Sahir Ludhianvi is regarded as a poet whose poetry typically did not have the joy or colour in the traditional sense of a poem. His poems did follow the broad traditions of Urdu Nazm, or that of a Hind film song. If his poetry tended to ring a note of reality, his films songs sounded a very distinct note, that set Sahir’s film songs into a very different orbit. Here is a case in point:
hazār barq gire laakh āñdhiyāñ uTTheñ
vo phuul khil ke raheñge jo khilne vaale haiñ
Let thousands ice fall, lakhs of dust-storm rise
The flower shall blossom that is so destined.
Sahir Ludhianvi’s association with as many as 31 music directors, for the 122 films for which he penned songs, certainly provided Sahir to blossom into as many different shades that he was destined to blossom into.
Presenly, we will take up Sahir Ludhianvi;s Songs of Romance with the music directors with who he did films in his career. These music directors re, in the sequence of their first year of association, are: Usha Khanna, Rashid Are, Chitragupt, Kalyanji Anandji and Sapan Chakravarty
Usha Khanna (B: 1942), is a member of the rare elite club of female music directors in the Hindi films. Her first ever Hindi film was Dil Deke Dekho (1959).the two films where she worked with Sahir Ludhianvi are Hum Hindustan (1960) her second film and then Lakshmi a good 22 years later.
Hum Jab Chale To Ye Jahan Jhume, Aarzu Hamari AasmaN Ko Chume – Hum Hindustani (1960) – Mohammad Rafi – Music: Usha Khanna
Sahir has penned only this song for ‘Hum Hindustani’!
hamse hai fizaoN meein rang-o-bu
ham hai is jamiM ki aarzu
nadiyo ki ragini hamse hai
har taraf ye tajhgi hamse hai
hum chale to chal pade jhindagi
Halat Se Ladna Mushkil Tha, Halat Se Rishta Jod Liya– Lakshmi (1982) – Asha Bhosle – Music: Usha Khanna
The song is set to a mujra composition, but the lyrics have a profound sense of regret for not having been able to fight the circumstances. As such, this is not a song of romance that has happiness of love, but has the quintessential poetic bitterness of reality, and hence would stand excluded from the present series.
However, as noted in the preamble to the preamble, Sahir ‘s film songs sound a very different note even when they depict the bare realities of the world. Here is one such illustration.
chunri ranga li maine bindiya sajali maine
….. …. … ….. …
jhumar ki mang patti dil se saja li maine
…. …. ….. …..
kar liye solah
kar liye solah singar singar singar
najro ki pyas bujhalo jamane walo
jalwo se dil bahlalo jamane walo
Rashid Attre (a.k.a. Abdul Rasheed Attra, B: 15 February 1919 – D: 18 December 1967) possessed varied musical talents. His initiation to Hindi films took place in Calcutta in 1942. He moved to Bombay (as it was then called) in 1943 and worked successfully till 1947 when he migrated to Pakistan. His last film in Bombay was Shikayat, which was released in 1948. In his second innings at Pakistan, he composed for as many as 80 films. Rashid Aatre and Sahir Ludhianvi have combined in two Pakistani films – Solah Anne (1960) and Farangi (1964). In the absence of the authentic source for the songs, I have refrained from presenting any song here.
Chitragupt (a.k.a. Chitragupt Shrivastava -B: 16 November 1917 – D: 14 January 1991) has composed music for more than 150 films, in a career spanning from 1946 to 1988 (his one film was released posthumously in 1998) but does not seem to have received the credit duet to him. Chitragupt’s two films with Sahir Ludhianvi are Vaasana (1968) and Sansar (1971).
I have picked up two songs each from Vaasna and Sansar, each presenting different mood within the shade of romance.
Ye ParabatoN Ke Dayare, Ye Sham Ka DhuaaN, Aise Mein Kyon Na Chhed De Dilo Ki DastaaN – Vaasana ((1968) – Mohammad Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar – Music – Chitragupt
jara si zulf khol do, fiza me itr ghol do
najar jo baat kah chuki woh baat munh se bol do
ki jhum uthe nigaah me bahaar ka sama
yeh chup bhi ek savaal hai, ajib dil kaa haal hai
has ik khayaal kho gaya, bas abb yahi khayaal hai
ki fasala na kuchh rahe hamaare darmiya
yeh rup rang yeh paban chamakte chaand sa badan
bura na mano tum agar toh chum lu kiran kiran
ki aaj hausalo me hai bala ki garmiya
Itni Nazuk Na Bano.. Had Ke Andar Ho Nazakat To Adaa Hoti Hai… Had Se Badh Jaye To Apni Sazaa Hoti Hai – Vaasana (1968) – Mohammad Rafi – Music: Chitragupt
jism kaa bojh uthaaye nahi uthta tumse
zindgaani kaa kada bojh sahogi kaise
tum jo halki si hawaao me lachak jaati ho
tez jhonko ke thapedo me rahogi kaise
koi rukta nahi thahre hue raahi ke liye
jo bhi dekhega voh katraake guzar jaayega
hum agar vaqt ke hamraah naa chalne paaye
vaqt ham dono ko thukraake guzar jaayegaa
Mile Jitni Sharab Main To Peeta HuN, Rakhhe Kaun Ye Hisaab Main To Peeta HuN – Sansar (1970) – Kishore Kumar – Music: Chitragupt
koi apna ager ho to toke mujhe
main galat kar raha huN to roke mujhe
kise dena hai jawab …..
main to pita huN
Raja Jani Raja Jani Na Maro Nayanawa Ke Teer Re – Sansar (1971) Krishan Kalle – Music: Chitragupt
abhi nadan hu mai najuk jan hu
mujhe aise na maro yuhi halkan hu
mujhe aise na maro aise na maro
tikhi tikhi nazroN se dekho na sawriya
… ….. …. …
sah na sakungi abhi kachi hai umariya kachi hai umariya
maro na katari do dhari uthe teer re raja jani dilbar jani
Kalyanji Anandji carved their path of success in the face of stiff competition from the array of top-line music directors. They have composed music for over 250 films. With Sahir Ludhianvi, they have two films – Nanha Farishta (1969) and Shankar Shambhu (1976).
