Old is Gold ~ The Aura of Hrishikesh Mukherjee
- Rajesh Subramanian
"It is so simple to be happy but so difficult to be simple”, says Rajesh Khanna in Bawarchi. This sentence suits none better than Hrishikesh Mukherjee. His brand of cinema imbued amiability, compassion and an old worldly ideology in the innate benevolence of the human being. It was infact a sense of reassurance for the generations of cine-goers who preferred to get away from the mindless pot boilers encompassing savagery and sleaze within the dark confines of a theatre. Hrishida was indubitably a master storyteller and a filmmaker nonpareil.
Beginning
Starting off as a laboratory assistant in New Theatres, Hrishikesh Mukherjee moved to the editing department under the tutelage of ace director Bimal Roy before donning the directorial hat with the critically acclaimed 'Musafir'. The Dilip Kumar starrer flopped but his directorial skill was noticed. “It was Raj Kapoor who strongly recommended my name to producer L B Lachman during the making of Anari. I am eternally indebted to Raj, who became a dear friend of mine”, Hrishida told the writer of this article during a long chat at his Bandra apartment in 1996. Thereafter his rise was meteoric with an ensemble of evergreen classics like Anuradha, Chayya, Asli Naqli, Aashirwad, Anupama, Satyakam, Guddi, Anand, Buddha Mil Gaya, Bawarchi, Abhimaan, Namak Haram, Chupke Chupke, Mili, Golmaal, Naram Garam, Khubsoorat, Bemisaal, Jurmana and Rang Birangi.
Simple Yet Profound
Hrishida had the gift of tackling intricate issues in the simplest manner. In doing so he managed to convey deep philosophy of life, often decimating closed beliefs and values and charting out a fresh order which was humane and sensitive. He left filmgoers perplexed as to how they could miss out situations which were commonplace but went unnoticed till Hrishida portrayed them in his films.
His doctrine of love and altruism ran like a thread through much of his oeuvre. Whether manifested by the warm hearted Bawarchi, the adorable Rekha in Khoobsurat or the protagonist spreading happiness in Anand his characters connected with the audience right from the first reel. His work came straight from the heart and reflected his ethos, concerns, joy and sorrows. “When I was disgruntled about corruption I made Satyakam. When I wanted to share my joy and laughter I made Chupke Chupke and Golmaal. The selflessness you see in my films is also a personal philosophy which I believe in strongly. We should eliminate ego completely and live for others. Believe me this is the shortest route to contentment,” revealed the genius.
Master Craftsman
“I don't believe in wasting raw stock or spending on expensive costumes or glamorous sets. Movie making is about conveying the story to the audience with the right kind of emotions and feel. If your intention is sincere it touches their heart”, said Hrishida “I always insisted for rehearsals with the actors before going in for the takes. Being an editor I knew clearly what footage I wanted. On very few occasions we must have done more than two retakes. My producers like me a lot I saves a lot of money”, chuckles the old man.
Amitabh Bachchan remembers, “Hrishida was very economical, an incredible editor and a master technician. He edited the entire film in his mind. Many a times we would not understand why he was asking us to walk in a certain way or can a particular shot. We just followed his instructions blindly. The result would be phenomenal on screen”. He also reveals that when Jaya and he decided to get married, Hrishida was the first person they confided in. He was like a father who loved them but also disciplined them.
Melodious Moments
Music played a significant role in most of Hrishikesh Mukherjee films. Whether Kisi ki muskurahaton pe, Tera mera pyar amar, Kahin door jab din, Tere mere milan ki yeh raina or Aanewala pal there was a strong element of melody that connected with the audience and gave a smooth progression to the story. “I never added songs which disturbed the pace of my film”, maintains Hrishida, who was a trained musician himself and understood the finer aspects of music.
Winds of Change
The filmmaker, who directed 42 films during his career spanning over four decades, found the overall scenario changing by the mid 80's. The convictions and solicitude of his cinema which had stood him in a good stead for more than two decades were gradually being treaded underfoot in the wake of crass commercialization. There was very less scope for a cultured and civilized mainstream cinema. “People got fascinated by glamour, fast track living, disco music, sex and mindless action. It was a clear indication that our time was over”, was his honest confession.
