Ham pyaar ke matwaale raahee
Posted on: September 3, 2025
This article is written by Sadanand Kamath, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a contributor to this blog. This article is meant to be posted in atulsongaday.me. If this article appears in other sites without the knowledge and consent of the web administrator of atulsongaday.me, then it is piracy of the copyright content of atulsongaday.me and is a punishable offence under the existing laws.
|
Blog Day : |
6256 | Post No. : | 19353 |
Today, September 03, 2025 is the 28th Remembrance Day of a well-known lyricist who wrote more than 1300 songs in over 300 films. His name was Lalji Pandey but his college friends gave him a pseudo name, ‘Anjaan’ while participating in mushaira in the college functions as well as elsewhere. He retained this pseudo name when he started writing articles, poems and later lyrics.
Anjaan (28/10/1930 – 03/09/1997) was born in Odar village, about 30 kms from Banaras. His father was working as a peon in Central Bank of India, Banaras. After completing the primary school in his village, Anjaan came to Banaras and completed high school. His father was keen that he also joins the bank services like him. So, he put him in commerce stream of Banaras Hindu University from where he passed B.Com. In this way, Anjaan became the first graduate from his village.
From the high school, Anjaan became interested in literature. He had started writing prose and poems. In college, he went one step ahead and started participating in mushaira. He was not interested in working in a bank. His father, knowing his aptitude for writing and poetry, put him under the tutelage of Rudranath Kashikeya, a well-known poet, short story writer and a playwright. After hearing some of the poems Anjaan has written, his Guru predicted that he would make him like Harivansh Rai Bachchan who had become very popular after the publication of his epic poetry ‘Madhushala’. Anjaan wrote a parody of ‘Madhushala’ which he titled ‘Madhubala’ and started reciting in poetic soirees which was well-received by the audience. Side by side, Anjaan did a journalist course as a part of his livelihood. He started writing articles on literature and also on Hindi films related subject.
Mukesh was in Banaras in connection with his singing programme and he was staying in a hotel in Banaras. The owner of the hotel was Anjaan’s close friend. Knowing Anjaan’s liking for Mukesh, the owner arranged his meeting with Mukesh. During the meeting, Anjaan recited his few poems. Mukesh was impressed with his poems and complimented him by saying that his poems had the flavour of Shailendra. Mukesh suggested him to come to Bombay (Mumbai). But Anjaan had no interest in writing for films as his interest was the literary poetry. In any case, he was not interested in leaving Banaras. But the destiny had written something else for him.
Anjaan had been suffering from asthma since his childhood. As he grew up, his asthma problem became acute to such an extent that it became life-threatening. The doctor treating him suggested that he should be immediately shifted to a sea facing place as dry weather was not good for him. So, in 1953, Anjaan left Banaras for Mumbai where he had no acquaintances except Mukesh to a limited extent. He met Mukesh who took him to Raj Kapoor. He introduced Anjaan to Raj Kapoor as another Shailendra in the making. Raj Kapoor heard his poems and complimented for his good poems. At the same time, he pointed out that to come to the level of Shailendra for writing songs for films, it will take him a decade. He advised him to continue to make efforts in writing to attain Shailendra’s standard.
Thereafter, Mukesh took Anjaan to Premnath who was producing a film, ‘Golconda Kaa Qaidi’ (1954). Premnath obliged Mukesh by giving Anjaan to write five of the eight songs in the film. Unfortunately, the film was a disaster on the box office front. In the 1950s, Anjaan got sporadic assignments to write lyrics for some ‘B’ grade films mostly with music directors like G S Kohli, Suresh-Talwar, S Mohinder, N Datta etc. During this period, for the first time in his career, Anjaan got ‘Lambe Haathh’ (1960) as a solo lyricist under the debutant music direction of G S Kohli. However, the film did not do well on the box office front.
Anjaan has, by now had spent almost a decade in Hindi films but he was still in his struggling phase of the career. He had no house of his own. So his family and children were still in Banaras. Initially, he had stayed in the space below the staircase in a Colaba building. Added to his misery was that his younger brother, Gopal Pandey had joined him with an intention to become an actor. However, when his ambition did not get fulfilled, he changed his career path from acting to handling publicity for big banner films as well as for some leading actors from late 1960s and soon became well-settled in his life. He continued this career until 2008. But Anjaan’s self-respect prevented him to approach his younger brother for financial help.
