Translated from: ‘Gaata Rahe Mera Dil’ by Salil Dalal, published by Satya Media. Permission for putting up this post has been sought from Satya Media via email. No response has been received as yet. If Satya Media decides to disallow posting of this passage, this post will be taken down.
MAJROOH SULTANPURI
Tuning with S. D. Burman
That Majroohsa’ab had developed good tuning with Sachin-da, not only professionally but also personally, was seen during the making of ‘Baharen Phir Bhi Aayengi’. It was decided that Majrooh Sultanpuri would write the lyrics to S. D. Burman’s music for this Guru Dutt film. Sachin-da became bed-ridden after a sudden heart attack. Guru was requested to wait for a month or so. But Guru Dutt did not accede to this request. So Majrooh took the position: “No Burman-da, no Majrooh”. At last, O. P. Nayyar came in as music director for ‘Baharen Phir Bhi Aayengi’ and the songs were written by Kaifi Azmi in place of Majrooh.
Borrowed lines
The roots of the song,
झूम झूम के नाचो आज, गाओ ख़ुशी के गीत
आज किसी की हार हुई है, आज किसी की जीत
jhuum jhuum ke naacho aaj, gaa_o Kushii ke giit,
aaj kisii kii haar hu_ii hai, aaj kisii kii jiit
written for Mehboob Khan’s film ‘Andaz’ that starred Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar and Nargis, lay in lines created by Prem Dhawan at the time of the country’s independence. Music director Naushad had obtained permission from Prem Dhawan to allow Majrooh to use these lines in the mukha.Daa.
Peer pressure
Sahir Ludhianvi wrote the song ‘zi.ndagii bhar nahii.n bhuulegii vo barasaat kii raat‘ keeping Madhubala in mind. Roshan provoked Majrooh, saying he did not have it in him to write such a song. In reply to this provocation, Majrooh wrote for Meena Kumari in the film ‘Aarti’:
अब क्या मिसाल दूं मैं तुम्हारे शबाब की
इन्सान बन गई है किरन माहताब की
ab kyaa misaal duu.N mai.n tumhaare shabaab kii
insaan ban ga_ii hai kiran, maahataab kii
