RMIM Archive Article "258".

From the RMIM Article Archive maintained by Satish Subramanian
#
# RMIM Archives..
# Subject: Lyricist Pradeep
#
# Source: India Express (http://www.expressindia.com)
# Author: Vidyottama Sharma
#


-------------------------------------------------------------------
	      Forgotten bard turns 83, sings a sad tune

			  Vidyottama Sharma
-------------------------------------------------------------------


MUMBAI, February 5: The man whose words  once  brought  tears  to
Pandit  Jawaharlal  Nehru's  eyes  and  who had the entire nation
swaying to his rythm, today finds himself completely out of  tune
with the times.

Poet Pradeep, who penned Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon, turns 83 tomor-
row,  quietly.  He  lives  off  the  money his daughter brings in
because he can't bring himself to write  verses  that  would  fit
``the tunes given to me.''

However, talk about the past and his eyes light up.  ``I  had  to
write  this  song (Ai mere watan ke logon),'' he reminisces. ``It
was the time when the Chinese had defeated us and  the  country's
morale  was  down.  But, when on the Republic Day Lata Mangeshkar
sang the song, Pradeep had for long kept under wraps, he was  not
there  to  receive  the  praises  showered on him. Of course, the
prime minister did meet him in Mumbai  later  in  March  and  was
surprised  to  know that the song his daughter, Indu (Indira Gan-
dhi) used to sing while leading her `battalion' as a child - Chal
Chal Re Naujawan - was also penned by him.

Poet Pradeep (Ramchandra Narayanji Dwivedi)  has many more patri-
otic songs  to his credit  -   . Aao Bachchon  Tumhein  Dikhayein
Jhanki  Hindustan Ki..., Hum  Laaye Hain Toofan  Se Kashti Nikaal
Ke.., De Dee Hamein Azaadi Bina...' and many more. 

Awarded the title Rashtra Kavi last year, he sometimes does  feel
sad  that  the government never thought of honouring him with any
Padmashree or Padmabhushan.

He says in a nostalgic tone, ``There are only three  people  left
of  Bombay  Talkies I joined on coming to Mumbai. Ashok Kumar who
is asthmatic, Anil Biswas who weeps over the changing scenario in
the  industry. And I who weeps like Anil. It is like my song Pin-
jare Ke Panchheee, Tera Dard Na Jaane Koye...

-------------------------------------------------------------------

From the RMIM Article Archive maintained by Satish Subramanian