Tributes to Shakeel Badayuni, one of the greatest lyricists and poets of Hindi cinema, on his birth anniversary. (03/08)
“मैं शकील दिल का हूं तर्जुमा
मोहब्बतों का हूं राजदां
मुझे फ़ख्र है मेरी शायरी
मेरी जिंदगी से जुदा नहीं। ”
Tributes to Shakeel Badayuni, one of the greatest lyricists and poets of Hindi cinema, on his birth anniversary. (03/08)
Geetkar-e-Azam’ was born at Badayun in UP in 1916. Sensing his fascination for Sher-o-shayari at an early age, his father arranged for his training in Arabic, Persian, Urdu & Hindi. In times when most poets were writing about social issues, political turmoil and national consciousness, Shakeel was more love and romanticism.
He moved to Bombay in 1944 and was given a break by Naushad with Dard in 1947. All the songs he wrote for ‘Dard’ were an instant hit; especially the song ‘Afasan Likh Rahi Hun’ sung by Uma Devi (Tun Tun). It was with Naushad that he came into his own giving masterpieces one after another.
He worked in over 25 films with Naushad, most of which were musical blockbusters. Mela, Dard, Dastan, Amar, Deedar, Dillagi, Uran Khatola, Leader, Dil Diya Dard Liya, Mughal e Azam, Kohinoor, Ram Aur Shyam, Aadmi. However the most important onewas their earliest combo; the artistic musical milestone like Baiju Bawra (1952) with its stunning combination of folk and ragdari in ‘Tu Ganga Ki Mauj’, ‘O Duniya Ke Rakhwale’, ‘Man Tadpat Hari Darshan Ko Aaj’, ‘Mohe Bhool Gaye Saawariya’ and the duet between two classical stalwarts, Pt. D.V. Paluskar and Ustad Amir Khan — ‘Aaj Gaawat Man Mero’’. Besides this they gave numerous timeless classics and chartbusters songs like ‘Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya’ (Mughal-E-Azam), ‘Madhuban Mein Radhika Naache Re’ (Kohinoor), ‘Gaaye Jaa Geet Milan Ke’ (Mela), ‘O Door Ke Musafir’ (Uran Khatola), ‘Nain Lad Jaihe’ (Ganga Jumna), ‘Saawan Aaye Ya Na Aaye’ (Dil Diya Dard Liya), ‘Aaj Mere Man Mein Sakhi’ (Aan), ‘Mere Mehboob Tujhe’ (Mere Mehboob) and ‘Mere Pairon Mein Ghunghroo’ from their last film together, ‘Sungharsh’
Besides Naushad he also created some masterpieces with other music directors and gave us films with Ravi like ‘Gharana, Ghungat, Grahasti, Phool Aur Patthar, Do Badan and again that immortal song ‘Chudhavika Chand Ho’
His all time melodies with Hemant Kumar of ‘Bees Saal Baad’, ‘Sahin Biwi Aur Ghulam’ & ‘Bin Badal Barsaat’?
Or with S D Burman in ‘Kaise Kahoon’ & ‘Benazir’ or C.Ramachandra with ‘Zindagi Aur Maut’, ‘Wahan Ke Log’ or with Roshan in ‘Bedaag’,& ‘Noorjahan
There is so much that can be written about him, but words will not suffice. At last all we can say is
“ये झिंदगी के मेले, दुनिया में कम ना होंगे….अफसोस हम न होंगे”
