Tribute

Majrooh Sultanpuri
A poet for all times

Indian literature and films and poetry in general received a mortal blow on May 24 when the Dadasaheb Phalke award winning poet Majrooh Sultanpuri passed away in Mumbai due to severe respiratory problems...

The poet (who was a specialist in geets, ghazals, shairees and the popular Hindi film songs) ranked among the giants of literary figures during the last 52 years, a poet who could rise to the philosophical heights of Gham diye mushtakil to the romantic Jab dil hi toot gaya to the foot-tapping Piya tu ab to aaja and Ni sultana re pyar ka mausam aaya and Chura liya and who gave ghazals a place of prominence in films was active as a poet till the last day of his life when he suddenly took ill and died. His last two films for which he wrote all the songs were Kya Kehna and Hum To Mohhabat Karega.

He had a host of other assignments to his credit because he could write any kind of songs for any occasion, for any hero or any heroine from the age of 16 though he himself was 78 and not keeping very good health. He was buried at the Bandra Muslim Cemetery. Sadly, this poet too, who was a legend in his lifetime failed to get the kind of farewell he deserved because the living were too busy going about their sittings, music rehearsals and writing sessions, which had to be instant poetry because the buyers of poetry had no time for quality, sensitivity and sensibility - something Majrooh was totally disenchanted by during the last days of his life.

Majrooh (real name, Asrar Hassan Khan) was born on October 1, 1919 at Sultanpur in Azamgarh, UP. He was a scholar in three major languages, Urdu, Persian and Arabic. He wa initially interested in the Unani system of medicine. He wished to be a Hakim. He also practiced as a Hakim for a year but his intense love for poetry lured him to Mumbai even though he knew it was difficult to make it as a poet. But, his talent took care of him and what started as a beginning with AR Kardar’s Shahjahan continued till the end during which he wrote some 8000 songs for over 330 films including 3 in Bhojpuri. The list of his songs is too long to be mentioned here (a complete bibliography of his songs together with some major highlights of his colourful and controversial life we hope to carry in the coming issue). Strangely, all the success and experience didn’t bless him with the courtesy to encourage younger and talented poets. On the contrary he lambasted them at every public opportunity he found. A time came when organisers wondered whether they should organise a felicitation for him with him or not.

He had worked with all the big music directors. He worked with SD Burman for a record number of 70 films. Among the other music directors whose music he added lustre to with his lyrics which had the capacity to bring any human emotion alive were RD Burman, OP Nayyar, Khayyam, Rajesh Roshan, Anand Milind, AR Rahman and Tushar Bhatia and Majrooh naturally loved all his work with which many differed, some of them vehemently, because of his fiery temper and flaring up at the right places over matters which he felt were right and no one had the right to even try to prove that he was wrong. His favourite line however was: “I am trying to sell mirrors in a city of blind people. Whatever his merits or demerits, Majrooh Sultanpuri will remain alive in all the 8000 songs that he has written, some of which will keep him alive as along as life needs poetry of a very high order.

Ali Peter John