{"id":6981,"date":"2023-02-18T00:14:11","date_gmt":"2023-02-17T18:44:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/?p=6981"},"modified":"2023-02-18T21:33:20","modified_gmt":"2023-02-18T16:03:20","slug":"jan-nisar-akhtar-of-romance-and-hope","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/jan-nisar-akhtar-of-romance-and-hope\/","title":{"rendered":"Jan Nisar Akhtar \u2013 Of Romance and Hope"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Jan

Jan Nisar Akhtar<\/p><\/div>\n

The \u2018Golden Age\u2019 of Hindi film music gave us a treasure trove of melodies that continue to be popular today. While many of these sequences in films were only added to invite footfalls into theatres, great directors like Raj Kapoor, Guru Dutt, V Shantaram, Chetan and Vijay Anand, etc., used songs effectively to push the narrative forward. Music directors, too, demanded great lyrics that would adorn the melodies they so lovingly created. Naushad, for instance, a poet himself, is said to have made Shakeel Badayuni write 17 iterations of lyrics for a song before he was satisfied. In such an age, it was but natural that the film industry turned to poets who were not only fluent in word play in Hindi and Urdu, but also well-steeped in the idiom and cadence of image-rich verse. One such poet-lyricist was Jan Nisar Akhtar.<\/p>\n

He was born Syed Jan Nisar Hussain Rizvi on 18 February 1914 in a family of writers and Islamic scholars. His father Muztar Khairabadi was a well-known Urdu poet and he grew up surrounded by literature and poetry.<\/p>\n

Thanks to the emphasis on education in his erudite family, the young man soon earned his B.A Honours and M.A degrees from Aligarh Muslim University. Unfortunately, financial constraints cut short his doctoral studies and he returned to Gwalior to take up a teaching job, and later, moved to Bhopal where he taught at Hamidia University. By this time, he was an integral part of the Progressive Writers\u2019 Movement and a staunch communist.<\/p>\n

\"Jan

Jan Nisar Akhtar and Dilip Kumar (Pic courtesy: Film History Pics)<\/p><\/div>\n

When the Communist Party of India was banned, Akhtar lost his job and like many of his compeers, went into hiding. He was married by this time, to Safiya Siraj-ul-Haq, the sister of poet Majaz Lucknowi, and had two children, Javed and Salman. When Akhtar moved to Bombay to seek better prospects, Safiya stayed back in Bhopal with their sons. [Her correspondence with Akhtar would be posthumously published as Harf-e-Aashna<\/em> and \u00adZer-e-Lab.<\/em>]<\/p>\n

\"\"

Jan Nisar Akhtar with sons (Pic courtesy: Lucknow FB)<\/p><\/div>\n

In Bombay, Akhtar soon became friends with other progressive writers like Majrooh Sultanpuri, Rajinder Singh Bedi and Ismat Chugtai, among others. Though he began to write lyrics for films as a means to complement his meagre income, it wasn\u2019t until he wrote songs for Yasmin (<\/em>1955) that he tasted a small measure of success.<\/p>\n

His songs for Hindi films were painted in familiar shades of love, loss and longing, but his poems continued to reflect his socialist leanings and emphasized the Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb<\/em> that looked beyond man-made divisions of region, religion and language.<\/p>\n

On his 109th<\/sup> birth anniversary, I\u2019d like to take you on a journey through his oeuvre. Please not that these are very subjective choices.<\/p>\n

\"aye-dil-e-nadan\"

Hema Malini in Ae dil-e-nadan<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Ae dil-e-nadaan<\/em><\/strong>
\nRazia Sultan<\/em><\/strong> (1983)<\/strong>
\nSinger: Lata Mangeshkar<\/strong>
\nMusic: Khayyam<\/strong><\/p>\n

In yet another Kamal Amrohi film that took years to complete comes this song that is the pi\u00e8ce de resistance of a score that harked back to the 50s in its melodies. Picturized on the Empress of the Delhi Sultanate as she ponders the call of duty over the pull of her heart, Akhtar\u2019s words paint a vivid portrait of a love that can have devastating consequences.<\/p>\n

Ae dil-e-naadaan, aisi raahon mein kitne kaante hain<\/em>
\nAarzuuon ne har kisi dil ko dard baante hain<\/em>
\nKitne ghaayal hain, kitne bismil hain<\/em><\/p>\n

Jan Nisar Akhtar died nearly seven years before the film released (Kaifi Azmi, Nida Fazli and Kaif Bhopali took over to write the remaining songs) but this one song is enough to cement his position in the pantheon of great poet-lyricists.<\/p>\n

Watch Ae dil-e-nadaan<\/em> on YouTube<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

