There is a nice article about the great Urdu poet and film lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi in today’s Mid-Day (Mumbai) newspaper. I fell in love with his lyrics watching the 1958 movie Sadhna starring Sunil Dutt and Vijayanthimala. Fortunately for me, the songs were subtitled — and subtitled beautifully, I might add! (The major reason I really need to learn Hindi/Urdu is so that I can comprehend and appreciate the poetry of songs from older movies without having to depend on subtitles…but anyway, back to Sahir Ludhianvi.) By all accounts, his life was unhappy and he was considered very arrogant and difficult to work with. But he was a genius, and he knew it. Bless him!
His poetry was largely about social conditions and humanitarian issues. He felt injustice keenly, and was an atheist and a frustrated romantic. A kindred spirit! He didn’t compromise on his film lyrics either. Sadhna is the story of a man (Sunil Dutt) who pays a prostitute (Vijayanthimala) to pose as his fiancee in order to please his dying mother. The film is an indictment of the double standards of behavior held for women*, and Ludhianvi’s lyrics emphasize that point over and over. I’ve only seen the movie once (I am looking for it so I can own it), but I vividly remember how impactful the lyrics were.
I do have a translation (although not as graceful as it could be) of a song I love that he wrote for the movie Dhool Ka Phool in 1959 (the song title is “Tu Hindu Banega Na Musalman Banega.” The movie is about a man who adopts and brings up a child that he has found abandoned. He sings:
You won’t become a Hindu nor a Muslim will you become
a human child you are and a human being you will becomeit is wonderful that so far no name you have
and no association with any religion you have
the knowledge that has divided human beings
no blame is on you, for none of that you havethe harbinger of changed times you will become
a human child you are and a human being you will becomeeach human being the Lord created
and out of that Hindu or Muslim we created
nature had blessed us with just one land
but here India and there Iran we createdthe storm that breaks every barrier is what you will become
a human child you are and a human being you will become
The song is longer, but I think this makes the point. I don’t remember where I found this translation (plus I refined it a little), so apologies for not giving credit to the translator.
He also wrote the lyrics for the classic Hindi movie Kabhi Kabhie (1976). His romantic songs often had a bittersweet quality to them (he was not very lucky in love, poor man). This is a translation of the title song (from bollywhat.com):
Sometimes the thought crosses my mind
that you’ve been made just for me.
Before this, you were dwelling somewhere in the stars;
you were summoned to earth just for me…
Sometimes the thought crosses my mind
that this body and these eyes are kept in trust for me…
that the dark shadows of your hair are for my sake alone,
that these lips and these arms are charged to my care…
Sometimes the thought crosses my mind
just as the shehnaii sounds on the roads…
that it is my wedding night, and I am lifting your veil…
You’re shrinking for shame, blushing in my arms…
Sometimes the thought crosses my mind
that you’ll love me like this our whole lives through
that you’ll always lift a loving gaze to me like this.
I know you’re a stranger, but even so,
sometimes the thought crosses my mind
It occurs to me that I could go on forever on this subject. Well, read Lata Khubchandani’s article. And watch out for Sahir Ludhianvi’s name in the credits and PRAY for good subtitles if you need them.
*Dutt Saheb made many movies along these lines, which is one of many many many reasons that I love him
MemsaabStory 