A lifetime of prose told in poetry
8 Nov 2012 2:41 AM IST
Last week Congresss president Sonia Gandhi conferred on poet-lyricist-director Gulzar the Indira Gandhi National Integration Award. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the conferment speech said, ‘Gulzar saheb is a rare talent. Whether it is a serious issue or entertainment for children, the stories, poems and films of Gulzar saheb touch our hearts. He has been entertaining us through his art for over five decades.’
The Bollywood music is witnessing an era of revivalism and contribution of Sampooran Singh Gulzar needs to be appreciated in light of the fact that his writings, be it prose or poetry, have managed to mirror the society very effectively for the past five decades.
From his first Bandini (1963) – Mora Gora Ang Lai Le to Slumdog Millionaire (2008) – Jai Ho, Gulzar the poet has given soul to some of the most talented musicians of their time. The geniuses of the past gave some of their popular best in combination with Gulzar as did Allah Rakha Rahman, who won international recognition, courtesy the poet’s quill, with Chaiyya Chaiyya (1993) and Oscar with Jai Ho (2008).
As the prime minister mentioned, Gulzar’s contribution as a director, dialogue and screenplay writer could be valued as much in gold as his contribution to film poetry. However, where he stands out is his contribution to children entertainment. Going through the flashback, a device Gulzar himself very forcefully used in many of his films, we could recount that as children Gulzar was quite a favourite with us.
In the 1970s, two distinctive children’s films made their mark – one was Bengali maestro Tapan Sinha’s Safed Haathi and the other Gulzar’s Kitab. While Sinha’s work was based on fantasy, Kitab, on the other hand, made a serious attempt to delve into child psychology, something which Mannu Bhandari did in her all-time favourite novel Aap ka Bunti. Though some may refer to Rajesh Khanna-starrer Aakhri Khat as an earlier attempt but Aakhri Khat had more to do with a toddler’s travails than a child’s adventure.
Coming back to Kitab, though the film did not exactly set the box office on fire, its songs be in matters of lyrics, composition or picturisation, set new benchmarks. The lori (lullaby) Hari din to beeta, sham hui, raat paar kara de is probably one of the best ever composed in a Bollywood production. It could only be the Pancham (R D Burman)-Gulzar combination which could get Rajkumari, of Madhubala-Ashok Kumar-starrer Mahal fame to come out of retirement to record it for the posterity.
Then there was Masterji ki aagayi chithi… VIP underwear-baniyan, introducing the Kohlapure sisters – Shivangi and Padmini. The latter made a mark on the screen as an actor. This song could very well be called to precede chartbuster Lakdi ki kaathi, kathi pe ghoda from Masoom, again penned by Gulzar and composed by Pancham. Kitab also had Pancham’s best as singer viz Dhanno ki aankhon mein raat ka surma. It has lived as much in public memory as Mehbooba, mehbooba from Sholay, which was picturised on cabaret queen Helen.
Kitab’s story dealt with the adventures of a young boy who escapes the ‘demands’ of his sister’s urban home for the ‘comfort’ of his widowed mother’s rural hut.
The film had Pancham doing several experiments and coming out successful. Though the film bombed on box office, as it was ahead of its time, its music continues to resonate.
Later Gulzar made memorable contribution to Doordarshan’s attempt at doing features for children working as a song and dialogue writer for several programmes for kids such as Jungle Book, Alice in Wonderland, Guchche and Potli Baba Ki. It was here that he discovered the talent of Vishal Bharadwaj, whom he introduced as music director par excellence in his directorial venture Maachis. The two together did Makdee in 2003, which won international acclaim. The two together gave the children’s anthem Jungle-jungle baat chali hai, pata chala hai, chaddhi pahen ke phool khila hain, the title song for the Indian adaptation of the Jungle Book.
Other than children cinema, such has been the influence of Gulzar’s poetry that some of the other chart-bursting music directors of their time gave out their best with him – Madan Mohan’s Mausam – ruke ruke se kadam and dil dhoonta hain furshat ke raat din, Jaidev’s Gharonda – Do deewanein shaher mein, Kalyanji-Anandji’s Poornima – Humsafar mere humsafar, Laxmikant-Pyarelal’s Ghulami – Sunaai deti hain jiski dhadkan, Khayyam’s Thodi si bewafaai – Hazaar rahein mudh ke dekhi, Aankhon mein humne aapke ke sapne sajaein hain and mausam-mausam lovely mausam, Bhupen Hazarika’s Rudaali – Dil hum hum kare and Samay o dheere chalo and Anu Malik’s Fiza – Aaja Mahiya and A R Rahman’s number Piya Haji Ali.
Gulzar and Pancham together proved that in music resides God – Katra, katra milti hai (Asha – Ijaazat), Khali haath sham (Asha – Ijaazat), Roz, roz ankhon tale (Kishore – Jeeva), Aaj kal paon zameen par nahi (Lata – Ghar), Piya bawaari – Khubsoorat, Ek hein ki khawab kai baar – Kinara, Is mod se jaate hain (Kishore and Lata – Aandhi), Aanewala pal (Kishore – Golmaal) and Tujhse naraaz nahi zindagi (Lata – Masoom).
In addition to the qualities which the prime minister mentioned, we must acknowledge Gulzar’s ability to scout for talent. With director’s megaphone he could make Jeetendra act in triology – Parichay, Khusbo and Kinara; and using the same confidence he could replace a mellifluous Kishore with a baritone Bhupinder and still walk away with a hit. In the autumn of his life, Gulzar continues to contribute and he must do so as there shall not be another Gulzar.
