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A Brief History of Bollywood Lyrics: Writers, Language and Content
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mialvi9
Nov 12, 2016, 12:18:07 PM11/12/16
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Hello, friends!
This is my first post on RMIM. I have been contributing to ALUP group for some time, but have only been here as a visitor so far. I hope this article will provide for some interesting reading. Your valuable comments are welcome. Thanks in advance for reading and commenting!
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A Brief History of Bollywood Lyrics: Writers, Language and Content
Songs have been a part of Bollywood staple since the very first talkie “Alam Ara” was released in 1931. “Alam Ara” had seven songs. With the exception of “daras bina,” which used folk Hindi (khadi boli), all other songs were written in Urdu. The lyrics for these songs are not available in full, but whatever is known about them suggests that the lyrics were written for specific situations and supported the story well. These lyrics set the stage for generations of Bollywood lyricists who would pen thousands of songs that expressed a variety of emotions in a decent and culturally sensitive tone and used a language that may not have been always highly literary, but obeyed the basic rules of Urdu and Hindi grammar and poetry writing. Until now.
In the 1930’s lyricists like J S Kashyap (Achhut Kanya, Izzat, Janambhumi), Kedar Sharma (Devdas, Karorpati, Vidyapati), Pandit Narottam Vyas (Amar Jyoti, Wahaan, Kangan), Zia Sarhadi (Deccan Queen, Manmohan, Abhilasha) and Arzoo Lakhnawi (Street Singer, Dushman) built the foundation of Bollywood lyrics. They used Urdu and Hindi, the latter often being of the folk form (khadi boli), to write songs for the movies of that era, which were based predominantly on folklore and mythological stories. The lyrics were written with a good understanding of the plot. While the likes of J S Kashyap and Pandit Narottam Vyas stayed exclusively with folk Hindi to write songs like “kit gaye ho khewanhaar” (Achhut Kanya) and “suno suno ban ke prani” (Amar Jyoti), respectively, most lyricists of this era used both Urdu and folk Hindi. These include Kedar Sharma who wrote “baalam aaye baso” and “roshan hai tere dam se” (both songs from Devdas), Zia Sarhadi who wrote “birha ki aag lagi” and “yaad na kar dil-e-hazin” (both songs from Deccan Queen) and Arzoo Lakhnawi who wrote “babul mora naihar,” a famous K L Saigal number, and “sukun dil ko mayassar” (both songs from Street Singer.) While they were comfortable with both Urdu and folk Hindi, the lyricists of this period generally used them as separate tools, and didn’t mix them. This formative era of Bollywood was the time of actor singers like K L Saigal, Ashok Kumar and Devika Rani who lent their voice to the quality lyrics penned by the aforementioned lyricists. It must be noted here that although this article is about lyrics in “Bollywood,” the Hindi film industry, which Bollywood stands for, wasn’t really “Bollywood” in the 30’s because it was based in Calcutta (now Kolkata) at that time. It moved to Bombay (now Mumbai) only in the 40’s.
In the 1940’s Bollywood was joined by song writers like D N Madhok (Khandan, Zamindar, Bhakt Surdas, Tansen, Daasi), Pradeep (Bandhan, Jhoola, Punar Milan, Kismet, Naya Sansar), Shams Lakhnavi (Lal Haveli, Dost, Humayun, Dil), Rajinder Krishan (Patanga, Amar Kahani), Majrooh Sultanpuri (Shahjehan, Andaz), Khumar Barabankwi (Shahjehan, Natak) and Shakeel Badayuni (Dard, Dulari, Dillagi, Andaz.) Krishan, Majrooh, Khumar and Shakeel were active in the Urdu literary circles outside Bollywood before joining the film fraternity and maintained links to the external literary circles even while working in Bollywood. Their arrival in Bollywood raised the standard of Urdu language in Bollywood lyrics. While folk Hindi continued to be in use, the more polished, literary Hindi also became a part of the Bollywood lyricists’ toolkit. “Literary Hindi” here means the language used by the prominent non-film Hindi poets of that era like Jaishankar Prasad, Sumitranandan Pant, Suryakant Tripathi Nirala and Mahadevi Verma. However, the literary Hindi was generally used to supplement Urdu, and songs were seldom written in “pure” literary Hindi. I put quotes around the word “pure,” because Hindi is a derived language, and there is nothing “pure” about it! The same is true about Urdu. So by “pure Hindi” all I mean here is a language that didn’t contain many Urdu words. In fact, “pure” literary Hindi songs like “man re” (Chitralekha), “koi jab tumhara” (Purab Aur Pacchim) and “yadi aap humein” (Hum Tum Aur Woh) are rare in the entire history of Bollywood. The only song writer from the 40’s who used literary Hindi as his main tool was Pradeep although he did sprinkle Urdu words in his lyrics here and there. The rest of the song writers either used “pure” Urdu or a mixture of Urdu and literary Hindi with Urdu being the main constituent in the mixture. This mixing of Urdu and Hindi set a trend that would gain momentum later in time. Movies of this period generally had social themes and often involved love stories. These movies used to have dozens of songs, which gave lyricists ample opportunity to exhibit their talent. Examples of works of the lyricists of the 40’s include “nis din barsat” (Bhakt Surdas), “tu kaun si badli mein” (Khandan), “ab tere siwa kaun mera” (Kismet), “banti nazar aati nahin” (Lal Haveli), “badnaam muhabbat kaun kare” (Dost), “kabhi khamosh ho jana” (Patanga), “jab dil hi toot gaya” and “ai dil-e-beqarar jhoom” (both songs from Shahjehan, the former by Majrooh and the latter by Khumar), and “suhani raat dhal chuki” (Dulari.) While actor singers like K L Saigal, Surendra and Noorjehan still ruled the roost in the 40’s, a new phenomenon started in Bollywood in this decade that would change the face of Bollywood music forever. It was playback singing. Bollywood lyricists now had singers like Shamshad Begum, Mukesh, Mohd. Rafi, Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar to carry their lyrics to the masses.
The 1950’s, which are considered the golden period of Bollywood music, started in an independent India. Several movies of this decade featured songs about the freedom movement and nation building such as “hum laaye hain” (Jaagriti) and “saathi haath badhana” (Naya Daur.) Historicals and suspense thrillers were also made, but the social drama remained the subject of most of the movies of this era. This decade saw a tremendous rise in the stature of some of the established song writers like Rajendra Krishan (Anarkali, Nagin, Azaad, Adalat), Majrooh (Aar Paar, Mr. And Mrs. 55, Nau Do Gyarah, Tumsa Nahin Dekha) and Shakeel (Deedar, Aan, Amar, Mother India.) The 50’s also witnessed the emergence of new lyricists like Hasrat Jaipuri (Kaali Ghata, Nageena, Aurat, Seema, Raaj-hath), P L Santoshi (Sargam, Sangeeta, Nirala), Qamar Jalalabadi (Meena Bazar, Sanam, Aansoo, Rajdhani), Bharat Vyas (Do Aankhen Barah Haath, Sati Annapoorna, Navrang, Kavi Kalidas, Rani Roopmati), Indeevar (Malhar, Sheesham, Baadbaan), Raja Mehdi Ali Khan (Aankhen, Khoj, Alibaba Aur 40 Chor, Inaam), Asad Bhopali (Aadhi Raat, Alladin Laila, Miss Bombay), Shailendra (Yahudi, Anari), S H Bihari (Gawaiya, Bahu), Jaan Nisar Akhtar (Baraati, Yasmin, C.I.D., Naya Andaz) and Sahir Ludhianvi (Baazi, Taxi Driver, Munimji, Devdas, Pyaasa, Naya Daur.) While lyricists like Jaan Nisar Akhtar, Raja M H Khan and Sahir contributed to the richness of Urdu in Bollywood songs, the likes of Shailendra and Bharat Vyas enriched the Hindi side of the lyrics. Bharat Vyas followed in the footsteps of Pradeep and wrote primarily in Hindi with occasional use of Urdu. Urdu was still the primary language for writing Bollywood lyrics such as “yun hasraton ke daagh” (Adalat), “yun to hum ne” (Tumsa Nahin Dekha), “dil mein chhupa ke” (Aan), “ye mera deewanapan hai” (Yahudi), “ye mehlon, ye takhton” (Pyaasa) and “mujh pe ilzam-e-bewafai” (Yasmin.) This is the time when Ghazal, a popular form of Urdu poetry, was featured prominently in Bollywood. Ghazal was there in Bollywood earlier, but it was generally borrowed from famous non-film poets like Ghalib. But now Bollywood lyricists were writing Ghazals specifically for films. Some of the famous Ghazals of the 50’s are “unko ye shikayat” (Adaalat), “tang aa chuke” (Pyaasa) and “muhabbat ki raahon” (Udan Khatola.) Although Urdu was the primary language in the lyrics, the Urdu-Hindi mix was gaining a larger market share. In fact, during this time the lyricists began using a mixture of Urdu and literary Hindi that had an almost equal proportion of the two constituents – something that would blur the line between the two languages over time. This development was not limited to Bollywood. Even outside of Bollywood, these two languages, which originated from different sources (Urdu from Persian and Arabic, and Hindi from Sanskrit), were borrowing heavily from each other and coming closer and closer. The hybrid, which didn’t have an official name yet, was to become the standard language of the majority of Bollywood lyricists. Examples of songs written in such an Urdu-Hindi mix during the 50’s include “duniya mein hum aaye” (Mother India), “Jeevan ke safar mein” (Taxi Driver) and “sab kuchh seekha hum ne” (Anari.) When the situation and story demanded, the lyricists of the 50’s used folk Hindi, too. Under the overwhelming dominance of Urdu and Hindi, English also found a place in comical numbers like “all line clear” (Chori Chori) and “C-A-T cat” (Dilli Ka Thug.) Whether it was Urdu, Urdu-Hindi mixture or folk Hindi, the overall quality of the language and the songs remained high due to several reasons - a generally high caliber of the song writers of this period, the type of movies being made (social and romantic) that lent themselves well for quality poetry, and the demands of the directors and movie goers who were quality conscious and paid attention to detail.
The richness of Bollywood music and lyrics of the 1950’s continued during the 1960’s. Lyricists like Shailendra (Sasural, Hamrahi, Dil Ek Mandir, Meri Surat Teri Aankhen, Guide), Shakeel (Mughal-e-Azam, Gunga Jumna, Mere Mehboob, Do Badan), Majrooh (Sujata, Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon, Dosti, Teesri Manzil, Jewel Thief, Patthar Ke Sanam), Hasrat (Junglee, Sasural, Suraj, Teesri Kasam, Love In Tokyo, Mere Huzoor), and Sahir (Barsaat Ki Raat, Hum Dono, Ghazal, Waqt, Hamraaz), who were household names by now, continued to produce gems like “tere mere sapne” (Guide), “pyar kiya to” (Mughal-e-Azam), “chahunga main tujhe” (Dosti), “teri pyari pyari” (Sasural) and “kisi pattahr ki murat” (Hamraaz.) Since Bollywood was already saturated with a large number of extraordinary song writers, not many new names were added to the pool of lyricists during the 60’s. However, lyricists like Anjaan (Godan, Jali Note, Baharen Phir Bhi Ayengi, Purnima), Gulshan Bawra (Dulha Dulhan, Parivar, Vishwas, Upkar), Anand Bakhshi (Lutera, Devar, Jab Jab Phool Khile, Farz), Neeraj (Tu Hi Meri Zindagi, Cha Cha Cha) and Kaifi Azmi (Shama, Shola Aur Shabnam, Haqeeqat) were able to make inroads into Bollywood during this time. Neeraj and Kaifi Azmi were noticed in particular, the former for his unique mix of Urdu and Hindi, and the latter for his high quality Urdu. The new crop of lyricists produced songs like “humsafar mere humsafar” (Purnima), “jo pyar tu ne” (Dulha Dulhan), “ek tha gul aur” (Jab Jab Phool Khile), “subha na aayi” (Cha Cha Cha) and “kar chale hum fida” (Haqeeqat.) As in the 50’s, Urdu remained the main language of the lyricists of the 60’s as seen in songs (which were actually Ghazals) like “kabhi khud pe” (Hum Dono), “koi saaghar” (Dil Diya Dard Liya), “tumhari zulf ke” (Naunihal) and “rehte the kabhi” (Mamta.) However, a mixture of Urdu and Hindi that by now was being labeled by some as Hindustani or just Hindi (although it had a large amount of Urdu vocabulary in it), was in use more than ever before. Folk Hindi remained relevant for songs based in villages and for special numbers like bhajans. Anand Bakhshi injected the Punjabi dialect of Urdu-Hindi mix in songs like “tumse o Hasina kabhi muhabbat na maine karni thi.” Movies of the 60’s were largely family dramas and love stories with some representation of subjects like social justice and crime. The standard of poetry in Bollywood in the 60’s remained high thanks to the subjects of the movies of this period and large number of lyricists who had a strong command on language and were motivated to produce quality art.
