This article is written by Raja, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a contributor to this blog. This article is meant to be posted in atulsongaday.me. If this article appears in other sites without the knowledge and consent of the web administrator of atulsongaday.me, then it is piracy of the copyright content of atulsongaday.me and is a punishable offence under the existing laws
| Blog Day : | 4116 | Post No. : | 15269 |
Here is that date again.
The 25th of October is a date that many Hindi film lovers, and lovers of shaayari, remember with some pain. For it was on the 25th of October 1980 that one of the tallest figures of the industry, and certainly of the world of poetry, bade farewell to us.
Sahir Ludhianvi.
I’m usually careful with my choice of adjectives, especially when using them in the superlative. But in the case of Sahir, I don’t have the slightest hesitation in saying “one of the tallest”. For he comfortably satisfies this criterion.
There have been more famous figures in the industry.
And there have certainly been more popular and liked figures in the industry. If anything, Sahir, with his uncompromising nature, and and ego and mood to match, wasn’t the easiest person to get along with.
And yet, when it comes to stature, that too in his particular field, Sahir was truly a giant.
Without belittling any of the others who also produced outstanding work in the form of lyrics, Sahir always seemed to be in a league of his own.
They say that an actor is not real – after all, it is his job to act. He is only putting on a show. Which is one reason Kishore Kumar preferred singing to acting. He felt a singer can put his heart and soul into a song, whereas an actor’s job is to pretend.
A lyricist goes a step further than even a singer.
While a singer can put his heart and soul into a song, he does not create it. He only renders it.
The text comes from the lyricist.
And therefore the lyricist has the best chance of putting his heart and soul into his creation. He talks to his audience through his lines. He can use his poetry as an outlet for his thoughts, his feelings, his joys and his frustrations.
And I feel no one did this better than Sahir.
With Sahir, what you saw was what you got.
Sahir was pretty much an open book in terms of his preferences, his likes and dislikes. Nothing duplicitous or fake about him. He had strong views on certain topics, and he had absolutely no qualms about expressing them.
He even got into trouble early in his life with the Government of Pakistan for this reason – and fled Lahore (and thus, Pakistan) to come to India in 1949.
Imagine if this had not happened. Imagine what might have been lost to us.
Whatever issues Indians might have with the Government of Pakistan, I thank the Pakistan Government, on behalf of all Indians, for creating an “enabling” environment for Sahir to move to India. 
And Sahir never looked back.
From “thandi hawayen” (Naujawan-1951), the song that got him noticed, to “pal do pal ka saath hamaara” (The Burning Train-1980), one of the last films for which he wrote lyrics, Sahir was one of the most highly regarded lyricists of his time.
I remember saying this before. When Sahir passed away, I only knew his name as a lyricist. In those days, still a teenager, I had limited knowledge of song details. I’d know the song, and the singer. Yes, some chance I’d know the composer, but unless I’d listened carefully to the lyricist’s name while listening to it on radio, not much chance I’d know the lyricist. In those days, to be honest, I enjoyed songs without knowing whether it was a Majrooh or Sahir or Shailendra or Hasrat Jaipuri song.
With this limited knowledge, I read the obituary on Sahir in the Illustrated Weekly of India in 1980. It was a fairly long obituary, and naturally many of his songs were mentioned.
That was when it hit me.
Oh, “aage bhi jaane na tu” was Sahir’s?
And “ye raat ye chaandni phir kahaan”?
Oh, and “udey jab jab zulfen teri” also?
And “abhi na jao chhod kar”?
And “zindagi bhar nahin bhoolegi wo barsaat ki raat?”
And “tu Hindu banega na Musalmaan banega”?
Oh, and “jeevan ke safar mein raahi” also?
And “tadbeer se bigdi hui taqdeer bana le”?
There were many more – and each one was a song I knew, a classic. Yet, such was my pathetic knowledge at the time of who the lyricist was, that I never realized these were all Sahir.
At that time, if you’d asked me to mention a few Sahir songs, I’d have come up with Pyaasa and Kabhie Kabhie songs. These I always knew as Sahir songs. But I am ashamed now to think of how ignorant I otherwise was.
It was only at that moment I realized what a legend Sahir had been. And what the world had lost.
After that, I paid a lot more attention to the lyricist, while listening to songs.
And often it was Sahir.
Much later in life, I read that it was only on Sahir’s insistence that All India Radio itself started mentioning the name of the lyricist also, in its radio programmes.
It was not only the name of the lyricist, but also the lyrics themselves, that I started paying attention to.
And that is when I realized that Sahir’s lyrics were different.
They were deep, they conveyed an emotion that came from the heart – and often a strong emotion at that. They were not the “baith ja, baith gayi, khadi ho ja, khadi ho gayi” types.
If today lyrics are a very big, in fact the biggest, part of my love for a song, it is entirely due to Sahir. I listen to lyrics carefully today – no appreciation of a song is complete for me, without appreciating the lyrics.
