Lyricists
Tere Bina Zindagi Se Koee Shikva To Nahin
Tere Bina Zindagi Bhi Lekin Zindagi To Nahin…
Were these lines penned by Gulzar Saab as a precursor of the state of his mind that was to be, due to sudden & tragic exit of RD from his life, sometime in future? Can’t say. But these lines reveal a lot. One interesting story worthy of recounting.
When we at panchammagic went to meet Gulzar Saab for the first time on 17 Aug, 2002, we gifted him a watch. It had a photograph of RD on a black background with above 2 lines from the immortal lyrics. He was so impressed by the gift that he immediately asked us to give him fifty more. He wanted to gift them as mementos to some of his fans. It was as if acknowledgement of the place that RD held in his life. Even 10 years after, these lines coupled with RD’s exit struck a chord with him.
We all know about his first tryst with the maverick composer that RD was, during making of Parichay. RD dropped in at his place at night, unannounced & they went for a drive. All through the drive RD recited to him the tune of “musafir hoon yaaron ”… From then onwards till the last the duo kept on creating melodious marvels that enthrall even today’s generation. They are timeless classics. They have the power to transcend the barriers of time. This was the result of the talent of two artists par excellence.
One fact that even Gulzar Saab also will agree with is, no one else, till today was able to give justice to his lyrics. In Gulzar Saabs nearly 50 years of illustrious carrier, for nearly 20 years that RD was with him, his compositions ruled the heart of one & all.
One question that naturally comes up was, how could R. D. who was not so fluent &well versed with Hindi could compose some of his finest tunes, while giving full justice to Gulzar Saab’s words? On being questioned about this , Gulzarsaab said, ‘RD had a refined and highly developed sense of phonetics’.
But then this explanation is unable to explain how RD composed tunes for his prose-like lyrics of say, “ Ek Hi Khwab ” or “Mera Kuch Samaan ”, “ Ek Hi Khwab ” is perhaps the only one of its kind song in the history of Hindi film industry. Use of guitar, Bhupida’s rendering & guitar playing, ‘coupled with Hemajis humming mesmerizes you. The romanticism filled in the words by Gulzarsaab has been elevated to a different plane by RD’s tune. The romantic banter as envisaged by Gulzarsaab was bought out by RD’s tune so beautifully that it literally throws up images before you.
Actually this was what Gulzarsaab had to say about RD. He said Pancham used to throw up images before me by his compositions & it helped me a lot to picturise the song. At times he even used to suggest the setting or scenic location to the song. Perhaps that is the reason why Gulzarsaab & RD’s songs don’t just sound beautiful but are a pleasure to watch also. One irrefutable fact is they had tremendous understanding & faith in each other’s talent, both being immensely talented, were definitely on the same plane while working with each other. That’s why Gulzarsaab came up with out of the world lyrics like “vip underwear banian, ek sau solah chand ki ratein, mere chehare pe chhitak deti hain tu tiku ki bachchin, & they never sound odd or out of the place in the song.
Even about the song “sham se aankh mein namisi ” Gulzarsaab told us that, previously Khayyamsab & Jagjit Singhji while composing tune for the same line had said that it is impossible to use “namisi” once. It has to be “namee namisi” as was in the original lyrics. But then for RD it was not difficult to fit “namisi” once into beautiful song from ‘Dil padosi hain’. This album also was one of its kind at that time. This thought of going beyond the commercial aspects or need of the story & create something just because of the sake of creativity is a phenomenal thought. Why no one ever thought about such concept is worth thinking. All the songs in the compilation practically cover the “navrasas” of literature. Just one singer is used but still it is not monotonous but immensely melodious and RD has taken every liberty while composing for the songs. All this was done while he was nearing the end of so called popularity. (Did it really end there because, perhaps it was the start of the phenomenal popularity he got albeit coupled with his untimely exit.)
To put into words, the work of this duo is impossible. It is there for anyone & everyone to listen to it & take a call on it.
Hemant Karambalekar
panchammagic.org
Gulzar and Pancham were the most dignified and respected lyricist- musician duo. They were best of friends too. Together they gave film music a totally new face. Gulzar is also well known for his films. Their association started with ‘Parichay’ but Gulzar was not a new comer in the Burman Kingdom. Gulzar wrote his first song “Mora gora ang laile” for S.D Burman for Bimal Roy’s film ‘Bandini’.
