From the Dawn archives: Master of melody MehdiHassan
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Vedprakash
Jun 23, 2012, 10:59:46 PM6/23/12
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The 1930 born singer drifts back to his early days in Rajasthan, as he
chews his pan, �My village is Luna, and the district is Jhun Jhuno.� �
File photo by Dawn
He looks tired, very tired, as his wheel chair is pushed into the room
at the Aga Khan Hospital, Karachi, where he is admitted for diagnosis.
Though an ardent admirer of his style of ghazal rendition, I had met
Mehdi Hasan only once before. That was in 1993. He had disembarked
from the PIA aircraft in Bombay, which was to take me back on its
return journey to Karachi. He had looked hale and hearty and so he was
until last year when he had a massive stroke in November. Partly
because of the negligence on the part of the family members, partly
due to the doctors they consulted, but mainly due to the vagaries of
fate, his condition worsened.
Somehow, Dr Saira Khan of Medical Aid Foundation, one of the
innumerable fans of the maestro learnt about the great singer�s
condition. She got some monetary help from Infaq Foundation and some
concession from the management of Aga Khan Hospital and began his
treatment. Dr Sonawalla, a noted neurosurgeon, who is treating him
says the singer had had more than one mild stroke in the past which
affected his condition.
Every day, the Medical Aid Foundation�s ambulance carries the singer
for speech therapy and physiotherapy. The right side of his body has
been affected. The recovery is there but it is painfully slow. As if
all this was not enough, he has developed hernia problem and needs to
be operated upon. The doctors are more than happy to waive their fees.
�He is our national heritage,� says Shams Lakha of Aga Khan University
Hospital.
Where have all his earnings gone, no one knows. Arif Mehdi, his son,
who holds the purse strings has no answer to that. He merely says
�Ours is a large family and our expenses have been large Photo by the
author too. We are 14 brothers and sisters and then we have our
children also,� he says as he tells me that his father married twice.
His son from his second wife, Shahzad, who is based in Lahore is doing
a great job looking after his father. �Imagine all this happening to
me in my twilight years,� Mehdi Hasan says in what may seem a hushed
tone, when I go to interview him, a week later.
He can�t speak loud enough to be heard. �But then I also thank the
Almighty for the name and fame that I�ve enjoyed,� he says. Shahzad
helps me decipher his words. He is lying down in a room which is
unbearably hot in the afternoon, particularly when there is power
failure. It�s on the first floor of his house in the far-flung Alnoor
Society. He had to be removed from his third floor room because it was
difficult to take him down every afternoon while driving him to the
hospital for his physiotherapy sessions.
I talk to him about his early days. He remembers his house in Luna a
village near Jaipur fondly. �I still dream of it and the lanes, where
I used to play with my friends,� Shahzad continues to act as an
interpreter when required. He is propped up against a couple of
pillows. He asks for a cigarette, the request is declined politely. He
settles for a pan. We talk of the lovely Rajasthani folk music. On my
request he tries to hum Kesarya Balama. He is not too audible. �He has
just had his nap so he is not very clear. Otherwise he does sound
clearer than he did before the treatment started. Look his swelling is
reduced. There is some movement in his fingers too,� says Shahzad.
Mehdi Hasan resumes, �Kesarya is in Raga Maand.� It fits into both
genres of music, classical and folk. You know, the tunes of all my
ghazals are based on ragas,� he says. �Can you recall some?� he
queries. A smile appears on his face for the first time. There is
something impish about him. He wants to test my knowledge. Sholasa jal
bujha hai is in Raga Kirwani, I say, he nods in agreement I then give
him more such examples, but fumble when it comes to another immortal
ghazal of his Kaise chupaon raz-e-gham . Later, I learn that it�s
based on a rare raga Charukesi.