The 1970’s were a turning point. This period is notable for many things that caused the start of a decline in the quality of Bollywood lyrics. First, in this decade the romantic films of yesteryears started to be pushed to the background by the action movies, which obviously aren’t conducive to rich poetry. Second, the subtle expression of sentiments of yesteryears like “tum agar saath dene ka” (Hamraz) began to be replaced by daring demands for attention like “chupke se dil de de” (Maryada) and even double-meaning declarations like “ik cheez mangte hain” (Babul Ki Galiyan.) Third, Bollywood started making a lot more movies than before, which put pressure on the lyricists. Fourth and last, this decade either started without the services of several of the senior song writers, or lost them during its course. Such song writers include Shailendra, Raja M H Khan, Shakeel Badayuni and Jaan Nisar Akhtar. One more notable feature of the 70’s is the fact that the lyrics started seeing a toning down of Urdu. The language used by Bollywood lyricists began to be devoid of chaste Urdu words, and a simpler version of Urdu-Hindi mix began to take hold. This was perhaps a reflection of the fact that the base of literary Urdu outside of Bollywood was shrinking. The departure of chaste Urdu, which is considered ideal for sophisticated poetry (especially romantic poetry) indirectly affected the quality of Bollywood lyrics. The notable representatives of the old guard who remained active during this period include Majrooh (Caravan, Yaadon Ki Baraat, Mere Jeevan Sathi, Hum Kisise Kum Nahin), Anand Bakhshi (Kati Patang, Bobby, Sholay, Mehbooba, Sargam), Sahir (Dastan, Daag, Kabhi Kabhi), Rajendra Krishan (Man Mandir, Blackmail, Jwar Bhata), Hasrat (Andaz, Lal Patthar, Pagla Kahin Ka), Kaifi (Heer Ranjha, Hanste Zakhm, Hindustan Ki Kasam), Anjaan (Don, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Hera Pheri), Indeevar (Safar, Upaasna, Sajan Bina Suhagan), Gulshan Bawra (Zanjeer, Umar Qaid, Khel Khel Mein, Kasme Vaade) and Verma Malik (Pehchan, Be-Imaan, Samjhauta, Nagin.) Although several big names had retired by now, there was still a sizeable number of senior lyricists in Bollywood. Perhaps that is why only a few new names were added to the list of lyricists in this period. These include Gulzar (Khamoshi, Mere Apne, Mausam, Kinara, Ghar), Yogesh (Anand, Annadata, Honeymoon, Rajnigandha, Chhoti Si Baat, Mili, Manzil), Amit Khanna (Swami, Chalte Chalte, Des Pardes), Maya Govind (Jalte Badan, Aarop, Heera Aur Patthar) and Santosh Anand (Shor, Roti Kapda Aur Makan.) Gulzar, primarily an Urdu poet, used a now-standard mixture of simple Urdu and Hindi for his lyrics. He was noticed for his abstract style of poetry more than his language. The rest of the newcomers also wrote in a mixture of simple Urdu and Hindi. All had a fresh, easy-to-relate-to style of poetry. In the case of these lyricists, although it would be safe to say that Hindi was slightly more dominant in their language than Urdu, the fact is that it was difficult to tell as to which constituent was dominant because, as mentioned earlier in this article, the line between Urdu and Hindi was getting more and more obscure now. Examples of songs from the 1970’s include “kya hua tera wada” (Hum Kisise Kum Nahin), “hum tum ek kamre mein” (Bobby), “mere dil mein” (Daag), “pal pal dil ke paas” (Blackmail), “zindagi ek safar” (Andaz), “ye duniya ye mehfil” (Heer Ranjha), “zindagi ka safar” (Safar), “jai bolo” (Be-Imaan), “koi hota” (Mere Apne), “zindagi kaisi hai paheli” (Anand), “chalte chalte” (Chalte Chalte), “naino mein darpan” (Aarop) and “main na bhoolunga” (Roti Kapda Aur Makan.) The song writers of the 70’s managed to keep the lyrics largely context specific, but the number of unnecessary songs was growing. This is evident from the fact that a smaller number of songs as a percent of the overall volume were enjoying the status of a hit and the proportion of forgettable songs was getting larger in comparison to the yesteryears.
When the 1980’s began, the masala movie culture had taken over Bollywood. Songs were mostly becoming a formality, and didn’t seem to be a part of the story anymore. A phenomenon that characterizes this decade is the evolution of the so called item numbers. Some may argue that cabaret songs of the yesteryears were items numbers, too. That is true in terms of the fact that such songs were performed by dancers. However, the two main differences between cabaret songs and item numbers are that one, the cabaret songs were generally performed by supporting actors and two, the cabaret songs were lyrically as good as other songs in the movie. The item numbers of the 80’s and later years on the other hand featured lead actors and hardly had any lyrical value. The advent of the disco wave in the 80’s made item songs even more common. While some of the disco songs like “raat baaqi” (Namak Halaal) and “meri umar ke” (Karz) had decent poetry, most were devoid of any real poetry, such as “super dancer aaye” (Dance Dance) and “jhoom baba” (Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki.) By now almost all of the senior song writers who had nurtured Bollywood poetry over the last three decades had either died or had stopped practicing actively. A few exceptions to this rule were Indeevar, Anand Bakshi, Anjaan, Verma Malik, Gulshan Bawara and Majrooh. Bollywood was expecting a lot from these remaining stalwarts, and the pressure started to bring the quality down. Indeevar, who had penned songs like “chandan sa badan” (Saraswati Chandra) and “darpan ko dekha” (Upaasna) earlier, started churning out item numbers that were nonsensical and at times obscene, such as “ek aankh maaroon” (Tohfa) and “jhopdi mein charpaai” (Mawaali.) Anand Bakhshi didn’t compromise as much as Indeevar, but he, too, produced occasional substandard numbers like “accident ho gaya” (Coolie) and “bichchhu lad gaya” (Inquilab.) Anjaan was busy writing non-descript rhymes for the disco tunes (Discso Dancer, Dance Dance, Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki.) Verma Malik’s average work got lost in forgettable movies (Rajmahal, Beraham and Shaaka.) Gulshan Bawra produced some quality lyrics (Satte Pe Satta, Yeh Vada Raha, Sanam Teri Kasam) but unfortunately didn’t get much work. Majrooh, too, didn’t have as much work as he used to have in the past, perhaps because he kept his poetry up to his usual high standard. However, he continued to show his caliber in several notable movies (Kudrat, Saajan Ki Saheli, Zamaane Ko Dikhana Hai.) In fact, his excellent lyrics played a major role in the success of Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, a movie widely considered to be responsible for bringing good music back to Bollywood. The junior song writers tried to share the burden of their seniors by doing their best. Gulzar (Thodi Si Bewafai, Masoom, Ghulami, Sadma), Yogesh (Agnipariksha, Apne Paraye, Chatpati, Kisise Na Kehna) and Amit Khanna (Unees Bees, Man Pasand, Star, Lootmaar) kept producing decent poetry in songs like “hazar raahen” (Thodi Si Bewafai), “tujhse naraz nahin” (Masoom), “kaise din” (Apne Paraye) and “logon ka dil” (Man Pasand.) However, except Gulzar, they could not command much attention. The kind of movies being made in the 80’s didn’t make this decade the best time for new song writers to start a career in Bollywood. But the fact that the field had shrunk considerably in comparison to what it was in the past decades did allow the entry of newcomers. One such newcomer was Javed Akhtar. He was an established story, screenplay and dialogue writer, and was convinced by legendary film maker Yash Chopra to write lyrics. His lyrical journey started with Silsila, and he went on to write lyrics for several movies in the 80’s (Saath Saath, Mashaal, Duniya, Tezaab.) His language and content have always been above average and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that he is the main reason why Bollywood lyrics haven’t gone through a complete meltdown in the post 70’s years. Other prominent names to appear on the scene in the 80’s are Hasan Kamal (Nikaah, Tawaif, Aaj Ki Awaaz, Mazdoor), Nida Fazli (Aap To Aise Na The, Ahista Ahista, Sweekar Kiya Maine, Harjaee) and Shahryar (Umrao Jaan, Faasle, Anjuman.) Most of these newcomers used Urdu as their primary language, but used Hindi as well. These writers deserve accolades for producing gems like “tum ko dekha” (Saath Saath), “aaj ki awaaz” (Aaj Ki Awaaz), “tu is tarah se” (Aap To Aise Na The) and “justuju jiski thi” (Umrao Jaan) in an era when good poetry was not the norm in Bollywood.
The 1990’s started on a positive note. Two movies in the late 80’s – Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak and Maine Pyar Kiya – had brought music into focus once again in Bollywood. And when Aashiqui was released in 1990, it strengthened the positive trend set by its two aforementioned predecessors. Among other artists Aashqui gave Bollywood a promising lyricist in Sameer (son of lyricist Anjaan.) Sameer’s success in the 90’s was phenomenal. He produced an unbelievably large number of hit songs (Aashiqui, Saajan, Sadak, Deewana, Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke, Raja Hindustani, Kuchh Kuchh Hota Hai.) Other notable newcomers to join Bollywood in the 90’s are Faaiz Anwar (Jaanam, Tum Karo Vaada, Imtihan, Suraksha), Anwar Sagar (Dil Ka Kya Kasoor, Aa Gale Lag Jaa, Juari, Bechain), Rahat Indori (Khuddar, Main Khiladi Tu Anari, Kareeb), Nawab Arzoo (Hum Sab Chor Hain, Baali Umar Ko Salam) Mehboob (Bombay, Rangeela, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam) and Rani Malik (Jaan Tere Naam, Dulara, Chhote Sarkar, Mehndi.) While fresh faces were coming in, the senior song writers like Anand Bakshi (Darr, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge, Dil To Pagal Hai, Gupt, Jab Pyar Kisise Hota Hai), Majrooh (Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar, Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa, Akele Hum Akele Tum, Khamoshi The Musical), Indeevar (Karan Arjun, Criminal, Koyla), Gulzar (Lekin, Rudali, Maachis, Dil Se) and Javed Akhtar (Dastak, Border, Virasat, Yes Boss, Aur Pyar Ho Gaya) were also in action. A large number of the movies of the 90’s were about the youth, following a trend set by Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak in the late 80’s. It is difficult to tell if the youth of India were actually shedding the conservative values of the past, but the expression of sentiments in the movies was becoming more and more overt. While Bollywood of the 90’s witnessed some quality poetry, it could not rid itself of the item-number effect of the 80’s, which was getting stronger now as the films started featuring younger characters instead of the usual grown-up characters of the past. As a result, while we saw quality lyrics in songs like “nazar ke saamne” (Aashiqui), “is tarah aashiqui ka” (Imtihan), “aa gale lag jaa” (Aa Gale Lag Jaa), “chori chori jab” (Kareeb), “jadu teri nazar” (Darr), “pehla nasha” (Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar), “chhod aaye hum” (Maachis) and “sandese aate hain” (Border), we also had substandard and sometimes obscene poetry in songs like “sexy sexy” (Khuddar), “shehar ki ladki” (Rakshak), “chamma chamma” (China Gate) and “main aayi hoon” (Shool.) In fact, there was so much criticism of the words “sexy sexy” in the Khuddar song that they were replaced by “baby baby” and the song was rerecorded. While most of the substandard poetry of this era can be attributed to the new song writers, seniors like Anand Bakshi were also to be blamed for writing double-meaning songs like “choli ke peechhe” (Khalnayak.) The main language of the lyricists of the 90’s remained a mixture of simple Urdu and Hindi, as in the last decade. However, the street language of Bombay (Mumbai) also started appearing in songs like “maangta hai kya” (Rangeela) and “aati kya khandala” (Ghulam.) Shades of Punjabi showed up in songs like “khali dil naiin” (Kachche Dhaage) and “chappa chappa” (Maachis.) Punjabi also came with pop artists like Daler Mehndi who made guest appearances for item numbers like “saade naal” (Mrityudata.) English, which was limited to short phrases in the songs of the past like “nazar na lag jaye” (Night In London), started being used as full sentences in songs like “My adorable darling” (Main Khiladi Tu Anadi) and “dil mera churaya” (Akele Hum Akele Tum.) The lyricists of the 90’s experimented a lot with the content and language. Some of this experimentation spilled into the new century and continues even today. These lyricists appear to ignore the fact that the only poetry that survives the test of time is the sensible and decent expression of sentiments in a language understood and appreciated by the masses. Another experiment initiated in Bollywood in the 90’s is the use of several song writers for a single movie. It is difficult to say if it has affected the quality of lyrics in any way, but it certainly posed a hardship to the music directors and singers who had to work with several lyricists for a single album.
