Tum chali jaaogi parchhaayiyaan reh jaayengi
Posted on: March 8, 2012
This article is written by Sadanand Kamath, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog.
During my earlier stage of baptism to Hindi film songs of the golden era, whenever I came across some new songs I liked, I would want to know the name of the film, singers and themusic directors ( in that order) of the concerned songs. I never enquired about who wrote these likeable songs. One song that made me to know the name of the lyricist was “main zindagi ka saath nibhaata chala gaya” from HUM DONO(1961). This song virtually introduced me to a great Urdu poet and lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi. I feel shy to reveal here that though I liked those iconic songs of PYAASA (1957) but that did not trigger my brain to enquire as to who wrote those melancholic and the soul searching songs. As I came to know later, those songs were written by Sahir Ludhianvi.
Sahir Ludhianvi (08/03/1921 – 25/10/1980) is one of the most discussed Urdu poet and lyricists on the websites. His early life until his migration to Bombay (Mumbai) gives some interesting saga:
1. Sahir Ludhianvi was born to a wealthy landlord family. His father named him as Abdul Hayee, his neighbour’s name with whom he had some enmity and dispute,so that he could call his young son loudly by his name and abuse him to settle score with his neighbour.
2. When Sahir was 13 year old, his father married for the second time. His mother took a bold decision to divorce him and stay with her son separately in the event sacrificing the share in the family assets. Sahir’s childhood was spent amidst abject poverty. He was not allowed to be alone as his mother feared that his father would kidnap him to get the custody.
3. In 1943, after getting expelled from his college at Ludhiana for sitting in a lawn with a female classmate, he settled in Lahore where he completed his first Urdu poetry work ‘Talkhiyaan’(bitterness) which got published in 1945. He worked as the editor of some Urdu magazines published from Lahore. He joined the Progressive Writers Association.
4. His inflammatory writings depicting the leftist ideology in a Urdu magazine resulted in Government of Pakistan issuing an arrest warrant for him. So he was forced to leave Lahore by his well wishers and returned to Delhi in 1949. After spending about 2 months in Delhi, he settled in Bombay (Mumbai) to try his luck as a song writer in Hindi films.
Those who had been close to Sahir in his early life say that he was keen to be known as an unparalleled lyricist for Hindi films rather than a shayar. Perhaps, he wanted his poetry to reflect the aspiration of the common people and he knew that cinema was the best medium to disseminate his ideological views to the larger strata of the society.
Sahir’s real success as a lyricist came when “thandi hawaayen lahraa ke aayen” from NAUJAWAAN(1951) and “tum na jaane kis jahaan mein kho gaye” from SAZAA (1951) became popular (they are still popular). With the success of BAAZI (1951), Sahir-S. D. Burman combination clicked in the Hindi film songs’ popularity chart. They worked together until PYAASA (1957) when they parted way reportedly due to Sahir getting more praise from the audience for his lyrics than S D Burman for his melodious tunes. Thereafter Sahir mostly worked with Roshan, N Dutta, Ravi and Khayyam.
The success of many films like PYAASA (1957), NAYA DAUR (1957), DHOOL KA PHOOL (1959), BARSAAT KI RAAT (1960),HUM DONO (1961), GUMRAAH (1963), TAJ MAHAL (1963), DIL HI TO HAI (1963) brought him fame , glory, comforts of life etc. But his short temper, his dictating terms with producers for getting remuneration equivalent to those paid to top playback singers and music directors, his insistence on writing lyricsi ndependent of the musical notes and meter set by music directors resulted in some of the top music directors of that time avoiding him. Madan Mohan had reportedly aired his view privately that given a choice, he would not like to work with Sahir as he was rigid when it came to the question of changing a word or two from the lyrics to suit the meter of the song.
During 70s, Sahir’s output as a lyricist had come down but whatever he wrote conformed to the high class poetry. The success of KABHI KHABI (1976) once again brought him into the limelight. But with changing taste of music and the style of music composition by the likes of R D Burman and Lakshmikant-Pyarelal, there was not much room left for poet-lyricists of Sahir Ludhianvi’s temperament.