The reason why Mehdi Hasan, unlike most ghazal singers, doesn�t sound
monotonous is precisely that he is steeped into classical music and
draws his inspiration from different ragas. There is no ghazal singer
who can add so many nuances to ghazal singing,� says Nayyara Noor, as
she sings the first line of Mir�s ghazal Patta patta, boota boota,
haal hamara jane hai. �Believe me, it� s so difficult to render it and
Mehdi saheb does it so effortlessly. Only the other day, Indian
singer Hariharan, speaking on the art of ghazal singing on ZeeTV, said
�No one can come close to him�. He is such an accomplished singer,�
says Nayyara, who has nothing but praise for Mehdi Hasan, the singer
and the person. �I have never heard him speak ill of anybody,� she
adds.
Music aficionado S.M. Shahid has a point when he says that Mehdi Hasan
knows exactly where to stress a word. By doing so he brings out the
meaning of the verse. He certainly has a flair for poetry too. His
selection of ghazals also proves that his knowledge and understanding
of Urdu poetry is head and shoulders above many other ghazal singers.
His pronunciation is also impeccable, says Shahid.
What most people seem to forget is that he also excels in rendering
light classical numbers and kafis. I remind the singer of his
excellent rendition of Bhulley Shah�s Ki janan mein kaun bulleya,
which he had recorded almost 40 years ago for Radio Pakistan. The
radio songs had become quite popular but no number could match the
popularity of Gulon mein rang bhare� This was the ghazal which brought
him into the front rank. Later, the number was used in a film. While
on movies, one can say that some of his film songs were much in demand
in his concerts too. In fact Ranjish he sahi� and Ab ke hum bichre�
sounded sweeter in his concerts. There were no distracting and jarring
interlude pieces that film composers add to the songs.
The 1930 born singer drifts back to his early days in Rajasthan, as he
chews his pan, �My village is Luna, and the district is Jhun Jhuno.� I
can�t catch the name. I offer him my pen and ask him to write it. He
tries to hold the pen but the sad realisation dawns on him � his right
hand is not working. I feel guilty. I shouldn�t have made such a
request. I change the subject and ask him to mention five of his
favourite ghazals. He ponders for a while and then mentions them.
Zindagi mein to sabhi pyar kiya karten hai, Gulon mein rang bhare, Too
ne ye phool jo zulfon mein chupa rakha, Mujhe turn nazar se gira to
rahe ho and Pyar bhare do sharmeele nain.
Talking about those who preceded him he makes a special mention of
Begum Akhtar. �She was a consummate singer of ghazals and thumris. I
have great admiration for her,� he says. When I ask him to mention his
favourite film singer, he answers without batting an eyelid �Lata
Mangeshkar. She is a complete singer.�
�But she is an Indian,� someone in the room says. �So what? Music and
poetry know no boundaries.� He says and one can�t disagree with him.
It�s like someone asking you who is the greatest dramatist and you
mention Shakespeare, knowing fully well that the playwright has become
a citizen of the world.
�Jo haq Pakistanio ko meri ghazlon pe hai, wohi Hindustanio ko bhi
hai. Unho ne mujhe kam pyar naheen diya,� Mehdi Hasan tells a young
research scholar from India, who answers to the name of Nandita
Bhavnani. She had joined me and Dr Saira Khan when we were going to
see Mehdi Hasan last week. Nandita tells him �I can�t believe that I
am seeing you in person.� He pats her head affectionately, as tears
glisten in his eyes. Mehdi Hasan�s last performance was deep down in
South India, where very few people know Urdu. He sang in a large hall
in Kerala. �There were as many listeners outside as there were
inside,� recalls Arif Mehdi. �Why don�t you sing your newer ghazals in
concerts?� I query. �It�s not my fault, I get so many requests for my
older numbers that by the time the requests are over, the time for the
concert is over too,� answers Mehdi Hasan, but not before he catches
his breath in between.
I don�t wish to put a strain on him so I leave him after taking a few
pictures of his for my personal record.