Before the year 2000 two of the long serving Bollywood lyricists, Indeevar and Anjaan, passed away. Barely a couple of years into the 2000’s Bollywood lost two more song writers who had been serving it for half a century. But before they left, Majrooh (Pukar, Kya Kehna, Hum To Mohabbat Karega, One 2 Ka 4) and Anand Bakshi (Mohabbatein, Taal, Gadar, Indian, Chori Chori, Mujhse Dosti Karoge) gave some more of their characteristic charming poetry. They were the last flag bearers of the golden era of Bollywood poetry and with their death an important chapter of Bollywood history came to an end. After their demise, the responsibility of producing lyrics was borne by the remaining senior poets like Gulzar (Fiza, Saathiya, Aks, Bunti Aur Babli, Guru, Yuvvraj, Filhaal, Kaminey) and Javed Akhtar (Refugee, Lagaan, Kal Ho Na Ho, Chalte Chalte, Main Hoon Na, Veer-Zaara, Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, Dil Chahta Hai, Om Shanti Om, Jodha Akbar, Rock On.) Other established poets like Sameer (Ajnabee, Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega, Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, Dhadkan, Dhoom, Dil Hai Tumhara, Lucky, Bhool Bhulaiyya, Raaz, Salam-E-Ishq), Rahat Indori (Mission Kashmir, Munna Bhai MBBS, Inteha), Faaiz Anwar (Baaghi, Gunaah, Tum Bin, Pyaasa) and Mehboob (Yuva, Dil Hi Dil Mein, Lakeer, Dil Ne Jise Apna Kaha) tried to share the load, but were not able to do as much as Bollywood was demanding. As a result the door was open for newcomers such as Irshad Kamil (Karam, Jab We Met, Love Aaj Kal, Ajab Prem Ki Ghajab Kahani, Ahista Ahista, Socha Na Tha), Prasoon Joshi (Fanaa, Hum Tum, Taare Zameen Par, Rang De Basanti, Delhi 6), Swanand Kirkire (Parineeta, Lage Raho Munnabhai, Laga Chunri Mein Daag, 3 Idiots), Sayeed Quadri (Saaya, Gangster, Awarapan, The Train, Woh Lamhe, Life In A Metro, Zeher), Jaideep Sahni (Salam Namaste, Khosla Ka Ghosla, Chak De India, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi) and Piyush Mishra (Aaja Nachle, Black Friday, Tashan, Gulaal.) Between the two senior poets, Javed Akhtar maintained his usual high standard of content and language in his lyrics for songs like “har ghadi” (Kal Ho Na Ho), “tere liye” (Veer-Zaara) and “kehne ko jashn-e-bahaaraan” (Jodha Akbar.) Gulzar on the other hand was becoming more abstract in songs like “geeli hansi” (Saathiya) and even whacky in songs like “bidi jalai le” (Omkara) although he did maintain high quality in most of his lyrics. The established poets produced decent content in songs like “tum dil ki” (Dhadkan), “bumbro bumbro” (Mission Kashmir), “koi fariyad” (Tum Bin) and “kabhi neem neem” (Yuva.) The newcomers produced some high quality poetry in songs like “ye ishq haaye” (Jab We Met), “maa” (Taare Zameen Par), “kaisi paheli” (Parineeta), “lamha lamha” (Gangster), “haule haule” (Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi) and “dil haara” (Tashan.) The newcomers provided a much needed freshness of style and language. Speaking of language, the lyricists of the 2000’s continued to use a mixture of simple Urdu and Hindi. While some such as Javed Akhtar, Irshad Kamil and Sayeed Quadri used more Urdu than Hindi, others such as Prasoon Joshi and Swanand Kirkire used more Hindi than Urdu. However, as mentioned earlier in this article, it was generally impossible to differentiate Urdu from Hindi by this time in the history of Bollywood poetry. More Punjabi was getting into the lyrics now than ever before in songs like “mera maahi” (Dhayi Akshar Prem Ke), “mauja hi mauja” (Jab We Met) and “mainu chain” (Apne.) English, too, was getting more exposure in the Bollywood lyrics. While its use added to the appeal of the songs like “where’s the party” (Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna) and “my desi girl” (Dostana), in other songs it was ridiculous at best, such as “don’t touch” (Raja Bhaiya) and “sexy mama” (13B.) A mixture of Punjabi and English also showed up in songs like “ankh ladiye” (Neal N Nikki) and “jee karda” (Singh is King.) This was perhaps an indirect effect of the popularity of Punjabi pop outside of Bollywood. The street language of Bombay (Mumbai), too, found a place in songs like “apun bola” (Josh) and “ganpat daru la” (Shootout At Lokhandwala.) Bollywood movies of the 21st century began tackling all subjects that were taboo in the past such as extra-marital relationship and extra-judicial killings. The lyrics turned more and more brazen.
Since the year 2010 until now (2016) Bollywood has generally produced good poetry, but it is also witnessing a couple of troubling developments. The two senior poets Gulzar (Ishqiya, 7 Khoon Maaf, Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Haider, Talvar) and Javed Akhtar (Don 2, Ekk Deewana Tha, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Talaash) continue to amaze the listeners with their seemingly unlimited talent in songs like “dil to bachcha” (Ishqiya), “saans” (Jab Tak Hai Jaan), “seniorita” (Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara) and “jee le zara” (Talaash.) Sameer (Krrish 3, Khiladi 786, Rowdy Rathore) seems to have suddenly slowed down after two prolific decades. Other senior poets like Faaiz Anwar (Ye Jo Muhabbat Hai, Anuradha) are doing very little or nothing at all. The established names like Irshad Kamil (Aakrosh, Mere Brother Ki Dunhan, Rockstar, Raanjhanaa, Highway, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo), Prasoon Joshi (Arakshan, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Satyagraha), Swanand Kirkire (Singham, Barfi, Kai Po Che, PK), Jaideep Sahni (Dum Maaro Dum, Shudh Desi Romance), Piyush Mishra (Gangs Of Wasseypur, Arjun – The Warrior Prince) and Sayeed Quadri (Jannat 2, Murder 3) are filling in with some decent poetry in songs like “naadaan parinde” (Rockstar), “zinda” (Bhaag Milkha Bhaag), “aashiyan” (Barfi), “gaye kyun” (Dum Maaro Dum), “karam ki talwar” (Arjun – The Warrior Prince) and “mat aazma re” (Murder 3.) There is enough room for new songwriters like Amitabh Bhattacharya (Agneepath, Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani, Hasee To Phasee, Chennai Express, Dilwale) and Mayur Puri (Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya, Race 2, Humshakals) to join the Bollywood lyricists club. These new song writers have come up with some appreciable poetry in songs like “abhi mujh mein” (Agneepath), “gerua” (Dilwale) and “piya o re piya” (Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya.) However, not all the newcomers are up to the mark when it comes to quality. And the worst part is that their work is not being critiqued even by those who should. Songs like “hum tere bin” (Aashiqui 2) and “suno na” (Youngistaan) are being nominated for “best lyrics” award despite having flaws. In the “hum tere bin” song the writer uses “hum” and “mera” for the same person in the same line whereas “hum” could have easily been replaced by “main.” This mismatch of pronouns is present elsewhere in the lyrics. In the same song, in the first two lines of the first stanza the writer seems to be rhyming the word “nahin” with “kabhi.” And the first two lines of the second stanza don’t end with rhyming words at all. The lyrics are a patchwork of discrete statements instead of a well-crafted poem. In the “suno na” song, the word “meenaaren” is rhymed with the word “tumhaare” apparently because the writer thinks the word “meenaaren” is pronounced as “meenare.” Like in the previous example, the writer uses different pronouns - “tum” and “tere” - for the same person. Moreover, the writer says “aanchal se bandhe” instead of “aanchal se bandha” in the first stanza. In both the cases, the nomination seems to be based on the fact that the songs were a hit with the masses instead of the merit and quality of the lyrics. But a more worrisome trend is the hospitality Bollywood is extending to the likes of Yo Yo Honey Singh. He has used Bollywood’s penchant for item songs to make inroads into a once coveted group that boasted lyricists like Shakeel, Sahir and Shailendra, and is churning out absurd and shameless songs like “party all night” (Boss) and “party on my mind” (Race 2.) Such “lyrics” not only fail to qualify for the title of poetry, they blast away whatever little decency is left in Bollywood poetry. Let us hope that Bollywood recruits lyricists who are fully conversant with the nuances of the Urdu/Hindi language and poetry writing. Let us also hope that Bollywood does not run after those who are destroying its beauty by dishing out profanity in the name of poetry. Finally, let us hope that if Bollywood fails to do its part, the listeners will rise to the occasion, reject substandard poetry and demand a better deal.
Sincerely,
Irfan Alvi
This is my first post on RMIM. I have been contributing to ALUP group for some time, but have only been here as a visitor so far. I hope this article will provide for some interesting reading. Your valuable comments are welcome. Thanks in advance for reading and commenting!
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A Brief History of Bollywood Lyrics: Writers, Language and Content
Songs have been a part of Bollywood staple since the very first talkie “Alam Ara” was released in 1931. “Alam Ara” had seven songs. With the exception of “daras bina,” which used folk Hindi (khadi boli), all other songs were written in Urdu. The lyrics for these songs are not available in full, but whatever is known about them suggests that the lyrics were written for specific situations and supported the story well. These lyrics set the stage for generations of Bollywood lyricists who would pen thousands of songs that expressed a variety of emotions in a decent and culturally sensitive tone and used a language that may not have been always highly literary, but obeyed the basic rules of Urdu and Hindi grammar and poetry writing. Until now.
In the 1930’s lyricists like J S Kashyap (Achhut Kanya, Izzat, Janambhumi), Kedar Sharma (Devdas, Karorpati, Vidyapati), Pandit Narottam Vyas (Amar Jyoti, Wahaan, Kangan), Zia Sarhadi (Deccan Queen, Manmohan, Abhilasha) and Arzoo Lakhnawi (Street Singer, Dushman) built the foundation of Bollywood lyrics. They used Urdu and Hindi, the latter often being of the folk form (khadi boli), to write songs for the movies of that era, which were based predominantly on folklore and mythological stories. The lyrics were written with a good understanding of the plot. While the likes of J S Kashyap and Pandit Narottam Vyas stayed exclusively with folk Hindi to write songs like “kit gaye ho khewanhaar” (Achhut Kanya) and “suno suno ban ke prani” (Amar Jyoti), respectively, most lyricists of this era used both Urdu and folk Hindi. These include Kedar Sharma who wrote “baalam aaye baso” and “roshan hai tere dam se” (both songs from Devdas), Zia Sarhadi who wrote “birha ki aag lagi” and “yaad na kar dil-e-hazin” (both songs from Deccan Queen) and Arzoo Lakhnawi who wrote “babul mora naihar,” a famous K L Saigal number, and “sukun dil ko mayassar” (both songs from Street Singer.) While they were comfortable with both Urdu and folk Hindi, the lyricists of this period generally used them as separate tools, and didn’t mix them. This formative era of Bollywood was the time of actor singers like K L Saigal, Ashok Kumar and Devika Rani who lent their voice to the quality lyrics penned by the aforementioned lyricists. It must be noted here that although this article is about lyrics in “Bollywood,” the Hindi film industry, which Bollywood stands for, wasn’t really “Bollywood” in the 30’s because it was based in Calcutta (now Kolkata) at that time. It moved to Bombay (now Mumbai) only in the 40’s.
In the 1940’s Bollywood was joined by song writers like D N Madhok (Khandan, Zamindar, Bhakt Surdas, Tansen, Daasi), Pradeep (Bandhan, Jhoola, Punar Milan, Kismet, Naya Sansar), Shams Lakhnavi (Lal Haveli, Dost, Humayun, Dil), Rajinder Krishan (Patanga, Amar Kahani), Majrooh Sultanpuri (Shahjehan, Andaz), Khumar Barabankwi (Shahjehan, Natak) and Shakeel Badayuni (Dard, Dulari, Dillagi, Andaz.) Krishan, Majrooh, Khumar and Shakeel were active in the Urdu literary circles outside Bollywood before joining the film fraternity and maintained links to the external literary circles even while working in Bollywood. Their arrival in Bollywood raised the standard of Urdu language in Bollywood lyrics. While folk Hindi continued to be in use, the more polished, literary Hindi also became a part of the Bollywood lyricists’ toolkit. “Literary Hindi” here means the language used by the prominent non-film Hindi poets of that era like Jaishankar Prasad, Sumitranandan Pant, Suryakant Tripathi Nirala and Mahadevi Verma. However, the literary Hindi was generally used to supplement Urdu, and songs were seldom written in “pure” literary Hindi. I put quotes around the word “pure,” because Hindi is a derived language, and there is nothing “pure” about it! The same is true about Urdu. So by “pure Hindi” all I mean here is a language that didn’t contain many Urdu words. In fact, “pure” literary Hindi songs like “man re” (Chitralekha), “koi jab tumhara” (Purab Aur Pacchim) and “yadi aap humein” (Hum Tum Aur Woh) are rare in the entire history of Bollywood. The only song writer from the 40’s who used literary Hindi as his main tool was Pradeep although he did sprinkle Urdu words in his lyrics here and there. The rest of the song writers either used “pure” Urdu or a mixture of Urdu and literary Hindi with Urdu being the main constituent in the mixture. This mixing of Urdu and Hindi set a trend that would gain momentum later in time. Movies of this period generally had social themes and often involved love stories. These movies used to have dozens of songs, which gave lyricists ample opportunity to exhibit their talent. Examples of works of the lyricists of the 40’s include “nis din barsat” (Bhakt Surdas), “tu kaun si badli mein” (Khandan), “ab tere siwa kaun mera” (Kismet), “banti nazar aati nahin” (Lal Haveli), “badnaam muhabbat kaun kare” (Dost), “kabhi khamosh ho jana” (Patanga), “jab dil hi toot gaya” and “ai dil-e-beqarar jhoom” (both songs from Shahjehan, the former by Majrooh and the latter by Khumar), and “suhani raat dhal chuki” (Dulari.) While actor singers like K L Saigal, Surendra and Noorjehan still ruled the roost in the 40’s, a new phenomenon started in Bollywood in this decade that would change the face of Bollywood music forever. It was playback singing. Bollywood lyricists now had singers like Shamshad Begum, Mukesh, Mohd. Rafi, Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar to carry their lyrics to the masses.