Gulzar and R.D’s first song together “Musafir hoon yaaron” created a craze and further they came up with some music world’s valuable gems like in ‘Aandhi‘, ‘Devta‘, ‘Namkeen’, ‘Ghar‘, ‘Masoom’, ‘Ijazat‘, ‘Dil padosi hain’, ‘Kinara’, Khushboo’, ‘Kitaab’, and ‘Khoobsoorat’. Gulzar penned some of the most soulful numbers like “O manjhi re”, Tere bina zindzgi se”, “Tujhse naaraz nahin zindagi”, “Do naina aur ek kahani” and “Umeed hogi koi”. Many composers failed to tune for Gulzar’s song “Sham se aankh mein nami si hain” but R.D featured it beautifully in “Dil padosi hain’ in Asha’s voice. The three of them have also proved them selves bagging the national awards for best lyrics and best singer for ‘Ijazat’.
Gulzar and R.D Burman will always be remembered for the contribution that they made to the music world that remains unparalleled.
Majrooh Sultanpuri had a long-term relationship with the Burmans. S.D Burman’s maximum hits are with Majrooh. Majrooh saab worked equally good and often with Pancham da as he did with his father Sachin Dev Burman. Some of the best songs of R.D are written by the Dada Saheb Phalke award winner Majrooh saab.
Initially R.D worked with this veteran lyricist. Infact Majrooh wrote the lyrics for Panchamda’s first film “Chhote nawab”. R.D Burman was always called as a musician quite ahead of his times, and same can be said about the versatile Majrooh Sultanpuri who revolutionized poetry in his hay days and continued to write youthful, soulful lyrics that were ahead of their times. Perhaps this was the reason that two titans clicked so well. They teamed creating great work in ‘Teesri manzil’, ‘Baharon ke sapne’, ‘Kalia’, ‘Kudrat’, Aanchal’, ‘Heeralal Pannalal’, ‘Hum kisise kum nahin’, ‘Manzil manzil’, ‘Benaam’, ‘Yaadon ki baarat’, ‘Mere jeevan saathi’ and many more. Majrooh wrote more than 400 times for R.D.
The music world owes both the maestros more than just gratitude. Alas! Pancham da and Majrooh saab exist no more.
Although Anand Bakshi and Laxmikant – Pyarelal are well known as a hit making team, Anand Bakshi has a series of hits with R.D.Burman too. Infact Anand Bakshi is the lyricist who worked the most with all the leading musicians and Pancham da also is not an exception.
Though Gulzar and R.D.Burman are a famous duo in Bollywood, R.D’s career graph exhibits the fact that he has worked the most with the ex-Fauji turned lyricist Anand Bakshi. Gulzar and Pancham worked only for 25 albums but Anand Bakshi has worked with him in almost 100 film albums and penned more than 540 songs.
Pancham always managed to get the best of all his lyricists Gulzar, Sahir and also Majrooh Sultanpuri, Obviously his music was so substantial and complete in it self that every poet may get motivated to do good work. Anand Bakshi worked with many other leading musicians but he sounds just great with Pancham da. His approach towards poetry in Pancham’s songs seems totally different. The person who wrote so many run-around-trees songs also has gem of poetry to his credit in some of Pancham’s films like in ‘Amar prem’ , ‘Kati patang’, ‘Jurmaana’, ‘Mukti’, ‘The great Gambler’, Aap ki qasam’, ‘Mehbooba’ and many more. Bakshi’s songs in ‘Amar prem’ are considered to be one of his best works with soulful songs like “Chingari koi bhadake”, “Yeh kya hua”, ” Kuchh to log kahenge” and in total contrast from the later the evergreen lullaby “Bada natkhat hain re Krishna Kanhaiya”.
‘Kati patang’ has almost all-romantic tracks like “yeh shaam mastani” and “Yeh jo mohabbat hain” but the title song here is again so sweet and rich “Na koi umang hain”. Mukesh worked very less with Pancham but has a great number of Bakshi’s with Pancham in ‘Mukti’ which goes like “Suhani chandani raatein humen sone nahin deti”. ‘Mukti’ also includes the wonderful Asha number “Dil Sajan Jalta hai”. Bakshi is docile with anything he is asked for. Then he creates magic again with Pancham in Lata’s evergreen “Sawan ke jhoole pade” in Jurmaana , “Kisliye maine pyar kiya” in ‘The Train’ and “Panna ki tamanna hain” in ‘Heera Panna’. How can one forget the best song in Shivranjani till date in ‘Mehbooba’ – “mere naina sawan bhado” by Anand Bakshi.
