RMIM Archive Article "17".
From the RMIM Article Archive maintained by Satish Subramanian
#
# RMIM Archives..
# Subject: Majrooh Sultanpuri
# "He is much more than an Ordinary Poet!"
#
# Posted by: Satish Subramanian (subraman@cs.umn.edu)
# Source: The Hindu.
#
In RMIM, a place which is infested with Sahir-bhakts and Gulzar fans,
here is something to popularize one of my favorite lyricist, Majrooh!
Majrooh, the man who has seen them all from Saigal to Shah Rukh, has
been awarded, earlier this year, the Dada Saheb Phalke Award for his
lifetime achievements in Indian Cinema.
Here is an article on Majrooh (and also some of his songs), in three
parts. The article appeared in The Hindu just after the award was
given to Majrooh.
Hope you will like it!
--
bye
satish
===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===--
He is much more than an Ordinary Poet!
by
Girija Rajendran
for The Hindu
===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===--
For the first time in the 15 year span of the Dada Saheb Phalke
Award, a poet has been recognised as deserving of the honour.
And Majrooh Sultanpuri has been bestowed with the honour because
he is no ordinary poet.
Even while working extraordinarily successfully in films from the
time of K.L.Saigal's "Shahjehan" (1946), Majrooh has maintained
his standing as a man of letters in the Urdu literary world. He
is at once a poetaster and a poet.
As a poetaster, he can come up even today with something so
simplistic as "paapa kehte hai bada naam karega" for QSQT. As a
poet, his value becomes evident when Lata Mangeshkar sings some-
thing written by him outside the orbit of films like "hum hain
mataai-kooch-o-bazaar ki tarah". The way a poetry-oriented com-
poser like Madan Mohan has tuned this one for Lata in "Dastak"
gives one an insight into Majrooh's depth and dimension as a
poet. In the same "Dastak", Majrooh could produce something so
simple, yet heart-touching, by Lata, as "Baiyyaan na dharo bal-
maa," on the one hand and "Maayi ti main ka se kahoon," on the
other hand.
Which one of Majrooh's thousand and one song lyrics does one
choose to illuminate the point that nobody else has contributed
more significantly that he towards preserving the dignity of poe-
try in today's tilt towards thinly disguised vulgarity in film
music? Majrooh's strength lies in the fact that he can give film
songs the stamp of authenticity even in today's setting of rank
mediocrity.
(To continue..)
===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===
Here are two songs penned by Majrooh. The first one is one of
those rare film lyrics in which the lyricist's name appears in the
song (ghazal). This is no surprise, as the above article says, this
was written by Majrooh outside the realms of film, which was later
used by Madan Mohan. Majrooh has always regretted that he couldn't
spend more time on this Urdu literary work as much as he spent in
writing film song lyrics.
==
Song: ham heN mata-e-koocha-o-baazaar ki tarah
Film: Dastak
Singer: Lata Mangeshkar
Music: Madan Mohan
Lyrics: Majrooh
Credits: Dinesh Prabhu
ham heN mata-e-koocha-o-baazaar ki tarah
uThti he har nigaah khareedaar ki tarah
voh to kaheeN heN aur magar dil ke aas paas
phirti he koyi shay nigaah-e-yaar ki tarah
MAJROOH likh rahe heN voh ahl-e-vafa ka naam
ham bhi khaDe hu'e heN gunehgaar ki tarah
==--==
After those heavy lyrics here is a light one from "Chalti Ka Naam
GhaaDi". A song which has been immortalized by Kishore Kumar.
===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===
Song: haal kaisa hai janaab ka?
Film: Chalti Ka Naam GhaaDi
Actors: Kishore and Madhubala
Singers:Kishore and Asha Bhosle
Music: S.D.Burman
Lyrics: Majrooh
Asha: Haal kaisa hai janaab ka?
Kish: kya khayal hai aapka?
Asha: Tum to machal gaye ho ho ho
Kish: yunhi fisal gaye ha ha ha (yodell..)
