‘Poet of the millennium’: some less known facts about Majrooh Sultanpuri on his 22nd death anniversary

 

Today marks the 22nd death anniversary of the poet, a committed communist, Majrooh Sultanpuri, who was a craftsman who wrote about matters of love and freedom with equal conviction. Asrar ul Hasan Khan was known to the world as ‘Maj-rooh’- his pen name, meaning ‘wounded soul’.

He was born on October 1, 1919, in Uttar Pradesh’s Sultanpur, and his father who was a police officer was not too keen on sending him to an English medium school and, therefore, sent him to a madrasa. After completing a seven-year course of Dars-e-Nizami (religious affairs) along with Arabic and Persian, he went on to study Unani medicine. He was a struggling hakim (physician) when he happened to recite one of his works at a mushaira in Sultanpur where he was appreciated. Soon, his rich poetry at mushairas in Mumbai won him recognition from film producers and in 1945 got him his first break in A R Kardar’s ‘Shahjehan’.

In 1980, he was given the Ghalib Award for his literary accomplishments. Two other major awards he cherished were the Madhya Pradesh government’s Iqbal Samman Award in 1992— again, he was the first winner among film writers — for Urdu creative writing and from Maharashtra, his karmabhoomi, the Sant Dnyaneshwar Award for his contribution to the arts. Considered as the film poet of the millennium, Majrooh Sultanpuri breathed his last due to respiratory failure on May 24, 2000.

Here are some less known facts about Majrooh Sultanpuri..

? Majrooh, by qualification, was a Unani medical practitioner who also treated patients for a while before his poetic inclinations took him mushaira-wards. His original pen name was ‘Naseh’- sincere adviser. In Mumbai, he participated in a competition to write lyrics for A.R. Kardar’s Shahjehan (1946). He won—and the rest is a 55-year history.

? Other than being a great lyricist, Majrooh was also a noted Urdu poet and had written many books. He was also an important figure in the Progressive Writers’ Movement. While he was establishing himself as a lyricist, his Left leanings got him into trouble. During one of the meetings organised for the mill workers, he recited a poem that was written against Jawaharlal Nehru. He refused to render an apology for the same and was jailed in 1949 along with actor Balraj Sahni. During his two years in prison, he continued to write meaningful songs and poems that compelled the authorities to release him from jail.

? At first, Majrooh Sultanpuri did not accept the offer of writing for films as he did not think very highly of it. It was Jigar Moradabadi, a famous Urdu poet, who persuaded him, saying that writing for films would pay well and he can also support his family. The film producer of ‘Shahjehan’ then took him to music composer Naushad who gave him a test. Majrooh was given a tune and was told to write the lyrics according to the music. That’s how he wrote ‘Jab usne gesu bekhraye, baadal aaye jhoom ke’. Naushad liked what he wrote and Majrooh was signed on as the lyricist of the film in 1946. The songs of ‘Shahjehan’ became so popular that singer-actor K L Saigal wanted ‘Jab dil hi toot gaya’ to be played at his funeral.

? Majrooh Sultanpuri worked with almost all music directors in Bollywood, including Chandragupt and later his sons Anand-Milind, S D Burman and R D Burman, Rajesh Roshan and O P Nayyar. He was active till his last days, writing lyrics for some films, including `Kya Kehna’ which was released in 2000. He was also the first lyricist to be honoured with Indian cinema’s highest award Dadasaheb Phalke for lifetime achievement in 1993. Majrooh also won his only Filmfare best lyricist award for the song ‘Chahunga mai tujhe saanjh savere’ for the film ‘Dosti’ in 1965.

? Majrooh went on to write the lyrics for around 350 films in a career spanning more than 50 years and had several popular songs to his credit. Among his memorable songs were ‘Inhi logo ne le liya dupatta mera’ (Pakeezah), ‘Teri bindiya re’ (Abhimaan), ‘Nanhi kali sone chali’ (Sujata), ‘Yeh lo main hari piya’ (Aar Paar), ‘Kitna pyara vada hai'(caravan) and ‘Papa kehte hai bada naam karega’ (Qayamat se qayamat tak). He penned lyrics for over 74 films for R D Burman with the most famous being ‘Teesri Manzil’, the evergreen blockbuster of the ’60s starring Shammi Kapoor and Asha Parekh and ‘Mela’ starring Sanjay Khan and Mumtaz.

? Majrooh wrote lyrics of ‘Teri aankhon ke siva duniya mei rakha kya hai’ for the movie ‘Chirag’ in 1969 starring Sunil Dutt and Asha Parekh. This song was inspired by one of the ghazals of Faiz Ahmed Faiz, a famous Pakistani poet. Majrooh took permission from Faiz who readily gave the nod. The song sung by Mohammed Rafi and the female version by Asha Bhosle went on to become a super hit. Majrooh got a call from none other than Faiz congratulating him for writing a beautiful composition.