Sidharth Mishra is with Centre for Reforms, Development & Justice, and consulting editor, Millennium Post
The Bollywood music is witnessing an era of revivalism and contribution of Sampooran Singh Gulzar needs to be appreciated in light of the fact that his writings, be it prose or poetry, have managed to mirror the society very effectively for the past five decades.
From his first Bandini (1963) – Mora Gora Ang Lai Le to Slumdog Millionaire (2008) – Jai Ho, Gulzar the poet has given soul to some of the most talented musicians of their time. The geniuses of the past gave some of their popular best in combination with Gulzar as did Allah Rakha Rahman, who won international recognition, courtesy the poet’s quill, with Chaiyya Chaiyya (1993) and Oscar with Jai Ho (2008).
As the prime minister mentioned, Gulzar’s contribution as a director, dialogue and screenplay writer could be valued as much in gold as his contribution to film poetry. However, where he stands out is his contribution to children entertainment. Going through the flashback, a device Gulzar himself very forcefully used in many of his films, we could recount that as children Gulzar was quite a favourite with us.
In the 1970s, two distinctive children’s films made their mark – one was Bengali maestro Tapan Sinha’s Safed Haathi and the other Gulzar’s Kitab. While Sinha’s work was based on fantasy, Kitab, on the other hand, made a serious attempt to delve into child psychology, something which Mannu Bhandari did in her all-time favourite novel Aap ka Bunti. Though some may refer to Rajesh Khanna-starrer Aakhri Khat as an earlier attempt but Aakhri Khat had more to do with a toddler’s travails than a child’s adventure.
Coming back to Kitab, though the film did not exactly set the box office on fire, its songs be in matters of lyrics, composition or picturisation, set new benchmarks. The lori (lullaby) Hari din to beeta, sham hui, raat paar kara de is probably one of the best ever composed in a Bollywood production. It could only be the Pancham (R D Burman)-Gulzar combination which could get Rajkumari, of Madhubala-Ashok Kumar-starrer Mahal fame to come out of retirement to record it for the posterity.
Then there was Masterji ki aagayi chithi… VIP underwear-baniyan, introducing the Kohlapure sisters – Shivangi and Padmini. The latter made a mark on the screen as an actor. This song could very well be called to precede chartbuster Lakdi ki kaathi, kathi pe ghoda from Masoom, again penned by Gulzar and composed by Pancham. Kitab also had Pancham’s best as singer viz Dhanno ki aankhon mein raat ka surma. It has lived as much in public memory as Mehbooba, mehbooba from Sholay, which was picturised on cabaret queen Helen.
Kitab’s story dealt with the adventures of a young boy who escapes the ‘demands’ of his sister’s urban home for the ‘comfort’ of his widowed mother’s rural hut.
The film had Pancham doing several experiments and coming out successful. Though the film bombed on box office, as it was ahead of its time, its music continues to resonate.
Later Gulzar made memorable contribution to Doordarshan’s attempt at doing features for children working as a song and dialogue writer for several programmes for kids such as Jungle Book, Alice in Wonderland, Guchche and Potli Baba Ki. It was here that he discovered the talent of Vishal Bharadwaj, whom he introduced as music director par excellence in his directorial venture Maachis. The two together did Makdee in 2003, which won international acclaim. The two together gave the children’s anthem Jungle-jungle baat chali hai, pata chala hai, chaddhi pahen ke phool khila hain, the title song for the Indian adaptation of the Jungle Book.
Other than children cinema, such has been the influence of Gulzar’s poetry that some of the other chart-bursting music directors of their time gave out their best with him – Madan Mohan’s Mausam – ruke ruke se kadam and dil dhoonta hain furshat ke raat din, Jaidev’s Gharonda – Do deewanein shaher mein, Kalyanji-Anandji’s Poornima – Humsafar mere humsafar, Laxmikant-Pyarelal’s Ghulami – Sunaai deti hain jiski dhadkan, Khayyam’s Thodi si bewafaai – Hazaar rahein mudh ke dekhi, Aankhon mein humne aapke ke sapne sajaein hain and mausam-mausam lovely mausam, Bhupen Hazarika’s Rudaali – Dil hum hum kare and Samay o dheere chalo and Anu Malik’s Fiza – Aaja Mahiya and A R Rahman’s number Piya Haji Ali.
Gulzar and Pancham together proved that in music resides God – Katra, katra milti hai (Asha – Ijaazat), Khali haath sham (Asha – Ijaazat), Roz, roz ankhon tale (Kishore – Jeeva), Aaj kal paon zameen par nahi (Lata – Ghar), Piya bawaari – Khubsoorat, Ek hein ki khawab kai baar – Kinara, Is mod se jaate hain (Kishore and Lata – Aandhi), Aanewala pal (Kishore – Golmaal) and Tujhse naraaz nahi zindagi (Lata – Masoom).
In addition to the qualities which the prime minister mentioned, we must acknowledge Gulzar’s ability to scout for talent. With director’s megaphone he could make Jeetendra act in triology – Parichay, Khusbo and Kinara; and using the same confidence he could replace a mellifluous Kishore with a baritone Bhupinder and still walk away with a hit. In the autumn of his life, Gulzar continues to contribute and he must do so as there shall not be another Gulzar.
Sidharth Mishra is with Centre for Reforms, Development & Justice, and consulting editor, Millennium Post
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