Many of his songs appear to be the reflection of his own life. Many time, I get a feeling that Guru Dutt got inspiration to produce PYAASA after reading Sahir’s poetry and his early life as a poet. Although his songs covered almost all genres, pathos, melancholy, social issues were the hallmarkof his poetry.
I have read at many places on thewebsite that Sahir was an atheist. Sometime, people forms certain views on a person based on his outward actions without getting to know about his inner feeling. How can he be an atheist when he wrote some beautiful devotional songs like “allah tero naam ishwar tero naam”, “prabhu tero naam “, “aana hai to aa raah mein kuchh pher nahin hai”. It can be argued that Sahir wrote these devotional songs as the situation in the films so demanded. My rejoinder for that argument is that someo f the verses in these devotional songs are so soul touching that they can only come from the pen of a spiritually inclined person.
Sahir wrote a stanza in the song ‘main pal do pal ka shaayar hoon’ in film KABHI KABHI (1976):
kal aur aayenge naghmon ki
khilti kaliyaan chunane waale
mujhse behtar kahne waale
tumse behtar sunane waale
kal koi mujhko yaad kare
kyun koi mujhko yaad kare
masroof zamaanaa mere liye
kyun waqt apnaa barbaad kare
Most readers of this blog will agree that there are scores of people who still find time to listen to his immortal and evergreen film songs. Furthermore, I believe that Hindi film industry is yet to get an Urdu poet and lyricist of the stature of Sahir Ludhianvi after he departed for his heavenly abode on October 25, 1980.
On the occasion of the birth anniversary of Sahir Ludhianvi, I have chosen a relatively lesser known song from the film SHAGOON (1964) for discussion. The song is ‘tum chali jaaogi parchhaayiaan rah jaayengi’ sung by Mohammed Rafi and the music composed by Khayyam. The song was picturised on Kanwaljeet and Waheeda Rahman. The poetry of the song is superb and Waheeda Rahman looks beautiful. There is some similarity in tune and orchestration of this song with that of “zindagi bhar nahin bhoolegi wo barsaat ki raat”. The first two lines of the song are aptly applicable to Sahir himself.
Though he is no more with us but his ‘Parchhaayiaan’ ( the name of his long poem published in 1956 and also the name of his bungalow at Juhu beach) have remained with us.
Audio
Video
Song-Tum chali jaaogi parchhaayiaan reh jaayengi (Shagoon)(1964) Singer-Rafi, Lyrics-Sahir Ludhianvi, MD-Khayyam
Lyrics
tum chali jaaogi
parchhaaiyaan reh jaayengi
tum chali jaaogi
parchhaaiyaan rah jaayengi
kuchh naa kuchh husn ki
raanaaiyaan reh jaayengi
kuchh naa kuchh husn ki
sun ke is jheel ke saahil pe mili ho mujhse
jab bhi dekhoongaa
yahin mujhko nazar aaogi
yaad mitati hai na manzar koi mit saktaa hai
door jaakar bhi tum apne ko yahin paaogi
tum chali jaaogi
parchhaaiyaan reh jaayengi
kuchh naa kuchh husn ki
raanaaiyaan reh jaayengi
kuchh naa kuchh husn ki
ghul ke reh jaayegi jhonkon mein
badan ki khushboo
zulf kaa aks ghataaon mein rahegaa sadiyon
phool chupke se churaa lenge labon ki surkhi
ye jawaan husn fazaaon mein rahegaa sadiyon
tum chali jaaogi
parchhaaiyaan reh jaayengi
kuchh naa kuchh husn ki
raanaaiyaan rah jaayengi
kuchh naa kuchh husn ki
iss dhadakti huyee shadaab-o-haseen waadi mein
iss dhadakti huyee shadaab-o-haseen waadi mein
yeh na samjho ki zaraa der kaa kissaa ho tum
ab hameshaa ke liye mere muqaddar ki tarah
in nazaaron ke muqaddar kaa bhi hissaa ho tum
tum chali jaaogi
parchhaaiyaan reh jaayengi
kuchh naa kuchh husn ki
raanaaiyan reh jaayengi
kuchh naa kuchh husn ki
raanaaiyan reh jaayengi
17 Responses to "Tum chali jaaogi parchhaayiyaan reh jaayengi"
March 8, 2012 at 11:51 am
He breath his last yesterday night. Thats really sad news. Only 4 days ago was his 86th birthday(March 3, 1926).