End of an Era
His last film Jhoot Bole Kauwa Kaate with Anil Kapoor in 1998 failed to ignite the same magic which was once his trump card. It was around this time that he was appointed the chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification and the National Film Development Corporation. In 1999, Hrishida was awarded the Dada Saheb Phalke Award, India's highest award in Cinema for Lifetime achievement. Hrishikesh Mukherjee, who was suffering from chronic renal failure died on 27 August 2006. With his passing away an era had come to an end. Hrishikesh Mukherjee will continue to live in the hearts of film buffs till time immemorial and his films will cherish and enthrall millions for ages because nobody else mastered the art of simplicity in Hindi filmdom as he did.
Dear Readers,
When Dadasaheb Phalke, the father of Indian Cinema, had his feature film “Raja Harishchandra” released no one knew that he had started with a journey which would captivate the hearts of the audiences over 100 years down the line.
Indian Cinema today has created its own identity which is very unique and unmatched in today’s emerging and competitive world coupled with International reach. We have seen this transition taking place right from the black and white silent films to 3D.
While on one side we are busy in celebrating the centenary year of Indian Cinema and remembering the legends who contributed extensively in this past 100 years. On the other side we have also seen passing away of some of the well known film personalities from the Indian Film Industry like The Grand Old Man of Indian Cinema A K Hangal, yesteryear superstar Rajesh Khanna, Dara Singh, B.R. Ishara and Ashok Mehta. Our heartfelt condolences to the departed souls.
As we continue our journey with the 3rd edition of our magazine “Nosstalgiaaa” our cover story captures the journey of the first superstar Rajesh Khanna (The Phenomenon). Haribhai Jariwala whom the world fondly remembers as Sanjeev Kumar or the thakur from Sholay is covered in the current edition under the Flashback section Sanjeev Kumar ~ A Class Apart. Lyricist Gulzar who turned 78 years of age this month in August we are sharing the experiences and episodes of Gulzar’s life (Gulzar ~ The Wizard of Words) when he came to Mumbai at a young age of 14. Book Review column covers the comedy brand Mehmood – The Man of Many Moods.
The movie “Amar Akbar Anthony” celebrates 35 years this year. In our tete-e-tete with late Manmohan Desai’s son Ketan Desai we bring out some interesting facts and anecdotes that went behind in making of this film which is still enjoying 35 years down the line.
In the article “Remebering Smita Patil” we have covered the finest stage and film actresses of her times Smita Patil. She died at young age of 31 years but achieved big success even at this young age. She won many awards and recognition including the Padma Shri Award.
Regards,
Rajesh Subramanian and Niilesh A Raje
Editors; Nosstalgiaaa
Nosstalgiaaa@gmail.com
Gulzar - Wizard of Words
The melodious strains of ‘Dil dhoondta hai, Phir wohi fursat ke raat din’ fills the air and the name that automatically comes to mind is Gulzar. Apart from being a prolific writer and a voracious reader the first thing that registers in my mind about Gulzar is his trademark crisp white kurta and golden mojris. In due course of time i discovered that the celebrated poet cum filmmaker has been stitching the Kurtas, for the last three decades, from Ashok Tailor's at Santacruz. Gulzar was barely 14 when he came to Mumbai to experience an entirely new episode of his life which later turned out to be a voyage of discovery.
Early Life
Sampooran Singh Kalra better known by his pen name Gulzar was born on 18th August 1936 in a Sikh family to Sardar Makhan Singh Kalra and Sujaan Kaur in Dina (now in Pakistan). The family had to undergo lot of mental turmoil during partition and eventually moved to Amristar. Gulzar, an avid reader of poetry and literature always loved meeting authors whose books he had read and this gave him immense motivation. He was absolutely clear and determined to become a poet or an author. He was so much inclined that he made a rubber stamp of his name and stamped it on a book just to get a feel how the book would look with his name as the author. His family was of the opinion that he should become a Chartered Accountant. When his father realised about his son’s ambition he discouraged him from becoming a writer saying "As a writer you will have to depend on your brothers all your life". Such caustic comments made hardly any difference to his burning passion to take up writing as a full time career. One day while travelling from Delhi to Mumbai by Frontier Mail he got off at Mumbai Central Railway Station. While in Mumbai Gulzar joined Khalsa College but spend only a year there because the college did not offer Urdu and Persian literature. Next year he shifted his base to National College in Bandra, which offered both these subjects much to his liking and interest. His initial few years in Mumbai was tough and he had to face lot of hardships. He worked with Vichare Motors as a spray painter to make ends meet. Though some his friends were connected with the film industry, writing for films was the last thing on Gulzar’s mind.
