Anand Bakshi

Anand Bakshi was an India n Poet and Lyricist Writer born in Rawalpindi on July 21 , in 1930 in pre-partitoned India , which now is in Pakistan . Baskhi passed away on the 30 March 2002 in Mumbai , after suffering from Lung and Heart illness.

For Bakshi, it did not matter whether he made it big as a Singer or lyricist so long as he met with success in Hindi movies. The first for which he wrote lyrics was Bada Aadmi ( 1958 ). He did not get any breakthrough even though he got the chance to write lyrics for some other movies. After struggling for many years, he finally got his real breakthrough in 1967 with the movie '''Milan''' (starring Sunil Dutt ). He now wrote for the big music composers in Indian cinema and contributed in creating many memorable tunes in movies such as Bobby and Amar Prem (1973), Sholay (1975), Hum (1992), Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995), Taal (1999), Mohabbatein (2000), Gadar - Ek Prem Katha (2001) - to mention a few.

As Anand Bakshi had dreamt of, he got a chance to sing a few songs, but could not make any impressive mark as a Playback Singer .

Bakshi was a permanent ingredient as a lyricist in all movies directed by Subhash Ghai , ever since Ghai's third movie Gautam Govinda (1979). Anand Bakshi wrote lyrics for a total of 13 movies directed by Subhash Ghai, and the last Ghai movie he wrote for was Yaadein (2001).

Another big director Anand Bakshi constantly wrote for in the 1990s, is Yash Chopra . Their association gave such hits as Chandni (1989) and Dil To Pagal Hai (1997). Anand Bakshi also wrote lyrics for all of Yash Chopra's director/story writer/producer-son, Aditya Chopra 's movies, and the same for Rajiv Rai .

The last released movie with lyrics by Anand Bakshi was Meri Biwi Ka Jawaab Nahin (2004).

AWARDS

Bakshi received 40 Filfare nominations, and won four Filmfare awards as best lyricist. The songs were Aadmi Musafir Hain in Apnapan (1978), '''Tere Mere Beech''' in Ek Duje Ke Liye (1981), '''Tujhe Dekha''' in Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995) and '''Ishq Bina''' in Taal (1999). Bakshi wrote the most lyrics for the music directors duo Laxmikant Pyarelal , actually for more than 250 movies with Laxmikant-Pyarelal as musical composers. He was also the lyricist on all the occasions they won the Filmfare award for best music directors, except their first award winning album, '''Dosti''', for which the lyrics was written by Majrooh Sultanpuri . Bakshi also wrote lyrics for many films where music was composed by Rahul Dev Burman and their association resulted in many hit songs.

He also won many Ruby Film Awards, Aashirwad Film Awards, Sushma Shama Awards, 3 Screen awards, and Zee & Stardust Hero Honda Awards.

BIOGRAPHY

Born in Rawalpindi, now Pakistan, on 21.07.1930, 7.55am, Monday, in a palatial home in Chittian Hattean, Mohalla Qutabdeen. Rawalpindi.
His ancestors were from Kuri, near Rawalpindi, and before that from J & K.

Rashi – Brikh, (Cancer).
Gotr – Bhardwaj.
Sub Caste – Mohyal, Vaid. (Punjabi)

Mother Died - 1940
Left school (Cambridge College, Rawalpindi) +- 6.3.1943.
Joined Royal Indian Navy - 12.7.1944.
Left Royal Indian Navy - 5.4.1946. (served Navy for 2 years)
Left Rawalpindi, Pakistan (due to Partition) – 2.10.1947
Joined Corps of Signals – 15.11.1947
Left Corps of Signals – 12.4.1950 (served Army for 3 years)
Arrived in Bombay (to find work in films) 1st time – 1951.
Joined E.M.E. (The Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) -16.2.1951
Married Kamla Mohan – 2.10.1954
Left E.M.E. 27.8.1956 (served Army for 5 years)
Arrived in Bombay, (to find work in films) 2nd time – Oct. 1956.

His grand father, Sughar Mall Vaid Balkshi, was a Supritendant of Police in Rawalpindi, during British Raj. And his father, Mohan Lal Vaid Bakshi, was a Bank manager in Rawalpindi, and served the Indian Army after partition.

Bakshi was fondly called “Nand”, and even “Nando”, by his family. He was also called “Anand Prakash” by his family, and Bakshi was the family name. He was called “Anand Bakshi” by film folks. (“Azad” was his Corps of Signals soldier’s code name.)

He lost his mother Sumitra, to the messenger of death when he was 5 years old, and spent every living moment after that missing her love. His step mother was unfair towards him. He believed later on in his life, that the best way to love your children is to love their mother. After his mother died, he was next closest to his grand mother.
He wrote memorable songs in praise of mother’s love for Khal Nayak (Maa tujhe salaam) , Chota Bhai (Maa mujhe apne aanchal me chupa le), Raja Aur Rankh (Tu kitni Bholi Hai), Mastana (maine maa ko dekha hai, maa ka pyar nahin dekha).

He would sell books to see cinema and even played roles in Stage drama, against the wishes of his parents and grand parents. He never missed a film of John Cawas and Nadia. He loved stunt films.

Sunil Datt, his Mohyal brother, (community brother) was his friend in Rawalpindi, and together they would attend and sing in marriages. He was the favorite for the locally held Ram Leelas, and Nautankis’. One day his grand father discovered him acting a role on stage, he beat him with his stick.

He joined the Royal Indian Navy, 12.7.1944, as Boy 1, hoping that his ship ( H.M. I.S. Dilawar, and, H.M.I.S. Bahadur) dock in Bombay, the land of his film dreams, but was disappointed when she did not. He was dismissed from the Royal Navy 5.4.1946, after he was arrested and detained in custody, for taking part in Naval Mutiny at Bombay harbour, against the British Empire, on the ship H.M.I.S. Hindustan. (he had applied for Freedom Fighter status, and the application is still pending with the Government.”)

Once when he was a navy cadet, 14 years old, he had disembarked from his ship, HMIS Bahadur, and was touring Karachi city. Suddenly, he felt an unbearable urge to pass motions but could not find a toilet nearby. When he could not hold it any longer, he noticed a house whose doors were open. He rushed inside the starngers home without permission, and entered their toilet. The owners thought he was a thief, and they soon alerted the neighborhood, and as bakshi, was passing stools inside, neighbors gathered outside the toilet door with sticks and stones to beat him up. After he finished, he came out with his hands raised in surrender and apology on his lips. By the grace of god, they were convinced he was innocent and then they proceeded to offer him water and soap to clean himself.

When Bakshi migrated to India, 16 yrs old, with his family, on 2.10.1947, by Air Plane, his siblings and parents grabbed money, clothes, personal effects, etc.,.. But Bakshi gathered together all the family photos as he knew these photo memories were more valuable than money. He knew he could earn money in his life time, but if the photographs of his family were left behind, they were irreplaceable.

He ran away from the Gurukul, near Meerut, often, but was always marched back by his strict father. He abandoned formal education after passing the 7th standard, on 6.3.1943, from Cambridge College, Rawalpindi.

15.11.1947 he joined the Corps of Signals, and got training at Jabalpur, and was later employed as a switch board operator. At his spare time he would write songs and sing to friends, and wished one day his songs play on AIR. He was paid Rs. 75/- a month as salary, which he would send to his poor parents and step mother and step siblings in Delhi.

While watching films he would compose songs to fit into various situations of films and even sing them at Army gatherings, Bara Khanas.

While in the Army, The Corps of Signals, on 24.1.50, he wrote an Aim in Life for himself. – Every one in this world, rich or poor should have a definite aim in life. A man without any fixed purpose in life is like a ship without radder, at the mercy of he winds, powerless to control its course. So a person having no aim in life has nothing by which to guide his actions, or regulate his conduct. I, the undersigned, Anand Prakash Bakshi (AZAD.), intend to study music. For it is my aim in life to become an artist. And to achieve this, I must join films, radio, or theatre, and become a singer, songs composer, music director, director, etc.,.
(Later, on 10.10.88, he added a footnote to this Aim In Life, Thanking God for helping him realize his dreams.)
Later, on 12.4.50, he left the Corps of Signals in the Army to come to Bombay for ythe first time to join films.

On 22.12.1950, 11 am, he was told to report for a voice test at the AIR office, India Gate, New Delhi Station. But nothing came of it.

When he failed to find work in Bombay filmdom, he returned to Lucknow and rejoined the Army, by enrolling in the EME, (The Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers), in 1951, at Lucknow, as an automobile electrician, and received training at Jalahali and Secundrabad. In a workshop of the Infantry division, he continued to write songs in his spare time.

While serving the Army, he would organize various entertainment programs for his Division, acting and singing in them too. He was also posted in Kashmir. He never had to take part in a war. Whenever he would sing Mukesh or Rafi songs in army gatherings, his dream would haunt him. During this time he got married to Kamla Mohan, an arranged marriage, and she was also his neighbor in Chittian Hattean, his birth place.

During his army days, he had to travel to hyderabad on a personal visit. He went to the railway yard to get a seat to sit on, and before he could get inside the compartment, the train started to move from the yard towards the station. He was standing on the steps leading up to the compartment, holding the railing with one hand, and his Tin suitcase with the other. As the train neared he platform, he was horrified to realize that the compartment door had been locked from the inside and if the door did not open soon, his legs would get cut at the ankles by the approaching platform. He shouted, cried, screamed for help, pleading with the passengers inside that they open the door. but the passengers inside who too had arrived earlier while the train was in the yard to occupy the best seats, refused to let him in. he then started pleading that he is not a beggar or thief, but an army jawan on his holiday. Only then, did one good soul open the compartment door to let him in. as he got in, his compartment arrived at the platform. Had that good human not opened the compartment door, he would have lost both legs.
He still has the Tin suitcase with him, and he would get it painted and would clean it himself once in a while, reminding him, keeping himself in check of his humble roots.

(Later on, in the late 90’s, he even wrote a special song for the Indian Military Academy, Dehra Dhun. He even wrote a song for the Corps of Signals, on their invitation. After his death, the Corps of Signals established a “Bakshi Corner” in their Corps Museum.)

His first published poem appeared in an Army publication, “Sainik Samachar”, and this boosted his morale and gave him confidence to try in Hindi films. Thus, he arrived in Bombay for the 2nd time in 1956, to find work in films, leaving his wife Kamla, and his first daughter, Suman, behind in Lucknow, in the care of her maternal parents.

His grand parents, parents, in laws, and wife and family, never encouraged him to leave the Army job to join films. There was no known poet in is ancestors, as they were either in Army, Police Force, or were Zamindars.

On his arrival in Bombay for the second time, he prayed to God in a public toilet in Bombay (for privacy) that God help him establish himself in Bombay as a singer, song writer, or musician.
This prayer he wrote for himself was:
Mere Bhagwan, Bansi wale,
Tu ne Mujhe Jazbat diye,
Sangeet ka prem mere jisam ke kone kone mein bhar diya,
Mein tera Ehsaan Mand hoon.
Aur ab mein tere samne jukh kar
Apne un haseen khawabon ki tabeer mangta hoon
Jo tu ne mere masoom ankhon mein basae.
Tera
“nand”.

None of his relatives helped him find shelter, nor offered him monetary help.

He had come armed with about 60 songs, but did not find work, so he would sit in the waiting room of Dadar Station, or the paltform bench at Marine Lines Station, and continue write his dreams- songs.

During his days of struggle, he lived at various locations, like:
Dadar Guest House, Tulsi Pipe Road, Bombay, in 1956;
Irani wadi, mathura das road, kandivili, Bombay, in 1958;
24 H, Jawala Estate, S. V. Road, Borivili, in May 1958;
Hotel Evergreen, Room no. 26, Khar west, in Oct 1961;
Hind Mansion, Ground Floor, Sitladevi temple road, Mahim, Bombay, in 1961.

His in-laws, Subedar Amar Singh Mohan, and Smt. Budhwanti, living in Aadarsh Nagar, Lucknow, were too poor to send him Rs 30, for which Bakshi, had written them 3 post card requests.
His wife Kamla and daughter Suman, who were living in Lucknow with her parents, arrived to live with him in Bombay only on 13.5.1960, after he got a little money and his own accommodation in Worli, Bombay.

In 1956, when he did not find work in films, and was broke, shelterless, dejected, disillusioned, he decided to return to his Army job. But a young Ticket Collector at Bombay Central, Chitramal Swarup, a stranger, approached him, befriended him, and discouraged him from returning to the Army.

Chitramal paid bakshi’s Guest House dues, and voluntarily offered Bakshi shelter in his one room chawl in Borivili, (although Chitramal was living with his mfamily of 5 persons), and kept him in his house for almost 5 years without asking for any rent, or favor. Even after Bakshi was an established Song writer, Chitramal never charged him a penny for the angelic favors he had done for Bakshi.

Bakshi believed God sent Chitramal as an angel in disguise to give him hope, shelter and food during his hard days of struggle. Had Chitramal not offered him hope and shelter that day at the railway platform, and persuaded him to stay back in Bombay, he would have left the film industry forever. And in return of this moral favor, Chitramal never borrowed, or asked for even Re. 1/- from Bakshi, in his life time, till he expired in 2000.
Bakshi would regret, Chitramal is the only person who never gave bakshi an opportunity or reason to pay him back for the favors he received from him, in his lifetime. He considered Chitramal an angel.
Chitramal’s sons and wife visit Bakshi’s family, even after Bakshi’s passing away.

In Bombay, when he stayed at Hotel Evergreen, now, Hotel Guru, Station Road, Khar West, and would spend all his time writing songs. Mrs Hari Prasad Cahurasia, one of other persons who lived there recollects he would talk less, write more, and sometimes entertain everybody by singing his poems and songs. He would have his meals at Banarsi sweet mart nearby, and have paan at the corner paan shop. At night, he would stand below the street lamp outside the banarsi Sweet Shop and write songs.

Sunil Datt was a distant relative, and childhood friend, acting in “Mother India”, and he gave Bakshi an introductory letter to meet Raj kapoor. But Raj kapoor would not accept lyrics from a newcomer. But his secretary Hiren Khera promised him a break if he ever became producer.

Sahir Ludhianvi too introduced Bakshi to many producers, and encouraged him to write. Sahir had advised me, “Choose simple words, as your songs have to be heard all over the nation.” On his advise, Bakshi made it a point to meet 5 to 6 film persons daily to ask for work. Sahir would say – Either you call on people, or people call you. There is no other way to get work. Even Ramprakash Ashq encouraged him.

Even Shailendra encouraged him. He asked bakshi to write a qwalli for his film.

He took advice from the late poet Bismil Saeedi. Saeedi once told him, “Bakshi, tumko faarsi nahin aati, lekin tumhari tabiyat mein faarsi hai. Tumhare mijaaz mein faarsi hai, aur yeh tumhaare bahut kaam aayegi.”
On 12.7.1956, Bismil Saeedi wrote a letter to Bakshi from Delhi. The contents were:
"Kudrat ne aapko, shayarana salahiyat (talent) ata (gift) ki hai. Jahan tak aapki fikrr (emotions, sentiments, and sensitivity), bahut buland (high and strong) hai. Bayane iskh par munhasir hai (based on romance), mutala (to read well) bhi nihayat hi zaroori hai. Alfaaz ka intekaab (the chosen word) aur unki nashist (choosing the correct words in context to the line of thought) mein, sher ki asar angezi (impact) ka raaz (secret) musammar (hidden) hai. Khuda aapko urdu shayari ka kabile fakrr (pride) shayar hone ka mukaam (status) ata farmaye. (grant, gift) "
Thanks to the encouragement from such talented angels, Bakshi was confident he would make it oneday. Bismil’s praise forever inspired Bakshi to go on struggling.

He traveled to Bombay only after earning a Motor car driving licence, as a back-up occupation, in the event that he did not get work in films. He decided, if he failed to find work in films, and his Army savings ran out, he would drive a taxi or private car, but not return to the Army. He decided driving a car will be his occupation to remain in bombay till he got a break, as he had no other educational qualifications.

He got his first break in films when Bhagwan Dada signed him for four songs for Brij Mohan’s “Bhala Aadmi”, in 1956, a stunt film. When Bakshi saw his name in the credits, he cried in happiness. He was also paid (Rs. 150/- ) for his first 4 songs. His first recorded song was – Dharti Mere Liye.

Surinder Kapoor (Anil & Boney’s father), also encouraged Bakshi, and gave him work in “Tarzan Comes to Delhi.” When Boney started a film to launch his brother Sanjay, Bakshi volunteered to write the songs, (Prem). Boney was most happy to accept bakshi’s gesture as Bakshi had successfully written for newcomers Rishi Kapoor, Sanjay Datt, Kumar Gaurav, etc.

