Chhaayaageet #177 - "I want exactly this line in the song"

The filmmaker has a song stuck in his mind and is humming it constantly. It’s non-stop and this is over multiple days. Now where did he hear it? He thinks hard. He did have this evening engagement a few days back. It’s great to socialize with like-minded people. Yes, that's where he heard it. They played several oldies on their gramophone and this was one of them.

But there was something unique about this one. It was sung by the Malika-e-Tarannum herself and that makes it even more special. Sadly, she had to move across the border. The poet who wrote the nazm went through similar circumstances. He moved too although he had a soft corner for the communists. That didn’t go well with the ruling party and the poor guy had to move around the world in exile hiding from his foes.

Another interesting thing that the filmmaker noticed. He is not singing the beginning lines. It's just one line from the middle of the mukhda. It keeps repeating in his mind and lips. What a line!

The filmmaker is currently working on a big production. Big-name brands. Music is always a hallmark of his movies. That trend has to continue. He sets up some time with the lyricist.

The lyricist has been around the block. He has worked with the filmmaker and shares a great rapport. The filmmaker jumps straight to the topic at hand. “I need you to get started on the lyrics for one of the romantic songs in the film.” The lyricist is puzzled. That’s what his job is. “Yes, of course. I will start working on it. You could have just called and said this on the phone.” The filmmaker is not completely done yet. “There is one more thing. I just heard this nazm from the yesteryears and I am completely mesmerized by the poetry. I want you to use a specific line in your overall lyrics.” He scribbles something and hands it over to the lyricist.

The lyricist is taken aback and doesn't quite understand how to react. It’s a very unusual request. This is not his first gig. He even received the Filmfare award recently. No, this is not done. He tries to be calm with the filmmaker. “I will try to make sure the essence of this line is reflected in the lyrics without calling out exactly the same words.” The filmmaker is completely enamored by the line and not willing to negotiate. “I want exactly this line in the song.”

The lyricist comes back home and sits down to write. He feels the filmmaker is going through a mood swing and this will subside. He decides to write the lyrics that capture the moment but in his own words.

He returns to the filmmaker to share the latest version of the lyrics. “You don’t listen to me. I told you, I want exactly the same line. No questions or negotiations around it. Get it?” The lyricist feels dejected and decides to leave.

His conscience is just not allowing him to do such a thing. There is one way out. What if he could ask the original poet to grant him permission to use the line. Secretly he is hoping that the poet disapproves of this.

It’s not easy to get hold of the poet. Given his political stance, finding his whereabouts is challenging, to say the least. Fortunately, the lyricist is finally able to get hold of him after few tries.

“Bhaijaan, sorry to bother you. I am a lyricist in the Hindi film industry and my filmmaker is a big fan of your poetry. He just heard this one specific line from one of your nazm and would like to use those lyrics in a song in his latest film. I promise it is just that one line.” The poet on the other side of the phone is pleasantly surprised. He knows the lyricist. Even though the country is broken up, the music still binds people together. “I know you very well and familiar with your work. I would be honored if you used this line from my poetry in your upcoming lyrics. There are no issues from my side.” The lyricist breathes a sigh of relief.

Majrooh Sultanpuri wrote the lyrics of the song Teri Aankhon Ke Siwa Duniya in the film Chirag. The film was directed by Raj Khosla and the music was composed by Madan Mohan. The playback of the song was provided by Mohammed Rafi and picturized on Sunil Dutt and Asha Parekh.

Raj Khosla heard this line from a song sung by Noor Jehan back in the 1940s. The song was based on a poem written by the great Urdu poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz from his poetry collection Naqsh-e-Fariyadi. Raj Khosla was completely obsessed with the line Teri Aankhon Ke Siwa and wanted to use it in his film Chirag. He requested Majrooh Sahib to consider it but Majrooh Sahib felt that as a writer, it would be unethical to steal somebody else’s lyrics and use them in his own song.

Both the song and lyrics were from the 1940s and Chirag film was released much later in 1969. Noor Jehan and Faiz Ahmad Faid decided to move to Pakistan during the partition that followed India and Pakistan independence. Faiz Sahib was also a communist at heart and participated in rallies that were against the ruling party in Pakistan. This led to his arrest and eventual exile to other countries before he returned back. Despite these impediments, Majrooh Sahib was able to reach out to Faiz Sahib and get his agreement to use the line in his song.

This is the version of the song that Noor Jehan sang in the 1940s that inspired Raj Khosla to use that one line in his film.

Music: Madan Mohan
Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri
Singers: Mohammed Rafi
*ing: Sunil Dutt, Asha Parekh
Director: Raj Khosla
Producer: Premji
Film: Chirag (1969)