Whether Sahir was writing romantic poetry (“abhi na jao chhod kar”) or mocking the government for its failures (“cheen-o-Arab hamaara”), whether he was lamenting the state of society (“jinhe naaz hai Hind par wo kahaan hain”), or trying to uplift those seemingly with no hope (“wo subah kabhi to aayegi”), whether he was exhorting the oppressed to fight for their rights (“ponchh kar ashq” , “na munh chhupa ke jiyo”), or showing a mirror to society about its treatment of women (“aurat ne janam diya mardon ko”), whether he was trying to promote communal harmony (“tu Hindu banega na Musalmaan banega”), or talking about the futility of war (“khuda-e-bartar”), every single time Sahir’s lyrics tugged at your heart strings.
Not just because the poetry was beautiful and the lyrics powerful (which they absolutely were), but because you could feel that every word was written with heart and soul. No wonder it went straight from Sahir’s heart to our hearts.
You could feel Sahir’s anguish and despair when he says “ye duniya agar mil bhi jaaye to kya hai”. Or his cynicism when he says “aasmaan pe hai khuda aur zameen pe hum, aajkal wo is taraf dekhta hai kam”.
At the same time, you could feel the romance in the air, with “tum agar saath dene ka waada karo” and “parbaton ke pedon par”. Just listen to poetry like “thehre thehre paani mein, geet sarsaraate hain….bheege bheege jhonkon mein, khushbuon ka deraa hai”. Waah!
And “abhi na jao chhod kar”, one of my alltime favourites, and surely one of the most perfect songs ever in every respect.
Sahir’s poetry for the hurt felt by the jilted lover was no less powerful. “Jaane wo kaise log the jinke pyaar ko pyaar milaa”. Or lines like “laut rahi hain meri sadaayen, deewaaron se sar takra ke….haath pakad kar chalne waale, ho gaye rukhsat haath chhuda ke (sad version of in hawaon mein)”. And of course, “chalo ek baar phir se ajnabi ban jaayen hum dono” with lines like “wo afsaana jisey anjaam tak laana na ho mumkin, usey ek khoobsoorat mod dekar chhodna achha”.
Then you have the Barsaat Ki Raat qawwalis. Roshan’s masterpiece “na to karwaan ki talaash hai” merging into “ye ishq ishq hai ishq ishq” is one of the greatest ever compositions in Hindi cinema, with Sahir’s contribution in lyrics being no less significant. With lines like “jo dawaa ke naam pe zeher do, us chaaraagar ki talaash hai”.
I can go on and on. Dharamputra, Taj Mahal, Aaj Aur Kal, Mujhe Jeene Do, Chitralekha, Kaajal, Waqt, Neel Kamal, Humraaz, Bahu Begum, Aadmi Aur Insaan. Each one with memorable lyrics. One of my favourites is “poochhe koi ki dard-e-wafaa kaun de gaya, raaton ko jaagne ki sazaa kaun de gaya…kehne se ho malaal, to hum kya jawaab dein….duniya kare sawaal, to hum kya jawaab dein”.
Although Sahir was less productive in the 70s, he still came up with poetry that reminded us of Sahir of yore. The 70s was a decade where poetry began steadily losing ground to more “chaalu” lyrics. Urdu also began losing ground in the process.
This was a development that Sahir could not prevent, but did leave him disillusioned. His “main pal do pal ka shaayar hoon” very correctly represents his then state of mind. He continued to write though, but mostly for the Chopra family’s films, for films like Karm, Trishul, Insaaf Ka Tarazu, Kaala Patthar and The Burning Train.
Since Sahir started as a poet, and moved into film song lyrics, the sense of poetry comes across strongly in his lyrics. Much like with Kaifi Azmi.
So much for Sahir’s poetry. No one can do justice to it in one article. I’ve barely scraped the surface.
But what really makes me put Sahir on a different pedestal altogether is not the QUALITY of his poetry, but the CONTENT of his poetry.
Clearly Sahir was a rebel, a non-conformist.
And his poetry often reflected this, since he wrote straight from the heart.
But importantly, he never shied away from expressing his views. He never tried to be politically correct. He showed society a mirror, whether society liked it or not. For example, his line “kaho ji tum kya kya khareedoge, yahaan to har cheez bikti hai” is a much underrated, but powerful, line, in my opinion.
Yes, he railed and ranted – whether it made a difference or not. “Samaj ko badal daalo” he wrote.
Today, 39 years after his death, we are still languishing with most of the ills that existed in Sahir’s time, and which he spoke against.
It is a sad commentary of our times that many of his laments feel just as relevant today as they felt then. Yes, “aurat ne janam diya mardon ko, mardon ne usey bazaar diya” and “tu Hindu banega na Musalmaan banega, insaan ki aulad hai insaan banega” are just as relevant in 2019, as they were in 1958-59.
If Sahir were alive today, he’d probably be writing just as strongly today as he wrote then. The issues haven’t gone, sadly only Sahir has.
That’s a sobering thought.
Now, let’s move on to the song for today.
It’s from the 1969 film, Paisa Ya Pyaar.