Kish: Behaki,
Behaki,
chale hai pavan jo uDe hai tera aaNchal
Asha: chhoDo,
chhoDo,
dekho dekho gore gore kaale kaale baadal
Kish: kabhi kuch kahti hai, kabhi kuch kahti hai
zara nazar ko sambhaalna
Asha: haal kaisa hai janaab ka?
Kish: hai! kya khayal hai aapka?
Asha: hoi! tum to machal gaye ho ho ho
Kish: hmm mm, yunhi fisal gaye ha ha ha (yodell..)
Kish: Pagli!
Asha: Ah!
Kish: Pagli, kabhi tune sochcha raste mein gaye mil kyon?
Asha: Pagle!
Kish: uh?
Asha: Pagle!
Kish: eh!? :-(
Asha: tere batom batom mein dhaDakta hai dil kyon?
Kish: kabhi kuch kahti hai, kabhi kuch kahti hai
zara nazar ko sambhaalna
Asha: aa aa, haal kaisa hai janaab ka?
Kish: hai! kya khayal hai aapka?
Asha: tum to machal gaye ho ho ho
Kish: yunhi fisal gaye ha ha ha (yodell..)
Asha: kaho ji
kaho ji
roj tere sang yun dil bahalaayeN kya?
Kish: Aha! suno ji
suno ji,
samajh sako toh khud samajhjo kuch bataayeN kya?
kabhi kuch kahti hai, kabhi kuch kahti hai
zara nazar ko sambhaalna!
Asha: hai!, haal kaisa hai janaab ka?
Kish: kya khayal hai aapka?
Asha: tum to machal gaye ho ho ho
Kish: yunhi fisal gaye ha ha ha
Both: haal kaisa hai janaab ka?
kya khayal hai aapka?
tum to machal gaye ho ho ho
yunhi fisal gaye ha ha ha
Asha: haal kaisa hai janaab ka? Kish:(yodel)
kya khayal hai aapka?
tum to machal gaye ho ho ho
yunhi fisal gaye ha ha ha
==..==..==..==..==..==..==..==..==..==..==..==..==..==..==..==..
Here is part 2 of the article on Majrooh and some more of his songs.
--
bye
satish
===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===--
He is much more than an Ordinary Poet!
by
Girija Rajendran
for The Hindu
===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===--
(Contd.)
[Part II]
The Dada Saheb Phalke Award is for a lifetime of achievement in
films. But, traditionally, the award has gone to a man who, even
while being in show business, is something more than a film per-
son. And it has all along been recognised that Majrooh retained
his integrity as a poet even while working in a sphere in which
he had no go but to stoop to conquer.
Majrooh always found it repugnant that a poet had to bring down
his literary level for the business of living. "But take the
history of poetry in India," he once told me, " Even in royal
times you will find that the poet had always to bow in front of
the royalty in court."
For all that, Majrooh in 1994 is something of a legend in the
film world. His lyricising has always been informed by a facile
simplicity for the song to climb instantly to the lips of the
listener and find a niche in the heart. Like, for instance, in
the case of "hum bekhudi mein tum ko pukaare chale gaye" from
"Kala Paani". If there was a poetry-conscious composer like
S.D.Burman to tune such a weighty lyric, he felt happy. With
R.D.Burman he did many number of jubilee hits. From S.D.Burman to
R.D.Burman, Roshan to Rajesh Roshan, from Chitragupta to Anand-
Milind, Majrooh has kept pace with the changing tone and tenor of
film music.
For him it never mattered if the song was to be written after the
tune had been composed. In fact, Majrooh is considered a wizard
in "to-tune". Yet the poetry part is rarely lost out, as one saw
in the case of "ek din bik jaayegaa maati ke mol" as scored by
R.D.Burman for RK's "Dharam Karam".
Majrooh's deeply philosophic reflections on life, combined with
his easy dalliance with romance ("aankhon mein kya ji"), make him
the composer's delight. Majrooh's appeal has lain in the fact
that he never did need to wear his Urdu literary credentials as a
badge. At no point could one say Majrooh lagged behind any song
writer in films.
(To continue..)