After the success of “Jab Jab Phool Khile”, Bhagwan dada met him in a big film party, and advised him, “Bakshi saheb, Khushi Ki Baat hai, Aap ka naam ho gaya hai. Magar ek baat yaad rakhna ke yahan aadmi ko naam se zyada us ka kaam zinda rakhta hai.” Bakshi never ever forgot that golden advice from the heart of a good man.

Before hitting big time with “jab Jab Phool Khile”, Bakshi ate Usal Paav most of the time during his struggle. Once when he was paid Rs 250 for a song, he decided to go to VT to Sher E Punjab for eating Tandoori Chicken. In the bus he was travelling, unknown to him his wallet was stolen. After he got off the bus, he realized his wallet is stolen. He chase d the bus on his two feet, for at least 2 km, but failed to catch up.

Bakshi ran into composer Roshan one day at Filmistan Studios. Roshan told him, “bakshi aisa karo, kal subah dus baje, mere ghar par aa jana. Kaam hai.” A thrilled Bakshi, struggler, returned to his humble railway quarters (Chitramal’s) in Borivili. That night it rained so much, it seemed the city will drown to death. Trains and Busses stopped plying by late night. The ciy was flooded. Bakshi feared the rain is trying to stop him from meeting Roshan saab the next day. But he considered himself a Fauji, soldier, and will not let the rain, his enemy, win. Bakshi calculated that it might take him at least 3 to 4 hours to walk till Santacruz from Borivili. So he left 3 hours before the appointed time of 10 am, and started walking early morning with his umbrella and song book in the storm. Bakshi reached Roshan’s house at the appointed time but his umbrella was tattered and his slippers were torn, and song book was wet. When an amused Roshan saw bakshi at his door steps, he remarked “ Aare, tum aadmi ho ya Bhoot?”
Bakshi answered “kamaal hai saab, aap hi ne toh mujhe bulaya tha”.
Roshan “Haan, bulaya toh tha, magar kaam itna zaroori nahin tha.”
Bakshi “aapke liye shayad zaroori na ho, magar mere liye who bahut zaroori tha”. Impressed, Roshan took Bakshi inside the house and offered him fresh clothes, tea and biscuits. Roshan saab gave him a chance in “CID girl”, and then “Devar”, which proved to be a big hit. Incidentally, when his son Rajesh Roshan started his career, bakshi wrote his lyrics, “Julie”.

Raj Kapoor’s secretary Hiren Khera used to cook dal for me and other 4 strugglers, and we all would go for a meal to his house with our own pav’s, breads. Hiren Khera had promised me he will give me a break if he ever became producer, and he did, with “Mehendi Lagi Mera Haath”, (my first complete film) and then, “Jab Jab Phool Khile”. Both with Kalyanji Anandji. When I worked with KA, I came into contact with their Assistants, LP, and wrote “Mere Mehboob Qayamat Hogi”, (Mr X In Bombay) for them, then “Milan”.

Bakshi also made a mark for himself for writing a quawalli for Kaala Samundar, “Meri Tasveer Lekar Kya Karoge tum”.

Manoj Kumar was an small time actor then, and he would hear Bakshi’s poems on the sets. On the sets of “Picnic”, he advised Bakshi, that he must seek Shirdi Sai baba’s blessings for success in his work, and even took Bakshi to Shirdi with him. Bakshi played a small role of a beggar in “Picnic”. After that, bakshi would visit Shirdi often, and when he stopped visiting due to health, he would play Sai baba songs at home. On any auspicious day, festive day, birthday, or anniversary, he would play a particular sai baba bhajan on his hand held mono audio cassette player and walk all over the house, purifying the place with the music.

During a song recording of “Chota Bhai”, Bakshi was approached by the Director and explained another song situation of happy children singing. Bakshi remarked, Well, to eat, drink, and be merry, is the life of children”, and so wrote the mukhda on the spot “Khate Hain, Peete hain, Aur Mauj Karte Hain”. He added “Had I written with much deliberation and thought, I may have ended up writing a better poem, but I preferred writing a natural song, as it was children singing it.”

He signed innumerable films when he sang his poem “Maine Poocha Chaand Se” in film parties, or gatherings of film friends. The song was recorded after more than a decade by Sanjay Khan in “Abdullah”. It was originally written for Ramesh Saigal’s film which got canned. This song was composed by S D Burman dada, but it was R D who ultimately recorded it.

When Raja Mehendi Ali Khan died, Bakshi completed a song of his, and refused the payment, telling the producers to give the money to his widow instead. It was for Raj Khosla’s “Anita.” Bakshi was still a struggler in those days, and yet had the dignity to help others. Such was his inner strength, and character. (It’s sad, that after his death, the film makers who owe him money, have not paid him as yet.)

My first meeting with S D Burman – I had tried innumerable times to meet S D Burman, but he never had time. One day Shailendra did not turn up so Burman dad sent for me. I entered his house hopeful and happy, but soon there was news that Shailendra was on his way there. Burman dad shouted at me to run away before Shailendra arrived. When I tried to run away from the main door, he stopped me and told me not to leave from there, as Shailendra might see me and feel hurt. He told me to jump out of the back window and run away. 1986 – bakshi.

Much after “Bobby”, we were in a film party and Premnath wanted to sing songs. I was tired and sleepy so I decided to run away before he starts. But he saw me running away, and ran out to me, and ordered me inside. Then he insisted I sit in front of him while he sang. He sang till 5 am and I had to patiently hear him out. - bakshi

I would always joke that if I sang a song in a film, the film would flop. Shaktida Samanta heard my joke, and laughed, but he got my voice dubbed by Bhipinder in his forthcoming film. It was really funny. – bakshi.

One day, Bakshi collected a friend, Hari Mehra, and together they traveled in bakshi’s 1964 Fiat car, to his regular Paan Shop, opposite Khar station, west, and after putting a paan in his mouth, they traveled towards S V Road, via Sacred Heart girls school, where his daughter Suman was studying. Suddenly, he saw a very beautiful woman pass by. Bakshi remarked to Hari maehra, “Kya roop paya hai”, a well meaning compliment to the woman walking by. Immediately Bakshi stopped his car, and told Hari not to talk for 10 mins. He started penning a song. After 10 mins of silence, he had completed the mukhda and a few antras. When Hari questioned him, Bakshi told him he will reveal the song to him someday. After the film was released, he informed Hari that the song in wrote that day under the shade of the Gulmohar trees, after watching a beautiful woman walk by, was “Roop Tera Mastana, Pyaar mera diwana”, “Aradhana”.

He wrote the song “Hum Tum Ek Kamre mein Bandh Hon”, for Bobby, on his way in a car on the way from Juhu to Chembur. He was traveling with Laxmikant, and they were on their way to meet Raj Kapoor. Laxmikant did not know whether Bobby is the name of the hero or heroine, so Bakshi decided to write lines where it would work both ways. Further, he wrote the lines “tere nainon ki bhool bhulaiya mein, bobby kho jaye” when he and Laxmikant got lost in Raj kapoor’s huge Bungalow trying to find his way the music sitting room.

Haji, his friend, a furinure factory owner, Kings Furnitures, Bandra, where Bakshi would spend much time, after he became successful, says, “he would take 5 visits and a week to choose a piece of furniture for his house. But would write a song in 10 minutes! Once he told me to drive him to tardeo for a song recording of Mukesh. He wanted me to drive as he said he has a lot on his mind and will not be able to concentrate. Enroute, he asked me about my love life. While I was talking to him about my love life, and we had just reached Mahim, he asked me to stop driving and park the car. As I was watching him, he was lost in his own world, oblivious to the traffic sounds, and my presence. He wrote the song “Kisi rah pe. Kisi modh par, tu chal ne dena mujhe chodh kar, mere humsafar”, right then and there. One day, he took me to Mohamed Ali road, and introduced me to a shop keeper with whom he had mortgaed his EME workshop tools for money. He had needed money desperately to receive his father who had arrived at Bombay Central sstation to meet him. He mortgaed his tools on the way to the station, for food money for his father. Such was the poverty he had survived without compromising his principles. He was a fakir, not meant for this world.

He was once cautioning his friend, Sham Keswani, “Pehle har mehbooba jane jaan banti hai, phir aashiq ke bacchon ki maa banti hai”. R D Burman too was present in this friends gathering, and they decided to use it in the film Sham was producing “Bhanwar”.

For songs like “Zindagi ke safar mein guzar jaate hein jo makam” – aap Ki Kasam, and for “Hum Tum Ek Kamre Mein Bandh Ho” – Bobby, Bakshi wrote the mukhda even before the situation narration was over.

Raj Khosla was happy that he condensed the whole story of “Mein Tulsi Tere Angan Ki” in the title song by adding “Koi Nahin mein tere sajan ki”.
When he recovered from a major fracture in his leg, his wife took him for his first song recording, for “Jeevan Jyot”, MD Salil Chowdhary.

I wrote “Chingari Koi Bhadke” for my personal pleasure. But Shaktida heard me sing it in a party and used it in Amar Prem. I was inspired to write this song when I once lit my cigarette and threw the lit match stick in the pouring rain, and the rain water extinguished the match.
Even the following were written by me for my personal pleasure my later turned into film songs by their makers: “maine poocha chaand se” (Abdullah); Duniya Mein Kitna Gham hai” (Avtaar); “Yahan mein Ajnabi Hoon” (Jab Jab Phool Khile). Rajesh khanna heard me sing this song in a party, and recommend that we use in his film “Avtaar”.

Once, while washing his hands, he asked subhash ghai, the name of his forth coming film. Ghai answered “saudagar”. Baksgi said, “Saudagar, Sauda Kar, dil lele, dil de kar “. Ghai liked it, and accepted it as the mukhda of his song.

There is no secret for my inspirations. Every human heart has emotions, gathered in the process of living. Unwittingly they pour out in verses. There is nothing more mysteriouis than unrequitted love. And that’s a great source of inspiration. Folk songs too inspire me. For my song from “Pratigya”, “mein toh yamla jat diwana”, I was inspired by a punjabi quote.
In “Mera gaon Mera desh”, “Maar diya jaye, ke chod diya jaye”, I was inspired by the dialogue between King Porus and Alexandra the Great, who used almost the very same lines “tumhare saath kya salook kiya gaye”.

During a song sitting of “Aan Milo Sajna”, me and LP tried for many hours to get a break through but failed. I got up to leave, and remarked “Acha toh hum chalte hain”. Laxmikanth asked me in reply “Phir kab milo ge”, and thus I was inspired to make a song out of it. - bakshi

Me, Laxmikant, and bakshiji came out of kardar studios, parel, after watching the trial show of a tamil film, which was to be later readapted as “Milan”. We stopped at a paanwala near prabhadevi, which laxmi would regularly patronize. While the paan was being prepared, bakshiji, who was very happy that we three had come together for this big film, said the words “mubarak ho sabko, sama yeh suhana, mein khush hoon mere ansoo- on pe na jana”. He was so happy that we three were working together, and later he used this expression in a song for the same film. – pyarelal.

When I arrived at Bakshiji’s house for my first sitting, he had already kept a tray full of headache medicines ready for me, as he had been informed by my producer that I have a headache. He told me, “don’t cancel the music sitting, as headaches always go away.” When Uttam Singh suggested if he could use a few lines from one of the antras he had written, and picked the balance from other antras, he said “Jo theekh samjo, karo. Gaana bana rahein, koi chaand pe nahin ja rahein hein.”– tanuja chandra.

When he heard Aditya Chopra story of “Dil wale dulhania le jayenge”, he told him “even if you make 50% of what you just narrated to me, your film will be a big hit”. After the premier, he called Adi and said “you have made 100% of what you had narated to me. Your film is gouing to be a big hit”.
(it was understandable that his sense of story was sharp, as by then he had been through at least 500 release films, and maybe at least another 300 stories he had refused to write for.)

He got his first break to sing in films when Mohan Kumar, making “Mom Ki Gudiya”, heard Bakshi singing a song in a Charity function, and convinced LP to give Bakshi a song to sing for his film. Bakshi sang a solo song “Mein Doondh Raha Tha Sapno mein”, and it result was so good, that Mohan Kumar roped him in for a duet with Lata Mangeshkar “Baagon mein Bahar Aayee” for the same film. Bakshi gifted Lata a huge floral bouquet for singing a duet with him. Both songs were love songs.

If challenged, he would revoke his dormant Ego. Sometime in the late 90’s, Bakshi was once challenged by a rude journalist “how many of your songs are hits because your mukhda’s were provided to you by your director or music directors?”. Bakshi replied, “a director, and, or music director, has yet to take birth, who has provided mukhadas to me which I claimed as mine. I have written all my mukhdas myself.” (this happened in a party, and bakshiji had consumed a few drinks.)

He had written a poem for himself, (“Mein koi Baraf Nahin Hoon Jo Pighal Jaoon Ga, mein koi haraf nahin hoon jo badal jaoonga”) which he would sing to himself whenever he felt lose of confidence in himself. In 2002, when he was very ill, he decided to use this poem in a song situation for Mr Subhash Ghai, as he considered Ghai a good friend. He had earlier gifted this poem to his son Rakesh, but did not feel it necessary to ask Rakesh’s permission, as he was confident his son would not mind him giving it away to Mr Ghai. His son did not mind and was happy that his father’s most precious and best work of art was in deserving and good hands. This poem is the secret of Bakshi’s success thereafter, the source of his relentless passion to write good songs consistently, to go on and on, even though other stars around him faded into the horizon.
He had once told his son, that this poem of his is the force behind his passion, and his consitency of hits right from the days of his struggle and all along the course of his 600 films, 4000 songs, in 46 years.

He would send money every month to his parents till they survived. He supported the education of his two step brothers, Ashok and Vaid, and helped his 4 step sisters Uma, Shubh, Jeevan, Indra, too.

He purchased his first car, from his own money, a second hand Fiat, 1964 model, through his friend Parveen Choksi. He travelled in it till the last years of his life. He maintained his Fiat car immaculately, and travelled in it even after he purchased other newer and imported cars. He always believed his roots, his humble beginning lies in that car. He would travel in the car to remind hinmself of his roots, his humble beginning of a soldier. He was so fond of his old 1964 FIAT, that when the Fait company returned to india in the 90’s, and they launched their UNO model, they invited Bakshi to buy the first Uno relesed in the market, and he did, and even wrote a poem on his old 1964 Fiat car. The company has displayed the poem with pride in their workshop at Vidyavihar.

He owned an Omega - seamaster, wrist watch, but never remembered to wear it, even for film parties. He would invariably wear a locally made, much less expenseive, Titan watch. The Omega watch was a reflection of him, dignified, classy, yet simple.

His favorite authors were Sidney Sheldon, Daniel Steel, and he would read a few Urdu monthly’s, especialy those from the Shama group, Delhi. and an avid reader of The Readers Digest, daily. He believed any person who has not read anything new in 24 hours, has nothing to contribute to society, to life.

He would do Yoga exercises briefly in he mornings, and would walk briskly every evening.

He drank alcohol only after 9pm, and would not drink if he were writing, as he respected his pen and song book as being Saraswati.

He had taken part in the Naval Mutiny of 1947, at Bombay Harbor, and was dismissed from service for that. After 50 years, he applied for status of Freedom Fighter, but did not receive a satisfactory reply from the Government, and was sad about it.
His patriotic nos.:
I love my india - pardes.
Watan pei jo fida hoga – phool bane angarey.
Dil diya hai jaan bhi denge - karma
Watan se chitti aayee hai – Naam.
mein kaise bhool jaoon, mein hun hindustani, yahan mein ajnabi hoon - jab jab phool khile
o jatha ayee baishaki – (Iman Dharam ?)
“Mera Hindustan, God Bless our Home” (for Sahara Group.)
also wrote songs for the Corps of Signals, Indian Army, and The Indian Military Academy, Dehra Dun.

He would always advice people to count their blessings. That is why he considered himself the luckiest man in the world. When film makers, who were his friends, or his family, and even when Mr ghai would ask him to increase his price, as he deserved to, merited to ask for more money for his work, he would reply “from an army jawan earning rs 75 a month, to owning a car and a flat, and having got my children married, i have come a long way in life. I dont need anything for from life and my work. I already have earned what i need to live a basic and happy life.”

Once a film maker told him “other song writers, who are half as successful as you, charge double of what you ask for a film. Why dont you increase your price?” he replied “i dont increase my price often, and drastically, as i dont want to ask for a price that will be refused to me if my work is no longer outstanding. I have never had to drop my price and that is my pride. So why should i increase it?”

He got the mandir of his home made from his muslim friend Ahmed, of Kings Furniture, Bandra west, as he considered Ahmed a good soul.

He never invited any one to his house, unless they were first his friends.

He would either write on his bed, and if they were music sittings in his house, he would sit on the floor and write.
He wrote often on his 555 Cigarette packs, when he was inspired but not carrying his song book.