The 1950’s, which are considered the golden period of Bollywood music, started in an independent India. Several movies of this decade featured songs about the freedom movement and nation building such as “hum laaye hain” (Jaagriti) and “saathi haath badhana” (Naya Daur.) Historicals and suspense thrillers were also made, but the social drama remained the subject of most of the movies of this era. This decade saw a tremendous rise in the stature of some of the established song writers like Rajendra Krishan (Anarkali, Nagin, Azaad, Adalat), Majrooh (Aar Paar, Mr. And Mrs. 55, Nau Do Gyarah, Tumsa Nahin Dekha) and Shakeel (Deedar, Aan, Amar, Mother India.) The 50’s also witnessed the emergence of new lyricists like Hasrat Jaipuri (Kaali Ghata, Nageena, Aurat, Seema, Raaj-hath), P L Santoshi (Sargam, Sangeeta, Nirala), Qamar Jalalabadi (Meena Bazar, Sanam, Aansoo, Rajdhani), Bharat Vyas (Do Aankhen Barah Haath, Sati Annapoorna, Navrang, Kavi Kalidas, Rani Roopmati), Indeevar (Malhar, Sheesham, Baadbaan), Raja Mehdi Ali Khan (Aankhen, Khoj, Alibaba Aur 40 Chor, Inaam), Asad Bhopali (Aadhi Raat, Alladin Laila, Miss Bombay), Shailendra (Yahudi, Anari), S H Bihari (Gawaiya, Bahu), Jaan Nisar Akhtar (Baraati, Yasmin, C.I.D., Naya Andaz) and Sahir Ludhianvi (Baazi, Taxi Driver, Munimji, Devdas, Pyaasa, Naya Daur.) While lyricists like Jaan Nisar Akhtar, Raja M H Khan and Sahir contributed to the richness of Urdu in Bollywood songs, the likes of Shailendra and Bharat Vyas enriched the Hindi side of the lyrics. Bharat Vyas followed in the footsteps of Pradeep and wrote primarily in Hindi with occasional use of Urdu. Urdu was still the primary language for writing Bollywood lyrics such as “yun hasraton ke daagh” (Adalat), “yun to hum ne” (Tumsa Nahin Dekha), “dil mein chhupa ke” (Aan), “ye mera deewanapan hai” (Yahudi), “ye mehlon, ye takhton” (Pyaasa) and “mujh pe ilzam-e-bewafai” (Yasmin.) This is the time when Ghazal, a popular form of Urdu poetry, was featured prominently in Bollywood. Ghazal was there in Bollywood earlier, but it was generally borrowed from famous non-film poets like Ghalib. But now Bollywood lyricists were writing Ghazals specifically for films. Some of the famous Ghazals of the 50’s are “unko ye shikayat” (Adaalat), “tang aa chuke” (Pyaasa) and “muhabbat ki raahon” (Udan Khatola.) Although Urdu was the primary language in the lyrics, the Urdu-Hindi mix was gaining a larger market share. In fact, during this time the lyricists began using a mixture of Urdu and literary Hindi that had an almost equal proportion of the two constituents – something that would blur the line between the two languages over time. This development was not limited to Bollywood. Even outside of Bollywood, these two languages, which originated from different sources (Urdu from Persian and Arabic, and Hindi from Sanskrit), were borrowing heavily from each other and coming closer and closer. The hybrid, which didn’t have an official name yet, was to become the standard language of the majority of Bollywood lyricists. Examples of songs written in such an Urdu-Hindi mix during the 50’s include “duniya mein hum aaye” (Mother India), “Jeevan ke safar mein” (Taxi Driver) and “sab kuchh seekha hum ne” (Anari.) When the situation and story demanded, the lyricists of the 50’s used folk Hindi, too. Under the overwhelming dominance of Urdu and Hindi, English also found a place in comical numbers like “all line clear” (Chori Chori) and “C-A-T cat” (Dilli Ka Thug.) Whether it was Urdu, Urdu-Hindi mixture or folk Hindi, the overall quality of the language and the songs remained high due to several reasons - a generally high caliber of the song writers of this period, the type of movies being made (social and romantic) that lent themselves well for quality poetry, and the demands of the directors and movie goers who were quality conscious and paid attention to detail.
The richness of Bollywood music and lyrics of the 1950’s continued during the 1960’s. Lyricists like Shailendra (Sasural, Hamrahi, Dil Ek Mandir, Meri Surat Teri Aankhen, Guide), Shakeel (Mughal-e-Azam, Gunga Jumna, Mere Mehboob, Do Badan), Majrooh (Sujata, Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon, Dosti, Teesri Manzil, Jewel Thief, Patthar Ke Sanam), Hasrat (Junglee, Sasural, Suraj, Teesri Kasam, Love In Tokyo, Mere Huzoor), and Sahir (Barsaat Ki Raat, Hum Dono, Ghazal, Waqt, Hamraaz), who were household names by now, continued to produce gems like “tere mere sapne” (Guide), “pyar kiya to” (Mughal-e-Azam), “chahunga main tujhe” (Dosti), “teri pyari pyari” (Sasural) and “kisi pattahr ki murat” (Hamraaz.) Since Bollywood was already saturated with a large number of extraordinary song writers, not many new names were added to the pool of lyricists during the 60’s. However, lyricists like Anjaan (Godan, Jali Note, Baharen Phir Bhi Ayengi, Purnima), Gulshan Bawra (Dulha Dulhan, Parivar, Vishwas, Upkar), Anand Bakhshi (Lutera, Devar, Jab Jab Phool Khile, Farz), Neeraj (Tu Hi Meri Zindagi, Cha Cha Cha) and Kaifi Azmi (Shama, Shola Aur Shabnam, Haqeeqat) were able to make inroads into Bollywood during this time. Neeraj and Kaifi Azmi were noticed in particular, the former for his unique mix of Urdu and Hindi, and the latter for his high quality Urdu. The new crop of lyricists produced songs like “humsafar mere humsafar” (Purnima), “jo pyar tu ne” (Dulha Dulhan), “ek tha gul aur” (Jab Jab Phool Khile), “subha na aayi” (Cha Cha Cha) and “kar chale hum fida” (Haqeeqat.) As in the 50’s, Urdu remained the main language of the lyricists of the 60’s as seen in songs (which were actually Ghazals) like “kabhi khud pe” (Hum Dono), “koi saaghar” (Dil Diya Dard Liya), “tumhari zulf ke” (Naunihal) and “rehte the kabhi” (Mamta.) However, a mixture of Urdu and Hindi that by now was being labeled by some as Hindustani or just Hindi (although it had a large amount of Urdu vocabulary in it), was in use more than ever before. Folk Hindi remained relevant for songs based in villages and for special numbers like bhajans. Anand Bakhshi injected the Punjabi dialect of Urdu-Hindi mix in songs like “tumse o Hasina kabhi muhabbat na maine karni thi.” Movies of the 60’s were largely family dramas and love stories with some representation of subjects like social justice and crime. The standard of poetry in Bollywood in the 60’s remained high thanks to the subjects of the movies of this period and large number of lyricists who had a strong command on language and were motivated to produce quality art.
The 1970’s were a turning point. This period is notable for many things that caused the start of a decline in the quality of Bollywood lyrics. First, in this decade the romantic films of yesteryears started to be pushed to the background by the action movies, which obviously aren’t conducive to rich poetry. Second, the subtle expression of sentiments of yesteryears like “tum agar saath dene ka” (Hamraz) began to be replaced by daring demands for attention like “chupke se dil de de” (Maryada) and even double-meaning declarations like “ik cheez mangte hain” (Babul Ki Galiyan.) Third, Bollywood started making a lot more movies than before, which put pressure on the lyricists. Fourth and last, this decade either started without the services of several of the senior song writers, or lost them during its course. Such song writers include Shailendra, Raja M H Khan, Shakeel Badayuni and Jaan Nisar Akhtar. One more notable feature of the 70’s is the fact that the lyrics started seeing a toning down of Urdu. The language used by Bollywood lyricists began to be devoid of chaste Urdu words, and a simpler version of Urdu-Hindi mix began to take hold. This was perhaps a reflection of the fact that the base of literary Urdu outside of Bollywood was shrinking. The departure of chaste Urdu, which is considered ideal for sophisticated poetry (especially romantic poetry) indirectly affected the quality of Bollywood lyrics. The notable representatives of the old guard who remained active during this period include Majrooh (Caravan, Yaadon Ki Baraat, Mere Jeevan Sathi, Hum Kisise Kum Nahin), Anand Bakhshi (Kati Patang, Bobby, Sholay, Mehbooba, Sargam), Sahir (Dastan, Daag, Kabhi Kabhi), Rajendra Krishan (Man Mandir, Blackmail, Jwar Bhata), Hasrat (Andaz, Lal Patthar, Pagla Kahin Ka), Kaifi (Heer Ranjha, Hanste Zakhm, Hindustan Ki Kasam), Anjaan (Don, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Hera Pheri), Indeevar (Safar, Upaasna, Sajan Bina Suhagan), Gulshan Bawra (Zanjeer, Umar Qaid, Khel Khel Mein, Kasme Vaade) and Verma Malik (Pehchan, Be-Imaan, Samjhauta, Nagin.) Although several big names had retired by now, there was still a sizeable number of senior lyricists in Bollywood. Perhaps that is why only a few new names were added to the list of lyricists in this period. These include Gulzar (Khamoshi, Mere Apne, Mausam, Kinara, Ghar), Yogesh (Anand, Annadata, Honeymoon, Rajnigandha, Chhoti Si Baat, Mili, Manzil), Amit Khanna (Swami, Chalte Chalte, Des Pardes), Maya Govind (Jalte Badan, Aarop, Heera Aur Patthar) and Santosh Anand (Shor, Roti Kapda Aur Makan.) Gulzar, primarily an Urdu poet, used a now-standard mixture of simple Urdu and Hindi for his lyrics. He was noticed for his abstract style of poetry more than his language. The rest of the newcomers also wrote in a mixture of simple Urdu and Hindi. All had a fresh, easy-to-relate-to style of poetry. In the case of these lyricists, although it would be safe to say that Hindi was slightly more dominant in their language than Urdu, the fact is that it was difficult to tell as to which constituent was dominant because, as mentioned earlier in this article, the line between Urdu and Hindi was getting more and more obscure now. Examples of songs from the 1970’s include “kya hua tera wada” (Hum Kisise Kum Nahin), “hum tum ek kamre mein” (Bobby), “mere dil mein” (Daag), “pal pal dil ke paas” (Blackmail), “zindagi ek safar” (Andaz), “ye duniya ye mehfil” (Heer Ranjha), “zindagi ka safar” (Safar), “jai bolo” (Be-Imaan), “koi hota” (Mere Apne), “zindagi kaisi hai paheli” (Anand), “chalte chalte” (Chalte Chalte), “naino mein darpan” (Aarop) and “main na bhoolunga” (Roti Kapda Aur Makan.) The song writers of the 70’s managed to keep the lyrics largely context specific, but the number of unnecessary songs was growing. This is evident from the fact that a smaller number of songs as a percent of the overall volume were enjoying the status of a hit and the proportion of forgettable songs was getting larger in comparison to the yesteryears.
When the 1980’s began, the masala movie culture had taken over Bollywood. Songs were mostly becoming a formality, and didn’t seem to be a part of the story anymore. A phenomenon that characterizes this decade is the evolution of the so called item numbers. Some may argue that cabaret songs of the yesteryears were items numbers, too. That is true in terms of the fact that such songs were performed by dancers. However, the two main differences between cabaret songs and item numbers are that one, the cabaret songs were generally performed by supporting actors and two, the cabaret songs were lyrically as good as other songs in the movie. The item numbers of the 80’s and later years on the other hand featured lead actors and hardly had any lyrical value. The advent of the disco wave in the 80’s made item songs even more common. While some of the disco songs like “raat baaqi” (Namak Halaal) and “meri umar ke” (Karz) had decent poetry, most were devoid of any real poetry, such as “super dancer aaye” (Dance Dance) and “jhoom baba” (Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki.) By now almost all of the senior song writers who had nurtured Bollywood poetry over the last three decades had either died or had stopped practicing actively. A few exceptions to this rule were Indeevar, Anand Bakshi, Anjaan, Verma Malik, Gulshan Bawara and Majrooh. Bollywood was expecting a lot from these remaining stalwarts, and the pressure started to bring the quality down. Indeevar, who had penned songs like “chandan sa badan” (Saraswati Chandra) and “darpan ko dekha” (Upaasna) earlier, started churning out item numbers that were nonsensical and at times obscene, such as “ek aankh maaroon” (Tohfa) and “jhopdi mein charpaai” (Mawaali.) Anand Bakhshi didn’t compromise as much as Indeevar, but he, too, produced occasional substandard numbers like “accident ho gaya” (Coolie) and “bichchhu lad gaya” (Inquilab.) Anjaan was busy writing non-descript rhymes for the disco tunes (Discso Dancer, Dance Dance, Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki.) Verma Malik’s average work got lost in forgettable movies (Rajmahal, Beraham and Shaaka.) Gulshan Bawra produced some quality lyrics (Satte Pe Satta, Yeh Vada Raha, Sanam Teri Kasam) but unfortunately didn’t get much work. Majrooh, too, didn’t have as much work as he used to have in the past, perhaps because he kept his poetry up to his usual high standard. However, he continued to show his caliber in several notable movies (Kudrat, Saajan Ki Saheli, Zamaane Ko Dikhana Hai.) In fact, his excellent lyrics played a major role in the success of Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, a movie widely considered to be responsible for bringing good music back to Bollywood. The junior song writers tried to share the burden of their seniors by doing their best. Gulzar (Thodi Si Bewafai, Masoom, Ghulami, Sadma), Yogesh (Agnipariksha, Apne Paraye, Chatpati, Kisise Na Kehna) and Amit Khanna (Unees Bees, Man Pasand, Star, Lootmaar) kept producing decent poetry in songs like “hazar raahen” (Thodi Si Bewafai), “tujhse naraz nahin” (Masoom), “kaise din” (Apne Paraye) and “logon ka dil” (Man Pasand.) However, except Gulzar, they could not command much attention. The kind of movies being made in the 80’s didn’t make this decade the best time for new song writers to start a career in Bollywood. But the fact that the field had shrunk considerably in comparison to what it was in the past decades did allow the entry of newcomers. One such newcomer was Javed Akhtar. He was an established story, screenplay and dialogue writer, and was convinced by legendary film maker Yash Chopra to write lyrics. His lyrical journey started with Silsila, and he went on to write lyrics for several movies in the 80’s (Saath Saath, Mashaal, Duniya, Tezaab.) His language and content have always been above average and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that he is the main reason why Bollywood lyrics haven’t gone through a complete meltdown in the post 70’s years. Other prominent names to appear on the scene in the 80’s are Hasan Kamal (Nikaah, Tawaif, Aaj Ki Awaaz, Mazdoor), Nida Fazli (Aap To Aise Na The, Ahista Ahista, Sweekar Kiya Maine, Harjaee) and Shahryar (Umrao Jaan, Faasle, Anjuman.) Most of these newcomers used Urdu as their primary language, but used Hindi as well. These writers deserve accolades for producing gems like “tum ko dekha” (Saath Saath), “aaj ki awaaz” (Aaj Ki Awaaz), “tu is tarah se” (Aap To Aise Na The) and “justuju jiski thi” (Umrao Jaan) in an era when good poetry was not the norm in Bollywood.
