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

Jaane Woh Kaise Log The Jinke Pyar Ko Pyar Mila

This immortal song of Pyaasa(1957) was written by Sahir Ludhianvi, sung by Hemant Kumar and composed by S D Burman. This song was inspired by the second stanza of our national anthem, according to a book on celebrated music composer S. D. Burman.
"In a conversation with lyricist Pulak Bandyopadhyay, Burman had mentioned that the second line of the national anthem—Punjab Sindh(u) Gujarat Maratha Dravid Utkal Banga—had inspired the line, 'Humne to Jab Khushiyaan Maangi'.
"The reference to the national anthem is so subtle that unless someone points it out, it is next to impossible to spot a similarity."
Pyaasa had 10 songs, two solo songs were sung by Geeta Dutt, and one duet of Geeta Dutt and Mohammad Rafi, all the other were solo of Rafi except this song. In fact, Guru Dutt wanted this song to be sung by Rafi but Burman Dada insisted on Hemant Kumar. Dada knew that this song suits Hemant Kumar, one of the highlights of this song was the aching frailty of Hemant's rendition.  A major argument took place between Guru Dutt, composer Burman Dada, writer Abrar Alvi, and Geeta Dutt. Finally, Dutt, who remained unconvinced, had to give in to the pressure.

This song was picturized on Guru Dutt. He is leaning against a bookshelf, wearing a white shawl, stretching his hands, a wry smile even though he was deserted. Singing in a small gathering organized by his employer Rehman, where he meets his ex-girlfriend Mala Sinha, who abandoned him for wealth by marrying none other than the man currently employing him. 
If you listen carefully you will find a piece of very light music is being played in the background. Burman Dada had arranged the song with delicate piano notes, surprisingly np piano is shown on the screen. 
Once  Burman dada was asked why this song had such little music. He replied that the poetry was the hero of the song and had to be showcased. And it’s true, the soft tune in the background pushes Sahir Ludhianvi’s words to the forefront. Unfortunately, this was the last song of Sahir composed by Dada Burman. They never worked together after this song and film.

Song of Pyaasa 1957

The Story Behind the Song'Tadbeer Se Bigdi Hui Taqdeer Bana Le'

This super hit song from the Navketan's Baazi(1951) was written by Sahir Ludhianvi was a Ghazal to be picturized as per the situation but Dada Burman felt that in this situation Ghazal will not suit so he effortlessly turned it into a club song and changed the situation. 
This song was sung by Geeta Roy(Dutt) You would be surprised to note that Guru Dutt who was the director of the film fell in love with Geeta Roy during the recording of this song.
The mahurat of Baazi took place in 1950, the mahurat shot was taken on the sequence of this song. Everybody present there appreciated the song and its picturization. When the film was released, it became a super-duper hit, this song became so popular that audiences came repeatedly to watch just this song. 
This was the first shot of the career as a director for Guru Dutt obviously wanted to use his skills as a choreographer, learned at no less an institution than Uday Shankar’ for the mahurat shot. It was a delicately balanced scene. A long shot on the gangster’s moll, who was to seduce the hero. Yet she was obviously half in love with the debonair, dashingly handsome young man, and even as she sang to him to lure him along, she wished to warn him of the dangers lurking around.
An NRI musician Sadanand Warrier says that it was surprising that Dada who had no affection and knowledge of western music could use chromatic notes in the interlude of the song. Even the 'Hey Hey Hey Hey' is essentially chromatic movement.
In an interview, Dada Burman said that he deliberately used the phrase 'Hey Hey Hey Hey' to capture the feelings of being truly liberated as portrayed by the young woman. This song became a rage, it is said the people liked this song so much that cine-goers used to see the movie only for this song, many would walk out after the song ends.
S D Burman once said in Filmfare that.once he was fishing in Calcutta and was not able to catch a single fish, he set patiently for the whole day but couldn't catch any. Thoroughly disappointedly he was calling it a bad day, suddenly a boy of 10 years jumped into the pond and started singing his this Baazi song not knowing the composer of the song sitting there. That made his day It was the biggest catch of his life.

Song of Baazi 1951