Sahir Ludhianvi

Sahir was born on 8 March 1921, in a red sandstone haveli in Karimpura, Ludhiana, Punjab, India, into a Gujjar Muslim landlord family.[6] This is the reason why he added the suffix Ludhianvi after his name. His mother, Sardar Begum, left her husband thus forfeiting any claim to financial assets from the marriage. In 1934, Sahir's father remarried and sued (acrimoniously and unsuccessfully) for custody of his son. In a recent biography titled Sahir: A Literary Portrait (Oxford University Press) written by US-based author Surinder Deol. This book author agrees with the very brief conclusion of Pakistani poet Ahmad Rahi, who had been a friend of Sahir over the years, about Sahir's lifestory in a nutshell, "In his entire life, Sahir loved once, and he nurtured one hate. He loved his mother, and he hated his father."[4][7] Sardar Begum required protection from Sahir's father and suffered financial deprivation.[8] Sahir's place of birth is marked with a small plaque on the building's arched entrance.

Sahir was educated at the Khalsa High School in Ludhiana. He then enrolled at the Government College, Ludhiana.[9] The auditorium there is named after him.[10] As a college student, Sahir was popular for his ghazals and nazms (poetry in Urdu) and empassioned speeches.[11]

In 1943, Sahir settled in Lahore. There, he completed Talkhiyaan (Bitterness) (1945), his first published work in Urdu. Sahir edited Urdu magazines such as Adab-e-Lateef, Shahkaar, Prithlari, and Savera[11][1] and became a member of the Progressive Writers' Association. However, when he made controversial statements promoting communism, a warrant for his arrest was issued by the Government of Pakistan. In 1949, after partition, Sahir fled from Lahore to Delhi. After eight weeks, Sahir moved to Bombay.[11] He later lived in Andheri, a suburb of Mumbai. There, his neighbours included Gulzar, a poet and lyricist and Krishan Chander, an Urdu litterateur. In the 1970s, Sahir built a bungalow which he called Parchaiyaan (Shadows), after one of his works, and lived there till his death.

Although there were numerous women in his life, he never married all his life.[1][12][13] An example of this is Amrita Pritam, whose love for Ludhianvi was not equally reciprocated. It has been reported in the news media that Amrita Pritam became so infatuated with Sahir's genius that she would puff at the cigarette butts he had left behind after visiting her.[1] At one time, he was also engaged to Pakistani novelist Hajira Masroor.

On 25 October 1980, at the age of fifty-nine, Sahir died of a sudden cardiac death (heart attack) (he had been a smoker and drinker).[1] He died in the presence of his friend, Javed Akhtar. Sahir Ludhianvi was buried at the Juhu Muslim cemetery. In 2010, his tomb was demolished to make room for new interments.[14]

Sahir wrote,

"मैं पल दो पल का शायर हूँ, पल दो पल मेरी कहानी है

पल दो पल मेरी हस्ती है, पल दो पल मेरी जवानी है

मुझसे पहले कितने शायर, आए और आकर चले गए,

कुछ आहें भरकर लौट गए, कुछ नग़मे गाकर चले गए

वो भी एक पल का किस्सा थे, मै भी एक पल का किस्सा हूँ

कल तुमसे जुदा हो जाऊँगा, जो आज तुम्हारा हिस्सा हूँ"

Sahir was different from his contemporaries in that he did not praise Khuda (God), Husn (beauty) or Jaam (wine). Instead, he wrote bitter yet sensitive lyrics about the declining values of society; the senselessness of war and politics; and the domination of consumerism over love. His love songs, tinged with sorrow, expressed his realisation that there were other, starker concepts more important than love.

Sahir might be called the "bard for the underdog". Close to his heart were the farmer crushed by debt, the soldier gone to fight someone else's war, the woman forced to sell her body, the youth frustrated by unemployment and the family living on the street for instance. Jawaharlal Nehru, Prime Minister of India said he was moved by Sahir's lyrics in Pyaasa. Vijay, as he is passing through a red light area sings,

"ये कूचे, ये नीलामघर दिलकशी के,

ये लुटते हुए कारवां ज़िंदगी के,

कहाँ है कहाँ है मुहाफ़िज़ खुदी के?

जिन्हें नाज़ है हिंद पर,वो कहाँ हैं?"

Sahir's poetry was influenced by noted Pakistani poet, Faiz Ahmed Faiz. Like Faiz, Sahir gave Urdu poetry an intellectual element that caught the imagination of the youth of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s and reflected the feelings of the people of that period. He roused people from an independence-induced smugness. He would pick on the self-appointed custodian of religion, the self-serving politician, the exploitative capitalist, and the war-mongering super-powers. Sahir wrote with verve about the arrest of progressive writers in Pakistan; the launch of the satellite Sputnik and the discovery of Ghalib by a government lusting after minority votes. He wrote Kahat-e-Bangal (The Famine of Bengal) at 25 years of age. Subah-e-Navroz (Dawn of a New Day), mocks the way people celebrate while the poor exist in squalor. Of the Taj mahal, he wrote,

"मेरे महबूब कहीं और मिला कर मुझसे,

बज़्म- ए-शाही में ग़रीबों का गुज़र क्या माने.

सबत जिन राहों पर है सतबते शाही के निशां

उसपे उल्फत भरी रूहों का गुज़र क्या माने?"-

Sahir Ludhianvi asks his lover to meet him anywhere else but at the Taj Mahal: although the tomb has been a symbol of luxurious monarchy for years, there is no need for beautiful (but not famous) hearts to travel to meet there.[6]

Sahir Ludhianvi recited this poetry couplet at his college event, when he was barely 19 years old, and created an uproar in the literary circles:

Ek Shahensha Ne Daulat Ka Sahara Lekar, Hum Gharibon Ki Mohabbat Ka Udaya Hai Mazaq[6]

Of his legacy, Sahir writes,

"कल और आयेंगे नगमो की खिलती कलियाँ चुनने वाले,

मुझसे बेहतर कहनेवाले,

तुमसे बेहतर सुननेवाले;

कल कोई उनको याद करे,

क्यूँ कोई मुझको याद करे?