This article, written by Asif Noorani, appeared in the May 24, 2001
edition of The Review.
http://dawn.com/2012/06/13/from-the-archives-master-of-melody/
chews his pan, �My village is Luna, and the district is Jhun Jhuno.� �
File photo by Dawn
He looks tired, very tired, as his wheel chair is pushed into the room
at the Aga Khan Hospital, Karachi, where he is admitted for diagnosis.
Though an ardent admirer of his style of ghazal rendition, I had met
Mehdi Hasan only once before. That was in 1993. He had disembarked
from the PIA aircraft in Bombay, which was to take me back on its
return journey to Karachi. He had looked hale and hearty and so he was
until last year when he had a massive stroke in November. Partly
because of the negligence on the part of the family members, partly
due to the doctors they consulted, but mainly due to the vagaries of
fate, his condition worsened.
Somehow, Dr Saira Khan of Medical Aid Foundation, one of the
innumerable fans of the maestro learnt about the great singer�s
condition. She got some monetary help from Infaq Foundation and some
concession from the management of Aga Khan Hospital and began his
treatment. Dr Sonawalla, a noted neurosurgeon, who is treating him
says the singer had had more than one mild stroke in the past which
affected his condition.
Every day, the Medical Aid Foundation�s ambulance carries the singer
for speech therapy and physiotherapy. The right side of his body has
been affected. The recovery is there but it is painfully slow. As if
all this was not enough, he has developed hernia problem and needs to
be operated upon. The doctors are more than happy to waive their fees.
�He is our national heritage,� says Shams Lakha of Aga Khan University
Hospital.
Where have all his earnings gone, no one knows. Arif Mehdi, his son,
who holds the purse strings has no answer to that. He merely says
�Ours is a large family and our expenses have been large Photo by the
author too. We are 14 brothers and sisters and then we have our
children also,� he says as he tells me that his father married twice.
His son from his second wife, Shahzad, who is based in Lahore is doing
a great job looking after his father. �Imagine all this happening to
me in my twilight years,� Mehdi Hasan says in what may seem a hushed
tone, when I go to interview him, a week later.
He can�t speak loud enough to be heard. �But then I also thank the
Almighty for the name and fame that I�ve enjoyed,� he says. Shahzad
helps me decipher his words. He is lying down in a room which is
unbearably hot in the afternoon, particularly when there is power
failure. It�s on the first floor of his house in the far-flung Alnoor
Society. He had to be removed from his third floor room because it was
difficult to take him down every afternoon while driving him to the
hospital for his physiotherapy sessions.
I talk to him about his early days. He remembers his house in Luna a
village near Jaipur fondly. �I still dream of it and the lanes, where
I used to play with my friends,� Shahzad continues to act as an
interpreter when required. He is propped up against a couple of
pillows. He asks for a cigarette, the request is declined politely. He
settles for a pan. We talk of the lovely Rajasthani folk music. On my
request he tries to hum Kesarya Balama. He is not too audible. �He has
just had his nap so he is not very clear. Otherwise he does sound
clearer than he did before the treatment started. Look his swelling is
reduced. There is some movement in his fingers too,� says Shahzad.
Mehdi Hasan resumes, �Kesarya is in Raga Maand.� It fits into both
genres of music, classical and folk. You know, the tunes of all my
ghazals are based on ragas,� he says. �Can you recall some?� he
queries. A smile appears on his face for the first time. There is
something impish about him. He wants to test my knowledge. Sholasa jal
bujha hai is in Raga Kirwani, I say, he nods in agreement I then give
him more such examples, but fumble when it comes to another immortal
ghazal of his Kaise chupaon raz-e-gham . Later, I learn that it�s
based on a rare raga Charukesi.
