoholics Anonymous to cure poets of their addiction to write lyrics. Rather, it means precisely what it says - for this week I propose to spotlight on some lyricists who are largely anonymous in the Hindi film music world.

Why are these lyricists unknown? For a variety of reasons. Some of them are no longer alive, and these include some legends in literature. Some had their poems used as film songs in special cases, for various reasons and were not lyricists in the conventional sense. Others came in to write specifically for various films and - by choice or otherwise - did not become regular writers. The reasons are many, but the fact remains that they were responsible for giving us some solid delights.

Take the legends first. Ameer Khusrau wrote the haunting masterpiece Chhap tilak sab chhini re from Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki. The Lata-Asha gem, composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal, was incorporated by Raj Khosla, in an evocative sequence that paves the way for Geeta Behl’s seduction by the villainous Deb Mukerji.

Similarly, L-P also composed the Ameer Meenai evergreen, Sarakti jaaye hai rukh se naqaab in Deedaar-E-Yaar. Lata and Kishore turned this ghazal into an ethereal beauty that vanished - sadly - with the resounding collapse of the film.

And Khayyaam preferred to immortalise the work of Meer in Dikhayi diye yoon ke bekhud kiya (Bazaar), and Meer’s work was also used in Arth, while Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s poetry was used in Anjuman. The exquisite poetry of Umrao Jaan was penned by the redoubtable Shahryar, who also contributed to Anjuman, Yash Chopra’s Faasle, and an incomplete L-P film. Dil cheez kya hai, In aankhon ke masti mein and Justaju are works which have the perfect mix of rich poetry, as well as the simplicity of film songs.

Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Alaap score included Koi gaata main so jaata by Dr. Harvanshrai Bachchan, and the poet also contributed Rang barse in Silsila. Obviously, both songs were filmed on his son Amitabh, and the latter was even sung by him. The rest of the songs of Alaap were written by celebrated writer-litterateur Dr. Rahi Masoom Reza, like Zindagi ko sanwaarna hoga. Dr. Hariram Acharya penned the exquisite Yoon be-sabab jahaan mein and the title song in the Dasari Narayana Rao- Tutu Sharma potboiler Mehandi Rang Laayegi.

Prof. Vasant Deo, who passed away about a year ago, wrote for a very few selected films like Kalyug. But he was roped in by K. Vishwanath to pen the lyrics for his classical music-studded film, Sur-Sangam, and Shashi Kapoor and Girish Karnad made him come up with superb (and popular) lovelies like Saanjh dhale gagan tale, Man kyoon behkaa ri behkaa, Mere man baaja mirdang and Neelam pe nabh chhayi in Utsav.

Israr Ansari, who wrote the classic Zindagi maut na ban jaaye in Sarfarosh last year, began at low-key with lyrics in insignificant films like Zaalim (1994). Poets who dabbled (and no more) in films included haasya-kavita specialists like Shahid Bijnori (Hatyara in 1977, Yaara Dildaara), Hullad Muradabadi (Nasbandi), Shail Chaturvedi (Masoom Gawah) and Kaka Hathrasi (Rang Birangi), and others like Pushpa Verma (Dharam Sankat, Pratiggyabadh, Najayaz), Bashir Badr (Betaabi) and Mumtaz Rashid (who penned Woh ladki jab ghar se nikalti hai in Tejaswini).

Raj Kapoor got a Delhi-ite named Amir Qazalbash to pen Meri qismat mein tu nahin shaayad in his Prem Rog and Mujhko dhoondoge jahaan tak (Ram Teri Ganga Maili). Nana Patekar made good friend, actor-writer Mangesh Kulkarni, with some meaningful and delightful songs in Prahaar, like Hamari hi mutthi mein akash saara and Dhadkan zaraa ruk gayi hai.

For a while Qateel Shifai wrote for films with fair regularity (Kudrat, Painter Babu, Sir, Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayi, Naraaz, Yeh Hai Bambai Meri Jaan) in films, but within this limited contribution, he has been responsible for exquisite songs like Dukh sukh ki har ek mala (Kudrat), Yeh ujli chandni and Band honthon se (Sir), Sambhalaa hai maine (Naraaz) and Tere dar par and Baadalon mein chhup rahaa (Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayi).

Composer Vishal’s late father Ram Bharadwaj, penned songs in several films, and his lyrics like Mera desh hai anaam, anaam shaheedon ke naam and Maine tumhein paa liya hai in Jurm Aur Sazaa are delights to hear.

Of course, there were many other such lyricists, and the ones I have mentioned are those which immediately came to mind. Most of these poets never shouldered an entire film, and some were not even heard after a film or two, like Ram Avtar Tyagi, who wrote the poetic piece of pessimism, which nevertheless was a memorable Mukesh-L-P experience, Ek hasrat thi ke aanchal ka mujhe pyaar mile/Maine manzil to talaasha mujhe bazaar mile in the 1975 non-starter Zindagi Aur Toofan, and was never heard of again.

But often with just a single drop of a song, these names have enriched the ocean of our film music.

Rajiv Vijayakar