===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===
One of the important points that is made in the above article
is the fact that Majrooh could write lyrics to tune. In fact, it
comes as a jolt, pleasant one though, to hear that one of Talat's
masterpieces "jalte hain jiske liye" was written by Majrooh after the
tune and the situation had been decided by Bimal Roy, the director of
"Sujata". His ability to come up with something so poetic despite all
the restrictions and constraints is so amazing.
In an interview he explained his secret as "I break words into its
syllables and try to fit them to the notes of the tune. And also each
word has its own unique sound which one has to recognize and use."
But obviously there is more than that to writing lyrics - there is a
situation for the song, and then the sentences should be meaningful
and coherent and should rhyme with one another - and Majrooh ofcourse
had the gifted ability to be the master of all that, and he made a
very complicated task of writing lyrics to tune look so simple.
Here is the song from "Sujata".
==
Song: jalte hain jiske liye teri aankhon ke diye
Film: Sujata
Actors: Sunil Dutt, Nutan
Singer: Talat Mehmood
Music: S.D. Burman
Lyrics: Majrooh
Jalte hain jiske liye teri aankhon ke diye
Dhoo.nDh laaya hoon wohi geet main tere liye
jalte hain jiske liye.....
jalte hain jiske liye teri aankhon ke diye
Dhoo.nDh laaya hoon wohi geet main tere liye
jalte hain jiske liye.....
Dard banke jo mere dil mein raha dhal na saka
jaadoo banke teri aankhon mein ruka, chal na saka
dard banke jo mere dil mein raha, dhal na saka
jaadoo banke teri aankhon mein ruka, chal na saka
aaj laaya hoon wohi geet main tere liye
jalte hain jiske liye.....
Dil mein rakh lena ise, haathon se yeh chhooTe na kahin
geet naazuk hai mera, sheeshe se bhi, TuTe na kahin
dil mein rakh lena ise, haathon se yeh chhooTe na kahin
geet naazuk hai mera, sheeshe se bhi, TuTe na kahin
gungunaaoonga yahi geet main tere liye
jalte hain jiske liye.....
Jab talak na yeh tere ras ke bhare honthon se mile
yun hi aawaara phirega yeh teri zulfon ke tale
jab talak na yeh tere ras ke bhare honthon se mile
yun hi aawaara phirega yeh teri zulfon ke tale
gaaye jaaoonga yahi geet main tere liye
jalte hain jiske liye teri aankhon ke diye
Dhoo.nDh laaya hoon wohi geet main tere liye
jalte hain jiske liye.....
===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===
Another song that the article mentions is this one from "Kaala Paani",
Rafi's `ham bekhudi mein'. Very few singers can make a rendition with
so much feeling as Rafi does in this song. This song will definitely
be on the all time favourites list of all Rafi fans.
Film: Kaala Paani
Actors: Dev, Madhubala
Singer: Rafi
Music: S.D.Burman
Lyrics: Majrooh
Hum bekhudi mein tum ko pukaare chale gaye
hum....
hum bekhudi mein tum ko pukare chale gaye
saagar mein zindagi ko utaare chale gaye
hum....
Dekha kiye tumhe hum banke deewana
dekha kiye tumhe hum banke deewana
utraa jo nasha to hamne yeh jaana
saare woh zindagi ke sahaare chale gaye
hum bekhudi mein tum ko pukare chale gaye
hum....
Tum to na kaho hum khud hi se khele
tum to na kaho hum khud hi se khele
Doobe nahin hum hi yoon nashe mein akele
sheeshe mein aapko bhi utaare chale gaye
hum bekhudi mein tum ko pukare chale gaye
saagar mein zindagi ko utaare chale gaye
hum....
===--===--===--===--===--===--===--===--===--===--===--===--===--
Here is another song, penned by Majrooh, sung by Lata. Another one of
Lata's songs which shows why she is the best. The way she juggles
with all the words of this song is to be heard to be believed. Also,
contrary to what people think, Sharmila does have some great dance
numbers in "Talaash", including this one. "Aaj ki junli raat ma" and
"palkon ke peeche se kya tumne kah Daala" are from this Movie. All by
Majrooh ofcourse.