He wrote all his songs in Urdu, as he had poor knowledge of writing hindi. And for this reason, he would always dictate his written lyrics to the film makers or music directors, and never wrote it for them. If the directors misplaced the lyrics, it would be almost impossible for him to locate them in his song book, as he wrote them over a large number of pages, and not necessarily in a continuous page wise order. There would be other songs written for other films inbetween the antras of one song. If he did not feel inspired, he would leave the song, and move on to writing another, and return to the earlier songs only when he was inspired while writing the lyrics of other songs. Maybe this was only possible because he wrote an average of 100 songs a year. – rakesh.

He liked his own company, and was comfortable being by himself, with himself. – rakesh.

He had maintained a record of all those days of the years that he had not had alcohol, paan and cigarrete. Amazing, but he maintained his weight record for 30 years, and took his weight on the 1st of january each year, without fail. He last took his weight in jan 2002 and it was 72 kg. 1993 was the only year he abstained from alcohol for 288 days, and in 1992, only on 3 days. In 2001, he abstained from lcohol for 212 days. – rakesh.

When ever he received conveyance money for attending recordings, it would be gifted to his car driver.

He wrote almost all his songs from his bedroom, and in spite of the household sounds like the telephone or door bell ringing, children playing and shouting, TV sounds, street sounds, kitchen sounds of cookers blowing whistles, stopping only to rest in the afternoons between 2 and 4pm, talking a walk between 6 and 7pm, yoga in the mornings at 8am, reading his Urdu magazines, Readers Digest before sleeping in the afternoon and at night. Tabacco laced Paan and cigarette were his constant companions too, while writing. He never drank alcohol while writing, and never before 9.30pm, and drank only till he ate his dinner.

Rakesh, his son, recollects his father fondly from a childhood memory of Bakshi arriving very late from film parties, but entering Rakesh’s bed room and softly tapping his forehead, and softly running his fingrs through his hair as he slept. If Rakesh woke up, Bakshi would immediately go away. So to enjoy his fathers affection for a longer time, Rakesh would pretend he is asleep as his father sat besides him affectionately.

He was extremely sensitive about missing loved ones:
To quote his own words:
In (Aap ki kasam)
Kuch log ek roz bichadh jaate hein
who hazaron ke aane se milte nahin,
umr bhar chahe pukara kare unka naam
who phir nahin aate…
and in (Apnapan)
aadmi musafir hai
Ata hai jata hai
Aate jate
Raste mein yaadein
Chod jata hai…

After his mother, he missed most was visiting his birth place, Rawalpindi, the most. He regretted the partition, and that he could never travel back to his country, city, village, mohalla, house of birth. In Feb 2002, he made plans with his dear friend Sham Keswani to visit his birth place after discharge from hospital.

In the middle of his long hospitalization period, somewhere in April 2001, and even in september 2001, he would sing songs in his hospital wards on the request of the ward sisters, nurses and even the sweeper and doctors.

Soon after he became immensely successful, he developed fears and phobias. His fears and phobias were related to heights, like traveling in lift and plane, traveling on a journey alone, and feeling of helplessness when he is alone. Traveling long distances was also a fear he harbored. He would wonder, that in the past when he was a army jawaan, he could ferlessly paratroop from aircrafts just to earn an extra rs 15 a month.
But now, in spite of all his fame and success, he had become a nervous man? He would ask himself “mujhko chuna halaat ne, ya meine chuna halaat ko? Bhagwan meri madat karega, himmat e marda, madat e khuda.”

On 12.2.1971, he wrote a second prayer, to ask God to help him:
Mere Bhagwan bansi wale, mein tera baccha hoon.
Yeh shaid meri dusari prayer hai.
Mujhe apne Aim In Life mein kamyabi mili,
Yeh teri kripa se hua.
Warna mein is kabil kahan tha ke itna mashoor aadmi ban jaoon,
Hazaron lakhon rupeye kamaoon.
Aaj mein tere samne jhukh kar ek prathana karta hoon,
Mere dil se ye darr aur wahem nikal de.
Mujhe honsla himmat de,
Maine apne paaon mein aap hi jo darr ki beri dal li hai,
Ise jald se kaat kar phaink de.
Mujhe azaad kar de.
Mujhe mere gunahon ki maafi de.
Mujhe buri nazar se bacha.
Mujhe meri biwi bachhon ke saat
Sukh se jeene de.
Mera khoya huwa wishwas wapas de.
-Anand bakshi

After suffering from these fears and phobias, in the early 90’s he visitd a physcatrist, and she advised him, that to again become Anand Prakash (the army jawan), who was fearless, from Anand bakshi (the song writer with fame and money, but full of fears and phobias), he must once again try and lead the life he led during his days of struggle. So, he started travelling in local trains very often, even going up to Borivili and churvhgate, dadar, marine lines, the places from his past, and returning home by BEST bus and auto rickshaws, or in his old faithful 1964 Fiat car.

He traveled in a local train for the first time in 30 years on 29.3.95, from khar to Bandra.

Once after he traveled all alone in a local train, like he would during his days of struggle in 1950’s, he wrote in his diary, “I succeeded in traveling all by myself, and i now know i am much stonger than i imagined myself to be. I will no longer be a prisoner in my own body. Even after 30 years i am still where i started from. Had i walked on my own earlier, i would have traveled the whole world by now, and not become a prisoner of my home. I do not want to be dead before dying. So henceforth i will be a friend to myself, and live for myself too, and not only for my family and friends, film makers. I will travel alone. (11.4.95)”

On 8.9.95 he travelled to churchgate and VT station, and for the first time felt Bombay has changed so much since he first arrived in 1951. I never noticed the change before traveling in my luxurious cars. I sang songs to myself to build my courage to be alone during these journeys. The song he would sing at these times was his own poem, he wrote for himself “mein Koi baraf nahin hoon jo pighal jaoonga, mein haraf nahin khoon jo badal jaoonga”, which he gave to Subhash Ghai in march 2002, as he considered him his good friend.

On 27.10.95, he traveled to churchgate station by train, and walked up till marine drive sea face. “I feel i have distanced myself from my children because of my profession. God give me the strength to love them and do my duty as a father.”

“Many people have lost their lives to fears and phobias, and i fear that my life as Anand Bakshi too may end because of these. I wish to become Anand Prakash the army jawan and not remain Anand bakshi the song writer.” 28.10.95

“Today i stood by the sea face and prayed to the god of the seas, and acknowledged to the sea that i am just a drop unlike Him who is the seven seas. With help from God, I want to be free of my phobias before the end of this life.” 6.12.95
“Today i walked from dadar station to Bhagwan dada’s old office, from where i started my film life, earned my first break in films, Bhala Aadmi. Then i disembarked at Mahim, and walked to Hiren Khera’s old office, from where i arned my first successful film, Mehendi Lagi mere haath. After reliving these wonderful, emotional memories of my past, i think my phobis are dying. I should have made these journeys earlier, but i cannot fight destiny. I was destined to suffer all this while.” 31.1.96

“i am now comfortable traveling on my own, and no longer find the need to sing my poem to myself. I am becoming normal now. As i increase these journerys, i will gain freedom from my phobias. Now I can conquer this world. By the next 4 months, i will once again become my old self, “nando”, Anand Prakash. God be with me again.” 2.3.96

“Today, while traveling in the train, i realized, i am really a soul, and this body of mine is just a temporary home. My soul has changed a thousand bodies by now. I now feel at home in this body. This body is my home. Whether i reside in Bombay, or Delhi, or elsewhere, i will continue to reside in this home. God bless my home.” 2.4.96

LAST FEW WEEKS

When the Press people were refused permission to shoot Bakshi’s body lying inside his home, his wife Kamala instructed her children not to stop the Press from filming, as the media attention was Bakshi’s true earnings. After all, she justified, her husband never worked for money, nor media attention, as the money he earned was simply incidental. At this time, during his final earthly journey, we must permit the media to honor him in their voluntary and own way. And so the family permitted the Press, media to enter their home at this sensitive moment.

Till the very end, he often tried to put an end to his bad habits of eating Tobacco laced Paan, (upto 25 paans a day), smoke cigarettes, and drink alcohol, but did not always succeed. He could stop alcohol, but could not give up chewing tobacco laced paan, and smoking as he found it difficult to write without their help.
He finally succumbed to respiratory failure due to smoking having affected his lungs. In April 2001, he caught a bacterial infection at Nanavati hospital, during a routine minor Heart surgery, and could not fight the impact and consequences of the infection having spread all over his blood stream, finally causing multiple organ failure, beginning with his weak lungs and healthy kidneys. In the last weeks of his life, he regretted having smoked to help himself write poetry. He smoked his last cigarette for his friend Mr Ghai on 4.4.2001, but he could not keep his promise, and smoked again after that.

He was very sad during his last 7 months of hospitalization, and his life, that most of his past and present, producers, friends, technicians, Music Directors, Singers, did not visit him. Their atitude saddened his heart, pierced his soul.

His convictions: (he was inspired by these thoughts he noted in his personal diary, over the years. Few of these quotes were his own.)

In his song book, on the first page, he would write the following verse, when ever he began writing on a fresh book:
I am a being of divine light and power. I have access to all that the universe has to offer. I can reach out and take or do what ever I want, whenever I want. – anand bakshi.
This conviction may be the inspiration and force behind his consitency of hits in the course of 600 films, 4000 songs, in 46 years.

The next thing he always wrote in all his song books, on the first or last page would be :
Om Mamah Sivay
Jai shri krishan bhagwan
Jai hanuman
Jai lakshmi mata
Jai saraswati mata
Jai durga mata
Jai ram
Jai baba nanak
Jai sai baba
Jai bali
Jai ma sheranwali
Jai ganesh
Jai ajmer wale khwaja
Jai swani nityanand
Jai nagdevta mera kul rakshak
Jai shivji
Jai ganesh brahma vishnu mahesh
Jahan viraje raam
Dar ka wahan kya hai kam.
Jai my Self
God bless me
- anand baksji.
-
There is something inside of me superior to my circumstances, stronger than every situation of life.

I am my best friend, and will never let myself down under any circumstances, as I will always be with me, within me, to help myself, so I cannot ever be helpless. (His song = Mushkil mein hai kaun kisi ka, samjho is raaz ko, lekar apna naam, tum khud ko awaaz do-)

Troubles and Human beings are made for each other. They cannot be separated.

Happenings means life. Life brought me into this world of happenings. Death will take me back where nothing happens. Just nothing.
It is only after death that nothing happens. After death a person goes into nothingness. No feelings, no sound. I too will remain in that atmosphere of nothingness for a while, then again , something will happen, and I will get a new life, new name, new game, new people around me, new childhood, new body, each and everything new. What is there to worry? Nothing.
Life and death are my permanent companions, as rebirth is a fact. This coming and going will go on forever. Life and death, both are very beautiful. Life is work, nothing else. Death is rest, nothing else. Without death, life has no beginning, no ending, no meaning. Why run away from death? Death is nowhere, yet everywhere, with you, within you. Accept that I cannot live forever. (His song - Chitti Na koi sandesh, jaane yeh kauna desh, jahan tum chale gaye- Dushman.)

He who is not here, must be somewhere. He who is somewhere is not lost. Believe in immortality, and use it while living. Though Earth and Moon were gone, and suns and universe ceased to be, and Thou were left alone, every existence would exist in Thee.

Courage is taking the step forward, into an area of difficulty, without a solution in mind, trusting that some how help will become available.

Don’t fear. Fears will pass. Don’t resist fear. Come directly into contact with it to understand it. Relax, and enjoy the journey.

When we fear, we doubt God. Do I doubt God? No. I believe in God. I am myself a little proof of God. He is seven seas. I am a drop of water. I am from Him, for Him. (mein aatma, tu paatma)

I meet trouble as a friend as I know I am ging to see a lot of him, so I better be on good terms with it. Trouble creates a capacity to handle it.

Frustration is commonly the difference between what you would like to be, and what you are willing-to-sacrifice to become what you would like to be.

Do not try to Do It - Do It!

If you think you have got something for nothing, you have not received the bill yet.

Life is a chance. If you take it, it’s risky. If you do not take it, it’s dangerous.

You cannot cross a bridge before it comes. There is no bridge that cannot be crossed.

I have never met a man who has given me more trouble than myself.

For every evil under the sun, there is a remedy, or there is none. If there is one, find it. If there is none, never mind it.

Things I could change, I changed to suit me. Things I could not change, I changed myself to suit them.

You can create that extra ordinary force within you, by using it. You cannot store it. You can only use it.

Rare indeed is the human birth. The human body is like a boat, the first and the foremost use of which is to carry us across oceans of life and death, to the shores of immortality. The Guru is the boatman, and God is the favorable wind. If with such means as these, man does not strive to cross the ocean of life and death, he is indeed spiritually dead. He was to much a drug user to live any longer.

QUOTES

Security for my family is my ultimate goal.

And, just as our soul is immortal, so should our work be.

He once told his son, who had questioned him why does he not increase his PR, to win more Film awards. - I don’t crave for Film awards, as I shall leave these awards behind for decoration of my house. The reward I will carry to my next birth, the one with which I decorate my soul, I have already received. Unintentionally, unknowingly, I have helped make a difference in someone’s life. (A man had decided to commit suicide and placed his head on the railway tracks waiting for the train to run him over. But, he heard a song playing from a radio in a nearby hutment, “Gaadi Ka Naam, Na Kar Badnam, Patri Pe Rak ke Sar Ko. Himmat Na Haar, Kar Intezaar, aa laut jaen ghar ko. Who Raat ja rahi hai, dekho subha aa rahi hai”, from film “Dost”, and he decided not to end his life, and he returned home to write a thank you letter to Bakshi.

To succeed in your profession, he would quote this poem written by some writer-
Mita de apni hasti ko, Agar kuch martaba chahiye
Ke dana khakh mein mil kar
Toh gule gulzaar banta hai.
(To become something great in life, get rid of your ego, and become the humble seed. Only by mixing in mud does the humble seed achieve its destiny of becoming a plant, flower, tree, fruit, or source of shade.)

Army taught me the value of Time, and commitment, which I put into practice when delivering songs on time to producers and directors.
Army taught me secularism, as I lived happily amongst soldiers of various religions. I support Entertainment programs for Army as they need relaxation working in stressful environs and that too at the risk of their lives.
My Army Commanding Officer would tell us “In the Army, there are no runner ups’, Just winners. Be a winner, a prisoner, or be dead.” I applied these teachings to my writing profession. The Army taught me punctuality. I don’t think a single song recording got delayed or cancelled because of me.

1976

Bakshi once advised Sham keswani, Bakshi’s family friend and lawyer,
In the late 70’s "keep your house as pure as you expect a place of divine presence, like a temple, a church, a monaestry, to be. because, when we leave our homes daily for work, or for pleasure, etc, we carry bits of our homes with us. bits of our home rub off on our personality when we live in them, and unknowingly we carry these relections of the purity of our home with us everywhere we go...and these reflections add to the positive and spiritual vibes we radiate to the world beyond our homes..."

Railways taught me national integration as they help people meet and get close. I love the film industry as we have all sorts of religions working together. We laugh, cry, sing, together. We are a fantastic example of national integration. The only drawback is that success is claimed by everybody, and nobody is willing to take he blame of failure.

When his son desired to marry a woman he loved, and the woman too was willing, but her parents were not, he advised both of them “never force a decision on anyone. Never force nature to act. Let nature act on her own accord. When we force nature, things turn ugly.” They accepted these profound words, and decided they will remain friends, nothing more.

I don’t want to own a credit card as I don’t ever want to owe anyone money.

Sometime in the late 70’s, each time I heard a story and, or, situation, I would always secretly fear, “Bakshi, so far so good. But henceforth, you will not be able to deliver a song.” I am struck by the fear that I will not be able to write the song, aur yahi darr, mujhe shakti deta hai.”

Maya Govind, a struggling writer met Bakshi in a film party, and he complimented her on her lyrics. When he found out she was a graduate, he advised her “I am only 7th standard pass, and I made it. With your education behind you, you should make it too, so not lose faith and keep trying. Don’t give up.”

I had to succeed as I do not know much about any other fields.

“My children, and kamla, dont like me drinking alcohol. I must stop for their sake, for my children’s sake, as i love them.” 1.5.97

When Deepak Shivdsani asked him for advice after the success of his film, Bakshi advised him to avoid the hidden traps of success – like, getting carried away with praises from film people and press, diversions of being invited to grace film parties, etc.,. as all of these shift ones focus from concentrating on your next film.

Every writer goes through 3 stages. First the stage of striving for recognition and success. Second stage of attaining success. Third stage of maintaining success. The third stage is the most difficult, as in the first stage you are totally focused. In the second stage you realize your potential, but also get a lot of attention, compliments, flattery, get invited by everybody to their parties, functions. In the third stage, you have to avoid distractions, and continue being as focused as you were in stage one. When a person becomes successful, he becomes more concerned about his health and personality. But the film makers are not interested in your cough, blood pressure, or rishta. They are only concerned about the quality of your kaam, work.
Never forget that. The quality of your work will determine your rishta with the film makers.

