Sahirs are not born often

I have attended so many farewell parties and am now awaiting mine due shortly, but the song usually renders at such parties is that eternal romantic creation from film Hum Dono:

अभी ना जाओ
छोड़ कर कि
दिल अभी
भरा नहीं

It also proves the power of the writer’s pen as the romantic creation caters to the angst relating to parting irrespective of the nature of love – between lovers, friends or colleagues.

When we are in a reflective mood, thinking about the very philosophy of life, the chances are that more often than not the following song from the evergreen Yash Chopra film Kabhi Kabhie will come to haunt us:

मै
पल
दो पल का
शायर हूँ

And for conveying the feelings of the forlorn heart, which song other than the above movie’s title song be more relevant:

कभी कभी
मेरे दिल में
खयाल आता है

And when the love just starts to blossom and needs to be expressed, this evergreen hit from another Yash Chopra hit Daag is matchless:

मेरे दिल में
आज क्या है
तू कहें तों
मैं बता दूँ

And the contentment arising out of a consummated love is seldom conveyed more beautifully than this immortal number from Naya Daur:

मांग के
साथ
तुम्हारा

And the sensitivity of a failed love are to be expressed in this unique style as conveyed by lyricist in this superb piece of poetry from Gumraah, which is contrary to mindless revenge and violence ( blackmail, killing, throwing acid etc) that is being blatantly witnessed today:

चलो
इक बार
फिर से
अजनबी
बन जाए
हम दोनों

And this classic number from Pyaasa is the anthem for any unrequited love:

जाने वो
कैसे लोग थे
जिनके
प्यार को
प्यार मिला

One life that we have been blessed with is to be lived in a carefree and lively fashion, bereft of worrying about things not in our control and this emotion is beautifully expressed in this marvellous ditty again from Dev Anand starring Hum Dono:

मैं
जिंदगी का
साथ
निभाता चला

Another philosophical message in verse from Pyaasa summarises the futility of materialism:

ये दुनिया
अगर
मिल भी जाए
तो क्या है

🔸
And with Dilip Kumar dancing to the Punjabi beats of OP Nayyar in this patriotic song from Naya Daur, the entire body gets charged up:

ये
देश है
वीर
जवानों का

And the angst of the nation at unfulfilled objectives of freedom is best expressed in this pathos filled poem from the movie Pyaasa:

जिन्हें
नाज़ है
हिंद पर
वो
कहाँ है

The epitome of pessimism was actually used twice in two different films – Lighthouse and Pyaasa that read:

तंग
आ चुके है
कशमकश-ए-जिंदगी से
हम

🔹
The universal prayer that can be intoned by anyone irrespective of his or her faith is a lilting melody from Hum Dono:

अल्ला
तेरो नाम
ईश्वर
तेरो नाम

And upon partition of this country on religious lines, one poet had the foresight and courage to give the message of humanity in movie Dharamputra;

तू
हिंदू
बनेगा
ना
मुसलमान
बनेगा

🔹
The anthem of all senior citizens to dance to at their golden wedding anniversary is the only this evergreen song from Waqt:

ए मेरी
जोहराजबी
तुझे
मालूम नहीं

And whenever one recollects the first flame of romance burning in the heart, the song reminiscent is this love anthem from Barsat Ki Raat:

जिंदगी भर
ना
भूलेगी
ये
बरसात की
रात

This is an ode, a eulogy to a poet par excellence, who seemed to have his fingers on the nerve of the connoisseurs of Hindi/Urdu, more specifically, Hindustani poetry that’s slowly undergoing extinction. There are navarasas or nine moods ; but Sahir could use his pen to create hundreds of nuances by mixing the above nine moods, such was the power of his writing.

He would have completed a century, being born in 1921.

मुझसे पहले कितने शायर
आए और आकर चले गए
कुछ आहें भर कर लौट गए
कुछ नग़मे गाकर चले गए
वो भी एक पल का किस्सा था
मैं भी एक पल का किस्सा हूँ
कल तुमसे जुदा हो जाऊँगा
वो आज तुम्हारा हिस्सा हूँ
मैं पल दो पल का शायर हूँ

Sahir was not a momentary phenomenon- but who would live till eternity through his body of classic work.