Sahir Ludhianvi | |
|---|---|
 2013 stamp featuring Sahir Ludhianvi by India Post | |
| Born | Abdul Hayee (1921-03-08)8 March 1921 |
| Died | 25 October 1980(1980-10-25) (aged 59) Bombay,Maharashtra, India |
| Resting place | Juhu Muslim Cemetery |
| Occupation | Poet, lyricist and writer |
| Education | S.C.D Government College, Ludhiana |
| Period | 20th century |
| Genre | Poetry |
| Subject | Movie Lyrics |
| Literary movement | Progressive Writers' Association |
| Notable awards | Padma Shri (1971) Filmfare Awards (1964 and 1977) |
| Partner | Sudha Malhotra Amrita Pritam |
Abdul Hayee (8 March 1921 – 25 October 1980), popularly known by his pen name (takhallus)Sahir Ludhianvi, was an Indianpoet who wrote primarily inUrdu in addition toHindi.[1] He is regarded as one of the greatest film lyricists and poets of 20th century India.[2]
His work influenced Indian cinema, in particularHindi language films.[3] Sahir won aFilmfare Award for Best Lyricist forTaj Mahal (1963). He won a second Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist for his work inKabhie Kabhie (1976). He was awarded thePadma Shri in 1971.[4][5]
On 8 March 2013, the ninety-second anniversary of Sahir's birth, acommemorative stamp was issued in his honor byIndia Post.[4][6]
Sahir was born on 8 March 1921, in aGujjar family in Karimpura,Ludhiana,Punjab, British India.[7] This is the reason why he added the suffixLudhianvi after his name. His mother, Sardar Begum, left her husband, thus forfeiting any claim to financial assets from the marriage. In 1934, Sahir's father remarried and sued (acrimoniously and unsuccessfully) for custody of his son. In a recent biography titledSahir: A Literary Portrait (Oxford University Press) written by US-based author Surinder Deol, the author agrees with the very brief conclusion of Pakistani poetAhmad Rahi, a friend of Sahir over the years, about Sahir's life story in a nutshell, "In his entire life, Sahir loved once, and he nurtured one hate. He loved his mother, and he hated his father."[5][8] Sardar Begum required protection from Sahir's father and suffered financial deprivation.[9] Sahir's place of birth in Ludhiana is marked with a small plaque on the building's arched entrance.
Sahir was educated at the Khalsa High School inLudhiana. He then enrolled at theGovernment College, Ludhiana.[7] The auditorium there is named after him.[10] As a college student, Sahir was popular for hisghazals andnazms (poetry in Urdu) and empassioned speeches.[11]
In 1943, Sahir settled inLahore. There, he completedTalkhiyaan (Bitterness) (1945), his first published work inUrdu. He was member ofAll India Students Federation. Sahir edited Urdu magazines such asAdab-e-Lateef,Shahkaar,Prithlari, andSavera[11][12] and became a member of theProgressive Writers' Association. However, when he made controversial statements promotingCommunism, a warrant for his arrest was issued by theGovernment of Pakistan. In 1949, after partition, Sahir fled fromLahore toDelhi. After eight weeks, Sahir moved toBombay.[11] He later lived inAndheri, a suburb ofMumbai. There, his neighbours includedGulzar, a poet and lyricist andKrishan Chander, an Urdulitterateur.