He struggled and even slept on Malad Rly platform. He was discovered by Husnlal Bhagatram and groomed by Hemant Kumar. He was part of the chorus of Vande Mataram. He used to stay in Kalbadevi and his father who was a bhajan singer used to send MO of Rs 40.pm. He wanted to be a singer.
I met him twice. Once at his bungalow at Santacruz in 1969 when he listen to few of my songs(he was accepting from only 4 known lyric writers..we all know) and once outside New Delhi Station(home town) waiting for his car. We may have travelled in the same Rajdhani train in 1997!
Ravi began his career in 1955 by composing the music for Albeli, then came Vachan in the same year. His last Hindi movie was Ek Alag Mausam (2003) after the famous Tawaaif(1984). He did not believe in 100+ orchestra. Most of his famous songs had at the most 5-25 musicians. For every song he made atleast 10 tunes for approval.
It was unfortunate that he had a row with Rafi after which he had to make do with Mahendra Kapoor. We would have got many more gems from the duo.
I was witnessed to his interview on Sahara Channel.
He must have composed music for at least 70 Hindi films and quite a few in Malayali(as Bombay Ravi). Most of them masterpieces. He is survived by his son who married Varsha Usgaokar and 2 daughters. Ravi’s wife, whom he married in 1946, died in 1988.
He had a property row with his sons that left him bitter.
May his soul RIP.
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March 8, 2012 at 1:54 pm
Did Ravi have a row with Rafi saab? I know he used Mahendra Kapoor a lot (mainly for the BR Chopra/Yash Chopra banner) but Rafi saab did sung a fair number of songs for him too. Lots of hits too (Chaudhvin Ka Chand, China Town, Aaj Aur Kal, Neel Kamal, Do Kaliyan, just for example). Even as late as 1969, for Ek Phool Do Maali, Rafi saab sang “ye parda hata do”.
So when did this row happen and what was it about?
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March 8, 2012 at 7:37 pm
Obviously thereafter. Majorly no Rafi songs in(barring some exception):
Dharkan (1972)
Dhund (1973)
Mehmaan (1973)
Umeed (1974)
Ek Mahal Ho Sapnon Ka (1975)
Nikaah (1982)
Aaj Ki Awaaz (1983)
Tawaif (1984)
Ek Alag Mausam (2003)
The details of row are not known immediately. Nothing to feel scandalized about it.There were many break-ups in the our film music industry :
Lata-SD Burman; Lata-Rafi, Manoj-Rafi;OP Nayyar-Rafi, Asha & Lata; Lata-Asha; Asha-Rafi; Lata-Raj Kapoor; Kishore-Amitabh(between Sharabi & Toofan)later patched up and may be few more
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I just read a comment here on another song here that Ravi used Mahendra Kapoor on BR Chopra’s insistence. Maybe that explains why in non-BR Chopra movies, Rafi saab was still used by Ravi.
As for Ravi not using Rafi saab in the 70s, a lot of composers did move away from Rafi saab to Kishore by then due to market demand and on producer demand. It does not mean there was a rift between Ravi and Rafi saab. Rafi saab passed away in July 1980, so the 1980s movies you’ve mentioned (and the 2003 one) are also understandably without his voice.
I am not scandalized by any row in the industry. I’ve heard of quite a few. Since this was the first time I heard of a row between Ravi and Rafi saab, I was just interested in knowing more about it, that’s all.