The reason why Mehdi Hasan, unlike most ghazal singers, doesn�t sound
monotonous is precisely that he is steeped into classical music and
draws his inspiration from different ragas. There is no ghazal singer
who can add so many nuances to ghazal singing,� says Nayyara Noor, as
she sings the first line of Mir�s ghazal Patta patta, boota boota,
haal hamara jane hai. �Believe me, it� s so difficult to render it and
Mehdi saheb does it so effortlessly. Only the other day, Indian
singer Hariharan, speaking on the art of ghazal singing on ZeeTV, said
�No one can come close to him�. He is such an accomplished singer,�
says Nayyara, who has nothing but praise for Mehdi Hasan, the singer
and the person. �I have never heard him speak ill of anybody,� she
adds.
Music aficionado S.M. Shahid has a point when he says that Mehdi Hasan
knows exactly where to stress a word. By doing so he brings out the
meaning of the verse. He certainly has a flair for poetry too. His
selection of ghazals also proves that his knowledge and understanding
of Urdu poetry is head and shoulders above many other ghazal singers.
His pronunciation is also impeccable, says Shahid.
What most people seem to forget is that he also excels in rendering
light classical numbers and kafis. I remind the singer of his
excellent rendition of Bhulley Shah�s Ki janan mein kaun bulleya,
which he had recorded almost 40 years ago for Radio Pakistan. The
radio songs had become quite popular but no number could match the
popularity of Gulon mein rang bhare� This was the ghazal which brought
him into the front rank. Later, the number was used in a film. While
on movies, one can say that some of his film songs were much in demand
in his concerts too. In fact Ranjish he sahi� and Ab ke hum bichre�
sounded sweeter in his concerts. There were no distracting and jarring
interlude pieces that film composers add to the songs.
The 1930 born singer drifts back to his early days in Rajasthan, as he
chews his pan, �My village is Luna, and the district is Jhun Jhuno.� I
can�t catch the name. I offer him my pen and ask him to write it. He
tries to hold the pen but the sad realisation dawns on him � his right
hand is not working. I feel guilty. I shouldn�t have made such a
request. I change the subject and ask him to mention five of his
favourite ghazals. He ponders for a while and then mentions them.
Zindagi mein to sabhi pyar kiya karten hai, Gulon mein rang bhare, Too
ne ye phool jo zulfon mein chupa rakha, Mujhe turn nazar se gira to
rahe ho and Pyar bhare do sharmeele nain.
Talking about those who preceded him he makes a special mention of
Begum Akhtar. �She was a consummate singer of ghazals and thumris. I
have great admiration for her,� he says. When I ask him to mention his
favourite film singer, he answers without batting an eyelid �Lata
Mangeshkar. She is a complete singer.�
�But she is an Indian,� someone in the room says. �So what? Music and
poetry know no boundaries.� He says and one can�t disagree with him.
It�s like someone asking you who is the greatest dramatist and you
mention Shakespeare, knowing fully well that the playwright has become
a citizen of the world.
�Jo haq Pakistanio ko meri ghazlon pe hai, wohi Hindustanio ko bhi
hai. Unho ne mujhe kam pyar naheen diya,� Mehdi Hasan tells a young
research scholar from India, who answers to the name of Nandita
Bhavnani. She had joined me and Dr Saira Khan when we were going to
see Mehdi Hasan last week. Nandita tells him �I can�t believe that I
am seeing you in person.� He pats her head affectionately, as tears
glisten in his eyes. Mehdi Hasan�s last performance was deep down in
South India, where very few people know Urdu. He sang in a large hall
in Kerala. �There were as many listeners outside as there were
inside,� recalls Arif Mehdi. �Why don�t you sing your newer ghazals in
concerts?� I query. �It�s not my fault, I get so many requests for my
older numbers that by the time the requests are over, the time for the
concert is over too,� answers Mehdi Hasan, but not before he catches
his breath in between.
I don�t wish to put a strain on him so I leave him after taking a few
pictures of his for my personal record.
This article, written by Asif Noorani, appeared in the May 24, 2001
edition of The Review.
http://dawn.com/2012/06/13/from-the-archives-master-of-melody/
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