O Re Sharabi Tujh Mein Ek Kharabi… Sikha Na Tune Kisi Se Pyar Karana… Tujhe Aa Main Pyar Sikha DuN – Nanha Farishta (1969) – Asha Bhosle – Music; Kalyanji Anandji
ho sake to samjhle raat kya kah rahi haiN
raat kya kah rahi hain
ye dhadkati khamoshi baat kya kah rahi haiN
kya kah rahi haiN
thoda sa ishaara ho to palbhar mein
abhi laakho rang luta duN
aa main pyar sikha duN
Bheege Hue JalwoN Par Aise Na Najhar Dalo, Dil Chahe Idhar Rakhkho Par Aankh Udhar Rakhkho.. – Shankar Shambhu (1976) – Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammad Rafi – Music: Kalyanji Anandji
in garam nigaho se jajbat bhadakte hai
ahsaas sulagta hai arman dhadkate hai
ruk jao ruk jao
ruk jao abhi dil par itna na asar dalo
soyi hui dhadkan ko khud tumne jagaya hai
sanso se pukara hai najro se bulaya hai
mat apni khatao ko
mat apni khatao ko ab aur ke sar dalo
kab hamne kaha tumse hum tum pe nahi marte
tum kuch bhi kaho tum par ilzam nahi dharte
beraham ho beraham ho
beraham ho katil ho ye katal bhi kar dalo
Sapan Chakravarty (a.k.a. Swapn Chakraborty), though known more as assistant to R D Burman, and two of the more known songs in his voice – Mere Saath Chale Na Saya (Kitab,1977) and Preetam Aan Milo (Angoor,1982) – has composed music for 5 Hindi and 15 Bengali films.
Jaaney Aaj Kya Hua Aisa Kabhi Hua Na Tha, Sanso Mein Ghule Nasha Jaisa Kabhi Ghula Na Tha, Tumhi Bolo Kya Karein Aisa Hoga Pata Na Tha – 36 Ghante (1974) – Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhosle – Music: Sapan Chakravarty
chhaya chhaya dur tak
rango ka gubbar hai
aisa toh na tha jahan
ho na ho yeh pyar hai
khawabo ka sama saja
jaisa kabhi saja na tha
Tum Bhi Chalo Hum Bhi Chale, Chalti Rahe Zindagi, Na ZamiN Manzil Na AasamaN, Zindagi Hai Zindagi – Zameer (1975) – Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhosle – Music Sapan Chakravarty
behte chale hum masti ke dhaaroM mein
gunje yahi dhun sada dil ke taaroN mein
ab ruke na kabhi pyar ka kaarwa
neet nayi rut ke rang mein dhalti rahe jindagi
Before we end our present episode, a detour to Sahir Ludhianvi- Khayyam’s two films – out 7 they did together – is in order. Phir Subah Hogi (1958) and Shagoon (1964) are the films belonging to the Golden era period of Hindi films whereas other five films belong to the post-golden era period.
Phir Na Kije Meri Gustakh Nigahi Ka Gila
Dekhiye Aapne Phir Pyar Se Dekha Mujhko
Main Kaha Tak Na NigahoN Ko Palatane Na Deti
Aapne Kai Baar Pukara Mujhko – Phir Subah Hogi (1958)- Mukesh, Asha Bhosle – Music: Khayyam
Is kadar pyar se dekho na hamari janib
dil agar aur machal jaye to mushkil hogi
tum jahaN meri taraf dekh ke ruk jaaoge
vohi manjil meri taqadir ki manjil hogi
ek yunhi si nazar dil ko jo chhu leti hai
kitne armaan jagati hai tumhe kya maalum
ruh bechain hai kadmo se lipatne ke liye
tumko har saans bulati hai tumhe kya maalum
har nazar aap ki jazbaat ko uksati hai
maiN agar hath pakad luN to khafa mat hona
meri duniya-e-mohabbat hai tumhare dam se
meri duniya-e-mohabbat se juda mat hona
Itane Qareeb Aake Kya Jaane Kis Liye
Kuchh Ajanabi Se Aap haI Kuchh Ajanabi Se Hum
Woh Ek Baat Thi Jo Faqat Aap Ke Liye
Woh Ek Baat Kah Na Sake Aap Hi Se Hum – Shagoon (1964) – Talat Mahmood, Mubarak Begum – Music Khayyam
aisi to koi qaid nahi dil ki baat par
apas ki baat hai to dare kyo kisi se ham
tum dur ho to maut bhi aaye na ham ko raas
tum paas to jaan bhi de de khushi se ham
maut ek vaham, aur haqikat hai zindagi
ik dusare ko maangege is zindagi se ham
Shagoon has two more romantic gems – ParabatoN Ke PedoN Par Sham Ka Basera Hai (Mohammad Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar) and Tum Chali Jaogi ParchhaiyaN Rah Jayegi (Mohammad Rafi).
As we once again traversed across the whole career span of Sahir Ludhianvi, it is observed that Sahir has been able to maintain the quality of lyrics across each different music directors, even during the last, post-Golden Era. One may presume the pressures changing tastes of the cine-going public. However at no time one can say that he got away with ‘filmy-style’ lyrics even for Sahir’ songs in’70s..
We end here our present episode of homage to Sahir Ludhianvi, through his romantic songs with the five (plus one) 2-film-association music directors.
The world is too small? or Is it? 