The 1990’s started on a positive note. Two movies in the late 80’s – Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak and Maine Pyar Kiya – had brought music into focus once again in Bollywood. And when Aashiqui was released in 1990, it strengthened the positive trend set by its two aforementioned predecessors. Among other artists Aashqui gave Bollywood a promising lyricist in Sameer (son of lyricist Anjaan.) Sameer’s success in the 90’s was phenomenal. He produced an unbelievably large number of hit songs (Aashiqui, Saajan, Sadak, Deewana, Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke, Raja Hindustani, Kuchh Kuchh Hota Hai.) Other notable newcomers to join Bollywood in the 90’s are Faaiz Anwar (Jaanam, Tum Karo Vaada, Imtihan, Suraksha), Anwar Sagar (Dil Ka Kya Kasoor, Aa Gale Lag Jaa, Juari, Bechain), Rahat Indori (Khuddar, Main Khiladi Tu Anari, Kareeb), Nawab Arzoo (Hum Sab Chor Hain, Baali Umar Ko Salam) Mehboob (Bombay, Rangeela, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam) and Rani Malik (Jaan Tere Naam, Dulara, Chhote Sarkar, Mehndi.) While fresh faces were coming in, the senior song writers like Anand Bakshi (Darr, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge, Dil To Pagal Hai, Gupt, Jab Pyar Kisise Hota Hai), Majrooh (Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar, Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa, Akele Hum Akele Tum, Khamoshi The Musical), Indeevar (Karan Arjun, Criminal, Koyla), Gulzar (Lekin, Rudali, Maachis, Dil Se) and Javed Akhtar (Dastak, Border, Virasat, Yes Boss, Aur Pyar Ho Gaya) were also in action. A large number of the movies of the 90’s were about the youth, following a trend set by Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak in the late 80’s. It is difficult to tell if the youth of India were actually shedding the conservative values of the past, but the expression of sentiments in the movies was becoming more and more overt. While Bollywood of the 90’s witnessed some quality poetry, it could not rid itself of the item-number effect of the 80’s, which was getting stronger now as the films started featuring younger characters instead of the usual grown-up characters of the past. As a result, while we saw quality lyrics in songs like “nazar ke saamne” (Aashiqui), “is tarah aashiqui ka” (Imtihan), “aa gale lag jaa” (Aa Gale Lag Jaa), “chori chori jab” (Kareeb), “jadu teri nazar” (Darr), “pehla nasha” (Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar), “chhod aaye hum” (Maachis) and “sandese aate hain” (Border), we also had substandard and sometimes obscene poetry in songs like “sexy sexy” (Khuddar), “shehar ki ladki” (Rakshak), “chamma chamma” (China Gate) and “main aayi hoon” (Shool.) In fact, there was so much criticism of the words “sexy sexy” in the Khuddar song that they were replaced by “baby baby” and the song was rerecorded. While most of the substandard poetry of this era can be attributed to the new song writers, seniors like Anand Bakshi were also to be blamed for writing double-meaning songs like “choli ke peechhe” (Khalnayak.) The main language of the lyricists of the 90’s remained a mixture of simple Urdu and Hindi, as in the last decade. However, the street language of Bombay (Mumbai) also started appearing in songs like “maangta hai kya” (Rangeela) and “aati kya khandala” (Ghulam.) Shades of Punjabi showed up in songs like “khali dil naiin” (Kachche Dhaage) and “chappa chappa” (Maachis.) Punjabi also came with pop artists like Daler Mehndi who made guest appearances for item numbers like “saade naal” (Mrityudata.) English, which was limited to short phrases in the songs of the past like “nazar na lag jaye” (Night In London), started being used as full sentences in songs like “My adorable darling” (Main Khiladi Tu Anadi) and “dil mera churaya” (Akele Hum Akele Tum.) The lyricists of the 90’s experimented a lot with the content and language. Some of this experimentation spilled into the new century and continues even today. These lyricists appear to ignore the fact that the only poetry that survives the test of time is the sensible and decent expression of sentiments in a language understood and appreciated by the masses. Another experiment initiated in Bollywood in the 90’s is the use of several song writers for a single movie. It is difficult to say if it has affected the quality of lyrics in any way, but it certainly posed a hardship to the music directors and singers who had to work with several lyricists for a single album.
Before the year 2000 two of the long serving Bollywood lyricists, Indeevar and Anjaan, passed away. Barely a couple of years into the 2000’s Bollywood lost two more song writers who had been serving it for half a century. But before they left, Majrooh (Pukar, Kya Kehna, Hum To Mohabbat Karega, One 2 Ka 4) and Anand Bakshi (Mohabbatein, Taal, Gadar, Indian, Chori Chori, Mujhse Dosti Karoge) gave some more of their characteristic charming poetry. They were the last flag bearers of the golden era of Bollywood poetry and with their death an important chapter of Bollywood history came to an end. After their demise, the responsibility of producing lyrics was borne by the remaining senior poets like Gulzar (Fiza, Saathiya, Aks, Bunti Aur Babli, Guru, Yuvvraj, Filhaal, Kaminey) and Javed Akhtar (Refugee, Lagaan, Kal Ho Na Ho, Chalte Chalte, Main Hoon Na, Veer-Zaara, Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, Dil Chahta Hai, Om Shanti Om, Jodha Akbar, Rock On.) Other established poets like Sameer (Ajnabee, Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega, Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, Dhadkan, Dhoom, Dil Hai Tumhara, Lucky, Bhool Bhulaiyya, Raaz, Salam-E-Ishq), Rahat Indori (Mission Kashmir, Munna Bhai MBBS, Inteha), Faaiz Anwar (Baaghi, Gunaah, Tum Bin, Pyaasa) and Mehboob (Yuva, Dil Hi Dil Mein, Lakeer, Dil Ne Jise Apna Kaha) tried to share the load, but were not able to do as much as Bollywood was demanding. As a result the door was open for newcomers such as Irshad Kamil (Karam, Jab We Met, Love Aaj Kal, Ajab Prem Ki Ghajab Kahani, Ahista Ahista, Socha Na Tha), Prasoon Joshi (Fanaa, Hum Tum, Taare Zameen Par, Rang De Basanti, Delhi 6), Swanand Kirkire (Parineeta, Lage Raho Munnabhai, Laga Chunri Mein Daag, 3 Idiots), Sayeed Quadri (Saaya, Gangster, Awarapan, The Train, Woh Lamhe, Life In A Metro, Zeher), Jaideep Sahni (Salam Namaste, Khosla Ka Ghosla, Chak De India, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi) and Piyush Mishra (Aaja Nachle, Black Friday, Tashan, Gulaal.) Between the two senior poets, Javed Akhtar maintained his usual high standard of content and language in his lyrics for songs like “har ghadi” (Kal Ho Na Ho), “tere liye” (Veer-Zaara) and “kehne ko jashn-e-bahaaraan” (Jodha Akbar.) Gulzar on the other hand was becoming more abstract in songs like “geeli hansi” (Saathiya) and even whacky in songs like “bidi jalai le” (Omkara) although he did maintain high quality in most of his lyrics. The established poets produced decent content in songs like “tum dil ki” (Dhadkan), “bumbro bumbro” (Mission Kashmir), “koi fariyad” (Tum Bin) and “kabhi neem neem” (Yuva.) The newcomers produced some high quality poetry in songs like “ye ishq haaye” (Jab We Met), “maa” (Taare Zameen Par), “kaisi paheli” (Parineeta), “lamha lamha” (Gangster), “haule haule” (Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi) and “dil haara” (Tashan.) The newcomers provided a much needed freshness of style and language. Speaking of language, the lyricists of the 2000’s continued to use a mixture of simple Urdu and Hindi. While some such as Javed Akhtar, Irshad Kamil and Sayeed Quadri used more Urdu than Hindi, others such as Prasoon Joshi and Swanand Kirkire used more Hindi than Urdu. However, as mentioned earlier in this article, it was generally impossible to differentiate Urdu from Hindi by this time in the history of Bollywood poetry. More Punjabi was getting into the lyrics now than ever before in songs like “mera maahi” (Dhayi Akshar Prem Ke), “mauja hi mauja” (Jab We Met) and “mainu chain” (Apne.) English, too, was getting more exposure in the Bollywood lyrics. While its use added to the appeal of the songs like “where’s the party” (Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna) and “my desi girl” (Dostana), in other songs it was ridiculous at best, such as “don’t touch” (Raja Bhaiya) and “sexy mama” (13B.) A mixture of Punjabi and English also showed up in songs like “ankh ladiye” (Neal N Nikki) and “jee karda” (Singh is King.) This was perhaps an indirect effect of the popularity of Punjabi pop outside of Bollywood. The street language of Bombay (Mumbai), too, found a place in songs like “apun bola” (Josh) and “ganpat daru la” (Shootout At Lokhandwala.) Bollywood movies of the 21st century began tackling all subjects that were taboo in the past such as extra-marital relationship and extra-judicial killings. The lyrics turned more and more brazen.
Since the year 2010 until now (2016) Bollywood has generally produced good poetry, but it is also witnessing a couple of troubling developments. The two senior poets Gulzar (Ishqiya, 7 Khoon Maaf, Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Haider, Talvar) and Javed Akhtar (Don 2, Ekk Deewana Tha, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Talaash) continue to amaze the listeners with their seemingly unlimited talent in songs like “dil to bachcha” (Ishqiya), “saans” (Jab Tak Hai Jaan), “seniorita” (Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara) and “jee le zara” (Talaash.) Sameer (Krrish 3, Khiladi 786, Rowdy Rathore) seems to have suddenly slowed down after two prolific decades. Other senior poets like Faaiz Anwar (Ye Jo Muhabbat Hai, Anuradha) are doing very little or nothing at all. The established names like Irshad Kamil (Aakrosh, Mere Brother Ki Dunhan, Rockstar, Raanjhanaa, Highway, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo), Prasoon Joshi (Arakshan, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Satyagraha), Swanand Kirkire (Singham, Barfi, Kai Po Che, PK), Jaideep Sahni (Dum Maaro Dum, Shudh Desi Romance), Piyush Mishra (Gangs Of Wasseypur, Arjun – The Warrior Prince) and Sayeed Quadri (Jannat 2, Murder 3) are filling in with some decent poetry in songs like “naadaan parinde” (Rockstar), “zinda” (Bhaag Milkha Bhaag), “aashiyan” (Barfi), “gaye kyun” (Dum Maaro Dum), “karam ki talwar” (Arjun – The Warrior Prince) and “mat aazma re” (Murder 3.) There is enough room for new songwriters like Amitabh Bhattacharya (Agneepath, Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani, Hasee To Phasee, Chennai Express, Dilwale) and Mayur Puri (Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya, Race 2, Humshakals) to join the Bollywood lyricists club. These new song writers have come up with some appreciable poetry in songs like “abhi mujh mein” (Agneepath), “gerua” (Dilwale) and “piya o re piya” (Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya.) However, not all the newcomers are up to the mark when it comes to quality. And the worst part is that their work is not being critiqued even by those who should. Songs like “hum tere bin” (Aashiqui 2) and “suno na” (Youngistaan) are being nominated for “best lyrics” award despite having flaws. In the “hum tere bin” song the writer uses “hum” and “mera” for the same person in the same line whereas “hum” could have easily been replaced by “main.” This mismatch of pronouns is present elsewhere in the lyrics. In the same song, in the first two lines of the first stanza the writer seems to be rhyming the word “nahin” with “kabhi.” And the first two lines of the second stanza don’t end with rhyming words at all. The lyrics are a patchwork of discrete statements instead of a well-crafted poem. In the “suno na” song, the word “meenaaren” is rhymed with the word “tumhaare” apparently because the writer thinks the word “meenaaren” is pronounced as “meenare.” Like in the previous example, the writer uses different pronouns - “tum” and “tere” - for the same person. Moreover, the writer says “aanchal se bandhe” instead of “aanchal se bandha” in the first stanza. In both the cases, the nomination seems to be based on the fact that the songs were a hit with the masses instead of the merit and quality of the lyrics. But a more worrisome trend is the hospitality Bollywood is extending to the likes of Yo Yo Honey Singh. He has used Bollywood’s penchant for item songs to make inroads into a once coveted group that boasted lyricists like Shakeel, Sahir and Shailendra, and is churning out absurd and shameless songs like “party all night” (Boss) and “party on my mind” (Race 2.) Such “lyrics” not only fail to qualify for the title of poetry, they blast away whatever little decency is left in Bollywood poetry. Let us hope that Bollywood recruits lyricists who are fully conversant with the nuances of the Urdu/Hindi language and poetry writing. Let us also hope that Bollywood does not run after those who are destroying its beauty by dishing out profanity in the name of poetry. Finally, let us hope that if Bollywood fails to do its part, the listeners will rise to the occasion, reject substandard poetry and demand a better deal.