At home Gulzar was considered the black sheep of the family. They regarded writing as utter waste of time which gave no financial stability. He was often given the example of a distant relative, a poet who was popular within his circle but never made money and always ended up borrowing from others. The relatives had labelled him "Nikamma" and "Anpadh". One day, when his elder brother broached the same topic Gulzar, in sheer annoyance, retaliated, “A day will come when your own children will read my books”. He walked out of his brother's house and settled down in Four Bungalows sharing the room with Debu Sen, a renowned Bengali language journalist who was working with leading filmmaker Bimal Roy.
Man of Many Identities
Gulzar holds the reputation for being a man of many identities. An extraordinary poet, accomplished filmmaker, screenplay and dialogue writer, eminent author and an award winning lyricist. His collaboration with Sachin Dev Burman in Bandini kick started his career as a song writer which continues till date. The song Mora gora ang layee le, more shaam rang dayee de was highly appreciated and he went on to pen songs for films like Kabuliwala, Sannaata, Do Dooni Chaar, Biwi Aur Makaan, Khamoshi, Guddi, Anand. If he won awards and critical acclaim for writing dialogues for films like Anand and Namak Haram he also directed movies like Mere Apne, Koshish, Parichay, Mausam, Kinara, Khushboo, Angoor, Namkeen and Ijaazat that won rave reviews.
His association with composer R D Burman proved to be most fruitful. Together they created a melodious ocean and unleashed numerous scores that are cherished till date. Whether it is “Musafir hoon yaaron”, "Tere Bina Zindagi se", "Tum Aa Gaye Ho", "Is Mod Se Jate Hain", “Aanewala pal”, “Tere bina jiya jaye na”, “O majhi re”, ”Bechara dil kya kare”, “Roz roz aakhon tale”, “Mera kuch samaan” or “Tujhse naraaz nahin zindagi”, each one is a timeless classic that has the remarkable Gulzarish feel. Another hallmark of the genius of Gulzar is that he has adapted so effortlessly with the composers and music of recent times. In today's age of social media one has seen the pattern of music change rapidly and also the grammar of song writing. But Gulzar has embraced this change and penned toe tapping chartbusters like “Chaiyya chaiyya”, “Beedi jalaile”, “Kajra re”, “Jai ho” or “Dhan te nan”.
He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2004 for his contribution to the arts and the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2002. Gulzar has won several National Film Awards and Filmfare Awards. In 2009, he won the Academy Award for "Jai Ho" from Slumdog Millionaire, which later went on to win him a Grammy Award. Encapsulating his passion for music and writing songs the veteran says, "Music has a natural place in our lives. Right from the shlokas you recite in your morning puja and the milkman who comes whistling on his cycle, to the fakir singing as he begs for alms and your mother humming while doing the kitchen chores. Music fills our spaces naturally. It will always be dear to us."
Don’t Tamper With My Words
For this septuagenarian be it his home or office the place that remains very dear to him is his desk and armchair surrounding him with piles of books and papers. He loves to have an early start in the morning followed by yoga and is off to play tennis at Bandra Gymkhana. Reading the morning daily is mandatory for him as much as his cup of tea. By 10:30am he starts his day in his office. Gulzar is know to read multiple books at a time and is disciplined to keep them back in the shelves only after he's finished reading them.
He admits he could not complete his intermediate level (class 12th) due to various factors and had to finally come to Mumbai to search for a job. Today, things have changed so also the expectations of parents. Parents should devote more time to their kids and help them understand that academic failure is not the end of the world. He is very possessive and careful of the words he uses and does not allow even a single word of his lyrics to be tampered with. There have been number of occasions when he has opted out of the project when he is not comfortable with the words he is being asked to replace or write. He firmly admits “that's not the way I work. I never will”. To sum it up it is his deep thinking that brings out the best from this Wizard of Words called Gulzar.