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Personally I am not aware of Ravi having any rows with Rafi, or for that matter with anyone else. Ravi to my mind was one who was not an egoist and that is what made him tick in the industry even with big ego personalities. He forged a long lasting partnership with Sahir Ludhianvi, who had a big ego, which led to S D Burman, O P Nayyar and other big MDs shunning Sahir Ludhianvi as their lyricist. Ravi would make the most of the resources available with him. Many of Mahendra Kapoor’s finest songs were sung under Ravi’s music direction. Ravi has composed lots of iconic songs with Rafi throughout 1960s.
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March 8, 2012 at 9:55 pm
I have said it earlier also and say it again that I have never ever come accross any article,interview or a statement from concerned party about any rift between Rafi and Ravi, or Rafi and Chopra.
As Raja ji says,the choice of M.Kapoor instead of Rafi may have been that of Chopra and not Ravi.there could be some reason for that.
Just because a singer has not sung for anybody can not be construed as a Rift.
If some reader has such opinion,we respect his views without accepting it.
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March 8, 2012 at 10:01 pm
Atul ji,
You are right about Rafi Saab, and his humble temperament. It is for good reason that Rafi Saab is one of the very rare luminaries who was respected as “God’s own good man” in the industry. To the extent that if someone said something negative about him, the listeners first reaction was always to doubt the motives of the speaker.
Rafi Saab once did have a difference of opinion with Lata ji, and that too was on a matter of principle that he believed. It was about the royalty payments to the singers, and the two differed on how to address the issue.
As other readers may confirm, the funeral procession for Rafi Saab was probably the largest such gathering ever seen in the city of Bombay, on a day when it was continuously raining.
Rgds
Sudhir
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March 8, 2012 at 3:33 pm
We all know that RAVI gave music to Malyalam films under the name BOMBAY RAVI.
Read how the kerala edition of THE HINDU reported RAVI’s death-
http://www.thehindu.com/arts/music/article2971806.ece
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March 8, 2012 at 9:48 pm
I once heard a radio programme featuring Kamal Amrohi. He said he was travelling with Meena Kumari when he happened to hear a song from Shagoon – Parbaton ke pedon par and was particularly struck by it. He asked Meena who the composer was, and on learning it was Khayyam, hired him to compose the music for Razia Sultan.
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“Razia Sultan” (1983) came up nearly 11 years after Meena Kumar’s death. It follows from the above account that “Razia Sultan” was in the making from early 1970s, or may be perhaps even earlier.
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March 9, 2012 at 8:58 am
I am quite sure Kamal Amrohi planned to make Razia Sultan with Meena. I have a feeling I read somewhere that some songs were recorded early and used later. There was so much information relayed on the radio about movies during the 60s and 70s which people can only recount out of memory, but it makes it sort of uncorroborated. I remember reading a lot of stuff in magazines like Madhuri and Filmfare, but again, can only recount sporadically.
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March 9, 2012 at 6:39 am
I am surprised that a chain of comments have been made on Ravi, in this post about Sahir,Khayyam. :))
Sadanand ji,
A great post on Sahir. Truly one of the best lyricists of HFM.
Thanks
K S Shenoy
Bangalore
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March 9, 2012 at 8:56 am
Shenoy ji,
Comments are on Ravi,because this song was the first song posted on 8th march,when the SAD NEWS was given about RAVI’s demise,as its first comments and then……..
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Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
March 8, 2012 at 10:01 am
A SAD NEWS
Noted Music Director RAVI expired yesterday,the 7th March 2012 evening.
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March 8, 2012 at 10:53 am
What a sad news. I did not get to read this news anywhere or I missed the news?
Incidentally, I was just scrolling Ravi’s songs on this blog when I got the sad news from you.
RIP.
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March 8, 2012 at 11:53 am
Kamath ji,
This is yesterday night’s news on TV channels.Probably,it may be published 0n the 9th,as today many newspapers are not published and sadly Ravi being from yesteryear generation,today’s generation channels may not display this news.
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