Sincerely,
Irfan Alvi
Naseer
Nov 12, 2016, 5:40:45 PM11/12/16
to
Irfan SaaHib, aadaab 3arz hai.
Thank you for your detailed and well-researched article on the subject of "A Brief History of Bollywood Lyrics: Writers, Language and Content" and it was indeed fascinating reading. You have no doubt put a lot of time and effort in writing this article for which you deserve gratitude from every lover of Bollywood songs. Connoisseurs of Urdu poetry and Bollywood films, like Afzal SaaHib, no doubt would have much more considered opinion about your article but nevertheless, I would like to make a few points.
"In fact, during this time the lyricists began using a mixture of Urdu and literary Hindi that had an almost equal proportion of the two constituents – something that would blur the line between the two languages over time. This development was not limited to Bollywood. Even outside of Bollywood, these two languages, which originated from different sources (Urdu from Persian and Arabic, and Hindi from Sanskrit), were borrowing heavily from each other and coming closer and closer."
I believe it is an accepted fact that both Urdu and literary Hindi (jab ko'ii tumhaaraa hradaya toR de*) have their foundation in KhaRi-Boli. It is Persian/Arabic vocabulary along with their idioms that made KhaRi-Boli into Urdu and direct borrowing from Sanskrit which made the same Khari-Boli, albeit at a much later stage, into what is often termed as Modern Hindi.
"Anand Bakhshi injected the Punjabi dialect of Urdu-Hindi mix in songs like “tumse o Hasina kabhi muhabbat na maine karni thi.”
The myth that this kind of sentence has its basis in the Punjabi speaking world is just a myth. Please see post dated 26th February 2016 of the following thread which should convince you that this construction has its origins amongst the Urdu speakers of Delhi. So, Anand Bakhshi is just following the Delhi School of Urdu.
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/maiN$20ne$20jaanaa$20hai%7Csort:relevance/alt.language.urdu.poetry/LHsukHBuYxM/gOVJOnL_CgAJ
"Kasme Vaade Karz Kudrat Kareeb...". I am assuming you have spelt the names of these films with a "K" because that is how Hindi speakers might spell them(?). I believe you meant to write "KasmeN" and not "kasme". Also perhaps you meant to write "maujaaN hi maujaaN".
"In the case of these lyricists, although it would be safe to say that Hindi was slightly more dominant in their language than Urdu, the fact is that it was difficult to tell as to which constituent was dominant because, as mentioned earlier in this article, the line between Urdu and Hindi was getting more and more obscure now. Examples of songs from the 1970’s include “kya hua tera wada” (Hum Kisise Kum Nahin), “hum tum ek kamre mein” (Bobby), “mere dil mein” (Daag), “pal pal dil ke paas” (Blackmail), “zindagi ek safar” (Andaz), “ye duniya ye mehfil” (Heer Ranjha), “zindagi ka safar” (Safar), “jai bolo” (Be-Imaan), “koi hota” (Mere Apne), “zindagi kaisi hai paheli” (Anand), “chalte chalte” (Chalte Chalte), “naino mein darpan” (Aarop) and “main na bhoolunga” (Roti Kapda Aur Makan.)"
Of the songs you have listed in this paragraph, I listened to "kyaa hu'aa teraa va3dah","yih dunyaa yih maHfil"* and "chalte chalte". I would put all these songs in the Urdu category without any hesitation.
"And the worst part is that their work is not being critiqued even by those who should. Songs like “hum tere bin” (Aashiqui 2) and “suno na” (Youngistaan) are being nominated for “best lyrics” award despite having flaws. In the “hum tere bin” song the writer uses “hum” and “mera” for the same person in the same line whereas “hum” could have easily been replaced by “main.” This mismatch of pronouns is present elsewhere in the lyrics. In the same song, in the first two lines of the first stanza the writer seems to be rhyming the word “nahin” with “kabhi.”
I am sure you would already be well aware of the concept of "shutur-gurbah" in Urdu poetry where pronouns are mixed up. These writers are perhaps keeping alight one aspect of Urdu poetry!:-) With regard to "kabhii" being rhymed with "nahiiN", is n't there a precedence of this in Shauq Lakhnavii's poetry?
ko'ii martaa hai kyoN? balaa jaane
ham bahuu betiyaaN yih kyaa jaaneN
.......
* "ko'ii jab tumhaaraa..." song has dar, sar, daaman, javaanii, shart and nazar. So, I don't believe this song is a good example of the Hindi song. In the "yih dunyaa yih maHfil" song, I think the only word which one could say is not regular Urdu is "parbat". Apart from that I could n't think of any other word that would put this song in the category where the Urdu/Hindi line is difficult to draw.
Best Wishes,
Naseer
Thank you for your detailed and well-researched article on the subject of "A Brief History of Bollywood Lyrics: Writers, Language and Content" and it was indeed fascinating reading. You have no doubt put a lot of time and effort in writing this article for which you deserve gratitude from every lover of Bollywood songs. Connoisseurs of Urdu poetry and Bollywood films, like Afzal SaaHib, no doubt would have much more considered opinion about your article but nevertheless, I would like to make a few points.
"In fact, during this time the lyricists began using a mixture of Urdu and literary Hindi that had an almost equal proportion of the two constituents – something that would blur the line between the two languages over time. This development was not limited to Bollywood. Even outside of Bollywood, these two languages, which originated from different sources (Urdu from Persian and Arabic, and Hindi from Sanskrit), were borrowing heavily from each other and coming closer and closer."
"Anand Bakhshi injected the Punjabi dialect of Urdu-Hindi mix in songs like “tumse o Hasina kabhi muhabbat na maine karni thi.”
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/maiN$20ne$20jaanaa$20hai%7Csort:relevance/alt.language.urdu.poetry/LHsukHBuYxM/gOVJOnL_CgAJ
"Kasme Vaade Karz Kudrat Kareeb...". I am assuming you have spelt the names of these films with a "K" because that is how Hindi speakers might spell them(?). I believe you meant to write "KasmeN" and not "kasme". Also perhaps you meant to write "maujaaN hi maujaaN".
"In the case of these lyricists, although it would be safe to say that Hindi was slightly more dominant in their language than Urdu, the fact is that it was difficult to tell as to which constituent was dominant because, as mentioned earlier in this article, the line between Urdu and Hindi was getting more and more obscure now. Examples of songs from the 1970’s include “kya hua tera wada” (Hum Kisise Kum Nahin), “hum tum ek kamre mein” (Bobby), “mere dil mein” (Daag), “pal pal dil ke paas” (Blackmail), “zindagi ek safar” (Andaz), “ye duniya ye mehfil” (Heer Ranjha), “zindagi ka safar” (Safar), “jai bolo” (Be-Imaan), “koi hota” (Mere Apne), “zindagi kaisi hai paheli” (Anand), “chalte chalte” (Chalte Chalte), “naino mein darpan” (Aarop) and “main na bhoolunga” (Roti Kapda Aur Makan.)"
"And the worst part is that their work is not being critiqued even by those who should. Songs like “hum tere bin” (Aashiqui 2) and “suno na” (Youngistaan) are being nominated for “best lyrics” award despite having flaws. In the “hum tere bin” song the writer uses “hum” and “mera” for the same person in the same line whereas “hum” could have easily been replaced by “main.” This mismatch of pronouns is present elsewhere in the lyrics. In the same song, in the first two lines of the first stanza the writer seems to be rhyming the word “nahin” with “kabhi.”
ko'ii martaa hai kyoN? balaa jaane
ham bahuu betiyaaN yih kyaa jaaneN
.......
* "ko'ii jab tumhaaraa..." song has dar, sar, daaman, javaanii, shart and nazar. So, I don't believe this song is a good example of the Hindi song. In the "yih dunyaa yih maHfil" song, I think the only word which one could say is not regular Urdu is "parbat". Apart from that I could n't think of any other word that would put this song in the category where the Urdu/Hindi line is difficult to draw.
Best Wishes,
Naseer
mialvi9
Nov 17, 2016, 7:06:33 PM11/17/16
to
On Saturday, November 12, 2016 at 5:40:45 PM UTC-5, Naseer wrote:
> Irfan SaaHib, aadaab 3arz hai.
>
> Thank you for your detailed and well-researched article on the subject of "A Brief History of Bollywood Lyrics: Writers, Language and Content" and it was indeed fascinating reading. You have no doubt put a lot of time and effort in writing this article for which you deserve gratitude from every lover of Bollywood songs. Connoisseurs of Urdu poetry and Bollywood films, like Afzal SaaHib, no doubt would have much more considered opinion about your article but nevertheless, I would like to make a few points.
>
Naseer sb, aadaab!
> Irfan SaaHib, aadaab 3arz hai.
>
> Thank you for your detailed and well-researched article on the subject of "A Brief History of Bollywood Lyrics: Writers, Language and Content" and it was indeed fascinating reading. You have no doubt put a lot of time and effort in writing this article for which you deserve gratitude from every lover of Bollywood songs. Connoisseurs of Urdu poetry and Bollywood films, like Afzal SaaHib, no doubt would have much more considered opinion about your article but nevertheless, I would like to make a few points.
>
It is so nice to hear from you after a long time. Hope all is well at your end. Thank you so much for your kind words of appreciation and your esteemed comments.
> "In fact, during this time the lyricists began using a mixture of Urdu and literary Hindi that had an almost equal proportion of the two constituents – something that would blur the line between the two languages over time. This development was not limited to Bollywood. Even outside of Bollywood, these two languages, which originated from different sources (Urdu from Persian and Arabic, and Hindi from Sanskrit), were borrowing heavily from each other and coming closer and closer."
>
> I believe it is an accepted fact that both Urdu and literary Hindi (jab ko'ii tumhaaraa hradaya toR de*) have their foundation in KhaRi-Boli. It is Persian/Arabic vocabulary along with their idioms that made KhaRi-Boli into Urdu and direct borrowing from Sanskrit which made the same Khari-Boli, albeit at a much later stage, into what is often termed as Modern Hindi.
>
> "Anand Bakhshi injected the Punjabi dialect of Urdu-Hindi mix in songs like “tumse o Hasina kabhi muhabbat na maine karni thi.”
>
> The myth that this kind of sentence has its basis in the Punjabi speaking world is just a myth. Please see post dated 26th February 2016 of the following thread which should convince you that this construction has its origins amongst the Urdu speakers of Delhi. So, Anand Bakhshi is just following the Delhi School of Urdu.
>
> https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/maiN$20ne$20jaanaa$20hai%7Csort:relevance/alt.language.urdu.poetry/LHsukHBuYxM/gOVJOnL_CgAJ
>
> "Kasme Vaade Karz Kudrat Kareeb...". I am assuming you have spelt the names of these films with a "K" because that is how Hindi speakers might spell them(?). I believe you meant to write "KasmeN" and not "kasme". Also perhaps you meant to write "maujaaN hi maujaaN".
>
> "In the case of these lyricists, although it would be safe to say that Hindi was slightly more dominant in their language than Urdu, the fact is that it was difficult to tell as to which constituent was dominant because, as mentioned earlier in this article, the line between Urdu and Hindi was getting more and more obscure now. Examples of songs from the 1970’s include “kya hua tera wada” (Hum Kisise Kum Nahin), “hum tum ek kamre mein” (Bobby), “mere dil mein” (Daag), “pal pal dil ke paas” (Blackmail), “zindagi ek safar” (Andaz), “ye duniya ye mehfil” (Heer Ranjha), “zindagi ka safar” (Safar), “jai bolo” (Be-Imaan), “koi hota” (Mere Apne), “zindagi kaisi hai paheli” (Anand), “chalte chalte” (Chalte Chalte), “naino mein darpan” (Aarop) and “main na bhoolunga” (Roti Kapda Aur Makan.)"
>
> Of the songs you have listed in this paragraph, I listened to "kyaa hu'aa teraa va3dah","yih dunyaa yih maHfil"* and "chalte chalte". I would put all these songs in the Urdu category without any hesitation.
>
> "And the worst part is that their work is not being critiqued even by those who should. Songs like “hum tere bin” (Aashiqui 2) and “suno na” (Youngistaan) are being nominated for “best lyrics” award despite having flaws. In the “hum tere bin” song the writer uses “hum” and “mera” for the same person in the same line whereas “hum” could have easily been replaced by “main.” This mismatch of pronouns is present elsewhere in the lyrics. In the same song, in the first two lines of the first stanza the writer seems to be rhyming the word “nahin” with “kabhi.”
>
> I am sure you would already be well aware of the concept of "shutur-gurbah" in Urdu poetry where pronouns are mixed up. These writers are perhaps keeping alight one aspect of Urdu poetry!:-) With regard to "kabhii" being rhymed with "nahiiN", is n't there a precedence of this in Shauq Lakhnavii's poetry?
>
> ko'ii martaa hai kyoN? balaa jaane
> ham bahuu betiyaaN yih kyaa jaaneN
>
> .......
Regarding the use of “jaaneN” and “jaane” in place of each other, I must say that although I wouldn’t do so in my poetry, I can digest it because of the structure of these words. The ending sound in both the words is primarily determined by “noon” and “baRi ye” and “noon-e-Ghunnah” hardly has a role in the phonetics of these words. That is why both sound almost alike. That is not the case with “kabhii” and “nahiiN.”