--
Song: khai hai re humne kasam
Film: Talash
Actors: Rajendra Kumar, Sharmila Tagore
Singer: Lata
Music: S.D. Burman
Lyrics: Majrooh
--
khaii hai re humne kasam sang rahne ki
aayega re uD ke meraa hans pardesi
khaii hai re humne kasam sang rahne ki
aayega re uD ke meraa hans pardesi
pahala milan mose nahin re sajan ka
rahega sadaa milna dharti gagan ka
ug se vo hain meraa
ug se vo hain meraa main ussi ki re
khaii hai re humne kasam sang rahne ki
aayega re uD ke meraa hans pardesi
aise to nahin usske rang mein Dali main
piya ang lag lag ke hui saanwali main
mere tan pe chaaun hain
mere tan pe chaaun hain ussi ki re
khaii hai re humne kasam sang rahne ki
aayega re uD ke meraa hans pardesi
===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---
--
Here is the third and final part of the article on Majrooh.
Also some more songs of his.
--
bye
satish
===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===--
He is much more than an Ordinary Poet!
by
Girija Rajendran
for The Hindu
===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===--
(Contd..)
[Part III]
Just when one was beginning to wonder whether Majrooh was doing
true justice to himself writing something like "dil deke dekho
dil deke dekho ji" for a debutante-composer Usha Khanna, he came
up in the same breath, with something so compelling as "jalte
hain jiske liye" for Talat under S.D.Burman.
While his contemporaries needed a composer who could comprehend
their Urdu 'shairi' to be effective, Majrooh could gracefully
descend to the required lucidity without losing anything by way
of lyrical beauty or utility. Thus, under the late Roshan's ba-
ton, he could, in Lata's voice, come up with something tantalis-
ingly featherweight like "Rahen na rahe hum" and something pro-
found like "rehte the kabhi jin ke dil mein hum jaan se pyaaron
ki tarah" in one and the same film - Asit Sen's "Mamta".
That Majrooh could write for Naushad, SDBurman, Roshan, Madan
Mohan, O.P.Nayyar, Lakshmikant-Pyarelal, R.D.Burman and Anand-
Milind is a measure of his versatility and longevity in a field
of fickle fame like films. Majrooh's abiding identity as a suc-
cessful poet derives from the fact that he needs no particular
composer to devlier.
He moved from one composer to another as a job of work. In this
sense, he has been a true professional. But one needs to be some-
thing more than a remarkable professional to win something so en-
vied as the Dada Saheb Phalke Award.
Majrooh could have built a permanent link with Naushad after the
phenomenal success of their songs of Mehboob Khan's "Andaaz"
(1949). But that was not to be. When Naushad needed Majrooh back
for Sridhar's "Saathi" (1968), he quietly came back to write such
hits songs for that composer as "mere jeevan saathi" and "main to
pyaarse". And gently moved again yet again.
It is a movie man's total persona that counts and Majrooh's per-
sona is that of an achiever in any milieu.
[Done!]
===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===
Here are some representative songs of Majrooh with different
music directors. Majrooh said in an interview that "every music
director has different patterns and styles of working and it is never
the same working with different music directors, you have to constantly
adapt yourself to their style".
Here is one of his songs with Roshan.
--
Film: Mamta
Actors: Suchitra Sen, Ashok Kumar, Dharmendra
Singer: Lata
Music: Roshan
Lyrics: Majrooh
Rahe na rahe hum mehaka karenge
ban ke khali ban ke saba bhaageN vafaaa mein
Rahe na rahe hum
Mausam koi ho,
is chaman mein,
rang banke rahegein hum khiraama.
chaahat ki khusbhoo,
yun hi zulfon,
se uDegi khizaayon ya bahaaren.
