SAHIR LUDHIANVI- . In his songs he consistently raised uncomfortable questions

 

Sahir Ludhianvi, a great lyricist of Bollywood was different from his contemporary lyricists.   He did not praise Khuda (God), Husn (beauty), or Jaam (wine). Instead, he wrote bitter yet sensitive lyrics about the declining values of society; the senselessness of war and politics; and the domination of consumerism over love. His love songs, tinged with sorrow, expressed his realization that there were other, starker concepts more important than love.

In his songs he consistently raised uncomfortable questions and expressed bitter truths. Only he could write the songs "Jinhe naaz hai Hind par vo kahaan hain” against the political leadership of the day or the poem  ‘Avaaz-e-Adam’  in which ‘hum bhi dekhenge’ remains a memorable phrase. This led to his migration from Pakistan.

dabegī kab talak āvāz-e-ādam ham bhī dekheñge

rukeñge kab talak jazbāt-e-barham ham bhī dekheñge

chalo yūñhī sahī ye jaur-e-paiham ham bhī dekheñge

dar-e-zindāñ se dekheñ yā urūj-e-dār se dekheñ

tumheñ rusvā sar-e-bāzār-e-ālam ham bhī dekheñge

zarā dam lo ma.āl-e-shaukat-e-jam ham bhī dekheñge

ye zo.am-e-quvvat-e-faulād-o-āhan dekh lo tum bhī

ba-faiz-e-jazba-e-īmān-e-mohkam ham bhī dekheñge

jabīn-e-kaj-kulāhī ḳhaak par ḳham ham bhī dekheñge

mukāfāt-e-amal tārīḳh-e-insāñ kī rivāyat hai

karoge kab talak nāvak farāham ham bhī dekheñge

kahāñ tak hai tumhāre zulm meñ dam ham bhī dekheñge

ye hañgām-e-vidā-e-shab hai ai zulmat ke farzando

sahar ke dosh par gulnār parcham ham bhī dekheñge

tumheñ bhī dekhnā hogā ye aalam ham bhī dekheñge

Close to his heart was the farmer crushed by debt, the soldier has gone to fight someone else's war, the woman forced to sell her body, the youth frustrated by unemployment, and the family living on the street for instance.

Sahir was a communist sympathizer, but he never became a member of the Communist Party of India or an agenda-pushing poet. He always expressed his true feelings. Sahir did something which no film lyricist did before. He transitioned his literary poetry from his book Talkhiyaan (1945) into film songs.

Sahir was hardly 58 and at his creative best when he suffered a massive heart attack. This bard from Ludhiana bid adieu to this world on October 25, 1980

Song of Pyasaa 1957

Song of Sone Ki Chidiya 1958

Song of Phir Subah Hogi 1958

Phaili Hui Hai Sapnon Ki Bahen- The Song Takes You In Different World

 

This song from House No 44 is a gem polished by three genius music greats of the Golden Era of Bollywood.  The lyrics are one of the finest of Sahir Ludhiyanvi.The music composed by SD Burman and the song sung by Lata Mangeshkar.  Picturized on Kalpna Kartik 

If you close your eyes and listen to this song with concentration, you will find yourself in a different world. You go into a trance The song takes you for a quick look at the world over the rainbow. The lyrics of this song is marvellous. Every single line of the song is inspirational and stirring.

There is a story behind this song that all the three creators of this song wanted to be paid one rupee more than each other just to justify with their ego, however, they created a gem for us to relax and enjoy. We should also appreciate the director of the film Raj Khosla, how beautifully the song was picturized.

Kalpana Kartik – the heroine of the film stands in front of a mirror and start imagining. Swinging and dancing around tall and picturesque trees surrounded with mist …..The scene is breathtaking.

S D Burman composed this song in Raga Shuddha Kalyan, this raga is a combination of raga Bhopali and raga Yaman. This raga is used by very intelligent musicians as this raga is aesthetically challenging with melodic subtleties. Dada Burman used this raga again in the 1957 film Paying Guest in the song 'Chand Fir Nikala'

Song of House No 44

SAHIR LUDHIANVI- Different from his Contemporaries

 

True to his name "Sahir" which means a magician, he proved to be a magician of words. He painted fascinating images in songs and ghazals, He made his debut as a lyricist with the film "Azadi Ki Raah Par" in 1948. but got fame in 1951 after the release of Baazi, Naujawan, and Saza 

 He did not praise Khuda (God), Husn (beauty), or Jaam (wine). Instead, he wrote bitter yet sensitive lyrics about the declining values of society; the senselessness of war and politics; and the domination of consumerism over love. His love songs, tinged with sorrow, expressed his realization that there were other, starker concepts more important than love.

Close to his heart was the farmer crushed by debt, the soldier has gone to fight someone else's war, the woman forced to sell her body, the youth frustrated by unemployment, and the family living on the street for instance.

 He touched upon issues like poverty, inequality, gender gap, environment, the threat of a war that has not gone away. Some of the challenges are even bigger today than in his time. If he would have been alive today, he would be writing on the self-appointed custodian of religion, the self-serving politician, the exploitative capitalist, and the war-mongering super-powers.

Recall the songs of Pyaasa or Phir Subah Hogi The song Woh Subah Kabhi Toh Aayegi with its minimal background music remains popular.

Sahir was a communist sympathizer, but he never became a member of the Communist Party of India or an agenda-pushing poet. He always expressed his true feelings. Sahir did something which no film lyricist did before. He transitioned his literary poetry from his book Talkhiyaan (1945) into film songs.

Sahir was hardly 58 and at his creative best when he suffered a massive heart attack. This bard from Ludhiana bid adieu to this world on October 25, 1980.

Here are some of his immortal songs

Song of Naujawaan 1951

Song of Sazaa 1951

Song of Baazi 1951

Song of Devdas 1955

Song of Pyaasa 1957

Song of Sone Ki Chidiya 1958

Song of Naya Daur 1957

Song of Phir Subah Hogi 1958

Song of Hum Dono 1961

Song of Taj Mahal 1963

Song of  Chitralekha 1964

Song of  Waqt 1965

Song of  Kabhi Kabhi 1976