Finally, Anjaan felt elated that the prophecy of Raj Kapoor is becoming true. After 10 years, he got the assignment to write lyrics of all the songs of the film, ‘Godaan’ (1963) under the music direction of Pandit Ravi Shankar. The story of the film fitted well for Shailendra to write lyrics. Probably, he was too busy with his own film, ‘Teesree Kasam’ (1966) with similar background.
Anjaan was a good substitute for Shailendra to write songs in Bhojpuri dialect. All the songs became popular. However, the film did not fare well on the box office front. One of the most popular songs in the film was pipra ke patwaa sareekhe doley manwaa which was picturised on Mehmood. Incidentally, in this film, for the first time on Anjaan’s lyrics, Mukesh rendered hiyaa jarat rahat din rain.
Anjaan got a big banner, Gurudutt Film’s ‘Bahaaren Phir Bhi Aayengi’ (1966) under O P Nayyar. However, after the death of Guru Dutt in 1964, there was change in the setup of the film. As a result, only one song of Anjaan, aapke haseen rukh pe aaj bada noor hai was retained which became very popular. Again, most of the films in which Anjaan got assignments as lyricist continued to be ‘B’ grade films with music directors who were themselves struggling in their career. He was not getting assignments under the top rated music directors because they had their preferred lyricist like Shailendra, Hasrat Jaipuri, Sahir Ludhianvi, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Shakeel Badayuni etc.
Once again, it was Mukesh who took Anjaan to Kalyanji-Anandji who were known for giving opportunities for newcomers. Although, by this time, Anjaan has completed 17 years in Hindi film industry, he was still a struggler. Luckily, Kalyanji had couple of song slots open for a big banner film, ‘Bandhan’ (1969) where one of the songs required lyrics in Bhojpuri dialects. Anjaan wrote the song, binaa badraa ke bijuriyaa kaise chamke which became very popular. With this film, Anjaan’s fortune changed for the better. His association with Kalyanji-Anandji continued uninterrupted for as long as 22 years covering 58 films.
In the 1980s, Bappi Lahiri was one of the emerging music directors who chose Anjaan as one of his preferred lyricists. During 1980s and 1990s, Anjaan worked with Bappi Lahiri for 106 films until 1996 when he passed away. He also majorly worked with Rajesh Roshan, Laxmikant-Pyarelal, R D Burman and Anu Malik.
Anjaan had a filmy career of four decades. He tasted success only after struggling for nearly half of his career. In the last 20 years of his career, Anjaan made more than good the lost opportunity. After a long struggling life, the success had brought him comfort. Now, he had his own flat in an upscale area of Juhu Tara Road, having the company of his family. But in retrospect, he felt from his inner conscious that he has done misdeed with his pen to achieve the success. (मैंने कलम के साथ दुष्कर्म किया है, Anjaan had expressed his feelings in Hindi to his lyricist son, Sameer). This was especially in the context of his super hit songs like that of ‘Disco Dancer’ (1982). [Note: The profile of Anjaan is mainly based on TV interviews and podcasts of his son, Sameer].
Despite writing over 1300 songs, some of which became immortal, Filmfare award eluded him. His son, Sameer who started song writing for films in 1982 got his first Filmfare award for the song, ‘nazar ke saamne jigar ke paas’ in the film, ‘Aashiqui’ (1990). The award was to be handed over to him by Jacky Shroff. However, Sameer requested Jacky Shroff that he would like to receive the Filmfare award from his father who was sitting with the invitees. Jacky Shroff gladly obliged by calling Anjaan who handed over the Filmfare award to Sameer.
In the early 1990s, Anjaan suffered paralysis attack which restricted his movements. During this period, he got time to collate many poems he had written from his younger time till his last which he got published in a book, ‘Ganga Tat Kaa Banjara’. None of the poems in the book were used in the films. The title of the book has come from a line in the song he has written for the film, ‘Geet Ganga’ (1982). It was fitness of things that the book was released in the hands of Amitabh Bachchan for whom Anjaan wrote most of the hit songs picturised on him. While Anjaan could not fulfil his Guru’s prediction that he would make him a poet like Harivanshrai Bachchan, he has some consolation that he could write many hits songs for his son, Amitabh Bachchan.