yunhi jhoomte
yunhi jhoomte aur khilte rahenge
ban ke khali ban ke saba bhaageN vafaa mein
Rahe na rahe hum mehaka karenge
ban ke khali ban ke saba bhaageN vafaa mein
Khoye hum aise,
kya hai milna
kya bichadna, nahin hai yaad humko
gooche mein dil ke
jab se aaye
sirf dil ki zameen hai yaad humko
issi sarzameen
issi sarzameen pe hum to rahenge
ban ke khali ban ke saba bhaageN vafaa mein
Rahe na rahe hum
Jab hum na honge,
tab hamari,
khaakh pe tum rukoge, chalte chalte
ashkon se bheegi ,
chandni mein,
ik sada si sunoge, chalte chalte
waheen pe kaheen
waheen pe kaheen hum tumse milenge
ban ke khali ban ke saba bhaageN vafaa mein
Rahe na rahe hum mehaka karenge
ban ke khali ban ke saba bhaageN vafaa mein
Rahe na rahe hum.
===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===
Here is a typical romantic duet from Dev Anand's "Nau Do Gyaarah".
Some of the finest duets in Hindi films have come the team of
Majrooh, S.D.Burman and Dev Anand. This is a Rafi-Asha duet, "aaja
panchchi akela hain," probably one of their best duets.
--
Song: aaja panchi akela hai
Film: Nau Do Gyaarah
Actors: Dev Anand, Kalpana Kartik
Singer: Asha Bhonsle, Mohammad Rafi
Music: S.D.Burman
Lyrics: Majrooh
--
Rafi: Ooo aaja panchchi akela hai
Asha: Ooo so ja nindiya ki bela hai
Rafi: Ooo aaja panchchi akela hai
Asha: Ooo so ja nindiya ki bela hai
Rafi: Ooo aaja panchchi akela hai
Rafi: uD gayi neend yahaan mere nain se
Asha: bas karo yunhi paDe raho chain se
Rafi: uD gayi neend yahaan mere nain se
Asha: bas karo yunhi paDe raho chain se
Rafi: laage re Dar mohe laage re
Asha: Ooo yeh kya Darne kii bela hai
Rafi: Ooo aaja panchchi akela hai
Asha: Ooo so ja nindiya ki bela hai
Rafi: Ooo aaja panchchi akela hai
Rafi: Ooo kitni ghuti si hai yeh fizaa
Asha: ah! kitni suhaani hai yeh hawaa
Rafi: Ooo kitni ghuti si hai yeh fizaa
Asha: ah ha ha! kitni suhaani hai yeh hawaa
Rafi: mar gaye hum nikla dum mar gaye hum
vAsha: mausam kitna albela hai
Rafi: Ooo aaja panchchi akela hai
Asha: Ooo so ja nindiya ki bela hai
Rafi: Ooo aaja panchchi akela hai
Rafi: O bin tere kaisi andheri yeh raat haii
Asha: dil mera dhadkan meri tere saath hai
Rafi: O bin tere kaisi andheri yeh raat haii
Asha: dil mera dhadkan meri tere saath hai
Rafi: tanha hai phir bhi dil tanhan hai
Asha: laagaa sapnon ka mela hai
Rafi: Ooo aaja panchchi akela hai
Asha: Ooo so ja nindiya ki bela hai
Rafi: Ooo aaja panchchi akela hai
Asha: Ooo so ja nindiya ki bela hai
Rafi: Ooo aaja panchchi akela hai
===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---
Here is one song of Majrooh with Madan Mohan, from "Akeli mat jaiyo".
Here Majrooh matches Madan's style and doesn't make him miss Rajinder
Krishan, who is the usual choice of Madan.
Some background of this song in the movie will help in understanding
these lyrics. Rajendra Kumar has a double role in this film one rich
and mean, and the other poor and Meena Kumari's lover. But somehow the
two Rajendra Kumars are forced to exchange places and Meena Kumari ends
with the rich RK, who acts very different and mean with her, and she has
no clue as to what is happening, and then this song comes on..