Sahir was a member ofIPTA and also theProgressive Writer's Association[13]
Sahir's work as a lyricist in the film industry gave him financial stability beyond his earnings as a poet. He made his debut with four songs performed in the filmAzadi Ki Raah Par (1949). One of the songs wasBadal Rahi Hai Zindagi. Both the film and its songs went unnoticed. However, afterNaujawan (1951), with music byS.D. Burman, Sahir gained recognition. Sahir's major success wasBaazi (1951). Again, the composer was Burman. Sahir was then considered part ofGuru Dutt's team. The last film Sahir made with Burman wasPyaasa (1957).[14] After this film, Sahir and Burman went separate ways due to artistic and contractual differences.[15]
Sahir did work with other composers includingRavi,Roshan,Khayyam andDatta Naik. Datta Naik also credited as N. Datta, a Goan, admired Sahir's poetry and their collaboration produced the score forMilap (1955),Chandrakanta (1956),Sadhna (1958),Dhool Ka Phool (1959),Dharamputra (1961) andNaya Raasta (1970).[16] Sahir also worked with music directorLaxmikant–Pyarelal in the films likeIzzat (1968),Man Ki Aankhen (1970),Dastaan (1972) andDaag (1973). From about 1950 until his death, Sahir collaborated withBaldev Raj Chopra, a film producer and director. Sahir's last work for Chopra was forInsaaf Ka Tarazu (1980).Yash Chopra, both while directing for B.R.films, and later as an independent director and producer, also engaged Sahir as the lyricist for his films, till Sahir's death.[17]
In 1958, Sahir wrote the lyrics for Ramesh Saigal's filmPhir Subah Hogi, which was based onFyodor Dostoevsky's novelCrime and Punishment. The male lead was played byRaj Kapoor. It was presumed thatShankar–Jaikishan would be the composer but Sahir demanded a composer with a more intimate knowledge of the novel.Khayyam composed the film score. The songWoh Subah Kabhi Toh Aayegi with its minimal background music remains popular.Khayyam collaborated with Sahir in many films includingKabhie Kabhie (1976) andTrishul (1978).[18][19]
Sahir was a controversial figure in that he was artistically temperamental. He insisted that the film score should be composed for his lyrics and not the other way around. He also insisted on being paid onerupee more thanLata Mangeshkar and this created a rift between them.[12] Sahir promoted his girlfriend,Sudha Malhotra's singing career.[12] He also insisted thatAll India Radio credit film song lyricists in its broadcasts.
On 25 October 1980, at the age of fifty-nine, Sahir died of asudden cardiac death.[20][12][4] He was buried at theJuhu Muslim cemetery. In 2010, his tomb was demolished to make room for new interments.[21]
| Year | Film | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | Naujawan | [22] | |
| Baazi | [23] | ||
| Sazaa | |||
| 1952 | Doraha | ||
| Jaal | |||
| Lal Kunwar | |||
| 1953 | Alif Laila | ||
| Jeevan Jyoti | |||
| Humsafar | |||
| Arman | |||
| Shahenshah | |||
| 2021 | Love For Sahir Ludhianvi | ||
| Tribute |
The Hindi film,Pyaasa (1957), is said to be inspired by Sahir's unrequited affection for the Hindi novelist and poet,Amrita Pritam and features several famous songs with lyrics written by him.[27] Sahir's life has been chronicled by Sabir Dutt[28] and by Chander Verma and Dr. Salman Abid in "Main Sahir Hoon"[9]
Sahir Ludhianvi: the People's Poet by Akshay Manwani is the product of interviews and writings about Sahir by his friends such as Yash Chopra, Dev Anand,Javed Akhtar, Khayyam,Sudha Malhotra,Ravi Chopra andRavi Sharma.[29] The book also analyses Sahir's poetry and lyrics in the context of his personal life.[30]
| Year | Film | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist[4] | |||
| 1959 | Sadhna | Aurat Ne Janam Diya | Nominated[31] |
| 1960 | Dhool Ka Phool | Tu Hindu Banega | Nominated |
| 1964 | Tajmahal | Jo Waada Kiya | Won[4] |
| Gumrah | Chalo Ek Bar Phir Se | Nominated | |
| 1968 | Hamraaz | Neele Gagan Ke Tale | Nominated |
| 1969 | Aankhen | Milti Hai Zindagi Mein | Nominated |
| 1977 | Kabhi Kabhie | Kabhi Kabhie Mere Dil Mein | Won[4] |
| Main Pal Do Pal Ka Shayar | Nominated | ||
| 1980 | Dada | Dil Ke Tukde Tukde Kar Ke | Nominated |
Transferred the progressive Urdu literature exemplified by poetFaiz Ahmad Faiz to the Hindi film lyric...
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Academics | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
