Raja Mehdi Ali Khan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1915-09-23)23 September 1915 |
| Died | 29 July 1966(1966-07-29) (aged 50) |
| Occupation(s) | Poet, Writer and Film Songs Lyricist |
| Years active | 1946–1966 |
| Notable work | Wrote popular songs for films Shaheed Anpadh Woh Kaun Thi? Mera Saaya |
| Spouse | Tahira |
Raja Mehdi Ali Khan (23 September 1915 – 29 July 1966) was an Indian poet, writer and a lyricist.
Raja Mehdi Ali Khan was born on 23 September 1915 at Karamabad village, nearWazirabad,Gujranwala District ofPunjab, British India, now Pakistan.[1][2] Mehdi Ali lost his father when he was four. His mother Hubia Khanum who was the sister ofMaulana Zafar Ali Khan, got him educated and he completed his basic education atIslamia College (Lahore).[2]
As he grew up, Mehdi Ali started working at the editorial staff ofPhool andTehzeeb-e-Niswan Urdu magazineas fromLahore. Then he joined as a writer at theAll India Radio,Delhi in 1942.[2] Here he got acquainted with the noted writerSaadat Hasan Manto. Manto, who was active in the Hindi film industry, asked film actorAshok Kumar to find Mehdi Ali some kind of a job. He soon got a film calledAath Din (1946) in which he not only wrote dialogues but also acted.Sashadhar Mukherjee, one of the partners inFilmistan Studio, gave Mehdi Ali a chance to write lyrics for his film,Do Bhai (1947). Songs from the film such as "Mera Sunder Sapna Beet Gaya" and "Yaad Karoge" became instant hits.[2][3]
In 1947, Mehdi and his wife Tahira decided to stay in India instead of migrating toPakistan. They came to this decision despite the wave of riots plaguing the country. In 1948, his patriotism manifested in his songs, "Watan Ki Raah Mein" and "Todi Todi Bachche", which were used in the filmShaheed.[3]
He worked with music composers includingSachin Dev Burman, Iqbal Qureshi, Babul,S. Mohinder,Chic Chocolate, and Rono Mukherjee. He also wrote songs forC. Ramchandra,Datta Naik ("Sare Jahan Se Acha Hindustan Hamara"),O. P. Nayyar ("Main Pyar Ka Raahi Hoon") andLaxmikant Pyarelal ("Jaal","Anita").
He formed a successful partnership withMadan Mohan which began withMadhosh in 1951. It was alsoMadan Mohan's third film as a music director. The two shared a great rapport and their later collaborations in films such asAnpadh,Mera Saaya,Woh Kaun Thi?,Neela Akash,Dulhan Ek Raat Ki,Anita andNawab Siraj-ud-Daulah proved to be massive hits.[3] His songLag Jaa Gale fromWoh Kaun Thi? was named among the top ten all-time favorites in film history to be "retired" from Antakshari onZee TV.
Raja Mehadi Ali Khan also worked withLaxmikant-Pyarelal forRaj Khosla musicalAnita (1967)Samne Mere Sawariyan,Tum Bin Jeevan Kaise Beeta. Second film wasJaal (1967).
He died in Mumbai on 29 July 1966. He and his wife Tahira, remained childless even though he himself loved to interact with children.[2]
It is said that when he was seriously ill and was on his deathbed, even then he kept his humorous side and was seen laughing with his visitors.[2]