————-\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Piya

Chand Usmani and Kishore Kumar in Piya piya piya mora jiya pukare<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Piya piya piya mora jiya pukare<\/em><\/strong>
\nBaap re Baap <\/em><\/strong>(1955)<\/strong>
\nSingers: Asha Bhosle, Kishore Kumar<\/strong>
\nMusic: OP Nayyar<\/strong><\/p>\n

From the sublime to the not-so-serious \u2013 if proof were needed for Akhtar\u2019s versatility, then there can be no better testimony than this. One of Akhtar\u2019s earliest songs for OP Nayyar, this song is filled with the euphoria of romance, not its confusion. It also proved that he could write to a given metre, even if that meant word repetition.<\/p>\n

Ye chhip-chhip humse chale ho kahaan sainyaan<\/em>
\nMain laaguun tore painyaan na chhod mori bainyaan<\/em>
\nYe chhab matwaari ye mukh gora gora<\/em>
\nNa dekho dekho aise ki jiya dole mora<\/em>
\nBhole bhaale naina mere jaane kya ishaare<\/em>
\nTum to basi ho gori man mein hamaare<\/em><\/p>\n

In an interview, Asha Bhosle recollected how she had made a mistake while recording the song, singing out of turn. In those days, it would have meant re-recording the whole song, but Kishore, who was also acting in the movie, assured her that he would take care of it while filming the song. And indeed, he did. During the picturisation, Chand Usmani sings Asha\u2019s line, and Kishore silences her mid-word by placing his hand over her mouth, as he continues to lip sync to his own line of verse.<\/p>\n

Watch\u00a0Piya piya piya mora jiya pukare <\/em>on YouTube<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

————-<\/p>\n

\"Johnny

Johnny Walker in Gareeb jaan ke<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Gareeb jaan ke <\/em><\/strong>
\nChhoo Mantar <\/em><\/strong>(1956)<\/strong>
\nSinger: Mohammed Rafi<\/strong>
\nMusic: OP Nayyar<\/strong><\/p>\n

It is hard to think of Johnny Walker as a hopeless romantic. He\u2019s usually up to some mischief or the other. But in this film, stricken by love for a princess, he waits outside her palace so he can sing to her of his love, hoping that she will soften towards him. Akhtar\u2019s verses could almost become an anthem for lovelorn youth everywhere.<\/p>\n

Gareeb jaan ke hum ko na tum mita dena<\/em>
\nTum hi ne dard diya hai tum hi dawa dena<\/em>
\nLagi hai chot kaleje pe umr bhar ke liye<\/em>
\nTadap rahe hain muhobbat mein ik nazar ke liye<\/em>
\nNazar milaake muhobbat se muskuraa dena\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

Anyone who has ever been in love can empathize with the desperation of wanting their beloved to look at them, smile at them, just once!<\/p>\n

Watch\u00a0Gareeb jaan ke\u00a0<\/em>on YouTube<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

————-<\/p>\n

\"Aankhon

Shakila and Dev Anand in Aankhon hi aankhon mein<\/p><\/div>\n

Aankhon hi aankhon mein<\/em><\/strong>
\nC.I.D.<\/em><\/strong> (1956)<\/strong>
\nSingers: Mohammed Rafi, Geeta Dutt<\/strong>
\nMusic: OP Nayyar<\/strong><\/p>\n

If Gareeb jaan ke <\/em>is the voice of the romantic, then Aankhon hi aankhon mein<\/em> has surely distilled the essence of flirtation. When hurt and angry eyes meet contrite ones, what else can one expect?<\/p>\n

Apna woh zor hai apna woh shor hai<\/em>
\nHum ko hai sab pata dil mein jo chor hai<\/em>
\nYe chor kaise gawaara ho gaya?<\/em><\/p>\n

To all her queries, all he can say is:<\/p>\n

Aankhon hi aankhon mein ishaara ho gaya<\/em>
\nBaith baith jeene ka sahaara ho gaya\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

Her eyes give him a reason to live.<\/p>\n

Watch\u00a0Aankhon hi aankhon mein\u00a0<\/em>on YouTube<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

————-<\/p>\n

\"Meena

Meena Kumari in Meri neendon mein tum<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Meri neendon mein tum<\/em><\/strong>
\nNaya Andaz <\/em><\/strong>(1956)<\/strong>
\nSingers: Shamshad Begum, Kishore Kumar<\/strong>
\nMusic: OP Nayyar<\/strong><\/p>\n

A relatively entertaining film with a plethora of songs (given that both Meena Kumari and Kishore Kumar play stage entertainers), Naya<\/em> Andaz<\/em> was only a moderate success and therefore the songs \u2013 and their writer \u2013 languished.<\/p>\n