>
> * "ko'ii jab tumhaaraa..." song has dar, sar, daaman, javaanii, shart and nazar. So, I don't believe this song is a good example of the Hindi song. In the "yih dunyaa yih maHfil" song, I think the only word which one could say is not regular Urdu is "parbat". Apart from that I could n't think of any other word that would put this song in the category where the Urdu/Hindi line is difficult to draw.
>
> Best Wishes,
>
> Naseer
Thanks a lot once again for your appreciation and comments. Hope you will keep blessing me like this in the future.
Sincerely,
Irfan
Naseer
Nov 18, 2016, 5:17:21 PM11/18/16
to
Irfan SaaHib, aadaab-o-tasliimaat
On Friday, 18 November 2016 00:13:55 UTC, Irfan Abid wrote:
> > "Anand Bakhshi injected the Punjabi dialect of Urdu-Hindi mix in songs like “tumse o Hasina kabhi muhabbat na maine karni thi.”
> >
> > The myth that this kind of sentence has its basis in the Punjabi speaking world is just a myth. Please see post dated 26th February 2016 of the following thread which should convince you that this construction has its origins amongst the Urdu speakers of Delhi. So, Anand Bakhshi is just following the Delhi School of Urdu.
> >
> > https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/maiN$20ne$20jaanaa$20hai%7Csort:relevance/alt.language.urdu.poetry/LHsukHBuYxM/gOVJOnL_CgAJ
> >
>
> I reviewed some information at the link you provided, but not all (I will, when time permits.) Assuming that your research is correct (and I know you are very dependable in this regard) and that such a dialect was born in Delhi out of people not originally from Punjab, I am wondering how it reached and was adopted by the Punjabis of today and why no other community other than Punjabis uses this dialect. Any thoughts? In any case, since this dialect is now primarily practiced by Punjabis, I think the statement in the article is still valid. :)
Firstly Irfan SaaHib I would n't describe those who use "maiN ne jaanaa hai" as people speaking another "dialect". How this usage went to Punjab from Delhi is quite simple to explain. Punjab's proximity to Delhi is one factor. Urdu speakers travelling to the Punjab, especially its main urban centres like Lahore (especially literary figures such as Altaf Hussain Hali and Maulana Muhammad Hussain Azad) is another factor. Thirdly, in post partition Punjab of Pakistan, Urdu is the language taught from primary school onwards. So, relatively speaking, a very large population is speaking and writing Urdu. This could explain its widespread usage among the Punjabi speaking peoples.
I am afraid I don't subscribe to your logic that as a large number of Punjabis employ this construction, one can place this construction squarely on this community's shoulders alone. Truth of the matter is that people like Iftikhar Arif (Lucknow), Ubaidullah Baig (Rampur) and Hasina Mo'een (Kanpur) have been heard uttering this construction. If you go on YouTube and listen to people from all sorts of ethnic backgrounds from both Pakistan and India, you will hear this construction. I do not wish to say much more on this topic as this is likely to deflect readers' attention from your central theme. For sources (including page numbers of books and times on YouTube), you may wish to read, at your leisure, my previously provided link.
>
> > "In the case of these lyricists, although it would be safe to say that Hindi was slightly more dominant in their language than Urdu, the fact is that it was difficult to tell as to which constituent was dominant because, as mentioned earlier in this article, the line between Urdu and Hindi was getting more and more obscure now. Examples of songs from the 1970’s include “kya hua tera wada” (Hum Kisise Kum Nahin), “hum tum ek kamre mein” (Bobby), “mere dil mein” (Daag), “pal pal dil ke paas” (Blackmail), “zindagi ek safar” (Andaz), “ye duniya ye mehfil” (Heer Ranjha), “zindagi ka safar” (Safar), “jai bolo” (Be-Imaan), “koi hota” (Mere Apne), “zindagi kaisi hai paheli” (Anand), “chalte chalte” (Chalte Chalte), “naino mein darpan” (Aarop) and “main na bhoolunga” (Roti Kapda Aur Makan.)"
> >
> > Of the songs you have listed in this paragraph, I listened to "kyaa hu'aa teraa va3dah","yih dunyaa yih maHfil"* and "chalte chalte". I would put all these songs in the Urdu category without any hesitation.
> >
>
> The first part of the text you quoted from the article (Hindi being more dominant in the language) is actually about “the rest of the newcomers” of 70’s except Gulzar (i.e. Yogesh, Amit Khanna, Maya Govind and Santosh Anand.) But the examples of songs cover ALL writers who were active in the 70’s. You are right about “yeh duniya” being primarily an Urdu song. “kya hua” can also be treated the same way. But I don’t know if “chalte chalte” is a Urdu song or Hindi.
>
Irfan SaaHib, I have only listened to these three songs. Perhaps if I listened to the rest of them on your list, I might have the same view about a vast majority of them. In my humble view, a very very few songs can be placed in the same category of Hindi as, for example, the language employed by Premchand in the article below.
http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00urduhindilinks/shacklesnell/315premchand.pdf
As for the "chalte chalte" song, frankly I am at a loss as to why you would not categorise it as Urdu. There is n't one "hrdaya" type word in the song. I can't imagine, although I could be wrong, there are too many Hindi speakers who would use "sar-i-raah", "shab-i-intizaar", muxtasar", "aaxir" and "charaaGh"
in their vocabulary let alone pronounce the "z", "x" and "Gh" sounds correctly. I believe Pakeeza was one of the very few "Hindi" films that the censor board chose to categorise it as Urdu. Is this true?
Best wishes,
Naseer
On Friday, 18 November 2016 00:13:55 UTC, Irfan Abid wrote:
> > "Anand Bakhshi injected the Punjabi dialect of Urdu-Hindi mix in songs like “tumse o Hasina kabhi muhabbat na maine karni thi.”
> >
> > The myth that this kind of sentence has its basis in the Punjabi speaking world is just a myth. Please see post dated 26th February 2016 of the following thread which should convince you that this construction has its origins amongst the Urdu speakers of Delhi. So, Anand Bakhshi is just following the Delhi School of Urdu.
> >
> > https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/maiN$20ne$20jaanaa$20hai%7Csort:relevance/alt.language.urdu.poetry/LHsukHBuYxM/gOVJOnL_CgAJ
> >
>
> I reviewed some information at the link you provided, but not all (I will, when time permits.) Assuming that your research is correct (and I know you are very dependable in this regard) and that such a dialect was born in Delhi out of people not originally from Punjab, I am wondering how it reached and was adopted by the Punjabis of today and why no other community other than Punjabis uses this dialect. Any thoughts? In any case, since this dialect is now primarily practiced by Punjabis, I think the statement in the article is still valid. :)
I am afraid I don't subscribe to your logic that as a large number of Punjabis employ this construction, one can place this construction squarely on this community's shoulders alone. Truth of the matter is that people like Iftikhar Arif (Lucknow), Ubaidullah Baig (Rampur) and Hasina Mo'een (Kanpur) have been heard uttering this construction. If you go on YouTube and listen to people from all sorts of ethnic backgrounds from both Pakistan and India, you will hear this construction. I do not wish to say much more on this topic as this is likely to deflect readers' attention from your central theme. For sources (including page numbers of books and times on YouTube), you may wish to read, at your leisure, my previously provided link.
>
> > "In the case of these lyricists, although it would be safe to say that Hindi was slightly more dominant in their language than Urdu, the fact is that it was difficult to tell as to which constituent was dominant because, as mentioned earlier in this article, the line between Urdu and Hindi was getting more and more obscure now. Examples of songs from the 1970’s include “kya hua tera wada” (Hum Kisise Kum Nahin), “hum tum ek kamre mein” (Bobby), “mere dil mein” (Daag), “pal pal dil ke paas” (Blackmail), “zindagi ek safar” (Andaz), “ye duniya ye mehfil” (Heer Ranjha), “zindagi ka safar” (Safar), “jai bolo” (Be-Imaan), “koi hota” (Mere Apne), “zindagi kaisi hai paheli” (Anand), “chalte chalte” (Chalte Chalte), “naino mein darpan” (Aarop) and “main na bhoolunga” (Roti Kapda Aur Makan.)"
> >
> > Of the songs you have listed in this paragraph, I listened to "kyaa hu'aa teraa va3dah","yih dunyaa yih maHfil"* and "chalte chalte". I would put all these songs in the Urdu category without any hesitation.
> >
>
> The first part of the text you quoted from the article (Hindi being more dominant in the language) is actually about “the rest of the newcomers” of 70’s except Gulzar (i.e. Yogesh, Amit Khanna, Maya Govind and Santosh Anand.) But the examples of songs cover ALL writers who were active in the 70’s. You are right about “yeh duniya” being primarily an Urdu song. “kya hua” can also be treated the same way. But I don’t know if “chalte chalte” is a Urdu song or Hindi.
>
http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00urduhindilinks/shacklesnell/315premchand.pdf
As for the "chalte chalte" song, frankly I am at a loss as to why you would not categorise it as Urdu. There is n't one "hrdaya" type word in the song. I can't imagine, although I could be wrong, there are too many Hindi speakers who would use "sar-i-raah", "shab-i-intizaar", muxtasar", "aaxir" and "charaaGh"
in their vocabulary let alone pronounce the "z", "x" and "Gh" sounds correctly. I believe Pakeeza was one of the very few "Hindi" films that the censor board chose to categorise it as Urdu. Is this true?
Best wishes,
Naseer
mialvi9
Nov 19, 2016, 11:00:06 AM11/19/16
to
On Friday, November 18, 2016 at 5:17:21 PM UTC-5, Naseer wrote:
> Irfan SaaHib, aadaab-o-tasliimaat
>
Naseer sb, aadaab!
Thanks for the reply.
>
> On Friday, 18 November 2016 00:13:55 UTC, Irfan Abid wrote:
> > > "Anand Bakhshi injected the Punjabi dialect of Urdu-Hindi mix in songs like “tumse o Hasina kabhi muhabbat na maine karni thi.”
> > >
> > > The myth that this kind of sentence has its basis in the Punjabi speaking world is just a myth. Please see post dated 26th February 2016 of the following thread which should convince you that this construction has its origins amongst the Urdu speakers of Delhi. So, Anand Bakhshi is just following the Delhi School of Urdu.
> > >
> > > https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/maiN$20ne$20jaanaa$20hai%7Csort:relevance/alt.language.urdu.poetry/LHsukHBuYxM/gOVJOnL_CgAJ
> > >
> >
> > I reviewed some information at the link you provided, but not all (I will, when time permits.) Assuming that your research is correct (and I know you are very dependable in this regard) and that such a dialect was born in Delhi out of people not originally from Punjab, I am wondering how it reached and was adopted by the Punjabis of today and why no other community other than Punjabis uses this dialect. Any thoughts? In any case, since this dialect is now primarily practiced by Punjabis, I think the statement in the article is still valid. :)
>
> Firstly Irfan SaaHib I would n't describe those who use "maiN ne jaanaa hai" as people speaking another "dialect". How this usage went to Punjab from Delhi is quite simple to explain. Punjab's proximity to Delhi is one factor. Urdu speakers travelling to the Punjab, especially its main urban centres like Lahore (especially literary figures such as Altaf Hussain Hali and Maulana Muhammad Hussain Azad) is another factor. Thirdly, in post partition Punjab of Pakistan, Urdu is the language taught from primary school onwards. So, relatively speaking, a very large population is speaking and writing Urdu. This could explain its widespread usage among the Punjabi speaking peoples.
>
> I am afraid I don't subscribe to your logic that as a large number of Punjabis employ this construction, one can place this construction squarely on this community's shoulders alone. Truth of the matter is that people like Iftikhar Arif (Lucknow), Ubaidullah Baig (Rampur) and Hasina Mo'een (Kanpur) have been heard uttering this construction. If you go on YouTube and listen to people from all sorts of ethnic backgrounds from both Pakistan and India, you will hear this construction. I do not wish to say much more on this topic as this is likely to deflect readers' attention from your central theme. For sources (including page numbers of books and times on YouTube), you may wish to read, at your leisure, my previously provided link.
>
Naseer sb, I was born and raised in UP. I moved to US when I was around thirty. I have traveled all over UP and continue to visit there even after migration. I have friends and relatives from all three cities you have mentioned. I assure you that the people in these areas do not use the literal construct under focus here. The examples you have cited are exceptions, not the rule. On the other hand, almost all of my friends from Punjab (both Indian and Pakistani sides) use it. But as you said, this is not the main topic of my article so let us leave it at that.
> >
> > > "In the case of these lyricists, although it would be safe to say that Hindi was slightly more dominant in their language than Urdu, the fact is that it was difficult to tell as to which constituent was dominant because, as mentioned earlier in this article, the line between Urdu and Hindi was getting more and more obscure now. Examples of songs from the 1970’s include “kya hua tera wada” (Hum Kisise Kum Nahin), “hum tum ek kamre mein” (Bobby), “mere dil mein” (Daag), “pal pal dil ke paas” (Blackmail), “zindagi ek safar” (Andaz), “ye duniya ye mehfil” (Heer Ranjha), “zindagi ka safar” (Safar), “jai bolo” (Be-Imaan), “koi hota” (Mere Apne), “zindagi kaisi hai paheli” (Anand), “chalte chalte” (Chalte Chalte), “naino mein darpan” (Aarop) and “main na bhoolunga” (Roti Kapda Aur Makan.)"