--
Song: vo jo milte the kabhi humse deewanon ki tarah
Film: Akeli mat jaiyo
Actors: Meena Kumari, Rajendra Kumar
Singer: Lata
Music: Madan Mohan
Lyrics: Majrooh
--
woh jo milte the kabhi hamse deewaanon ki tarah
aaj yun milte hain jaise kabhi pehachaan na thi
woh jo milte the kabhi
dekhte bhi hain to yun meri nigaahon mein kabhi
ajnaabi jaise mila karte hain raahon mein kabhi
is kadar unki nazar hamse to anjaan na thi
woh jo milte the kabhi hamse deewaanon ki tarah
aaj yun milte hain jaise kabhi pehachaan na thi
woh jo milte the kabhi
ek din tha kabhi yun hi jo machal jaate the
khelte the meri zulfon se behl jaate the
woh pareshan the meri zulf zulf pareshaan na thi
woh jo milte the kabhi
woh mohobbat woh shararat mujhe yaad aataa hai
dil mein ik pyaar ka toofaan uTa jaati hain
thi magar aisi to uljan mein meri jaan na thi
woh jo milte the kabhi hamse deewaanon ki tarah
aaj yun milte hain jaise kabhi pehachaan na thi
woh jo milte the kabhi
===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---
The next one is with O.P.Nayyar, with all the typical ingredients of a
O.P song, very different from the previous song.
--
Song: ye lo main haari piya
Film: Aar Par
Actors: Guru Dutt, Shakeela, Shyama
Singer: Geeta Dutt
Music: O.P.Nayyar
Lyrics: Majrooh
Ye lo main, Ye lo main
Ye lo main haari piyan
hui teri jeet re
kaahe ka jagda baalam
nayi nayi preet re
ye lo main..
Naye naye do nain mile hai
naye naye do nain mile hai
nayi mulakaat hai
milte he tum rooT gaye ji
ye bhi koi baat hai
Jao ji maaf kiya
tu hi mera meet re
kaahe ka jagda baalam
nayi nayi preet re.
ye lo main haari piya.
hui tihaari sangh chalo jee
hui tihaari sangh chalo jee
bayyan meri thamke
bandhi balam kismet ki dori
sangh teri naamke
ladte hi ladte mausam
jaye nahi beet re
kaahe ka jagda baalam
nayi nayi preet re.
ye lo main haari piya.
chale kidhar ko bolo baabu
sapnon ko looT ke
hai raam jee reh nahi paye
dil mera TooTke
Ye lo main haari piya!
===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---
Majrooh and Naushad made a great team in "Andaaz", with great
songs like, Lata's `uThaaye ja unke sitam,' and some of Mukesh's
greats like `jhoom jhoom ke naacho aaj' and `hum aa kahin dil kho
baite,' but as the above article says they never worked together for
almost two decades after "Andaaz".
Here is a song from "Andaaz", in which Majrooh gave a lot of hints to
Naushad - `tu kahe agar, jeevan bhar, main geet sunaataa jaaun,' but
Naushad wasn't listening.
--
Song: tu kahe agar
Film: Andaaz
Actor: Dilip Kumar
Singer: Mukesh
Music: Naushad
Lyrics: Majrooh
tu kahe agar, tu kahe agar
tu kahe agar jeevan bhar
main geet sunaataa jaaun
man been bajaataa jaaun
tu kahe agar
aur aag main apane dil ki har dil mein lagaataa jaaun
dukh dard miTaataa jaaun
tu kahe agar
oo.. main saaz hun tu sargam hain
main saaz hun tu sargam hain
deti jo sahaare mujhko, deti jo sahaare mujhko.
main raag hun tu beena hain
main raag hun tu beena hain
is dam tu pukaare mujhko
aawaaz mein teri har dam aawaaz milaata jaaun
aakaash pe chaataa jaaun
oo.. in bolon mein tuhi tu hai
main samjhoon duniyaa tu jaaane, ho jaane
ina mein hai kahaani meri
ina mein hain tere afasaane
ina mein hain tere afasaane
tu saaz uTa ulfat ka
main soomke gaataa jaaun
sapnon ko jagaataa jaaun
tu kahe agar
==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==
Until later!
--
bye
satish
From the RMIM Article Archive maintained by Satish Subramanian