Meri neendon mein tum<\/em> is a sweetly romantic number that captures the feeling of being in love.<\/p>\n

Dil pe chhaayi khushi hai labon par hansii hai<\/em>
\nKhili hai tere pyaar ki chandni<\/em>
\nJhoomti hai nigaahein nasha chaa raha hai<\/em>
\nKe dil gaa raha hai teri raagini<\/em>
\nHaule haule sajan mera kehta hai mann<\/em>
\nAb to laagi lagan<\/em><\/p>\n

In one of her rare interviews, Shamshad Begum recalled Kishore Kumar as a dishevelled lad who was always full of fun. He often wondered whether he would be as famous as his elder brother, and would pester Shamshad for encouragement. \u201cDestiny is a great thing<\/em>,\u201d she recalls telling him. \u201cTomorrow, you may be more popular than anyone else<\/em>.\u201d Prophetic words, indeed!<\/p>\n

Watch Meri neendon mein tum<\/em> on YouTube<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

————-<\/p>\n

\"Prem

Prem Parbat poster (Pic courtesy: Cinestaan)<\/p><\/div>\n

Ye dil aur unke nigaahon ke saaye<\/em><\/strong>
\nPrem Parbat<\/em><\/strong> (1973)<\/strong>
\nSinger: Lata Mangeshkar<\/strong>
\nMusic: Jaidev<\/strong><\/p>\n

A not-very-well-known film* (that suffered due to an altercation between the financiers and producers), an underrated composer, a handful of beautiful songs\u2026 that\u2019s Prem Parbat<\/em> in a nutshell. With the prints of the film destroyed, all that remains are these songs, of which, Ye dil aur unke nigaahon ke saaye<\/em> is perhaps the best known. Akhtar\u2019s lyrics lend a sweet simplicity to this beautiful melody that sings of the freedom that love brings in its wake.<\/p>\n

Dhadakte hain dil kitni aazaadiyon se<\/em>
\nBahut milte julte hai in waadiyon se<\/em>
\nMuhobbat ki rangeen panaahon ke saaye<\/em>
\nYe dil aur unki nigaahon ke saaye<\/em>
\nMujhe gher lete hain baahon ke saaye<\/em><\/p>\n

Watch Yeh dil aur unki nigaahon ke saaye<\/em> on YouTube<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