> > >
> > > Of the songs you have listed in this paragraph, I listened to "kyaa hu'aa teraa va3dah","yih dunyaa yih maHfil"* and "chalte chalte". I would put all these songs in the Urdu category without any hesitation.
> > >
> >
> > The first part of the text you quoted from the article (Hindi being more dominant in the language) is actually about “the rest of the newcomers” of 70’s except Gulzar (i.e. Yogesh, Amit Khanna, Maya Govind and Santosh Anand.) But the examples of songs cover ALL writers who were active in the 70’s. You are right about “yeh duniya” being primarily an Urdu song. “kya hua” can also be treated the same way. But I don’t know if “chalte chalte” is a Urdu song or Hindi.
> >
>
> Irfan SaaHib, I have only listened to these three songs. Perhaps if I listened to the rest of them on your list, I might have the same view about a vast majority of them. In my humble view, a very very few songs can be placed in the same category of Hindi as, for example, the language employed by Premchand in the article below.
>
> http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00urduhindilinks/shacklesnell/315premchand.pdf
>
> As for the "chalte chalte" song, frankly I am at a loss as to why you would not categorise it as Urdu. There is n't one "hrdaya" type word in the song. I can't imagine, although I could be wrong, there are too many Hindi speakers who would use "sar-i-raah", "shab-i-intizaar", muxtasar", "aaxir" and "charaaGh"
> in their vocabulary let alone pronounce the "z", "x" and "Gh" sounds correctly. I believe Pakeeza was one of the very few "Hindi" films that the censor board chose to categorise it as Urdu. Is this true?
>
Ah, this explains it. You are talking about the song “chalte chalte yuun hi koi” from Pakeezah whereas I had quoted the song “chalte chalte mere ye geet” from the movie Chalte Chalte (1976.)
You are right. The Censor Board of Film Certification (CBFC) certified Pakeezah as an Urdu language movie. See the certification details on their website here: http://cbfcindia.gov.in/html/uniquepage.aspx?unique_page_id=20
> Best wishes,
>
> Naseer
Regards,
Irfan
> Irfan SaaHib, aadaab-o-tasliimaat
>
Naseer sb, aadaab!
Thanks for the reply.
>
> On Friday, 18 November 2016 00:13:55 UTC, Irfan Abid wrote:
> > > "Anand Bakhshi injected the Punjabi dialect of Urdu-Hindi mix in songs like “tumse o Hasina kabhi muhabbat na maine karni thi.”
> > >
> > > The myth that this kind of sentence has its basis in the Punjabi speaking world is just a myth. Please see post dated 26th February 2016 of the following thread which should convince you that this construction has its origins amongst the Urdu speakers of Delhi. So, Anand Bakhshi is just following the Delhi School of Urdu.
> > >
> > > https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.language.urdu.poetry/maiN$20ne$20jaanaa$20hai%7Csort:relevance/alt.language.urdu.poetry/LHsukHBuYxM/gOVJOnL_CgAJ
> > >
> >
> > I reviewed some information at the link you provided, but not all (I will, when time permits.) Assuming that your research is correct (and I know you are very dependable in this regard) and that such a dialect was born in Delhi out of people not originally from Punjab, I am wondering how it reached and was adopted by the Punjabis of today and why no other community other than Punjabis uses this dialect. Any thoughts? In any case, since this dialect is now primarily practiced by Punjabis, I think the statement in the article is still valid. :)
>
> Firstly Irfan SaaHib I would n't describe those who use "maiN ne jaanaa hai" as people speaking another "dialect". How this usage went to Punjab from Delhi is quite simple to explain. Punjab's proximity to Delhi is one factor. Urdu speakers travelling to the Punjab, especially its main urban centres like Lahore (especially literary figures such as Altaf Hussain Hali and Maulana Muhammad Hussain Azad) is another factor. Thirdly, in post partition Punjab of Pakistan, Urdu is the language taught from primary school onwards. So, relatively speaking, a very large population is speaking and writing Urdu. This could explain its widespread usage among the Punjabi speaking peoples.
>
> I am afraid I don't subscribe to your logic that as a large number of Punjabis employ this construction, one can place this construction squarely on this community's shoulders alone. Truth of the matter is that people like Iftikhar Arif (Lucknow), Ubaidullah Baig (Rampur) and Hasina Mo'een (Kanpur) have been heard uttering this construction. If you go on YouTube and listen to people from all sorts of ethnic backgrounds from both Pakistan and India, you will hear this construction. I do not wish to say much more on this topic as this is likely to deflect readers' attention from your central theme. For sources (including page numbers of books and times on YouTube), you may wish to read, at your leisure, my previously provided link.
>
> >
> > > "In the case of these lyricists, although it would be safe to say that Hindi was slightly more dominant in their language than Urdu, the fact is that it was difficult to tell as to which constituent was dominant because, as mentioned earlier in this article, the line between Urdu and Hindi was getting more and more obscure now. Examples of songs from the 1970’s include “kya hua tera wada” (Hum Kisise Kum Nahin), “hum tum ek kamre mein” (Bobby), “mere dil mein” (Daag), “pal pal dil ke paas” (Blackmail), “zindagi ek safar” (Andaz), “ye duniya ye mehfil” (Heer Ranjha), “zindagi ka safar” (Safar), “jai bolo” (Be-Imaan), “koi hota” (Mere Apne), “zindagi kaisi hai paheli” (Anand), “chalte chalte” (Chalte Chalte), “naino mein darpan” (Aarop) and “main na bhoolunga” (Roti Kapda Aur Makan.)"
> > >
> > > Of the songs you have listed in this paragraph, I listened to "kyaa hu'aa teraa va3dah","yih dunyaa yih maHfil"* and "chalte chalte". I would put all these songs in the Urdu category without any hesitation.
> > >
> >
> > The first part of the text you quoted from the article (Hindi being more dominant in the language) is actually about “the rest of the newcomers” of 70’s except Gulzar (i.e. Yogesh, Amit Khanna, Maya Govind and Santosh Anand.) But the examples of songs cover ALL writers who were active in the 70’s. You are right about “yeh duniya” being primarily an Urdu song. “kya hua” can also be treated the same way. But I don’t know if “chalte chalte” is a Urdu song or Hindi.
> >
>
> Irfan SaaHib, I have only listened to these three songs. Perhaps if I listened to the rest of them on your list, I might have the same view about a vast majority of them. In my humble view, a very very few songs can be placed in the same category of Hindi as, for example, the language employed by Premchand in the article below.
>
> http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00urduhindilinks/shacklesnell/315premchand.pdf
>
> As for the "chalte chalte" song, frankly I am at a loss as to why you would not categorise it as Urdu. There is n't one "hrdaya" type word in the song. I can't imagine, although I could be wrong, there are too many Hindi speakers who would use "sar-i-raah", "shab-i-intizaar", muxtasar", "aaxir" and "charaaGh"
> in their vocabulary let alone pronounce the "z", "x" and "Gh" sounds correctly. I believe Pakeeza was one of the very few "Hindi" films that the censor board chose to categorise it as Urdu. Is this true?
>
You are right. The Censor Board of Film Certification (CBFC) certified Pakeezah as an Urdu language movie. See the certification details on their website here: http://cbfcindia.gov.in/html/uniquepage.aspx?unique_page_id=20
> Best wishes,
>
> Naseer
Regards,
Irfan
Naseer
Nov 19, 2016, 12:39:37 PM11/19/16
to
On Saturday, 19 November 2016 16:09:16 UTC, Irfan Abid wrote:
>
> Naseer sb, I was born and raised in UP. I moved to US when I was around thirty. I have traveled all over UP and continue to visit there even after migration. I have friends and relatives from all three cities you have mentioned. I assure you that the people in these areas do not use the literal construct under focus here. The examples you have cited are exceptions, not the rule. On the other hand, almost all of my friends from Punjab (both Indian and Pakistani sides) use it. But as you said, this is not the main topic of my article so let us leave it at that.
>
> > >
Irfan SaaHib, aadaab.
>
> Naseer sb, I was born and raised in UP. I moved to US when I was around thirty. I have traveled all over UP and continue to visit there even after migration. I have friends and relatives from all three cities you have mentioned. I assure you that the people in these areas do not use the literal construct under focus here. The examples you have cited are exceptions, not the rule. On the other hand, almost all of my friends from Punjab (both Indian and Pakistani sides) use it. But as you said, this is not the main topic of my article so let us leave it at that.
>
> > >
I hope that at the very least, when you do get the chance to read fully the link I posted, I have been able to convince you (and other readers) that this construction is born from within the Urdu speaking community. I shall listen out for people using this construction and note down their ethnic origin if possible. The problem is, as you will appreciate, that it is not always possible (for me at least) to identify the speaker's ethnic or geographical origins.
> Ah, this explains it. You are talking about the song “chalte chalte yuun hi koi” from Pakeezah whereas I had quoted the song “chalte chalte mere ye geet” from the movie Chalte Chalte (1976.)
>
I hope other friends from both ALUP and RMIM participate in your thread and comment on your impressive scholarly article.
Best Wishes,
Naseer
Anil Kala
Dec 3, 2016, 11:40:06 AM12/3/16
to
ise to the occasion, reject substandard poetry and demand a better deal.
>
> Sincerely,
> Irfan Alvi
Excellent work Irfan saahib.
>
> Sincerely,
> Irfan Alvi
mialvi9
Dec 5, 2016, 5:44:29 PM12/5/16
to
Thank you so much for your appreciation! Hope all is well at your end.
Sincerely,
Irfan
ksug...@gmail.com
Jun 1, 2017, 1:26:57 AM6/1/17
to
Hi to the group, I came across this link when i was searching for 'Narottam Vyas'. Vyas made a film 'Prem Sagar' which released in the year 1939, and was produced by Mahalakshmi studios, Madras. From what it appears, the film did not possibly do well.
But does anyone have any reference to this film, or a more detailed chronology of Narottam Vyas?
It would be of immense help. Thanks. Sugeeth Krishnamoorthy.
But does anyone have any reference to this film, or a more detailed chronology of Narottam Vyas?
It would be of immense help. Thanks. Sugeeth Krishnamoorthy.
mialvi9
Jun 5, 2017, 7:46:41 PM6/5/17
to
It is difficult to find information on Bollywood movies and personalities from the 30's and 40's, but here is what I could gather.
Prem Sagar (1939), as you said, was produced by Mahalaxmi Movietone and directed by Pt. Narotam Vyas. The music was by Ramchandra Pal and the cast included Paresh Bandyopadhyay, Rampyari, Indubala and Kokila. Pt. Vyas directed two other movies Bhai Dooj (Year-1947, Producer-Chitravani Productions, Music-K. Bhattcharya, Lyrics-Pankaj, Cast-Niranjan Sharma, Pradeep, Manorama, Shashibala and Sharda) and Sevagram (Year-1947, Producer-unknown, Music-K. Bhattcharya, Lyrics-Pankaj, Cast-Niranjan Sharma, Shashibala, Sharda, Satyawan and Nand Kishore.)
As lyricist, besides the three movies I mentioned in my article i.e. Amar Jyoti (1936), Wahaan (1937) and Kangan (1939), Pt. Vyas also worked in Apna Ghar (1942) and Devdasi (1945.)
I believe his most recent and perhaps the most famous work was Sampoorna Ramayana (1961) as the story writer. There is a lot of info on the Internet about this movie, which you can look up and read yourself.
Unfortunately I couldn't find much on Pt. Vyas' life. However, on an Internet forum I did find the following post by one Dr. Rishabh Vyas who claims to be Pt. Vyas' great grandson that throws some light on the personal side of Pt. Vyas' life. There are grammar and punctuation errors in the post, but I am quoting it as I saw it.
"pt. narottam vyas ji was born in moradabad later on becane very famous for his writings. he came to mumbai to enter in the world of bollywood. he became a very famous writer,lyricist,director and a filmmaker.he gave chance to many upcoming actors and various other artistes who became very famous later on in their life.thereafter he just lived in mumbai with his 3 children-2 daughters and 1 son.he named his son santosh vyas.he lived his entire life in contributing in bollywood but today nobody remembers him for his great work for the bollywood.his name disappeared slowly after he stopped writing.but he never stopped writing till the end of his life.his family leads a normal life in vasai in mumbai.on may 21st 2011 his only son santosh vyas passed away.santosh vyas had only 1 son whom narottam vyas ji named rajiv vyas.rajiv vyas was the only grandchild of narottam vyas ji.today nobody in bollywood hardly remembers vyas family for their contributions in bollywood.rajiv vyas leads a normal life with his small family-wife minakshi vyas and son rishabh vyas.rishabh vyas is the last descendant of pt.narottam vyas ji.rishabh vyas is becoming a doctor now.pt.narottam vyas got many awards and appreciations for his immensely talented work he did for his films.vyas family still have all his awards with them.there are many more books which pt.narottam vyas ji left behind without publishing them.it will be soon published by his great grand son dr.rishabh vyas"
Hope this helps.
Sincerely,
Irfan Alvi
ksug...@gmail.com
Dec 21, 2017, 11:19:01 AM12/21/17
to
Thank you very much.
Afzal A. Khan
Nov 15, 2019, 12:39:32 PM11/15/19
to
I was pleasantly surprised to see your deep interest in Indian
films, music directors and lyricists etc.
Since you are writing about the "Vyas" clan, here is a query...
Can you tell us something about Satish Vyas, a child actor, who
acted in films like "Toofan Aur Diya" ? The film had a popular
song : "Yeh kahaani hai diye ki aur toofaan ki". The principal
star in this film was Nanda. I think it was a 1957 movie.
Afzal
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