“Nadiya se dariya” in ‘Namak haram’ is also a product of Anand Bakshi’s pen. Where at one point he wrote the chaloo lyrics “chachacha” and “mera pyaar shalimaar” for ‘Shalimaar’, the fabulous song “Hum bewafa hargiz na the” is also a part of the same album. Bakshi sahib wrote bade achhe lyrics for Amit Kumar’s debut song “Bade achhe lagate hain” in ‘Balika badhu’, which was really appreciated, and also Amit Kumar’s voice won public recognition. One more song that needs a mention is definitely the ‘The great Gambler’ track “do lafzon ki hain dil ki kahani” in which Asha has very carefully and gracefully handled the fragile tender lyrics and so has Pancham.
Bakshi’s romantic lyrics take you in the seventh heaven in ‘Abdullah’ in Rafi’s number “Maine poocha chand se”, the film has a range of songs which also include a lullaby in Manna Dey’s voice and the Kishore -R.D-Bakshi masterpiece “Aye khuda har faisla tera mujhe manzoor hain” and the two seductive sensuous tracks from Asha “Bheega badan jalne laga” and “jashn-e- bahara”
Besides all these fabulous songs R.D and Anand Bakshi came together often and delivered hits ceaselessly. Some of their hits are a part of the films like “Sholay’, ‘Shaan’, ‘Alibaba chalis chor’, ‘Manoranjan’, ‘Charitraheen’, ‘Humshakal’, ‘Ishq Ishq Ishq’, ‘Jheel ke us paar’, ‘Rocky’, ‘Warrant’, ‘Paraya Dhan’, and also the most famous song of Asha Bhosale and R.D “Dum maro Dum” is an Anand Bakshi product in ‘Hare Rama hare Krishna’,also Anand Bakshi shows his range through his most astounding tracks “Phoolon ka taaron ka” and “Kanchi re kanchi” which are evergreen hits featured in the same film. Pancham and Bakshi saab also came together for J.Omprakash’s “Aap ki qasam” with incredible melody and rich poetry like “Karvate badalte rahein”, “Suno kahon”, “Paas nahin aana”, “chori chori chupke chupke palkon ki galiyon se chhupke”, an out’n’out romantic album where also stands out the Kishore classic “Zindagi ke safar mein” which doesn’t lose it’s flavour despite being totally in contrast with the fellow songs in the album.
As Bakshi saab wrote for R.D in ‘Aap ki qasam’
“Kuchh log ek roz jo bichhad jaate hain , woh hazaaron ke aane se milate nahin, Umr bhar chahe koi pukaara kare unka naam woh phir nahin aaten , woh phir nahin aaten”. This is now like a tribute song, music lovers dedicate to their beloved Pancham da who cannot be incarnated as he was and remain one of his kind forever.
Bakshi saab is a master in his own right, an uncrowned king of Hindi film lyrics world, who, even at his ripe age is active and continues to write also with the young musicians and wins awards and nominations without fail every year.
Have you watched the song “Deewane hain deewanon ka naa ghar chahiye” in ‘Zanjeer’ by Kalyanji Anandji ? The person who performed on this song on screen is none other then the famous lyricist Gulshan Bawra, who was a permanent team member of R.D.Buramn’s camp.
Gulshan Bawra and Pancham came together for the first time in 1974 for ‘Trimurti’ but then it wasn’t much happening. The year 1975 saw the release of the Rishi Kapoor- Nitu Singh starrer ‘Khel Khel mein’ and Gulshan Bawra and R.D.Burman captured the music minds with their young green songs in this film. Pancham the trend setter recreated the ‘Teesri manzil’ and ‘Jawaani deewani’ magic through this film but this time not with Majrooh but with Bawra with songs like “Humne tumko dekha”, “ek main aur ek tu” and the beautiful “sapna mera toot gaya”.
Later the Pancham -Bawra duo worked very often. Most of his R.D’s albums in the eighties decade had lyrics by Gulshan Bawra. To mention a few are albums like ‘Satte pe satta’, ‘Jawaani’, ‘Andar bahar’, ‘Sanam tei qasam’, ‘apne apne’, ‘Indrajeet’, ‘Chor pe mor’, and ‘Pukar’. If we take a lose look towards these films and hear these albums carefully we grasp that all had a youthful tempo and so were the lyrics.
But Bawra has also contributed some of his best work in ‘Agar tum na hote’ – the title song “Humen aur jeene ki chahat naa hoti” and also the beautiful Kishore Kumar’s solo “Dilbar mere kab tak mujhe” in ‘Satte pe satta’.
Pancham and Gulshan Bawra have worked together for more than 30 films and made about 160 songs together.
