He died during this month; 20th of April 1970 to be exact at the age of just 53.
My blog already has a number of tributes by me for this great lyricist and poet. I am fortunate that I lived in that era when he was alive and his poetry and songs abd ghazals ruled our young hearts and minds (Please read: Shakeel Badayuni – The King Amongst Lyricists And Poets – Part I and Part II and The Best Of Old Hindi Songs – Rafi, Shakeel, Naushad And Dilip Kumar Together)
On my Facebook group Yaad Kiya Dil Ne, I organise online Music Fests once or twice in a month. These Fests are contests on a chosen theme. The last theme on the weekend of 28th and 28th March was on Zamaana or Duniyaa.
Members realised that there are literally hundreds of songs on this theme. So, they took it upon themselves to put up rare and extraordinary songs. I normally do not put up any posts of mine since I judge the contests. However, on this occasion I put up three of Shakeel’s creations. I realised that Shakeel had much to say on Zamaana or Duniya.
These are interspersed with my own adulatory poetry about him.
Here is the first one.
Music Fest On Zamaana or Duniya
Day #2, Song #1
Aye Mohabbat Tere Anjaam Pe Rona Aaya
Shakeel Badayuni was all about Duniya, Zamaana, Zindagi. And I note with satisfaction that quite a few of his songs and ghazals have been selected by members for this Fest.
I also note with satisfaction that the cover picture song of Chhod do aanchal zamaana kya kahega has been put up by Shashi Patil. I am on Ghazals in Hindi movies on my page Lyrical and the Anmol Ghadi ghazal of Noor Jehan: Awaaz de kahan hai duniya meri jawan hai was put up by me last night and today morning it was here in the Fest.
Whilst Suraiyya and Noor Jehan were successively given the honorific title of Mallika-e-Tarunnam (Queen of Melody), there has been only one Mallika -e-Ghazal and that was Begum Akhtar. She could make or mar a lyricist simply by lending or not lending her voice to his/her ghazal.
So much so that the world over, the most famous ghazal ever Aye mohabbat tere anjaam pe rona aaya is widely regarded as Begum Akhtar ghazal!
It is, nevertheless, the best ghazal of my favourite poet and lyricist Shakeel Badayuni. He never wrote! As I have often mentioned, he painted the emotions of his heart and presented them to us. And guess what? Once again all known senses were used the least and this painting was registered straight by the heart.
In short, Shakeel excelled in heart to heart poetry.
Here is in his own words:
Main Shakeel Dil Ka Hoon Tarjuman
Keh Mohabbaton Ka Hoon Raazdaan
Mujhe Fakhr Hai Meri Shayari
Meri Zindagi Se Juda Nahin
He was a poet who excelled in Irony and the last couplet of the ghazal (the ghazal has both Duniya and Zamaana in it) brings out this so well:
Jab huaa zikr zamaane mein mohabbat kaa ‘Shakeel’
Mujhako apane dil-e-naakaam pe ronaa aayaa
If you find better words in self-worthlessness, do let me know.
Here is my small and insignificant tribute to him:
Hamen Shakeel ki shayari kyun pasand hai,
Dil ke taar baja kar woh chala jaata hai,
Phir ham chain o neend apni kho dete hain
Guzra hua zamaana hamen yaad aata hai
Kyaa rang tha, kyaa noor tha, gham-e-aashiqi thi
Woh aalam dil-e-jahan pe chha jaata hai
Door kahin Naushad ki mosiqi ki dhun bajti hai
Dil khud-ba-khud gaata hai aur sunaata hai
Waah Shakeel, mar ke bhi tum zinda hi rahe
Har Fest YKDN pe tumhaari Yaad dilaata hai.
This is not on the music of Naushad but Murli Manohar Swarup.
Please enjoy: Aye mohabbat tere anjaam pe rona aaya…..