*Edited due to clarification in comments<\/em><\/pre>\n
————-<\/p>\n
\"\"
Sangat poster (Pic courtesy: Saregama)<\/p><\/div>\n
Balma mora aanchra<\/em><\/strong>
\nSangat<\/em><\/strong> (1976)<\/strong>
\nSingers: Lata Mangeshkar<\/strong>
\nMusic: Salil Choudhury<\/strong><\/p>\n
The only film for which Akhtar wrote for Salil Choudhury, Balma mora aanchra <\/em>is a beautiful melody that should be better known than it is. Unfortunately, this Basu Bhattacharya-helmed movie starring Rakesh Pande and Kajri languished in the cans for years until it was released in 1992 as Kabhi Dhoop Kabhi Chhaon<\/em>. And the songs, beautiful as they are, were forgotten.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/em>Dil ko mere chhoo le tere badan ki ye khushboo suhaani<\/em>
\nDekho dekho chupke naache lahuu mein umangein deewani<\/em><\/p>\n
Such evocative lyrics!<\/p>\n
Watch Balma mora aachra<\/em> on YouTube<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
————-<\/p>\n
\"\"
Dilli ka Dada poster<\/p><\/div>\n
Dhoondhe nazar nazar <\/em><\/strong>
\nDilli ka Dada<\/em><\/strong> (1962)<\/strong>
\nSingers: Mahendra Kapoor, Asha Bhosle<\/strong>
\nMusic: N Dutta<\/strong><\/p>\n
Many songs, like Thomas Gray\u2019s flowers \u2013 \u2018born to blush unseen<\/em>\u2019 \u2013 are ignored because they were written\/composed for films that weren\u2019t worthy of them. An obscure film like Dilli ka Dada<\/em> had some lovely melodies composed by the underrated music director, N Dutta.<\/p>\n
This one, written by Akhtar, is a lilting romantic ballad that sings of different facets of love, including the lovers\u2019 fear of being discovered.<\/p>\n
Keh do ke hum ko na dekhe koi,<\/em>
\nAise ke ye dil dhadakne lage
\nMain kya karoon mere seene mein jab
\nIk aag meethi bhadakne lage
\nDil ko bachaake,
\nKhud ko chhupaake,
\nAakhir kahaan ab le jaayen hum<\/em><\/p>\n
Watch Dhoondhe nazar nazar<\/em> on YouTube<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
————-<\/p>\n
\"Jan
Jan Nisar Akhtar and Mohammed Rafi (Pic courtesy: Twitter)<\/p><\/div>\n
Gham ki andheri raat mein<\/em><\/strong>
\nSushila<\/em><\/strong> (1966)<\/strong>
\nSingers: Mohammed Rafi, Talat Mahmood<\/strong>
\nMusic: C Arjun<\/strong><\/p>\n
Yet another beautiful melody in yet another obscure film; in the absence of video clips much less the film itself, it is impossible to know who the song was picturized on. However, this is a song that is rendered beautifully by Rafi and Talat.<\/p>\n
Akhtar turns his hand to alternating between hope and despair.<\/p>\n
Jis se na dil bahal saka<\/em>
\nAisi khabar se faaidaa<\/em>
\nRaat abhi dhali kahaan<\/em>
\nKhwaab-e-sahar se faaidaa<\/em>
\nFasl-e-bahaar aayegi<\/em>
\nDaur-e-khizaan guzaar kar<\/em>
\nSubah zaroor aayegi<\/em>
\nSubah ka intezaar kar<\/em><\/p>\n
This obscure film has a rather chequered history. According to Geet Kosh,<\/em> the music for Sushila <\/em>was released in 1963, while the film itself was certified, possibly released, only in 1966. A decade later, in 1977, this film was re-released as Subah Zaroor Aayegi<\/em> (which is part of this song\u2019s refrain \u2013 \u2018Subah zaroor aayegi, subah ka intezaar kar\u2019<\/em>).<\/p>\n
Watch Gham ki andheri raat mein<\/em> on YouTube<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n
————-<\/p>\n
\"\"
Ragini and Padmini in Tu hai mera prem devata<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n
Tu hain mera prem devta<\/em><\/strong>
\nKalpana<\/em><\/strong> (1960)<\/strong>
\nSingers: Mohammed Rafi, Manna Dey<\/strong>
\nMusic: OP Nayyar<\/strong><\/p>\n
This song is as unlike an \u2018OP Nayyar song\u2019 as can be. Moving away from his signature tonga<\/em> beats and his Punjabi roots, Nayyar composes a melodious classical tune, rendered beautifully by two of the greatest male singers of all time. Onscreen, two gifted dancers dance in a duel to the end. And Akhtar rose to the occasion with verses that compared the love of a woman for her beloved to that of a devotee towards the Lord.<\/p>\n
Main Gauri tu Kanth hamaara<\/em>
\nMain Ganga tu mera kinaara<\/em>
\nAng lagaao pyaas bujhaao<\/em>
\nNadiya hokar pyaasi hoon main<\/em>
\nMan ki pyaas bujhaane aayi<\/em>
\nAntarghat tak pyaasi hoon main<\/em>
\nTu hai mera prem devta\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n
Watch\u00a0Tu hain mera prem devta\u00a0<\/em>on YouTube<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n
And so, a poet, whose poems reflected his socialist, leftist ideology, was also a lyricist who delicately tinted his verses in the disparate shades of romance. This seeming contradiction reflected a personality whose innate romanticism fuelled his idealism and his ideology. Jan Nisar Akhtar died nearly five decades ago, but his words \u2013 whether poetry or lyrics \u2013 lives on, a legacy to a man who was, in his son\u2019s words, \u201ca real poet \u2013 the word \u2018shaayar\u2019 was made looking at him.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n
More Must-Reads in Silhouette<\/strong><\/p>\n
Kaifi Azmi: A Poet for the Ages<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n
\u2018If Raj Uncle Liked a Song, He Would Give Baba a Gold Coin\u2019: Amla Shailendra Remembers Her Father \u2018Kaviraj\u2019 Shailendra<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
Sahir Ludhianvi: The Rebel, The Lover<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
\u2018Tu Jahan Jahan Chalega, Mera Saya Saath Hoga\u2019 \u2013 The Everlasting Songs of Raja Mehdi Ali<\/strong> Khan<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n
  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
For a poet who was part of the Progressive Writers\u2019 Movement, Jan Nisar Akhtar\u2019s lyrics for Hindi film songs were delicately shaded with the disparate colours of romance, writes Anuradha Warrier<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":789,"featured_media":7006,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[821],"tags":[513,527,910,2242,534,1242,1814,1636,956,1562],"class_list":["post-6981","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music-makers","tag-guide-dev-anand","tag-geeta-dutt","tag-hema-malini","tag-jan-nisar-akhtar","tag-lata-mangeshkar","tag-mohd-rafi","tag-op-nayyar","tag-op-nayyar-music","tag-salil-chowdhury","tag-talat-mahmood"],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6981","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/789"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6981"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6981\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7007,"href":"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6981\/revisions\/7007"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7006"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6981"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6981"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6981"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}