I never claim to be a poet. Sahir saab was a true poet. I am just a song writer, and I even admitted it in “Bobby”, “Main Shayar toh nahin”, and then again in Shaktida’s Ajnabi, “Janeman, Janejigar, hota mein shayar agar, likhta ghazal teri adaon par.”

(On not winning the film fare awards for Milan, Aradhana, & Jeene Ki Raah) Just like any other creative person I too am vulnerable. The success of my song even depends on how the others have presented it- the Director, the Music Director, the Choreographer, the Cinematographer. So I have to work harder to rise to challenges posed by such unpredictable factors.

I usually create at least ten antras for my songs and let the director choose 3 or 4 of what he finds most appropriate. Often I even have written more than 20 antras for each song.

I am inspired by the simplicity in Madhok’s lyrics. Simple words help make simple music. Madhok saab’s songs taught me the first and most important thing is to get across to people in the very first hearing.

If the audience recognizes my words while watching the film song, I have failed. As my words are supposed to originate and belong to the characters in that story, that film. I suggested deletion of my song from Milan, a day after the Premier, as my words did not gel with the character singing. This song, “Aaj dil pe koi zor chalta nahin”, I wrote as a poetry, and had not kept the characters in mind.

I do not get attached to any one music Director, and work with everyone as that assures me quantity, versatility, and quality.

When he was complimented for the large number of hit songs he wrote, he would underplay his achievements in song writing, “Yeh Sab barsaati makaan Hain. In mein pakke makaan bahut kam hain.”

Hindi film music inspired from western tunes may sell, but will not last. 1982.

When he was accused of writing chalu songs, he would say, “I wish I could be given the freedom to write better language. But I deliver what the situation and characters demand.”

It is not enough that a song should be a hit. It should move the story ahead. A correct song situation and proper picturisation helps make a memorable song, instead of just a successful one.

80% of the time, a suitable tune is created by the Music Director, and then I write lyrics to suit the tune. Sometimes the Music Director makes the tune after my lyrics are written. Often I whistle my own suitable tune when I write, even though a tune has not yet been created by the Music Director.
I wrote the Taal song “ishq Bina” without a tune.

The sweetest song is that sung for the common man.

I rate Javed Akhtar as a very good writer in today’s times.

It’s more difficult to write film lyrics than poetry, you have to write within boundaries. Song writing has limitations of time, thought, and characters.

I get many fan mail everyday complementing me for the simplicity of my lyrics. Maybe my lack of formal education is the reason why I write in simple words.

Jaikishen (Shankar Jaikishen) had a fabulous sense of melody, and he was a wonderful man.

A lyricists must know rhythm, and have a flair for music.

A song is born in 20 minutes, or it can even take 5 days. In my job one cannot wait for inspiration as shooting schedules are pre fixed. I have to deliver in time. If the director has a good sense of music, my job becomes easier. Once the lines in the beginning come to me, I find it very easy to write the rest. But writing a song in 15 minutes or taking 5 days does not reflect on the quality of the song. Someone may bathe in 10 minutes, and be cleaner than the one who bathes for 30 minutes.

We do not need a censor board to reject vulgar lyrics. The audience will do that job. The conroversy over my song “Choli Ke Peechey” (Khal Nayak) pained me, as it was simply an allusion. I prefer allusion to literal words, and rather take inspiration from our folk songs which are full of imagery and allusion.

There are at least 300 songs of mine that got recorded, but the films did not see the light of day. – 2000

Todays audience accepts songs having wrong grammar, and wrong words, simply because they don’t know any better.

Dilip Kumar saab has always been a great man. During the jubilee celebration event of “Milan”, flower bouquets were presented to the technicians and artists, except me, as the bouquets were over. I was the only one who had not received a bouquet. Dilip saab noticed this, walked up to me and gifted me his own, and added, me being a newcomer, I needed it more than he did. He visited me during my illness in 2002 and did not let me get up from my bed to hug me. He went on his knees on my bed and reached out to hug me twice. Once when he arrived, and then again when he left after more than an hour. A good soul.

Sunil Datt organized doctors for second opinion during my prolonged sickness. And Subhash Ghai became my pillar and backbone at the worst hour of my life, when my own walls had begun to crumble. He organized Ayurvedic doctors at his own cost to cure me, as he thought allopathy medicines are only ruining my health further. Mohan Kumar too would visit me at home to cheer me up.

Writing is like breathing for me. It comes naturally.

Times have changed, so our films have changed, and so our songs will change. Our screen love pairs declare love too quickly, without justification. Same for the other emotions, anger, hatred, jealousy, dejection, rejection, fulfillment. Earlier film stories unfolded midst of nature so we could write songs in praise of nature. Todays films progress at a fast pace, so directors have less scope to build up emotions, and naturally our songs too have become fast paced to suit the fast paced scenes. Since the music has fast beats, we compose quick, short lines to accompany them. Unlike today, film makers like Bimal Roy could express “I love you” without the screen characters having to say the words. Today love is infatuation.
Todays film makers are ignorant of these subtle nuances.

Its been years since I wrote a sad song. I miss writing sad songs. This means either our country is so happy that we do not need sadness, or, there is so much sadness in life that we do not want to see it on screen.

In life we have sacrificed our Indian traditions for foreign ones, hence even our films too have changed to catch up with times. And this process has been hastened by Satellite TV. Some film makers, to cash in on the new trends amongst the majority, import ideas and styles and make films based on western trends, and so our music too sounds foreign. Where do you expect me to fit in profound lyrics when the choreography and music seem like Physical Exercises.

Destiny is all powerful, so I don’t know why people do manipulations for favors or work.

A director approached me and said “ bakshiji, your lyrics are ordinary. Give me extro ordinary lyrics like you wrote for sashi kapoor in jab jab phool khile., “Yahan Mein Asjnabi hoon”. I answered, “what do you expect for the ordinary situation you have given me. Give me an extra ordinary story, and situation before you demand extra ordinary lyrics”.

Many directors approach me “ we have come to you for hit songs”. Always I have turned them away politely “maaf kijiye, mein hit gaane nahin likhta. Meine zindagi mein kabhi hit gana nahin likha.”

I have adapted myself to the tunes of the times. And because I have tried to understand the contemporary attitudes, lifestyles, I have been able to connect with the youth of today.

Maybe all my romantic compositions are the result of my repressed feelings, which probably I have deep within me, but have never thought of seriously. Though my verses are sensitive and passionate, it has never occurred to me that they have an unseen romanticism attached to them. I have many unsaid, unspoken things inside me, and guess I simply pen these down.

I stopped singing after Sholay as nobody asked me to sing for their films.

I believe in destiny. S D Burman dada introduced me to Guru Datt for Kakaz Ke Phool, but guru datt preferred to work with kaifi Aazmi. I considered myself unlucky I did not bag the film. But the film bombed. So I was lucky I had not written the songs, as my progress would have been affected.

I attend at least two song sittings a day. I do not get time to write songs for myself, like I did in the past. 1987.

I would like to advice youngsters, a song must have meter, and rhythm. I whistle most of the time while writing my songs. Some tunes are given to me by the music director, and some are created naturally by me while writing. Further, you must read a lot. Daily. Read the poetry of legends. Learn music to write songs. Learn Hindi and Urdu.

India is a country of music. From the day we are born, till death, our customs, traditions, culture are based on music and songs. Hence lyrics are an integral part of our films, as films are the only form of mass entertainment in our country.

A poet arrives alone. But a lyricists comes with an orchestra.

Whenever I wrote for Rajesh Khanna, I kept in mind the voice of Kishore Kumar, and intentionally wrote smooth flowing lyrics for him.

To write a song, I must first hear he complete story, understand the plot and characters, and then hear the individual situation of the song required. Then I discuss all I have heard with the Music Director, and we move on to create a tune and lyrics.

Story sunkar hi mind chalta hai.

For me situations in films are real, and those in pop albumns are imaginary. Hence I do not write pop albumns.

After the success of his film in the early 60’s, he was approached by a leading Award authority, and they tld him they could assure hi an award if he spent Rs 15,000. He refused, as he believed, it is more important for him to have work, than earn awards, and awards cannot gaurantee work, but only fame.

I succeeded with LP because our understanding of each other was god. We would understand each other with unsaid words. Once we discussed “Nache Mayuri”. Then we went home and worked on it. The next day, all three of us had thought similarly, our notes matched.

Certain film makers have a very good ear for music, and so select good tunes from the choices available. They do deserve credit for their selection, and they inspire me to give my best. I have no patience for film makers who do not know their job, and have no respect for those who do not know their job and yet interfere in my work.

I like writing simple words, unless the demands of the character, or situation, like “Chanchal Sheetal Nirmal Komal”, in Satyam Shivam Sundaram.

I will leave the industry when I am No. 1, as the industry is cruel to those not successful any longer.

Film Music will die after Laxmikant Pyarelal. (12.8.82)

A song writer does not get his due recognition, because when a producer makes a list of ratings, the stars come first, and then the others. Verybody has their own saleable value.

The success or failure of a film’s music, does affect the overall success of the film. But sometimes when a film fails at the Box Office, even the music fails. Eg. Mehbooba, & Yaadein.

Writing songs is like piloting a plane. An emotional plane. A song writer must have good, even aristocratic, taste, should be lucky, have a will to work hard, and should have talent to pen his thoughts. One must be very sensitive, and one must also have a rangeen mizza (romantic).

One must love the work he does, must love poetry, and not write poetry as a means of making money. And then, one must have the talent to write poetry too.

I did not feel like writing when I fractured my foot, and when the Income tax raided my house. Both times I was demoralized. - 1986

I have worked with most Music Directors, and Directors. If I don’t like someone, I back out, but keep them as friends.

The void created by the departure of Mukesh and Rafi cannot be filled.

1985 – Quality of lyrics has deteriorated because our stories have deteriorated. With violence and action, good lyrics are out of place. Unlike a poet, a lyricists must write according to the film script.

I am not a poet. I do not write poems or Ghazals. I am a song writer. Ghazals cannot become film songs, because film songs have their own meter and style.

A song writers contribution to the success of a film is important, as repeat value for a film comes from good music. The credit for a hit song goes equally to the Music Director and Lyrics writer.

My favorite singers are Rafi, Kishore, Mukesh, Lata, Asha. I also like Alka, and Udit. 1998.

I have two habits. Paan Chewing, which is bad, and being punctual, which is no longer a virtue in our industry. I land up at all film functions the earliest.

I am very happy Kavi Pradeep’s contribution has been awarded by the Dadsaheb Phalke award. Even majrooh saab was accorded this honor.

My need to work makes me go on. I want to work till the last day of my life. Also, my children are settled, but not too well, and I want to keep working for their sake too. – 1998.

People will certainly remember me for my hit lyrics, but I wish to be remembered for at least one of the songs I sung.

I cannot choose my favorite songs. My favorite songs are the one liked by the masses. Their taste, choice, decision, and acceptance is the ultimate.

I do not go for evening walks, or to the mountains to feel inspired. Most of my songs I have written from my bed, my bedroom. And complete them during music sittings. Often I have written complete songs during sittings. My need is my inspiration. Producers spend crores on films, and they cannot wait for you to be inspired. We are paid for a job, so we must deliver on time.

I have not achieved much as yet. I am yet to write my best songs. I hope to be able to do that. Hope never dies. Hope dies only with death. 1984

Films are becoming fast paced by the day. There is little scope for a sad song. Without emotions there is no scope for lyrics of depth. 1985

Unlike random poetry, film songs are written for films running into lacs of rupees. So, the song must get popular, to help the film earn repeat value, and thus recover its cost of production. It’s a challenge to write film songs. 1986.

As sentiments will vanish from society, films will become less musical. Emotions lead to good song situations, and thus songs of depth. Nowadays, audience get up when film songs start, but stay glued when gory action is going on. It’s a bigger challenge to make them sit while the songs are running. 1986.

I write songs for the characters. Eg., “Maine dekha, toone dekha” (Dushman), and “Baith ja, baith gayee” (Amir Garib). The language suited the lips they were spoken from. 1986.

The earlier music directors departed along with the art. Today Music Directors depend more on heavy orchestra, and use upto 100 musicians, no melody. In the old days they used 15 musicians, but good melodies. These newcomers create unbalanced meters in poetry. 1986

S D Burman dada, spoke little urdu or hindi, yet took great pain in understanding the story, and the lyrics, before moulding the lyrics into a song. 1986.

If the quality of my lyrics are dropping, I am not guilty of compromising. I am simply changing with the times. – 1986.

I don’t write all my songs from experience. I wrote “Doli” (Rajput), before my daughters got married. After I wrote “Chitti Aayee hai” (Naam), I sang the song in a wedding function in Delhi, and guests came up to me and asked me in which foreign land are my children settled. Did I write this song missing them, or some loved one. I told them my children have always lived with me. There are many standard situations in life we all through, experience, and in the past many poets, authors have written of the emotions involved in these situations, and I have read many of these, so I do not have to necessarily live them to write about them.

The main difference between a poet and song writer is, a poet remains immersed in his mood, his temperament, and writes to satisfy his own creative urge, satisfying his own created situation. Whereas in song writing, in the very same film, you may have to write, a love song, a prayer, a cabaret dance, a back ground score that continues the narrative, takes the story forward. The biggest challenge is to write a song that takes the narrative forward, bounded by the characterization, time limit, and story line. - Hazaron rang milke, ek rang banta hai. When the audience can recognize my style or lyrics, while watching the film for the first time, I have failed as a song writer. Also, you have to think on the spot, fast, seated with the director, music director, etc, all looking at you with expectations, and at their watches. A good song writer has to be a good craftsman, more than a good poet. And for me, rhyming is very important. A lyricists has to come to the point at once. Unlike a poet, he does not have space, time, to beat around the bush. For eg. In “Aaye Din Bahar Ke”, the hero is directing his anger towards his unfaithful lover directly in the mukhda, “Mere Dost tu meri dosti ko tarse”, and the poetic expression of thought lies in the antra “Tu Phool Bane Patjadh Ka, tujpe bahaar na aye kabhi”.

Age does not matter when writing love songs. I wrote “Bobby” at 44, “Ek duje ke liye” at 52, “Saudagar” at 61, Subhash ghai’s “Majnu” at 72. And like wise for wisdom, I wrote “Zindagi Ke safar mein Guzar jate hain “ – Aap Ki Kasam, when I was below 40.

Age is not important when working with a composer. I was below 30 when I worked with Roshan, S D Burman dada successfully. The only disadvantage is that composers like Viju Shah, Anand Milind, or sons of earlier Film makers, whom I have known as small children, do hesitate to find fault with my lyrics. That makes my work suffer. After all, I too need haelthy criticism to write appropriately. A situation, a story, a character, a tune inspires me to write. Not my age.

A film maker can only inspire a lyricists by being receptive to good poetry, having knowledge of rhythm, and being a sensitive person himself. Raj Kapoor liked “Hum Tum Ek Kamre Mein Bandh Hon”, so much, he devised a situation in his film Bobby for it. Shaktida liked my song “Chingari Koi Bhadke”, and created a situation for it in Amar Prem. And Subhash gahi liked my poem “Mein koi baraf nahin jo pighal jaaoon ga” and decided to use it in his film releasing in 2002 “Majnu”. These film makers are talented and thus recognize, value good lyrics, depth of thought.

It’s better a film have only one lyricists because its one common thread running throughout the narration. That is why I mostly put a condition that I must be the only lyricists in the films I write. Producers were happy granting me that privilege.

Sahir had advised me, “Choose simple words, as your songs have to be heard all over the nation.” Madhok’s simplicity in lyrics inspired my song writing. Madhok saab ka rang hi kuch aur tha. He was the genius of lyrics writing. I admire most Sahir for blending Shayari into film songs. Shailendra’s simple folk songs are simply marvelous. They tug at your heart at the very first hearing. Folk songs are simple, and not always poetic, but they do have depth.

If the tune is catchy, people over look the words. I got away with many punjabi words in my songs because of this. Eg. “Bindiya Chamkegi, Chudi Chamkegi.”

I sang songs in Mom Ki Gudiya, Charas, Sholay, Mahachor, Balika Badhu, Jaan, but I am much happier as a writer.

Our folf music is a limitless treasure. There are hundreds of songs for every event of life, happy and sad, birth, death, naming ceremony, marriage, mehendi, festivals. Theses songs are meaningful yet simple, and they provide insight into the lives and cultures of those singing them.

Most of our lyricists today are from city, so lack knowledge of rural emotions, sentiments. But our country is made up of mostly rural areas.

It makes no difference to me whether I write the lyrics first or hear the tune first. Both ways I am comfortable. But writing lyrics first makes the Music Directors job tougher. And hearing the tune first makes my job tougher.
“Ilu Ilu” (Saudagar), and “Maine Poocha Chaand Se” (Abdulla) were first written, then tuned.