Ai mohabbat tere a.njaam pe ronaa aayaa
jaane kyuu.N aaj tere naam pe ronaa aayaa
yuu.N to har shaam umiido.n me.n guzar jaatii thii
aaj kuchh baat hai jo shaam pe ronaa aayaa
kabhii taqadiir kaa maatam kabhii duniyaa kaa gilaa
ma.nzil-e-ishq me.n har gaam pe ronaa aayaa
jab hu_aa zikr zamaane me.n mohabbat kaa ‘shakiil’
mujhako apane dil-e-naakaam pe ronaa aayaa
Music Fest On Zamaana or Duniya
Day #2, Song #2
Shakeel Badayuni Again
I can think of another twenty songs and ghazals of Shakeel Badayuni on the theme of the fest. He took songs to a new low of despondency in the 1966 Raj Khosla movie Do Badan starring Manoj Kumar, Asha Parekh and Simi Grewal. Look at the list of songs in this movie:
1. Jab Chali Thandi Hawa sung by Asha Bhosle
2. Bhari Duniya Mein Akhir Dil, Mohammad Rafi
3. Raha Gardishun Main Har Dum, Mohammad Rafi
4. Naseeb Mein Jisko Jo, Mohammad Rafi
5. Lo Aa Gayi Unki Yaad, Lata Mangeshkar
6. Mat Jayio Naukariya Chor Ke, Asha Bhosle
7. Raha Gardishun Mein (Repris’se) Mohammad Rafi
8. Lo Aa Gayi unki Yaad (Reprise) Lata Mangeshkar
Here is a couplet from Raha gardisho mein har dum:
Padhe jab ghamon se pale, rahe mitake nitane waale,
Jise maut ne na poochha, use zindagi ne maara…
The song that I am going to put up has both Duniya and Zamaana there once again. It is a cry of the heart, a hopelessness induced by the evil world against true love. Ravi is the composer, just as in Milind’s song Chaudhvinh ka chaand (another Shakeel song) he is the composer in a song wherein Waheeda is called the World of Beauty (duniyaa-e-husn) by Shakeel.
History is full of coincidences. Imagine when Shakeel was alive, to sing his songs and ghazals, we had Begum Akhtar and Rafi.
Here is my take on this coincidence:
Aap ke khayaal kitane haseen the Shakeel
Mohabbat ka ek naya andaaz ho gaya
Ham pehale se hi aapke qaayal to na the,
Padha, suna, socha aur hamen naaz ho gaya
Dil ki dhadkan tez hui hamen pata hi naa chala
Jab Shakeel ki shayari ka aagaaz ho gaya
Aap ke geeton ka dard-e-gham sunaate hi,
Har gulokaar sarfaraz ho gaya.
Please enjoy: Bhari duniya mein aakhir dil ko samjhaane kahan jaayen…
Bharii duniyaa me.n aaKir dil ko samajhaane kahaa.N jaae.n
Muhabbat ho ga_ii jinako vo diivaane kahaa.N jaae.n
lage hai.n shammaa par pahare zamaane kii nigaaho.n ke
jinhe.n jalane kii hasarat hai vo paravaane kahaa.N jaae.n
sunaanaa bhii jinhe.n mushkil chhupaanaa bhii jinhe.n mushkil
zaraa tuu hii bataa ai dil vo afasaane kahaa.N jaae.n
Music Fest On Zamaana or Duniya
Day #2, Song #3
Shakeel Badayuni Again
The third song, at random, of Shakeel Badayuni that I put up this morning; and the third with both Duniya and Zamaana in it.
Here is Shayar-e-Azam penning his songs for the movie Mughal-e-Azam; meeting of minds of two emperors.
Shakeel and Naushad had already put up some outstanding numbers that are still the standard in songs in Hindi movies. However, in the magnum-opus of 1960, the K Asif’s iconic movie Mughal-e-Azam, they went beyond their own standards. The songs touched new heights in popularity and everyone was singing them.
