s

TAJDAR AMROHI

Ode to a father
What would you expect if the progeny of a legendary writer-director and a legendary composer who together created poetry on celluloid called Pakeezah, came together to make a music album? Some kind of magic of course. Well, Tajdar Amrohi, son of Kamaal Amrohi, the maker of Pakeezah, joins hands with Iqbal-Masood, sons of Ghulam Mohammed, who composed the immortal melodies in the film, for an album Mera Mulk Mera Paigham. The album which is aimed at revoking the Pakeezah magic, is a humble tribute to a father from a son, and comes as a breath of fresh air in the monotonous private album scene....

If you have a legend for a father, then life certainly ain’t easy for his progeny, because of inevitable comparisons and great expectations. Ask Tajdar Amrohi, son of Kamaal Amrohi, one of the great writers and directors of the Hindi film industry. Kamaal Amrohi’s Pakeezah is a landmark film in the history of Indian cinema, and his chaste, but tough Urdu dialogue in the film, and in K. Asif’s Mughal-e-Azam, are still mouthed by die-hard film buffs.

Tajdar too has inherited his father’s writing talent, and you get a glimpse of it in the music album he is producing titled Mera Mulk Mera Paigham. For the first time, Tajdar’s ability as a poet-lyricist comes to the fore with this album. Setting the lyrics to tune are composers Iqbal-Masood, the sons of Pakeezah composer Ghulam Mohammed.

For those who know the middle-aged Tajdar as the owner of Kamaal Amrohi Studios, this creative aspect of his personality is surely a pleasant surprise. How did he decide on giving vent to his creativity now, that too by producing an album? “You mean so late in the day?” he asks with a smile, and explains, “Being the son of Kamaal Amrohi, it was expected that I’d follow in his footsteps, and I did. I was always with my father when he was working on his films, assisting him and learning the tricks of the trade. Since the atmosphere in our house was seeped in Urdu language and literature, and since we are a family of poets, I veered towards writing too. 10 years ago, I did write and direct a film titled Ek Number Ka Chor, which went unnoticed because it was released at the time of political turmoil in the country (Mandal Commission, Advani’s rath yatra). After that I got busy looking after the studio, till recently, when the idea for this album struck me.”

The thought of producing an album came to Tajdar when, one night, he was visited by the Muse, and he could put together words to come up with some profound and sensitive lyrics in his mind. Penning it down, he showed it to his wife Nilofer, who encouraged him. Soon, Tajdar had written seven more lyrics, a result of the mysterious writing fervour, which he felt were just apt for an album eulogising India. “The lyrics came to my mind almost like a divine inspiration,” Tajdar says, “Maybe the driving force was that I wanted to do something for my country.”

Or maybe, he was destined to make his presence felt now, just before the millennium? “Maybe,” he agrees, “Anyway, it was high time I presented my literary side, which I have inherited from my father, to the world. My friends have been pestering me to keep alive the Kamaal Amrohi legacy and, hopefully, I should be able to do it through my album. I must have written over 200 lyrics and shayaris down the years. After this album is released, I hope to be known as a poet too.”

His album, says Tajdar, extols the unique virtues of the diverse culture of India, and is a gift from one Indian to the other Indians. Which is why he has named it Mera Mulk Mera Paigham. “This is not an album preaching patriotism and I am not cashing in on Kargil crisis,” he points out, anticipating that it would be our next question, “The lyrics were written much before the Kargil aggression happened. My album is about the many colours that is India, the beauty of its culture and rich tradition. Maine mulk ko mehbooba bana ke pesh kiya hai (I have presented my country as my beloved). There is a song for the soldiers too, not the rota-dhota type, but a bhangra number which peps them up. My aim has been to personify India through my eight compositions, superbly composed by Iqbal-Masood.”

We got an exclusive preview of the theme song and its video, and can vouch that it is indeed a haunting melody which brings back the memories of Pakeezah. “This song Watan se door baithe ho, Gale se aake lag jaao, proved to be the take-off point for my album. It has a theme of separation, separation from our loved ones and country. In the video, I have depicted the husband leaving his wife and his family behind, and going to another country for a job, but the song is also in memory of my father, who has left us here and gone far away,” explains Tajdar sentimentally.

Why did he opt for an album to make his creative presence felt, instead of making another film? “Albums are popularised through music videos on television, and today television is the best medium for visibility. In fact, it is the best medium to launch oneself, since it brings you into the limelight instantly. With a host of satellite channels in India and abroad, your work is bound to get noticed,” the producer-lyricist explains.

In the same breath, Tajdar points out that in directing the video of his title song, he derived the same satisfaction one gets while directing a film. “My video is made on a lavish scale, just like a film” Tajdar reasons, “There are a whole lot of characters, not to forget the specially created interiors of a mansion by my art director T. Patole. It’s a very Indian, meaningful video, unlike the present ones which have youngsters dancing in mini-skirts on roof-tops.”

Right now, Tajdar is busy zeroing in on the music company he will be selling his album to. Why didn’t he finalise a music company before starting the album, which would have saved him some of the cost? “I felt it was better that I make my product and then sell it to a music company. If I had approached a company before starting my album, I would have been bound by a budget, as a result of which my creative freedom would have been constricted. The compromises would have reflected in the album, and I didn’t want a mediocre product in my name,” he explains.

Tajdar is confident that Mera Mulk Mera Paigham will live up to the expectations harboured from the son of a legend. “We have given it our best. Iqbal-Masood have composed melodious music, the singers Vinod Rathod, Alka Yagnik, Gurdas Mann, have soulfully rendered the songs. All the songs are rich in rhythm and poetical content. The name Amrohi spells class and grandeur, and so does my tribute to my father,” Tajdar concludes with a smile.

Salma Khatib