I love writing for love pairs – rishi kapoor and dimple, kumar gaurav and vijyeta, sunny deol and poonam dhillon, sunny deol and amrita, rajesh khanna and sharmila tagore, kamla hasan and rati agnihotri, fardeen and amrita arora, hritik and esha deol, kareena and hritik, julie, sanjay datt and tina munim, etc., anil kapoor and padmini.

I wrote “who kya hai, ek mandir hai” for “Bairaag”, but Asit Sen did not fancy it. It was ultimately lapped up by shaktida for “Anuraag”.

I created “my name is lakhan” for “Ram Lakhan”, on an impulse while hearing the story. Even “chandni o meri chandni”, in “Chandni” ; “thande thande paani se” in “Pati Patni Aur Who”; “Maar Diya Jaye” in “Mera Gaon Mera Desh”, were all spontaneously written, on an impulse.

I get on with most Music Directors because I do not have an ego. I am a mixer. Since I write most songs quickly, they all are happy working with me. I have never asked any producer to take me to a hill station, abroad, or to a river side lodge to write their songs, so they like me.

Although we diffrentiate, but a lyricists is a poet too. The qualifications to be called a poet are peculiar. Uou need to attend and take part in mushairas or write obscure verse and contribute to urdu literature. Hence our lyrics writers don’t get recognition as poets from the poet circles.

I thank god that the industry still wants me after 45 years.

Subhash ghai and yash chopra are commendable for modernising their films without sacrificing quality of music, lyrics, or lowering their standards. They balance our film industry who tend to lean towards the west and often lower their standards too.

Today’s stories do not inspire me. The situations do not exist naturally, and if you pull the song out of the film, it makes no difference to the narrative. When I heard the story of Taal, I knew I would do a good job.
– 1999.

There is a new generation of writers today. I am ageing, and its time I relaxed. Its their turn now. What goes up, must someday come down. I am sdatisfied with what I have achieved. Have no regrets. I will leave the industry when I am No.1. - 1998.

To me getting nominated for an award is a high in itself. It does not bother me if the first place goes to someone else. I have been nominated almost 38 times for filmfare awards.

I felt sad that “saawan Ka mahina” did not win the filmfare award. The song which won the award, “mere Desh Ki dharti”, was good, but had an inappropriate word “Ugle” in it, which I consider a ugly word to be used in such a well meaning song.

I am now 66 years old, and may not be in the rat race, but will be on the saddle. – 1999.

Why do you target film lyrics for their deterioration in quality. Do we have the same food, air, water, today which we had 20 years ago? Are our houses more strongly built today than they were in the olden days?
In cities today we do not know our neighbors. But when I was a child, I knew my whole village. Peoples values have changed to being more materialistic, and commercial. All things that were once emotional have turned mechanical. So, our film stories, and thus film songs too, will have to change with times. Every critic should pose a question to himself how good was I earlier, how good am I now”? , before critizising film songs alone.
Our classical music will not fit into today’s times, just as a simple man wearing old style clothes, with innocence in his eyes, will be out of lace in modern society. 1987.

Earlier music was in the foreground. Today action is in the foreground. But music quality has dropped because the good musical artists have departed. Who Log, who fankaar, hi nahin rahe. 1987.

A truly popular song is one that travels beyond your city and reaches the villages. One day I was travelling by Frontier Mail. At 2 am the train stopped at some remote village station, and I heard my song play, “Sawan Ka Mahina” (Milan), and it was a fakir singing it playing a ektara. That’s a popular song. One achieved without publicity or marketing.

Lyrics writing cannot be taught. With time you can polish it. But the talent, he creativity has to be inborn. My polishing began in my childhood, when I would write the Ram leela, Sohni Mahiwal, and Laila Majnu, dramas. I used to love hearing the farmers singing in their fields. The sounds of village life fascinated me. I would attend all marriges in my village to hear their music. My mind simply went on absorbing. I never realized, but my surroundings developed my sensitive and emotional temperament. I would even sing K L Saigal’s songs on stage. I experienced harvest festivals, attended melas, slept under moonlight. We would gather around winter fires to chat, sing, dance. I was addicted to the radio since childhood. Maybe that is why I could write “mere desh mein pawan chale, purwahi”.

I basically wanted to write. But I decided, if I do not succeed as a writer, I will sing. Mein gun gunate huve likhta hoon.

Whenever I write, I whistle or sing along, as it helps me write, and also get the meter right.

When he migrated from Rawalpindi, at age 16 he was sensitive enough to carry all the family photos, and maybe because he valued memories so dearly, he could write verses so:
Yeh yaadein kisis dil o janam ke – chale jaane ke baad aati hein – Yaadein.
Aadmi musafir hai, ata hai jata hai – aate jate rate mein yaadein, chod jata hai – Aap Ki kasam.
Aate hein log, jaate hein log,…jaane ke baad, aate hein yaad, guzre hue who mele – Dost.

Songs exist in good stories. It’s a matter of getting them out from the situations itself. I unlock my songs from the situations. So I hear stories and characterisation very keenly.

During my schooling days, I desired to be only a singer. In the army, I desired to write too.

Aaj kal ki filmon mein, hamari mitti ki kushboo nahin hai. Only technology aur taking hai, acchi stories nahin hai. Earlier every film makers like Bimal Roy, Raj kapoor, Guru Datt, Raj Khosla, had their own stamp, identity. Nowadays all films look similar. - 2000.

I work very hard. It is a laborious investment of emotions.

In “Taal”, A R Rehman composed the music only after I had written the songs.

For me love means, not having to say “I love You”. These days these three words are uttered quickly, without realizing their depth, and sanctity. For me love means caring for the other person unconditionally.

When I arrived in Bombay looking for work, I was an unseen drop in the ocean. No one even acknowledged my presence, as it was impossible for me to get an entry into the company of the ruling song writers who were great poets too.

In a way “Farz” was a turning point, as I wrote the songs in a lighter vein.

S D Burman dada did not take me seriously as a lyrics writer, as he saw in me an aspiring singer.

He once told BR Chopra “We may not work togther in films, but do not stop calling me for your dinners. I love the delicious meals in your home.”
Renu Chopra kept their promise and bakshiji was always invited for all their dinners even though Bakshi had not worked for their banner after “Pati Patni aur who”.

Jab tak dil chalta hai, mujhe zindagi poore tarhan se jeeni hai.” (when he had heart problems in april 2001.)

Nowadays, some directors, who don’t know their job, narrate me their song situations without narrating me the full story, because they don’t even have one as yet. So, youll find a hip hop collegian, singing a folk song.

Two and three decades ago, we would get a variety of films. Historicals, romantic, family values, comedies, action, social, mythologicals, so we could provide a variety of thoughts in our lyrics. Nowadays, all our songs sound the same, because our films have no variety.

I would find it difficult to write for mythological films. But I did write a song on a sikh guru ravidas, after I heard a brief narration of the gurus life, deeds.

I think singing songs since childhood gave birth to poetry in me. – 1998.

My own poem which inspired me the most in the beginning of my career was :
“tadbeeron se phir jaayen
Woh taqdeeren nahin hoti.
Jo taqdeeren na badal dein
Who tadbeeren nahin hoti”.

When Aditya Chopra or Nabh Kumar Raju, the youngsters approach me for changes in lyrics, I agree, because they know better than me what sells today.

The picturisation of songs nowadays with 50 dancers and the hero and heroine in the foreground, reminds me of my Army days. We would be 50 soldiers lead by our chief physical training Officer. Ever since they stopped picturising songs on the hero and heroine alone, film makers lost the sensitivity in the leading pairs romance, and thus their songs.

His family friend, and lawyer, Sham Keswani would not charge him for law advise and, or professionally helping him in all his law matters.

Times have changed. Unlike the earlier days, nowadays, Music Directors and song writers are instructed by the film maker to create some sort of “hit” song and they will somehow fit them in the film somewhere. In the earlier days, story and screenplay writers planted seeds for songs along the way, which bore fruits as songs somewhere down the line. - 1998

After the 80’s, he started wearing short pants and half sleeve t shirts for song recordings, and if he ever turned up in full pants, many music directors and film makers would turn him back, and ask him to return in his “lucky” shorts.

I don’t consider the song “aati Kya khandala” offensive. Its an allusion, just like my “choli ke peechey kya hai”.

My team with LP worked, because we gave hits in regular intervals, (as nothing succeeds like success in this industry. You are only as good as the success of your last film. I our industry, even one failure can break years of a relationship.), and we understood each others “mizza” perfectly. – 1998.

I gave mahesh bhat 15 antras for the song in “zakham”. He asked me why I wrote so many, when he needed only 3. I believe, as a seller, I must give my buyer a huge choice to help him make the right decision. I cannot expect a seller to force his commodity onto a buyer, and expect the buyer to pay him too. People pay hard earned money for entertainment, so they deserve the best, from all departments of film making, including lyrics, music.

Success should not make you complacent. If you have won one race, there is no gaurantee you will win the next. You may have to try harder for the next race. I have never tried to project myself at the expense of a film.

Writing good lyrics is important, but they may not necessarily become popular. For “Ek duje ke liye”, I preferred “solah baras ki”, and it was not even nominated, but got awarded for “tere mere beech me”. Same for “Dil Wale dhulania le jayenge”, I got awarded for “tujhe dekha toh ye “ but preferred “Ghar aaja pardesi”. But I am not upset. In some awards, popularity matters to the judges, not quality.

For a newcomer, awards boost their morale. So awards should be given with responsibility.

In 1990, when Ali Peter complimented Bakshi- He has been having a hectic, passionate, torrid love affair for more than 25 years, with words and feelings. Bakshi added “ I will continue this grand affair. I can never let down my feelings and emotions. They have made me what I am today. I will never dishonor or disrespect them. We are made for each other.”

I will definitely leave the industry, before it leaves me.

I am nowhere near poets like Sahir, neeraj, majrooh, jan nisar, narendra sharma, shailendra. I am essentially a specialist. Their horizons are wider.

He was signed to work on a Magnasound albumn with Pyarelal, in which he was to sing songs too, but he did not live long enough for the same.

I find writing easy, only when the story, situation, and characters has been explained in depth to me. Than I take over. Maybe that’s the reason why only talented directors get my best output, as they help me visualize better. That is why I avoid doing pop albumns. They have no story of depth, nor characterisations.

He would always advice people to count their blessings, as he was very content with his own fame and success, (“After all, what was I, just a soldier earning Rs 75/- a month. God has given me much more fame and fortune than what I had ever prayed for, wanted, desired, and dreamed of.”).
In his 46 years career, he was never refused his price, mostly because he hardly raised his price to what he deserved due to his consistent hits, and would have been paid by Film makers were he to demand it.

My end is only logical. Since I overtook others, one day someone will overtake me, sweep my fans off their feet with their new or better styles, words. Life is a chakra that keeps turning. If my songs do well, I am happy. If they don’t, its ok, as it’s not the end of the world, is it? But I will leave the industry before it will leave me.

On 4.1.2000, he wrote: “Time is running out for me, and i have yet to fulfill so many duites...”

On 29.9.2000, he wrote, Dr Sharad Apte has always been helpful to me and my family, god bless him. Thanks dr apte.

On 1.5.01 he wrote, “I am drinking, smoking. I am creating worries, tension for myself. I am going against the law of nature. I am committing suicide if I continue, I could become invalid for life. I will die if I continue. But I want to save myself, and live. It is very strange. I want to save myself, and am killing myself at the same time. God please help me live. I don’t want to sacrifice my work, name, fame, my wife, family, for these bad habits. Bakshi, do not lose a game you have always won. Do it for my Kamla, and children.”

On 15.5.01 he wrote “I am again feeling weak and sick. I don’t want to go to hospital again. I rather die…”

On 29.5.01 he wrote “I stopped smoking, but again started chewing paan. Bakshi, You will suffer.”

On 15.7.01 he wrote, “my phobias, worries, drinking, smoking, paan eating, over eating habits are not stopping. I should make myself stop these bad habits.”

On 20.7.01, eve of his birthday, he had a birthday party for friends, and wrote “its my birthday party, we are singing, whisky, food, family, friends are there. God is there. What else can I want? It has become my nature to create worries for myself. Why?”

On 28.7.01 he wrote “subhash ghai has become a big man, I am happy for him. He is a good friend, good producer, respects me.”

When his daughter kavita and her children returned to their home in jaipur on 11.6.02, he wrote in his diary “ I miss them, I cried a little, and when they come next year again I may not be here.”

On 12.8.02 he wrote, I must control my diet and emotions. Why suffer when I can enjoy life. I must accept that I cannot drink, smoke or eat like my younger days.

On 30th Nov., 2001, he wrote:
We all are actors on the stage of life. Kings, fakir’s, poets, rich, and the powerful, we all have to perform and then we - have to Go. When this body becomes useless, it is tension for yourself and others. A new body, new responsibilities, is being set up by God. Be ready for everything new. God has given me a fresh paper of life, now start writing on it. (he had once in the past, written a song for Balika Badhu, “Jagat musafir khana, laga hai aana jana”.)
Tagore had said, “I never sang the song I came to sing. I have been busy stringing and unstringing my instrument.” Stop this wastage of time, bakshi, and – Sing – Sing – Sing- live live live...

31st Jan 2002 – 6.15am. he wrote:
I dreamt I am sick, sleeping, but God is watching me, smiling, a satisfied look on His face. I asked God what is happening to me. God replied “ this is what I have dreamed for you, accept my wishes, and be thankful t o life and death. Let all miracles happen happily.” I agreed, and told God I will think your way. I am happy for everything you gave me.” Signed - anand bakshi, your Son.

11th Feb 2002 –1.30am he wrote:
I dreamt I wake up to find two people carrying my body, and everything has changed. My name has changed, some smoke, my whole body has changed. All my pain has gone. I cannot show my body to anyone as it is not there any longer. ( he passed-on, on, 8.25pm, sat, 30th march 2002)

On 8.1.02 he wrote:
I went for a walk in the garden outside my house and fell down and injured myself. Since september 2001 I have had a very bad time, but god saved me. I am alive. I have to win this battle of health and become the same man once again. Bless me god.

In march 2002 he told his son rakesh “what ever happens in life, happens for our good. Have faith in god.”

A day before he died, his family friend, Ambika Hinduja, got a dream, that it’s the year 1930, and Bakshi is a teacher, and seated on a raised ground, in some remote village of india, and preaching to many small children seated besides him, and one of these is Ambika herself, and he is advising tyhem, “NEVER GIVE UP. HAVE FAITH IN YOURSELF.” In her dream, Bakshi is an angel, as his whole body is glowing with radiant light. Now, Ambika never knew that Bakshi’s year of birth is 1930! Bakshi died exactly 24 hours after her dream. Bakshi was in semi coma since the last 4 to 5 days before he expired, and on the day of Ambika’s dream, he went into deep coma. Further, 30 seconds before Bakshi medically died, he opened his eyes for about 15 seconds and looked at his whole family, who were besides him at that farewell moment. After that he closed them forever…as the cardio respiratory moments went to ZERO reading immediately thereafter.

Then, on the 7th day after his passing away, another close family friend, Mrs. Sham Keswani, got a dream, and she saw him walk away towards the horizon, and he has begun a new journey.

TRIBUTES

Little do pepole realize that lyricists write about 45 mins of a 150 minute film. It is lyrics that give our films repeat value, and nostalgia. Fans recollects film names from songs, actors are elevated by the songs they sing, singers are recognized from the lyrics they sing. So, lyricists must be paid their due, mometarily, and in credits. – subhash ghai.

Bakshi had his roots in the soil of India. His lyrics had a sadness you do not want to give up, a bit of pain we start liking.

After Shailendra, Bakshi was the next best- Shakti Samanta

Bakshi’s poetry mirrors a film situation, because he does not attempt to polish or style his words, or try to be poetic, preferring to keep them simple, and justify them being words of the screen character, and not his.

Bakshi’s strength was his ability to communicate with people who like him never had the privileged economic or educational background. Undeterred by criticism of tukbandi, he went on demystifying poetry for the common man. – chanda mitra.

A journalist once remarked : Where ever there is Laxmi (goddess of wealth) and Pyare (love), there is Anand (happiness).

He was a steady flame, with a sound mind. He wrote from a wisdom that emnated from a living reference point. No abstract thought. Surprisingly, he was not in awe of his own image. He emnated a raw wisdom that does not necessarily arise from reading books. – mahesh bhatt.

Almost every new or upcoming actor at every stage of their entry have been blessed by his lyrics. He played a big role in the success of my first film “Bobby”, and “Prem Granth”. I owe a lot to him, and I am emotional about him. – rishi kapoor.

He was truly a saint. – j om prakash, and subhash ghai.

Very little corrections were required when bakshiji offered his lyrics. Amazing accuracy. – prakash pange. (manmohan and ketan desai camp)

Bakshi’s coolness and serenity can be very unsettling.

He was known as “Anand Bakshi’s Hit Factory”.