Once again, look at the songs they created:
1. “Mohe Panghat Pe” Lata Mangeshkar and chorus
2. “Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya” Lata Mangeshkar and chorus
3. “Mohabbat Ki Jhooti” Lata Mangeshkar
4. “Humen Kash Tumse Mohabbat” Lata Mangeshkar
5. “Bekas Pe Karam Keejeye” Lata Mangeshkar
6. “Teri Mehfil Mein” Lata Mangeshkar, Shamshad Begum and chorus
7. “Ye Dil Ki Lagi” Lata Mangeshkar
8. “Ae Ishq Yeh Sab Duniyawale” Lata Mangeshkar
9. “Khuda Nigehbaan” Lata Mangeshkar
10. “Ae Mohabbat Zindabad” Mohammed Rafi and chorus
11. “Prem Jogan Ban Ke” Bade Ghulam Ali Khan
12. “Shubh Din Aayo Raj Dulara” Bade Ghulam Ali Khan
What is the movie all about? An expression of not just Love between a prince and a courtesan but also one of rebelliousness against the attitude of duniya and zamaana that looks down on love that is not between equals.
When Shakeel was asked to pen the lyrics, he must have kept in mind this theme and hence came up with the song as a symbol of this rebelliousness: Pyaar kiya to darna kyaa…parda nahin jab koi khuda se, bando se parda karna kyaa?
K Asif added further meaning to the song by shooting the song in Sheesh Mahal of Lahore Fort. So when Madhubala dancing elegantly on this number sings: Chhup na sakega ishq hamaare, chaaron taraf hai unaka nazaara, she is reflected in hundreds of mirrors in the ceiling of the sheesh mahal; a master stroke by K Asif.
Here is my take on this:
Shakeel, aap geeton mein phoonk dete the jaan,
Dhadakon ka khazaana ban jaata tha jahaan
Kyaa taaqat thi aap ke alfaaz mein
Insaan bhi ban baithata tha bhagwaan
“Pyaar kiya to darna kyaa” sirf geet hi nahin hai
Ye rivaayat se baghawat ka hai ailaan.
Lata Mangeshkar was the instrument of this rebellion for Madhubala.
Please enjoy: Pyaar kiya to darna kyaa….
insaan kisii se duniyaa me.n ik baar muhabbat karataa hai
is dard ko lekar jiitaa hai, is dard ko lekar marataa hai
pyaar kiyaa to Daranaa kyaa jab pyaar kiyaa to Daranaa kyaa
pyaar kiyaa koii chorii nahii.n kii pyaar kiyaa…
pyaar kiyaa koii chorii nahii.n kii chhup chhup aahe.n bharanaa kyaa
jab pyaar kiyaa to Daranaa kyaa
pyaar kiyaa to Daranaa kyaa jab pyaar kiyaa to Daranaa kyaa
aaj kahe.nge dil kaa fasaanaa jaan bhii lele chaahe zamaanaa -2
maut vohii jo duniyaa dekhe
maut vohii jo duniyaa dekhe ghuT ghuT kar yuu.N maranaa kyaa
jab pyaar kiyaa to Daranaa kyaa
pyaar kiyaa to Daranaa kyaa jab pyaar kiyaa to Daranaa kyaa
unakii tamannaa dil me.n rahegii, shammaa isii mahafil me.n rahegii hbox{-2}
ishq me.n jiinaa ishq me.n maranaa
ishq me.n jiinaa ishq me.n maranaa aur hame.n ab karanaa kyaa
jab pyaar kiyaa to Daranaa kyaa
pyaar kiyaa to Daranaa kyaa jab pyaar kiyaa to Daranaa kyaa
chhup na sakegaa ishq hamaaraa chaaro.n taraf hai unakaa nazaaraa -2
paradaa nahii.n jab koii khudaa se
paradaa nahii.n jab koii khudaa se ba.ndo.n se paradaa karanaa kyaa
jab pyaar kiyaa to Daranaa kyaa
pyaar kiyaa to Daranaa kyaa jab pyaar kiyaa to Daranaa kyaa
pyaar kiyaa koii chorii…
https://youtube.com/watch?v=6Au_J6jHKE0%3F