Chhaayaageet #154 - "What you have written is offensive to God."
At the young age of 17 years, the self-taught musician gets a chance to compose one song in a film. It does not make an impression anywhere. Then three years of drought follow, beating the trodden path to many a studio, to meet many a producer and filmmaker. In times like these, patience and faith can run thin. Work comes in a trickle and then it dries up. A little flash of light and then back in the darkness of oblivion.
One day the young man finds out that his friend's elder brother is going to be directing a film. He decides that come what may, he must bag this film as the music composer. He almost stalks the director. But the director is busy finishing up another film and has no time, neither does he have any interest. The young man does not give up.
Who knows today might be the lucky day? Word is that the director is going to be at Mehboob Studios. The young musician decides to park himself at the studio hoping for a run in with the director. He stands outside the restroom. Man's gotta pee at some point during the day, right?
As ordained, the director takes a bio break. The young musician follows him inside the restroom. While washing hands, he introduces himself to the director, and without a pause to even take a breath, he says, "I would like to present a few lines for your next film."
The director is alarmed, even slightly annoyed at this intrusion and being held hostage in a restroom. But then he relents and asks the young man to present his lines and do it quick.
The young man sings a verse that he has written himself and set it to a tune. The director is stunned. He actually likes the show and tell. He tells the musician to wait until close of business, and leaves the restroom to get back to his shoot.
At the end of the day, the director summons the young musician and together they drive to the lyricist's house.
Introductions are made. The lyricist is a big name in the industry. The young musician suggests hesitatingly, "I have written a verse for a song that you are going to write for this film."
The lyricist asks him to recite. The young man repeats his performance from the afternoon, and sings the verse he has written once again in front of the lyricist.
The lyricist ponders for a while. The young man is not sure what to expect.
"We cannot use the verse you have written", the lyricist gives his verdict.
The young man is disappointed, and a little angry too. He wonders, how big is the ego of this lyricist that a newcomer dare suggest a verse to a veteran like him? However, the young man conceals his anger, and asks politely, "Why cannot we use this verse?"
The lyricist looks somewhere in the distance and thinks for a while, and then comes back with a response. "Because what you have written is offensive to God. Ideally, a man's love for God should not be less than his love for a human, even if she is his beloved. It is disrespecting our Creator."
The young musician is confused and doesn't quite understand. The lyricist looks at both of them, and continues, "But if you and the producer like the verse you have written, and want me to use your verse in my lyrics, we can, but we cannot use it unless we add another verse to your verse."
And in two seconds, the lyricist scribbles two more lines on a piece of paper. He further explains, "Since your verse means that the lover has gone ahead and loved his beloved more than his God, then he must seek God's forgiveness. So by adding the verse I have written to your verse, the lover can honor his beloved, as well as honor his greater respect and love for God. That would complete the mukhda and be correct for our respect for God."
Hearing this, the young musician feels guilty that he suspected this great lyricist to have an ego to reject his verse. He is humbled by the lyricist's humility and deep understanding of God and man. The young man looks down on the piece of paper and sees the words:
Rab mujhe maaf kare,
Mera insaaf kare
Anu Malik got his first big break as a music composer with the film Sohni Mahiwal (1984), directed by Umesh Mehra. Anand Bakshi added the two lines to the mukhda and wrote the lyrics for the rest of the song Rab mujhe maaf kare. The song is sung by Asha Bhosle and Anwar, and filmed on Poonam Dhillon and Sunny Deol in lead roles.
Sohni Mahiwal was acclaimed as a commercial success and the music and songs became very popular. Anu Malik got his first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director. Anand Bakshi was also nominated as Best Lyricist for the song "Sohni Chinab di". The film won Filmfare awards for Best Female Playback Singer (Anupama Deshpande for the song "Sohni Chinab di"), Best Editing (MS Shinde), Best Sound Design (Brahmanand Shinde).
Sohni Mahiwal was an Indo-Russian collaboration and the film was extensively shot in Russia. This was Sunny Deol's second film after his blockbuster debut film Betaab (1983). Poonam Dhillon made her debut with Trishul (1978), however, she got acclaim as an actress only after Sohni Mahiwal.
Lyrics: Anand Bakshi
Music: Anu Malik
Singers: Asha Bhosle, Anwar
*ing: Poonam Dhillon, Sunny Deol
Director: Umesh Mehra
Film: Sohni Mahiwal (1984)