Bakshi has written almost 4000 songs, and for almost 600 films, in his 46 years career.

Anand, kitna anand deta hai. He is a words and feelings factory, successfully and consistently running since 1956. – ali peter john - 2000

He survived in this industry, which is full of paradoxical and ironic situations, without controversy. – subhash ghai.

His songs and philoshopy will remain as one of the best documents of indian cinema. His songs will be disected and studied, evaluated by students of sceenplay and lyrics, and musivc, in future music universities. – subhash ghai.

Bakshi proved that a lyrics writer need not belong to a literary background.

Bakshi succeeded in spite of competition from the existing rulers Sahir, Shakeel, Shailendra, Majrooh, Rajendra Kishen, Kaifi Azmi, Bhatrat Vyas, Jan Nisar Akhtar, Hasrat Jaipuri.

He wrote hindi with urdu, and hindi with english, even effortlessly rhyming them. Eg.
“Tu Mera karma tu mera dharma tu mera abhiman hai
Aae watan mehboob mere tujpe yeh dil qurban hai” – (Karma)
“Apni is life story mein koyi villain na aajaye
Apni prem tapasya mein koyi vighan na aa jaye” - (Aakhree Raasta).

Bakshi has written not only romantic songs, but also patriotic, festival, folk, religious, human and family relationships, life inspiring and spiritual songs, and many of each of these have been hits.– afsana ahmed.

He was a spontaneous writer. In the story narration of “Mastana”, he came up with “Maine Maa ko dekha hai, Maa ka pyaar nahin dekha”, and when I was narrating “Dost”, he came up with “Gaadi Bula Rahi hai”, immediately.

In “Gaadi Bula Rahi Hai”,(Dost), Bakshi suggested a Train can lay down the yardsticks of human behavior, life. (Gadi Ko Dekh, Kaisi he Nek, Acha Bura Na Dekhe, Sab Hain Savar, Dushman Ke yaar, Sab ko chali ye leke, Jeena sikha rahi hai, Marna sikha rahi hai”). A train taking on passengers, does not distinguish between good, bad, rich, poor, so why do we humans?
The last stanza of this song advises aspiring suiciders, life takers, they should not lose faith, have patience, every night is followed by dawn.

By writing “one two ka four, four two ka one”, Bakshi may have defied mathematics but showed us the way to attain four dimensional success, one has to break two dimensional rules. This song gives the message that we have to speed up if we need to become successful. In today’s world, one plus one equals eleven, not two. – Verma.

In the song, “Nafrat Ki Duniya”, of “Haathi Mere Saathi”, he scoffs at the hypocrisy of society, “Jab jaanwar koi insaan ko mare, kehete hein duniya mein veshi use sare, ek jaanwar ki jaan aaj ek insaan ne li hai, chup kyon hai sansaar”, and he received a award from SPCA.
The “Dost” song, “Gaadi bula rahi hai”, he gives fierce courage, optimism, relating the art of living to a Train – “”seekho sabak jawaano, sar pe hai bojh, seene mein aag, labh pe duwa hai jaano, phit bhi who gaa rahi hai, nagme suna rahi hai”
In “Amar Prem”, he scoffs at the attitude of society “Kuch toh log kahen ge, logon ka kaam hai kehana, chodo bekaar ki baton mein kahin beeth na jaye raina.”
In “Aaya Sawan Jhoom Ke”, he penned thought provoking lines “Yeh shama toh jali, roshni ke liye, is shama se kahin aag lag jaye toh, yeh shama kya kare. Yeh hawa toh chali, saans le har koi, ghar kisika ujadh jaye aandhi mein toh, yek hawa kya kare””.
In “Anirodh”, he offered advice to help others and thus help yourself “Tum besahara hoto, kisika sahara bano, tumko apne aap hi, sahara mil jayega.”.
– dr rajiv vijayker.

“Hindu hoon mein na musalman hoon,… bas itna pata hai mein insaan hoon.“, – is a song that can bring diverse religions together.

In “Farz”, the song “happy Birthday to you”, was the first time a song with English words was a big hit.

During the writing of “Chitti ayee hai”, from “Naam”, I realized how great a poet he is. Within a few minutes, he came up with the kafiya – chitti, mitti, and in an hour he wrote the mukhda, all this while me, rajendra kumar, LP, and mahesh bhatt were casually chatting. The next day, rajendra kumar suggested that some indian festival be added to the song. In the next 15 minutes he wrote, “tere ayee ayee diwali, deep nahin dil jale hai khali.
Tere bina ayee holi, pichkari se chooti goli
Fasal kati ayee baisakhi, tera aana rehe gaya khali.”
After another hour, he completed even the third antra. The whole song was ready in less than a day.
He is the only geetkar, along with Majrooh, sahir, shakeel, raja mehendi, who earned resprct in the literary world and films. – Pankaj Udhas.

“Mere Sapno ki Rani”, from “Aradhana”, changed trends. Then, “Dum maro dum”, from “Hare Krishna Hare Ram”, announced the arrival of the new generation. The same for “Om Shanti Om”, from “Karz”, after almost a decade.

OTHERS

Bakshi’s lyrics catapulted these to fame:
sashi kapoor, sharmila tagore, sanjay datt, kumar gaurav, sunny deol, rajesh khanna, randhir kapoor, zeenath aman, sonam, raveena tandon, babita, jeetendra, mumtaaz, meenakshi sesahdiri,

Bakshi wrote lyrics for the very first films of:
Sunny deol, jackie shroff, kamla hasan, kumar gaurav, rajnikant, raakhee, dimple kapadia, rishi kapoor, amrita singh, amrita arora, uday chopra, jimmy shergill, jata pradha, manisha koirala, vivek mushran, mahima chowdhary, namrata shirodkar, arjun ramphal, tabu, sanjay datt, zeenat aman, meenakshi seashdari,

Bakshi worked with two generations of music directors:
SD and RD Burman, Chitragupt and Anand Milind, KA and Viju Shah, Roshan and Rajesh Roshan, Shravan and Sanjeev Darshan.

He wrote the first recorded songs of:
Shailendra singh, kumar sanu, kavita krishnamurthy, sp balasubramanium, sukhwinder singh, talat aziz, roop kumar rathod.
Breakthrough songs of pankaj udhas, anuradha paudawal.
Kishore kumar zoomed to the top with “Aradhana”, and Rafi staged a big come back with Amar Akbar anthony and Dharam veer.

He worked with two generations of film makers :
Manmohan desai and Ketan Desai, Yash and Aditya Chopra,

He was a favorite with,
subhash ghai, yash chopra, raj khosla, j om prakash, mohan kumar, pramod chakravarthy, shakti samanta, I rama rao, dulal guha, rahul rawail, mahesh bhatt, gulshan and rajiv rai, l v prasad,

He wrote songs for the Home productions of:
dev anand, dharmendra, jeetendra, sunny deol, raj, shammi, sashi, randhir, rishi, and rajiv kapoor, sunil datt, shatrughan sinha, amitab bhacchan, hema malini, rekha, anil kapoor, rajendra kumar, joy mukherjee, ajay devgan shah rukh and juhi chawla, kajol and ajay devgan, sanjay khan,

Bakshi has worked with Music Composers including Chitragupt, usha khanna, naushad, salil chowdhary, vasant desai, s n tripathi, ravindra jain, bhappie lahiri, anu malik, kishore kumar, anu malik, anand milind, nadeem shravan, dilip sen sameer sen, vishal, uttam singh, nusrat fateh ali khan, amjad ali khan, m m kareem, a r rehman, laxmikant pyarelal, s d burman r d burman, anand raaj anand, sanjeev darshan, jatin lalit, viju shah, roshan, rajesh roshan, raju singh, talat aziz, adnan sami, shiv hari .

Bakshi’s songs have been sung by singers like,

Bakshi has worked with film makers including raj kapoor, manmohan desai, b r chopra, yash chopra, gulshan rai, rajiv rai, subhash ghai, shakti samanta, chetan anand, vijay anand, dev anand, ramanand sagar, hrishikesh mukherjee, f c mehra, rajendra kumar, ravi tandon, basu chaterjee, j om prakash, bhappuie sonie, mohan kumar, mohan segal, l v prasad, raj kumar bharjatiya, b nagi reddi, david dhawan, satish kaushik, mahesh bhatt, tanuja chandra, mukul anand, aditya chopra, ravi chopra, raj kanwar, afzal khan, raj khosla, ashok ghai,
Ramanand sagar,

Aamir khan was keen to work with bakshiji, and told him so on his 68th birthday party.

QUOTES BY OTHERS

After he died, I switched on the TV, and to my surprise, our channels were giving more coverage to the England’s Queen mothers death! Bakshiji’s 4000 songs, contributed much more to our society than the queen mother who just happened to be born in the right place 101 years ago. – tanuja chandra.

His stern appearance, sturdy build, belied his inherent qualities of a talented, sensitive poet, and the jovial human being inside him. A man of few words but great deeds. His first love was singing, sher o shayari was only a hobby. When ever I used to have mehfils at my house, and invited ghazal singers and qawwals, it was a ritual to conclude these mehfils with bakshiji’s latest creations. Gone are those sher o shayari nights, and mehfils, with bakshiji’s concluding sher. Gone is laxmi, my alter ego. Bakshiji was right, “zindagi ke safar mein guzar jaate hain jo mukaam, who phir nahin aate…who phir nahin aate…”– pyarelal.

His demise is the most cruel tragedy of my life. – subhash ghai.

He gave me much more han what I expected from him, and that added value to all my songs. – j om prakash.

Nobody in this world has wriiten 4000 songs spanning a variety of situations, feelings., relationships. – javed akhtar.

He was up-to-date, simple, and full of variety. – Anandji (KA)

A fantastic person, a fantastic writer. He wrote in a common mans language. – yash chopra.

The old war-horse, spontaneous, prolific, disciplined, and active.

Jo situation ki pakad bakshi ko hai, kisi ko nahin. I admire so many lyricists, but he is unmatched. – kavi neeraj.

He was a great writer and a great person. – pramod chakravarthy.

Bakshisaab will remain through his songs – Dharmendra.

I wonder why such good souls have to go…- alka yagnik.

A great loss to the industry – Amit Khanna.

A meticulous man, Dad had a hand written record of all his songs, films, domestic worker home town details, house keeping records, car maintenance records, family medical records, person diary of inspiring quotes he came across, records of his stay in Rawalpindi, stay in India after Partition, his Aim In Life, Army and Navy records, School certificates, etc.,. but no record of the Jubilees, Annual Awards, so I know he never clamoured for Awards, or Public recognition.Further, anybody could met him easily, except the Press or TV media persons. He was publicity shy. – rakesh.

A popular and prolific writer, with potency. Bakshi’s songs were suffused with a warmth only a good human could radiate. In “Mehboob Ki Mehendi”, his song, “Mere diwanepan ki bhi dawa nahin.”, and in the very next line he expresses the telepathy between two lovers beautifully, “maine jane kya sun liya, tune kuch kaha nahin.”

Bakshiji’s expertise in my projects has gone a long way in rendering them successful. – subhash ghai on his 68th bithday.

Bakshiji’s songs will be cherished as folk songs, and they will inspire, elevate, as they have the power to change lives. – javed akhtar.

Said kavita Krishnamurty “bakshisaab is so engrossed in his own world, that he recognizes people only when reintroduced for the secopndm, third and even forth time. After that, he is apologetic, and genuinely warm with that person.” A similar incident happed with Sadhana, even when she was No.1. After that, to tease Bakshiji, she would reintroduce herself whenever she met him, and both would laugh. Sadhana met him often during his hospital ilness.

Uff! Kya khatarnak cheez hai who! Now I have understood why bakshisaab has ruled for so long. (Ismail Darbar, after he had one sitting with bakshi for Jhamu Sugandh’s film Mehbooba.)

Bakshisaab inspired me to marry the woman I loved, when I heard his song “Kuch toh log kahenge” from Amar Prem. If I were stranded on a remote island, I would like to hear his song “Zindagi ke safar mein guzar jatehein jo mukaam”. Nothing else. – Javed Akhtar.

Bakshi has a soft heart, yet the strongest I have ever known. He seems to know the heart more than any heart specialist.– ali peter john. - 2001

Bakshiji paints pictures with his words. – rajesh roshan - 2001.

He was very blunt, spoke little, lost his temper quickly. He would never compromise. Bhut shareef aadmi the. He never interfered with anyone during recordings. He was one of the few lyricists that made it a point to attend all his recordings, and when necessary, suggest changes in expressions to singers, who he thought had not comprhended his words completely, or pronounce them correctly. When I was recording “tere mere honton pe, meethe meethe geet mithwa”, for “chandni”, he came up to me and asked me to pronounce the word meethe hard, with a strong th, instead of a soft one. His suggestion made a world of difference to the song. When ever he would meet me he would greet me with, “wah ji Wah”. When I received the padma bhushan, he wrote special verses for me. When it was his daughters wedding, he insisted I come. I traveled by car from kolhapur to belgaum, then took a flight to bombay to attend the wedding. When he sang a song with me in “mom ki gudiya”, “baghon mein bahar ayee”, he approached me before the recording and told me, since I am singing with him, the song will be a big hit. He always said to me, “my philoshopy in life is SIMPLE LIVING, HIGH THINKING. This philoshopy was reflected in his lyrics too. Even if the listener was a stranger to poetry, he could understand bakshiji’s lyrics. Over the years trends changed, but bakshisaab went on and on. He wasn’t the kind to blow his own trumpet. We all wish he had got little more recognition during his lifetime. He wrote so well, so consistently, it seems he has always been there, writing my songs. I’ve more of his songs than any other poets. Some of his songs are my favorite:
Jaane kyon log mohabbat karte hain- mehboob ki mehendi
Baaghon mein bahar hai, kaliyon mein - aradhana
Tu mere saamne – darr
Tere mere honton pe – chandni
- Lata Mangeshkar

Bakshi is the youngest poet today. He, at 70, can still feel like a 16 year old, and fall in love every time he writes a new song. He is a good example for men to write their success stories with their feelings. – Ali Peter John.

Dharmendra said during his funeral – Even I compromised in my life for films. But he was one man who lived, worked on his terms. Never found the need to compromise.

Bakshi can rise to any ocassion, live at any age, any event, any situation of life. He is a no-nonsense poet, and can work comfortably with me and my son successfully. He would tune most of the songs he wrote. – yash chopra.

Lyricists of the millenium. – ali peter john.

Gulzaar said at is funeral – I, Majrooh, Sahir, had our own individual fan following. But all our fans were even Bakshi saab’s fans.

Bakshi’s charm lies in the fact that he does not pose as something he is not, and is not conscious of his proloific talent, and fame. An unassuming man, serene and deep.

A bottomless well of thoughts. Words are his faithful friends, have never let him down. He has seen seasons, values, friends, pattern of life, speed of life, depths of feelings, colors of love, colors of life, human relationships, price of life, change, and survuved them all. He has tried to maintain the beauty, sanity, sanctity, modesty of lyrics in films, although everything has a price tag, never let his standards fall, although everything around him continues to crumble. He has survived the greatest showmen, to the newcomers. Never dealt his soul with the devil of money. Bakshi continues to breathe life into feelings, hold their hand and help them move, inspire them to walk better, and add anand to life around him. He is a man who walks in, once in a way.– ali peter john 1996.

Bakshi could tug at your heart with metaphors derived from the flux of life around us.

If bakshiji knew how ro market himself, he would not have passed away without being awarded a Bharat Ratna. – subhash ghai.

Bakshi had a good knowledge of melody and rhythm. He would write songs keeping the composition aspect in mind. – shiv kumar sharma.

He was not greedy, that is why after 4000 songs and 45 years, he still lives in a small house, but a big heart. – subhash ghai.

Philosophy, cynicism, or metaphor-rich flowery love songs, he could write them all, and well. – dr rajiv vijaykar.

Anand bakshi could breathe life into a song. – smita, a fan.

He wrote in a punjabified and even englishfied hindi, scattering very few urdu words when necessary for rhyming or poetic justice.

He never spoke ill of anybody. Subhash ghai.

I would realize the real depth of his words, at the time of shooting, and usually when I was explaining the words to artists. – subhash ghai.

Few film makers express their gratitude to their lyricists who have given them memorable and hit lyrics, and one such person is Subhash Ghai. He crowned the uncrowned king of lyrics on his 68th party, at a huge party at The Leela, on 21.7.98.

Bakshi’s depth of lyrics hits you like a thunderbolt, sometimes years after first hearing it, when you go through a little more of life. – dr rajiv vijaykar.

Nafrat ki duniya ko chod ke pyaar ki duniya mein, kush rahena mere yaar – Chandan Mitra, on his dreath.

An endless reservoir of emotions. – shifa maitra.

Bakshiji ne filmi duniya mein chaar chaand laga diye.” – Sushma Swaraj, on his death. He had touched the hearts of one and all. And he will be missed.