मसरूफ ज़माना मेरे लिए क्यूँ

वक़्त अपना बर्बाद करे?"

"Tomorrow there will be more who will narrate the love poems. May be someone narrating better than me.

May be someone listening better than you. Why should anyone remember me? Why should anyone remember me?

Why should the busy age waste its time for me?"

• Mahmood K. T. (2000) Kalām-i Sāḥir Ludhiyānvī. A collection of Ludhiavni's poetry with English translation.[16]
• Abbas K. A. (1958) Shadows Speak: (Parchhalyan). 29 pages.[17]
• Hassan R. (1977) The Bitter Harvest: Selections from Sahir Ludhiavni's Verse. 169 pages.[18]
• Sucha S. (1989) Sorcery (Sahri): poetry. [19]
• Gaata jaye Banjara (1992). A collection of film lyrics.
• Bitterness: Talkhiyan

• Thandi hawayen lehra ke aayein sung by Lata Mangeshkar, composer S. D. Burman in Naujawan (1951 film)[1]
• Jaayein tau jaayein kahan sung by Talat Mahmood, composer S. D. Burman in Taxi Driver (1954 film)[1]
• आना है तो आ, sung by Mohammed Rafi, in Naya Daur (1957) O.P. Nayyar, composer.
• Jane Kya tune kahi, sung by Geeta Dutt, Jane Woh Kaise, sung by Hemant Kumar and ये दुनिया अगर मिल भी जाए तो क्या है, sung by Mohammed Rafi in Pyaasa (1957) S.D. Burman, composer.[1]
• Chin-o-arab hamara, hindustan hamara, rehne ko ghar nahi hai, saara jahan hamara, sung by Mukesh in Phir Subah Hogi (1959) Khayyam, composer.[1]
• तू हिंदू बनेगा ना मुसलमान बनेगा, sung by Mohammed Rafi in Dhool Ka Phool (1959) Datta Naik, composer.
• ये इश्क़ इश्क़ है, sung by Mohammed Rafi and Manna De in Barsaat Ki Raat (1960) Roshan, composer.
• ना तो कारवाँ की तलाश है, sung by Mohammed Rafi, Manna De, Asha Bhonsle and Sudha Malhotra in Barsaat Ki Raat (1960) Roshan, composer.
• अल्ला तेरो नाम ईश्वर तेरो नाम, sung by Lata Mangeshkar in Hum Dono (1961) Jaidev, composer.[1]
• चलो इक बार फिर से अजनबी बन जाए हम दोनों (Chalo ek baar phir se ajnabee ban jaayen hum dono, sung by Mahendra Kapoor in Gumrah (1963) Ravi, composer.[1]
• तुम अगर साथ देने का वादा करो, sung by Mahendra Kapoor in Hamraaz (1967), Ravi, composer.
• "Babul ki duaen leti ja", sung by Muhammed Rafi in "Neelkamal"
• मन रे तू काहे ना धीर धरे? sung by Mohammed Rafi and संसार से भागे फिरते हो, भगवान को तुम क्या पाओगे sung by Lata Mangeshkar in Chitralekha (1964) Roshan, composer.
• Tora Mann Darpan Kehlaye sung by Asha Bhosle in Kaajal (1965) Ravi, composer.
• ईश्वर अल्ला तेरे नाम sung by Mohammed Rafi in Naya Raasta (1970) Datta Naik, composer.
• मै पल दो पल का शायर हूँ sung by Mukesh in Kabhi Kabhi (1976) Khayyam, composer.[1]
• कभी कभी sung by Mukesh, Lata Mangeshkar in Kabhi Kabhi (1976), Khayyam, composer.
• aye meri zoharjabin Waqt (1965 film) sung by Manna Dey, Ravi (music director)
• aagey bhi jane na tu film Waqt (1965) sung by Asha Bhonsle, Ravi, composer.
• Saathi haath badhana- in Naya Daur (1957 film), sung by Mohammed Rafi and Asha Bhonsle.
• "Ye Dil Tum Bin Kahin Lagata Nahin "Izzat" 1969 Lata-Rafi..Laxmikant–Pyarelal
• "Chala Bhi Aa Aja Rasiya "Man Ki Aankhe" 1970 Lata-Rafi Laxmikant–Pyarelal
• "Na Tu Zameen Ke Liye Na Aasaman Ke Liye "Dastan" 1972 Mohammad Rafi Laxmikant–Pyarelal
• मेरे दिल में आज क्या है (Daag) 1973 sung by Kishore Kumar, Laxmikant Pyarelal, composer.
• Main zindagi ka sath nibhata chala gaya in Hum Dono (1961) sung by Mohammed Rafi, Jaidev composer.
• Kabhi Khud pe Kabhi haalat pe rona aaya in Hum Dono (1961) sung by Mohammed Rafi, Jaidev, composer.
• Abhi Na Jao chhodkar ke dil abhi bhara nahin in Hum Dono (1961) sung by Mohammed Rafi, Asha Jaidev, composer.
• Neele Gagan Ke Tale in Humraaz (1967) sung by Mahendra Kapoor, Ravi composer.
• Mein pal do pal ka shaayar hoon sung by Mukesh, in film Kabhie Kabhie (1976 film), Khayyam (composer)[1]