As has now become customary :-), the lyrics for this song have been sent to me by Avinashji.
I remember seeing this film as a young boy, but I don’t remember the story now. It was a remake of a Tamil film Panama Paasama, starring Gemini Ganesan and Saroja Devi, which was a pretty big hit at the time. In fact, the name Panama Paasama, translates in Hindi to Paisa Ya Pyaar.
I remember the song “Ber lo, ber lo” was a lift from the very popular “yelantha pazham yelantha pazham” song of Panama Paasama.
But today’s song is different. It is a typical Sahir song – Insaan ne paise ke liye.
Here, Sahir’s lament is about how money destroys relationships. He talks about how people lose everything, even their own self-respect, for money. He concludes by saying that love is the biggest wealth there is.
The song is sung by Hemant Kumar, music composed by Ravi.
Please do listen.
I’d like to end by saying that Sahir was wrong in one respect.
He wrote
“kal koi mujh ko yaad kare
kyon koi mujhko yaad kare
masroof zamaana mere liye
kyon waqt apna barbaad kare”
Sahir saab, I can only say you grossly underestimated our love and respect for you.
jo aapse mila hai, wo itna hai anmol
roz sunte hain, aap hi ke hum bol
aap ko bhool jaayen, ye mumkin nahin
aap ki yaad na aaye, aisa koi din nahin
Thank you SO MUCH for what you’ve given us, Sahir saab.
And, very importantly, for just being you.
Video
Audio
Song-Insaanon ne paise ke liye aapas ka pyaar mita daala (Paisa Ya Pyaar)(1969) Singer-Hemant Kumar, Lyrics-Sahir Ludhainvi, MD-Ravi
Lyrics (based on audio link) (Provided by Avinash Scrapwala)
Insaanon ne ae
Paise ke liye
Aapas ka pyaar mitaa daalaa
Insaanon ne ae
Paise ke liye
Aapas ka pyaar mitaa daalaa
Hanste baste ghar phoonk diye
Dharti ko narak banaa daalaa
Mitti se nikaala sone ko
Sone se banaaye mahal magar
Mitti se nikaala sone ko
Sone se banaaye mahal magar
Jazbaat ke naazuk rishton ko
Mitti ke taley dafnaa daalaa
Insaanon ne
Paise ke liye
Aapas ka pyaar mitaa daalaa
Deen aur dharam ko haar diya
Neki ko badi par waar diyaa
Deen aur dharam ko haar diya
Neki ko badi par waar diyaa
Mandir Masjid aur Girjon ko
Bankon ki bhent chadhaa daalaa
Insaanon ne
Paise ke liye
Aapas ka pyaar mitaa daalaa
Daulat ki hawas mein logon ne
Kya kya na kiya is duniya mein
Kya kya na kiya is duniya mein
Chaahat izzat mehnat gairat
Sabkaa neelaam uthhaa daalaa
Insaanon ne ae
Paise ke liye
Aapas ka pyaar mitaa daalaa
Pyaar apne jagah khud daulat hai
Ye baat na samjhi insaan ne
Pyaar apne jagah khud daulat hai
Ye baat na samjhi ee insaan ne
Kudrat ke banaayi daulat ka
Sikkon mein mol lagaa daalaa
Insaanon ne ae
Paise ke liye
Aapas ka pyaar mitaa daalaa
————————————————————–
Devnagri Script lyrics (Provided by Avinash Scrapwala)
————————————————————–
इंसानों ने ए
पैसे के लिए
आपस का प्यार मिटा डाला
इंसानों ने ए
पैसे के लिए
आपस का प्यार मिटा डाला
हँसते बसते घर फूँक दिए
धरती को नरक बना डाला
मिटटी से निकाला सोने को
सोने से बनाए महल मगर
मिटटी से निकाला सोने को
सोने से बनाए महल मगर
जज़्बात के नाज़ुक रिश्तों को
मिटटी के तले दफना डाला
इंसानों ने
पैसे के लिए
आपस का प्यार मिटा डाला
दीन और धरम को हार दिया
नेकी को बदी पर वार दिया
दीन और धरम को हार दिया
नेकी को बदी पर वार दिया
मंदिर मस्जिद और गिरिजों को
बैंकों की भेंट चढ़ा डाला
इंसानों ने
पैसे के लिए
आपस का प्यार मिटा डाला
दौलत की हवस में लोगों ने
क्या क्या न किया इस दुनिया में
क्या क्या न किया इस दुनिया में
चाहत इज्ज़त मेहनत गैरत
सबका नीलाम उठा डाला
इंसानों ने ए
पैसे के लिए
आपस का प्यार मिटा डाला
प्यार अपने जहाँ खुद दौलत है
ये बात न समझी इंसान ने
प्यार अपने जहाँ खुद दौलत है
ये बात न समझी ई इंसान ने
कुदरत के बनायी दौलत का
सिक्कों में मोल लगा डाला
इंसानों ने ए
पैसे के लिए
आपस का प्यार मिटा डाला