When he needed blood transfusion, in March 2002, and his son made requests for blood donors of his rare blood type, B Negative, and put up posters, cell sms, email fwds, to friends, acquaintances, relations, asking for donors, they received overwhelming response. Even strangers were not only willing, but felt honored if they could offer their blood to bakshi. Also, strangers, and hospital staff, would come up to the family and confide in them that they are praying for bakshi’s recovery, and they cannot bear to see their childhood idol lose the battle of life. Such touching moments made the family proud of bakshi’s true earnings.

At the funeral, most touching was that even the family plumber, electrician, carpenter, domestic servants from the neighborhood, turned up to farewell him for his final jouirney in this body.

I regret, I could not work along with my father, for my own film. (I am an assistant writer and director with Subhash Ghai, since 1999, the year I joined the film industry, and had planned to make my own film by 2003.) he has left songs for me to use, but its not the same thing. – rakesh.

My mother will miss him the most, as he wrote all his songs from his bedroom, and she being a home maker, was always besides him, and he was always there, physically right beside her even though his mind was breezing through mountains, sunshines, rivers, and heats of young lovers…

It was most important to Dad, that he be able to live life on these three terms:
1) To be busy with writing songs till he dies. (He wrote 9 songs in the two months before he died (For Anil Sharma and Subhash Ghai).

He wrote his last song for Subhash Ghai, “Bulleh Shah tere Ishq Nachaya”, in bed, 101 fever, covered in 3 warm blankets, shivering from fever, breathless due to astama, and a low haemoglobin count of 7. (The same week he was admitted in hospital, and he never returned home.), in February 2002.

2) He wanted to leave the industry before the industry leaves him - To die at No.1. (he had 6 or 7 film releases in the period march to May 2002, and has two films releasing in 2003.)
3) And, he never wanted to live as a dependant, even if its his family he may have to depend upon. (one month before he expired, he could not walk, eat, sleep, without help and support. One week before he expired, he went into semi coma. A day before he died, he went into deep coma, and doctors diagnosed he may have suffered brain damage. There words to the family, at about 10am, of the morning he expired was, “Your father is no longer a poet. Even if he comes out of the coma, he’ll never know who he was, the fame he earned.”) He expired the day he went into deep coma.
So, I believe, Dad is a lucky man, blessed man, as he worked, and lived on his own terms, and even chose to leave on his terms. – rakesh.

When he was in Hospital, a sweeper would serve him very caringly. When his daughter tipped the sweeper for the extra attention, the sweeper returned the tip, as he was happy serving his idol, without expecting anything in return.

Sad, but dad could not honeymoon with the fame and respect he won in his lifetime. – rakesh.

Dad was not formally educated, 7th std pass, but he graduated with honors in the school of life. – rakesh.

Music will never be the same, without its soul…the loss of Bakshiji, the geatest lyrical legend, left us with only one sound. Silence. – Subhash Ghai. (on his death).

Quoting a line from his song from “Krodhi”, “na fankar tujsa tere baad aayega”.

I cannot speak today. Please ask me tomorrow. – subhash Ghai. (shattered, and on being asked to speak to Press, an hour after Bakshiji died.)

==Earnings=

Bakshiji’s songs will be cherished as folk songs, and they will inspire, elevate, as they have the power to change lives. He once told his son, who had questioned him why does he not increase his PR, to win more Film awards. - I don’t crave for Film awards, as I shall leave these awards behind for decoration of my house. The reward I will carry to my next birth, the one with which I decorate my soul, I have already received. Unintentionally, unknowingly, I have helped make a difference in someone’s life. (A man had decided to commit suicide and placed his head on the railway tracks waiting for the train to run him over. But, he heard a song playing from a radio in a nearby hutment, “Gaadi Ka Naam, Na Kar Badnam, Patri Pe Rak ke Sar Ko. Himmat Na Haar, Kar Intezaar, aa laut jaen ghar ko. Who Raat ja rahi hai, dekho subha aa rahi hai”, from film “Dost”, and he decided not to end his life, and he returned home to write a thank you letter to Bakshi.

When the Press people were refused permission to shoot Bakshi’s body lying inside his home, his wife Kamala instructed her children not to stop the Press from filming his body. “The media attention is Bakshi’s true earnings. After all, my husband never worked for money, nor media attention, and the money he earned was incidental. At this time, during his final journey on Earth, we must permit the media to honor him in their voluntary and own way.” And so the family permitted the Press, media to enter their home at this sensitive moment.

When he was in Hospital, a sweeper would serve him very caringly. When his daughter tipped the sweeper for the extra attention, the sweeper returned the tip, as he was happy serving his idol, without expecting anything in return.

When he needed blood transfusion, in March 2002, and his son made requests for blood donors of his rare blood type, B Negative, and put up posters, cell sms, email fwds, to friends, acquaintances, relations, asking for donors, they received overwhelming response. Even strangers were not only willing, but felt honored if they could offer their blood to bakshi. Also, strangers, and hospital staff, would come up to the family and confide in them that they are praying for bakshi’s recovery, and they cannot bear to see their childhood idol lose the battle of life. Such touching moments made the family proud of bakshi’s true earnings.

POEM BY HIS SON

Rakesh, his youngest son, paid him a tribute by writing a poem for him, on 1.4.2002,
Dear dad,
As long as there is poetry…
As long as there is memory…
You will live amongst us all.
You leave behind your footprints…
On he canvas of life…
The sands of time…
And in our hearts…
Love you, miss you…
Your son,
Daboo.

FAVORTIES

His favorite Songs:

1) meine poocha chaand se.
2) pardesiyon se na
3) chingari koi bhadke
4) mere dost tujhko ye kya ho gaya hai
5) doli o doli
6) khilona
7) jab hum jawan honge
8) bagon mein bahaar ayee
9) mein doondh raha tha sapno mein
10) sun banto baat meri
11) mitwa re mitwa purab na jayeeyo, pachim na jayee
12) jind laye gaya dil da jaani
13) woh tere pyaar ka gham
14) sawan ka mahina
15) ram kare aisa ho jaye
16) jis galee mein tera ghar na ho
17) zindagi se safar mein
18) mere naseeb mein dost tera pyaar nahin
19) prem se kya ek ansoo, ek katra, jisme saagar doob gaye, premi jo bhi toh milte hein, mauka doond lete hain, unchi deewaron mein zarokhe doondh lete hain.
20) Diwane tere naam ke, khade hain dil tham ke.
21) Kya koi surat itni khubsurat, ho sakti hai.
22) Tere naam ke siva kuch yaad nahin.
23) Duniya mein kitna gham hai.
24) Aaj dil pe koi zor chalta nahin
25) Chitti ayee hai.
26) Panghat pe pardesi aaya.
27) Ye hai sharaab khana.
28) Mein aatma tu paratma.
29) Hei raam.
30) Chori se chup chupa ke, aaya tha mein laga ke.
31) Uska naam ye piya, ya ya ya.
32) Baar baar yeh din aaye, baar baar yeh dil gaye.
33) Aadthi raat ko taron ki chaon mein
34) Koyal kooke kookh lagaye, yaadon ki bandook chalaye.
35) Jab jab bahaar aayee.
36) Dil chahe mein tujhe pyaar karoon.
37) Kuch keheta hai yeh sawan.
38) woh kya hai, ek mandir hai.
39) Mushkil mein hai kaun kiska
40) Har ek muskurahat muskaan nahin hoti, nafrat ho ya mohabbat, aasaan nahin hoti.
41) (42 in diary) Sana ye meri zindagi.
42) Yahan mein ajnabi hoon.
43) Mein teri mohabbat ko ruswa karoon toh, yeh meri mohabbat ki toheen hogi.
44) Maine sawan se kaha meri dil ki pyaas bhuja.
45) Mian raja bangla ek banwa, bangle mein hum pyare, pyar mohabbat ke din thode.
46) Mein koi baraf nahin hoon jo, pighal jaoonga.
47) Mohabbat mein ek bharam hai yahi, mere saath chaldo, kadam hai yahi.
48) Din khushi ka ho, ya gham ki raat ho, koi matam aapki mehfil ka dastoor ho.
49) (50) Dil deewana, dil ka aana, dil ka jana, yeh aaya woh gaya, dil pardesi ho gaya.
50) (51) Khali dil nahin jaan bhi yeh mangta, ishq di galee which koi koi langda.
51) (52) Ek jawani teri, ek jawani meri.
52) Kaat diye naam sab dil ki is kitaab se.
53) Chitti na koi sandesh, jaane yeh kaunsa desh.
54) (55 in diary) Galee mein aaj chaand nikla.
55) Asa hun tur jana ke din rein gaye thode.
56) (57 in diary) Galee mein aaj chaand nikla.
57) (58 in diary) Corps of Signals song.
58) Mein nikla gaddi leke.
59) Kisi se mein pyaar karoon, mere paas time nahin.
60) Musafir jaane wale, nahin phir aane wale.
61) Aashiqui ne, maang liya dil. Dosti ne jaan mang li, humne kamaal kar diya, doosaron ki baat maan li.
62) Pyaar ke liye chaar pal kum nahin the.
63) Hum toh pareshan the, kya karen, pareshaan the.
64) Aankhon mein jhooth bhi rahata hai, dil se poocho sach kya hai.
65) Ankhiyon ko rahene de, akhiyon ke aas paas.
66) Mil jaati hai sansaar se mukti.
67) Bol gori bol tera kaun piya.
68) Ram kare aisa ho jaye.
69) Yeh jo mohabbat hai.
70) Mujhe teri mohabbat ka sahara mil gaya hota.
71) (72) Zamane mein aji aise kahin nadaan hote hein.
72) Yeh reshmai zulfein.
73) Kuch saal pehle doston yeh baat hui thi, humko bhi mohabbat kisi ke saath hoi thi.
74) Taal se taal mila.

#Chingari Koi Bhadke – Amar Prem
#Doli O Doli – Rajput
#Mein Aatma Tu Paratma – Dhun
#Bindiya Chamkegi Chudi Chankegi– Do Raaste.
#Chitti Aayee Hai watan se chitti ayee hai – Naam
#Zindagi ka safar, hai yeh kaisa safar –
#Panghat Pe Pardesi aaya, gori ne ghoongat sarkaya –
#Mein Nikla, gaddi lekar – Gaddar.
#“Mein Baraf nahin hoon jo pighal jaoon ga”. (This poem he wrote for himself, and was much later made into a film song for Mr Subhash Ghai, drove him to deliver good songs consistently. It is the essence of his life, his attitude to his profession, his soul.)
#maine poocha chand se, ke dekha hai kahin – abdulla
#pardesiyon se na akhiyan milana – jab jab phool khile
#kihilona jaan kar tum toh – khilona
#bagon mein bahaar ayee – mom ki gudiya
#jab hum jawan honge – betaab
#mein doondh raha tha sapno mein – mom ki gudiya
#sunh banto baat meri – mahachor
#mitwa re mitwa , poorabh na jaeyo, pachim na jaeyo –
#jind laye gaya dil da jani, ye budh bejaan rahae gaya –
#who tere pyaar ka gham, ek bahana tha sanam – my love
#sawan ka mahina pawan kare shor – milan
#raam kare aisa ho jaye – milan
#jis galee mein tera ghar na ho balama – amar prem
#zindagi ke safar mein – aap ki kasam
#mere naseeb mein eh dost tera pyaar nahin –
#diwane tere naam ke, khade hein dil thamke – saudagar
#kya koi surat itni khubsurat ho sakti hai, ho sakti hai, meine dekhi hai, apni aankhon se –
#duniya mein kitna gham hai – aaj phir koi zor chalta nahin – muskurane lage the magar ro liye –
#chitti aayee hai watan se chitti ayee hai – naam
#panghat pe pardesi aya –
#yeh hai sharaab khana –
#mein aatma tu parmatama – dhun
#sabse pehle, sabse aakhir, loon mein tera naam –
#baar baar din yeh aaye, baar baar dil ye gaye – farz
#aadhi raat ko taron ki chaon mein –
#jab jab bahar ayee, aur phool muskuraye –taqdeer
#kuch kehata hai ye sawan – mera gaon mera desh
#who kya hai – anuraag
#mushkil mein hai kaun kisika –
#ganapati baapa moriya, agle baras tu jaldi aa – mere man mandir mein toh bhagwan rahe –
#chalo bulawa aaya hai mata ne bulaya hai –
#tune mujhe bulaya sheranwaliye, mein aya mein aya sheranwaliye –
#oh jatha aayee baisskhi –
#tu raat khadi thi chath pe ni mein samjha ki chaan nikla-
#krishan ne kaha arjun se, na pyaar jatah dushman se, yudh kar –
#yeh ishq nahin aasaan, yeh ishq nahin aasaan –
#bol gori bol tera kaun piya –
#woh kya hai, ek mandir hai – anuraag
#bindiya chamkegi – do raaste
#jagath musafir khana laga hai aana jana – balika badhu.
#ke aaja teri yaad ayee – charas.
#Hit Songs:#Zindagi ke Safar Mein Guzar Jaate Hein Jo Makaam– Aap Ki Kasam.
#Koi Koi Aadmi diwana hota hai – Sweet Heart.
#Sawan Ka Mahina, Pawan Kare Shor – Milan.
#Aap Mujhe Acche Lagne Lage – Jeene Ki Raha.
#Chaand Aahen Bharega, Phool Dil Tham lenge – Phool bane Angarey.
#Ram kare aisa ho jaye – milan.
#Chitti na koi sandesh – dushman
#Gali mein aaj chand nikla – zakhm# #Sai baba bhajans
#Ankhiyon ko rahene de – bobby
#Asa hun tur jana, din rahe gaye thode –
#Pyar karne wale – hero
#Ek ritu aaye – gautam govinda
#Darpan jhooth na bole – darpan
#Jaane kyon log mohabbat – mehboob ki mehendi
#Yahan mein ajnabee hoon – jab jab phool khile
#Ye tere pyaar ka gumh – my love.
#Aapne yoon hi dillagi ki thi – mehendi lagi mere haath
#Na na karte pyaar – ye sama, sama hai ye pyaar ka – yahan mein ajnabi hoon jab jab phool khile
#Vada tera vada – dushman.
#Deewane tere naam ke – saudagar.
#Panghat pe pardesi aaya, gori ne ghunghat sarkaya –
#Yeh shama toh jali -
#Ghar aaja pardesi – dilwale dhulhania le jagenge
#Tu mera karma, tu mera dharma – karma.
#Gori ka sajan –aakhree raasta
#Yeh jeevan hai, is jeevan ka, yahi hai, rang roop,
#Kora Kagaz tha ye man mera – Aradhana.
#Bindiya Chamge Gi – Do Raaste.
#Raina Biti Jayee – Chingari Koi Bhadke – Kuch To Log Kahenge – Amar Prem.
#Watan Pe Jo Phida Hoga, Amar Who Naujawan Hoga – phool bane angarey.
#Suhani chandni raatein, hamen sone nahin deti -
#Dum Maro Dum – Hare Rama Hare Krishna.
#Meri Zindagi hai kya, ek kati patang hai – Kati Patang.
#Chand Si Mehbooba Ho Meri Kab, Aisa Meine Chocha Tha – Himalaya Ki Godh Mein.
#Kankariya maare – Mehendi Lagi Mere Haath.
#Pardesiyon SE Na Akhiyan Milana - Ek Tha Gul aur Ek thi Bul Bul – Jab Jab Phool Khile.
#Duniya Mein Kahan sabka aisa naseeb hai – Devar.
#Maa mujhe apne aanchal mei chupa le – Chota Bhai.
#Mere Soone jeevan ka aasra hai tu – Aasra.
#Khat likde sawariya ke naam babu – aaye din bahaar ke.
#Khali dil nahin, jaan bhi ye mangda – kachhe dhagge.
#Taal se taal mila – taal
#Madhosh dil ki dhadkan – jab pyar kisise hota hai
#Mitwa re mitwa poorab na jaio – jawab.#Sabak jisco wafa ka yaad hoga – jawab.
#Pyaar hai ek nishaan kadmon ka, jo musafir ke baad rehata hai, bhool jatein hain log, phir bhi kuch na kuch yaad rehta hai .-
#Le gayee le gayee – dil toh pagal hai.
#Bechainniyan – gupt.
#I love my india - pardes
#Hum Tum Ek Kamre Mein Band Ho – Bobby
#Main Tulsi tere aangan ki – (Nominated for Film fare )#Hum bane tum bane – Ek Duje Ke Liye.
#Bholi Si Surat – Dil Toh pagal Hai.
#Pyaar Diwana Hota Hai – Kati Patang.
#Roop Tera Mastana – Aradhana
#Mere Sapno Ki Rani – Aradhana.
#Na Koi Umang hai – Kati Patang.
#Bindiya Chamkegi – Do Raaste.
#De daru De daru – Karma
#Mol meri taqdeer mein kya hai – himalaya ki godmein.
#Mast baharon ka mein aashiq – farz.
#Pee Matvare, Ayenge dware, leke sangh baraat re, mehendi lagi mere haath re, mehendi lagi mere haath re – Mehendi Lagi Mere Haath.
#Kora Kakaz tha ye man mera – Aradhana.
#Yahan Mein Ajnabee Hoon – Jab Jab Phool Khile
#Aaya hai Mujhe Phir Yaad – Devar
#Baharon Ne Mera Chaman Lot Kar – Devar
#Bhool gaya sab kuch – Julie
#Dil Kya Kare - Julie
#Zindagi ka safar, hai ye kaisa safar - ???
#Resham ki dori se – saajan.
#Acha toh hum chalte hein – aan milo sajna.
#Mere haaton mein nau nau chudiyan hein – chandni.
#Tu Cheez Badi Hai Mast Mast - Mohra
#Dil to paagal hai, dil diwana hai – dil toh paagal hai
#Duniya mein kitna gham hai – Avtaar
#Happy birthday – fraz.
#Do Dil mil rahein haein – pardes
#Chali re chali gori paniya bharan ko – mr x in bombay.
#Khubsurat haseena – mr x in bombay.
##Zara tasveer se tu – Pardes
#Mein Hindustan Hun – Hindustan Ki Kasam
#Aaj mausam, bada, beimaan hai, bada, beimaan hai, aaj mausam–
#Who tere pyar ka ghamm, ek bahana tha sanam – my love
#Kisis shayar ki ghazal, dream girl – dream girl
#Gore ran pe na itna gumaar kar, gora rang toh din mein dhal jaye ga -
#Mehendi laga ke rakhna – dilwale dhulaniya le jayenge.# #My name is anthony gonsalves – amar akbar anthony.
#Khilona jaankar – khilona
#Jhilmil sitaron ka – jeevan mrityu
#Kisi raha mein – mere humsafar
#Darpan jhooth na bole – darpan
#Zubaan pe dard bhari – maryada
#Itna toh yaad hai mujhe - jaane kyon log mohabbat – mehboob ki mehendi
#Aaj unse peheli baar mulaqat hogi – paraya dhan
#Chanda ho chanda – lakhon mein ek
#Duniya o duniya, tera jwaaab nahin – naya zamana
#Jaane jaan – jawani diwani
#Hawa ke saath saath – seeta aur geeta
#Diye jalte hain – namak haram
#Main shayar toh nahin – bobby
#Aadmi jo kehta hai, aadmi jo sunta hai – majbooor
#Ek ajnabi haseena se – ajnabi
#Yeh lal rang – prem nagar
#Mere naina, sawwan badho – mehbooba
#Ab ke sajan sawan mein – chupke chupke
#Do lafzon ki kahani – the great gambler
#Bade ache lagte hain – balika badhu
#Aaj mausam bada beimaan hai – loafer
#Aap ke anurodh pe – anurodh
#Aate jaate khoobsurat – anurodh
#Suhani chandni raatein – mukti
#Hum bewafa – shalimar
#Hum toh chale pardes- sargam
#Ae khuda har faisla – abdullah
#Dard e dil – karz
#Aashon ke sawwan mein – aasha
#Sheesha ho ya dil ho – aasha
#Kya yahi pyaar hai – rocky
#Zindagi imtihan leti hai – naseeb
#Jaane kaise kab kahan – shakti
#Lambhi judaii – hero
#Mohabat ab tizzarat- arpan
#Aur kya ahad e wafa hote hain – naam
#Gali mein aaj chaand nikla – zakhm.
#Meri taqdeer mein kya hai – haryali aur raasta
#O raamji – ram lakhan
#Loote koi man ka nagar – abhimaan