Sahir Ludhianvi (A Magician of Words)
- Niilesh A Raje
The Eighth Day of March reminds me of the day when women across the world are busy and occupied celebrating the International Women's Day. An occasion to honor the women for their hard work and achievements coupled with benchmark of success. The Women’s Day celebration also reminds me about the birthday of an eminent personality, popular Hindi lyricist and songwriter Sahir Ludhianvi (original name Abdul Hayee) who was also born on 08th March 1921 into a wealthy family.
Sahir’s father had named him as Abdul Hayee not out of love but out of hatred for his neighbour whose name was also the same (Abdul Hayee). Sahir’s father (an illiterate) always believed that he was the only son of a wealthy landlord. So why should his son take up good education or job that did not add any value at all. On the contrary his mother firmly believed that Sahir should go in for higher education so that he would be able to earn his own livelihood. When Sahir was in his early teens his parents separated. He opted to leave behind the aristocratic life that he was enjoying when his parents were together and the struggle for finances slowly started to begin now post his parent’s separation. Sahir stayed with his mother till the end.
Matters Of The Heart
Sahir (meaning magician) as the name suggests he was truly a magician of words who spent over 30 years of his life associated with Bollywood, wrote over 680 songs for over 100 movies. He had captivated the heart of several women during his life time through the power of written words but always failed in the matters of the heart not once but couple of times. He was lucky to fall in love but couldn't be happier and remained bachelor all his life. His intense love affair was with Amrita Pritam who became his most ardent fan.
There was a time when Sahir's economic position was weak and owning a house was next to impossible. When Sahir was courting Amrita Pritam, he built a taller house in front of Amrita's residence in Ludhiana to prove to her father that today even he could afford to have his own house. Statement is a fallacy derived from the Hindi film Tere Ghar Ke Samne.
Shayar of All Times
While in college Sahir had established his reputation for being a good writer, wrote fiery speeches and was equally popular for his ghazals and nazms. Sahir was a restless person and could not sit in one place for long. It was evident he had the literary talent but that could not give him stability so he decided to contribute his work for Bollywood in a way to give him financial stability.
The initial days of struggle still continued in Bollywood for Sahir for a couple of years but later he created some of the most popular songs ever. Some of his everlasting songs included, Yeh raat yeh chandni phir kahan, Jayen to Jayen Kahan, Jaane who kaise log the jinke pyaar ko pyar mila.
His thoughts seen in Kabhi Kabhie: "Main pal do pal ka shayar hoon . . . Pal do pal meri kahani hai. Masaruf zamana mere liye kyon waqt apna barbad kare" (I'm a poet for a second or two . . . why would the busy world waste its time on me). These words pretty much gives the audience his approach to life.
Sahir’s work gave him fame, money, rewards and recognition but that did not help him find a life partner with whom he could settle down in life. He encountered several beautiful women on his roads to achievements but most of them backed out when it came to giving marriage commitment. Sahir fell in love several times but those relationships never culminated into marriage. In fact he enjoyed his failures in love. He wrote poems as a tribute to his lost loves.
Even today, he is well remembered for his poems than for his loves. ‘Chalo ek baar phir se ajnabee ban jaaye hum dono’ were Sahir’s feelings into words when he spotted his estranged lady love Sudha Malhotra at a party. The same was immortalized by B R Chopra in his film, Gumraah. Today’s generation of songs may bore listeners after a week of their production whereas some have been soothing the ears of people for several decades. Lyrics of Sahir Ludhianvi have been no exception.
No one can go through life without their share of knocks. I am no different from any other.
- Amitabh Bachchan
- Amitabh Bachchan
- Salim Khan ( Script Writer )
A. Who penned the song Ankhon hi ankhon mein ishara ho gaya from the film CID?
B. Who won the first Dada Saheb Phalke Award?
C. Who composed music for the Oscar winning film Gandhi?
D. Who was the original choice for Gabbar Singh’s role in Ramesh Sippy’s Sholay?
A) Jan Nisar Akhtar
B) Devika Rani
C) Pandit Ravi Shankar
Voice of the readers is their very own platform for giving feedback or suggestions.
You can reach us (Rajesh Subramanian and Niilesh A Raje) @
Nosstalgiaaa@gmail.com
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