After suffering from paralysis attack for a considerable time, Anjaan breathed his last on September 3, 1996. Despite his long struggle in shaping his filmy career, he never buckled under pressure. I think, Anjaan believed in the philosophy which he had summed up in few lines of the popular song, rote huye aate hai sab hanstaa huwaa jaayegaa from ‘Muqaddar Ka Sikandar’ (1978). Incidentally, these lines also give a feel of Shailendra’s flavour:
zindagee to bewafaa hai ek din thukraayegee
maut mehboobaa hai apne saathh lekar jaayegee
mar ke jeene kee adaa jo duniyaa ko sikhlaayegaa
wo muqaddar kaa sikandar jaan-e-man kahlaayegaa
[Life is unfaithful and one day it will betray. Death is like beloved who will take you along with her. The one who teaches how to live after the death will be called the master of destiny].
In 2010, Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai honoured Anjaan by naming a connecting street to Lokhandwala Road in Andheri (West) as ‘Geetkaar Anjaan Marg’.
On the occasion of Anjaan’s 28th Remembrance Day, I have selected one of the songs which he had written in his struggling years. The song is from the film, ‘Panch Ratan’ (1965) which had five songs. Anjaan wrote four songs and the remaining one was written by Upendra. The songs were set to music by Sardar Malik. Three songs have been covered on the Blog. I present the 4th song, ‘ham pyaar ke matwaale raahee’ rendered by Mohammed Rafi and Chorus. This is the opening song of the film which is picturised on Randhawa, Kamran, Shyam Kumar and Kamal Mehra while they are riding their horses. Rafi sings for all the four actors.
Video Clip:
Audio Clip:
Song-Ham pyaar ke matwaaale raahee (Panch Ratan)(1965) Singer-Rafi, Lyrics-Anjaan, MD-Sardar Malik
Rafi + Chorus
Chorus
Lyrics:
aaa aaa aaa
aaa aaa aaa aaa
ham pyaar ke matwaale raahee
jis raah pe badhte jaayenge
zulmon kaa andheraa cheer ke ham
ek nayaa saweraa laayenge
ham pyaar ke matwaale raahee
aa aa aa aa
ham saathee hain unke
jinkaa ho yahaan sahaaraa koi naheen
aaa aaa aaa aaa
ham par lagaa den wo kashtee
ho jiskaa kinaaraa koi naheen
thukaraaye jin ko ye duniya
ham unko galey lagaayenge
ham unko galey lagaayenge
ham pyaar ke matwaale raahee
jis raah pe badhte jaayenge
zulmon kaa andhera cheer ke ham
ek nayaa saweraa laayenge
ham pyaar ke matwaale raahee
aaa aaa aaa aaa
har aankh kaa aansoo chun kar ham
har lab par hansee sajaa denge
aaa aaa aaa aaa
khudgarz samaajon ke ye jhoothe
rasm-o-rivaaz mitaa denge
har dil kaa adhooraa sapnaa ham
pooraa kar ke dikhlaayenge
pooraa kar ke dikhlaayenge
ham pyaar ke matwaale raahee
jis raah pe badhte jaayenge
julmo kaa andheraa chir ke ham
ik nayaa saweraa laayenge
ham pyaar ke matwaale raahee
aaa aaa aaa aaa
3 Responses to "Ham pyaar ke matwaale raahee"
September 23, 2025 at 10:16 pm
Sadanand ji,
Many Thanks for this detailed bio-post on Anjaan.
Quite heartening to know about Mukesh’s help in introductions.
The solo from “Ek Raat” is a personal favourite of mine.
Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
September 4, 2025 at 8:03 am
thank you Sadanand Kamathji for a post remembering Lalji Pandey a.k.a. Anjaan.
I have also heard his son Sameer say (in some interview) that his father did not want his son to try his hand at becoming a lyricist, as he didn’t want his son to struggle too. Inspite of resistance from his parents Sameer landed in Mumbai & didn’t let his father know he was in Mumbai. It seems Anjaan got to know of Sameer trying his luck in the industry when the mother’s letter came asking “How was the son doing?” It was then Anjaan went looking for the son.
LikeLike
September 4, 2025 at 10:09 am
Peevesie’s Mom,
You are right. For about one year, Sameer was incognito in Mumbai. When Anjaan came to know from his wife, both father and son met in a restuarant in Bandra. Anjaan asked three questions to Sameer, the right and the honest answers by him would give him a shelter in his father’s house. For wrong answers, he would be his own. Sameer’s answers satisfied his father. He took his son to his house with a condition that he would desist from writing any songs for one year during which he would be his understudy. Anjaan started taking Sameer with him in all his musical sittings and recordings to get a feel of the way the film industry works. After one year, he told Sameer that he is now good to write the film songs.
LikeLike