"...Pal do Pal ka Shayar hun ... "


-Dominic Crasto

(SPECTRUM - M.L.DAHANUKAR COLLEGE OF COMMERCE  Vol. XXI, 1981)

             In the death of Sahir Ludhianvi, Hindi Filmdom has lost a very great poet. He was one of the very few who held the view that words not only gave meaning but feeling to the song.
             Hindi,and Urdu - both the languages were mastered by Sahir. He commanded a very special niche in Urdu literary circles.
             Sahir vibed particularly well with those whose stream of thoughts moved in the same direction as his own, or with those who would submerge their composing personality in his, to lend greater significance to the power of the written word.
             Sahir tuned well with both Khayyam and Roshan -- two diametrically opposite cornposers. Khayyam always held the view that Sahir alone was capable of providing meaningful lyrics to a powerful theme.
             In his movies, lyrics always played a dominant role. The songs written by him would merge with the music so well that one could not distinguish the poetry from the music and it was due to this that Sahir found a ready rapport with veteran producer & director B. R. Chopra because this filmmaker also held the view that lyrics played a greater role and music must play second fiddle.
             Sometimes the music of a Sahir film suffered in quality because of the predominance of his poetry, but then, his poetry was always good. For example in 'Barsaat Ki Raat' Sahir & Roshan collaborated to work out a musical miracle in the shape of acceptable 'quawalis'. The late Roshan understood the importance of a top class poet's lyrics and so he was able to submerge his own musical personality in the words without any ego clash.
             But for all his literary standing he was never really a 'film' lyricist in the accepted sense of the word.
             Sahir never failed to come up with the right words for every situation. How apt for the situation were songs such as-

    'Babul Ki Dhuanye leti jaa'    (Neel Kamal),

    'Jo Waada Kiya Woh Nibhana...'     (Taj Mahal),

    'Zindagi bhar nahin bhulegi woh Barsaat ki raat.......'     (Barsaat ki raat),

    'Sathi haat Badaana... .'     (Naya Daur),

    'Kabhie Kabhie mere dil mein....'     (Kabhie Kabbie).
            
In his work, he used to show the way of life to the people. Sahir did this work beautifully through his songs.

    'Chalo ek bar phir se ainabi...'    (Gumrah)

    'Eh Mahalon, eh thakton, eh tajo ki duniya.... '     (Pyaasa)

    'Dur rahkar na karo baat.. .'     (Amaanat)

    'Na tu jamin ke liye. . . .'     (Dastan).

    'Eh desh hai veer javanoka...'     (Naya Daur)
            
             Sahir belonged to the most artistic group of poets along with. Shakeel, Raja Mehndi Ali Khan and Shailendra, who could elevate the worldly sphere of film music.
             How appropriate are the words of his own song

                          'Main pal do pal ka shayar hun.......' (Kabhie Kabhie)

             to his own life - the life of a poet.