FILMOGRAPHY

Hit films

Mehendi Lagi Mere Haath, Devar, Jab Jab Phool Khile, Milan, Do Raaste, Aradhana, Amar Prem, Main Tulsi Tere Angaan Ki, Jurmana, Hare Rama Hare Krishna, Aasra, Himalaya Ki Godh Mein, Chota Bhai, Sohni Mahiwal
Seeta aur geeta, Mera gaon mera desh, Roti, Anokhi Ada, Jeene Ki Raha, Aan Milo Sajna, Sharafat, Khilona, Maryada, Kati Patang, Raja Aur Rankh
Haryali Aur Raasta, Aradhana, Farz, Do Raaste, Raja Rani, Raja Jaani, Loafer, Bairaag, Piya Ka Ghar, Apna Desh, Charas, Aap Ki Kasam, Bobby,
Main Sundar Hoon, Amar Akbar Anthony, Dharam Veer, Shalimar, Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Julie, Jawani Diwani, Dostana, Hero, Main Sundar Hoon, Taqdeer, Raja Saab, Love Story, Betaab, Avtaar, Aasha, Apnapan, Suhag, Mr Natwarlal, Sargam, Karz, Ram Balram, Aas Paas, Krodhi, Fifty Fifty, Jaaneman, Judaai, Sharda, Namak Haram, Mukti, Khilona, Jeevan Mrityu, Naseeb, Desh Premee, Chupke Chupke, Ek Hi Bhool, Jeevan Dhara, Andha Kanoon, Farz, Shaan, Abdulla, Sholay, Rocky, Aamne Saamne, Shakti, Teri Kasam, Hum, Saudagar, Lamhe, Sahibaan, Khuda Gawah, Alag Alag, Sacha Jhoota, Shor, and more.

1956 to 1999 (to be updated to 2003)

Film & (Banner)

Bhala Aadmi (Unity Films)

Silver King (People Pictures)

Sher E Baghdad (Hind Pictures)

Hum Bhi Kuch Kam Nahin (Filmistaan Ltd)

Miss Toofan mail (People Pictures)

Pehla Pehla Pyaar (National Cine Corp.)

Sun Toh Le Haseena (Filmistaan)

CID Girl (Shantiniketan Films)

Ek Armaan Mera (Filmistaan)

Khoobsoorat Dokha (Filmistaan)

Laal Nishaan (Deepak Films)

Lady Robinhood ( (Rekha Chitra)

Meine Jeena Seekh Liya (Filmistaan)

Tin Tin Tin (Kirit Films)

Air Mail (People Pictures)

Mehalon Ke Khawab (Madhubala Ltd)

Return Of Mr Superman (ManMohan Films)

Nakhrewali (Cine Arts)

Zameen Ke Taare (Chandra Movies)

Lucky Number (Manmohan Films)

Razia Sultan (Movie India)

Warrant (shantiniketan films)

Banke Sawariya (KVS Prod)

Kaala Samundar (Deepak Chitra)

Mehendi Lagi Mere Haat (Lime Light)

Reporter Raju (wadia bros)

Wallah Kya Baat Hai (Niti pictures)

Commercial Pilot Officer (Deepak Jyoti)

Holiday In Bombay (YuChaya)

Jab Se Tumko Dekha Hai (amar chaya)

Kahin Pyaar Na Ho Jaye (baria films)

Phool Bane Angarey (asiatic arts prods)

Raja (mukul pictures)

Sunheri Nagin (everest films)

Zarakh Khan (shantineketan films)

Aawara Baadal (Amar jyoti)

Badhshah (navkala niketan)

Dulha Dulhan (nagina films)

Hercules (bohra bros)

Majboor (delux films)

Mr X In Bombay (thakkar films)

Yaadein (?)

Aadhi Raat Ke Baadh (movie tone)

Be Daag (a r prod)

Boxer (sudarshan chitra)

Himalaya Ki Godh Mein (shri prakash pictures)

Hum Deewane (young india entertainment)

Jab Jab Phool Khile (lime light)

KhaKhan (henna deluxe)

Lutera (Shankar Movies)

Namasteji (D M Movies)

Shrimaan Funtoosh (S B Prod)

Tarzaan Comes To Delhi (Amar Chaya)

Teesra Kaun (bindu kala mandir)

Aasra (seven arts pictures)

Aaye Din Bahaar KeFilmYug)

Chota Bhai (olympic pictures)

Daku Mangal Singh (pinky films)

Devar (delux films)

Jawaan Mard (kedar laxmi prod)

La Bella (young india entertainment)

Pati Patni (mumtaaz films)

Preet Na Jaane Reeth (moviestaan)

Professor X (sweet films)

Sau Saal Baad (mansrovar pictures)

Sunhere Kadam (saraswati kalaamandir)

Aamne Samne (sight & sound movies)

Anita (Raj Khosla Films)

Chandan Ka Palna (arzoo films)

Farz (Vijaylaxmi pictures)

Jaal (New world pictures)

Milan (prasad prod)

Milan Ki Raat (musical movies)

Night in london (kapoor films)

Taqdeer (Rajshree Prod)

Haye Mera Dil (Manohar Films)

Juaari (lotus Prod)

Raja Aur Rankh (prasad prod)

Spy In Rome (aadarshlok)

Teen Bahuraaniyan (gemini prod)

Anjaana (Emkay Prod)

Aradhana (shakti films)

Aaya Saawan Jhoom Ke (filmyug)

Do Bhaai (dinAmo international)

Do Raaste (raj khosla films)

Hum Ek Hain (r b films)

Jeene Ki Raah (prasaprod)

Jigri Dost (vijay laxmi pictures)

Jyoti (chitra Mitra)

Madhvi (Shri Ganesh Prsad Movies)

Mahal (roopkala pictures)

Mera Dost (maya prod)

Raja Sahab (lime light)

Saajan (delux films)

Shart (shankar movies)

Tamnna (k s pictures)

Aan Milo Sajna (filmyug)

Bachpan (aatma arts films)

Darpan (Balan Movies Combine)

Devi (olympic pictures)

Geet (sagar art films)

Himmat (Bharti International)

Humjoli (Tirupati films)

Ishq Par Zor Nahin (Twinkle star)

Jeevan Mrityu (Rajshri Prod)

Kati Patang (shakti films)

Khilona (prasad Prod)

Maa Aur Mamta (Suchitra KalaAmandir)

Mastana (Suchitra)

Mere Humsafar (Labela Films)

My Love (Atul Arts)

Pushpanjali (Kishore Sahu Prod)

Shararat (Seven arts pictures)

Suhana Safar (Century films)

The Train (Rose Movies)

Aap Aaye Bahaar Ayee (Emkay Prod)

Amar Prem (shakti films)

Banphool (film lands)

Chahat (new films corp)

Dushman (Suchitra)

Hathi Mere Sathi (devar films)

Hare Rama Hare Krishna (navketan international)

Haseeno Ka Devta (mukul enterprises)

Lakhon Mein Ek (gemini)

Lagan (RRK Combines)

Mein Sundar Hoon (a v m productions)

Maryada (lalit kala mandir)

Mehboob Ki Mehendi (rahul theatres)

Mera Gaon Mera Desh (Khosla Enterprises)

Naya Zamana (PrAmod Films)

Paraya Dhan (kiran prod)

Pyaar Ki Kahani (Vijaylaxmi Pictures)

Uphaar (Rajshri Prod)

Woh Din Yaad Karo (New Cine International)

Anokhi Pehchaan (Ajay Movies P L)

Anuraag (shakti films)

Apna Desh (Olympic films)

Buniyaad (pragati chitra interl)

Ek Bechara (s r international)

Gora Aur Kala (Shankar Movies)

Haar Jeet (prithvi pictures)

Jawani Diwani (rose movies)

Jeet (babu movies combines)

Joru Ka Gulaam (United Four)

Mom Ki Gudiya (Emkey Films P L)

Piya Ka Ghar (Rajshri Prod P L)

Raja Jani (seven arts pictures)

Raaste Ka Pathar (Kosla Enterprises)

Roop Tera Mastana (suchitra kala mandir)

Sanjog (Gemini Arts P L)

Seeta Aur Geeta (sippy films)

Shaadi Ke Baad (ravishankar films)

Subah O Shaam (Shri ganesh prasad prod)

Yeh Gulistaan Hamara (gurudatt films combine)

Zameen Aasmaan (a v films)

Zindagi Zindagi (John Pictures)

Bobby (r k films)

Gai Aur Gori (dandayuthpani films)

Gaddar (Eastern Films)

Heera Panna (navketan internl)

Insaaf (Venus Pictures)

Jaise Ko Taisa (a v m prod)

Jheel Ke Us Paar (Bhappie Sonie Prod)

Jugnu (Pramod films)

Kachche Dhage (raj khosla films)

Loafer (century films)

Manchali (raja nawathe prod)

Mr Romeo (Subodh Mukerjee Prod)

Namak Haram (r s j prod combines)

Naya Nasha (united four)

Qeemat (bharti international)

Raja Rani (Filmkunj P L)

Rickshawala (satya movies)

Shareef Badmash (navketan films)

Suraj Aur Chanda (sooraj films)

Sweekar (filmlands)

Aap Ki Kasam (filmyug)

Ajnabi (samant enterprises)

ameer Gharib (emkey films)

Badla (century films)

Bidaai (prasad prod P L)

Charitraheen (shri Loknath chitra Ma)

Dil Deewana (Rose Movies)

Dost (Suchitra)

Dulhan (Sujata International)

Duniya Ka Mela (pearl pictures)

Humshakal (olympic pictures)

Imaan (guru datt films combine)

Ishq Ishq Ishq (navketan international)

Kasauti (lalit kala mandir)

Majboor (suchitra film P L)

Manoranjan (eagle films)

Pagli (asha art interl)

Poketmaar (cine mandir)

Prem Nagar (vijaya & suresh combine)

Roti (aashirwad pictures)

Vaada Tera Vaada (thakkar films internl)

Aag Aur Toofan (r r films)

Aakraman (filmkunj P L)

Angaarey (apolo arts)

Bhoola Bhatka (angel movies)

Chaitali (bimal roy prod)

Chupke Chupke (roopam pictures P L)

Julie (Vijaya Prod P L)

Lafanga (H M films)

Naatak (Filmlands)

Pratigya (bikramjeet films)

Prem Kahani (khosla combines)

Raja (Dandhayudhpani films)

Sholay (sippy films)

Sunhera Sansaar (vijaya madhvi movies)

Warrant (n p international)

Aap Beeti (emkey films)

Balika Badhu (shakti films)

Barood (jugnu enterprises)

Bairaag (m r productions)

Bhanwar (evershine pictures)

Bullet (navketan prod)

Charas (Sagar Enterp)

Deewangee (Subodh mukerjee prod)

Dhongi (kant kumar prods)

Do Ladkiyan (natraj International)

Jaaneman (navketan international)

Jeevan Jyoti (A V M prods)

Koyi Jeeta Koyi Hara (laxmi movies)

Maa (devar films)

Maha Chor (dachi films P L)

Mehbooba (m r prods)

Nehle Pe Dehla (ajanta arts)

Tyaag (films & films internl)

Aadha Din Aadhi Raat (bharti internl)

Aashiq Hoon Baharon Ka (Shiv kala Mnadir)

Amar Akbar Anthony (M K D films)

Anurodh (samant enterps)

Apnapan (filmyug)

Chacha Bhatija (dreamland)

Chalta Purza (Bhappie Sonie Prods)

Chaila Babu (mukherjee bros.)

Chor Sipahi (murghan enterps)

Darling Darling (fortune films interl)

Dharam Veer (s s movietone)

Dildaar (suresh prods)

Dream Girl (sarthi Internl)

Imaan Dharam (Suchitra)

Kalaabaaz (pashupati pictures)

Mukti (Tilak Movies)

Thief Of Baghdad (Madan Movies)

Tinku (Navin Pictures)

Yahi Hai Zindagi (Vijaya Productions)

Aahuti (Bashi Productions)

Aazaad (pramod films)

Amar Shakti (a k Movies)

Bhola Bhala (venkateshwar Pictures)

Chakravyuh (Asha Art International)

Daku Aur Jawan (Lotus Productions)

Dil Aur Deewar (vijaya & suresh combine)

Mein Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki (raj khosla films)

Naukari (r s j prods combine)

Naya Daur (united movie arts)

Pati Patni Aur Woh (b r films)

Phansi (eastern films)

Phandebaaz (geeta films)

Prem Bandhan (Gauri films)

Shalimar (laxmi Productions)

Swarg Narak (vijaya Productions)

Tumhari Qasam (associated films and finance corp)

Amar Deep (sujata International)

Dil Ka Heera (Uddyam Productions)

Gautam Govinda (murghan enterps)

Jurmana (shri loknath chitra man)

Kaali Ghata (shivalik pictures)

Lok Parlok (shri Pallavi Prods)

Maghroor (century films)

Mr Natwarlal (navjeevan films internl)

Prem Vivah (ranglok films)

Sargam (n n sippy prods)

Suhaag (suresh desai & asso)

The Great Gambler (c v k shashtry’s)

Yuvraaj (venus combines)

Zaalim (king & kings prods)

Aap Ke Deewane (film craft)

Aasha (filmyug)

Aas Paas (filmkunj)

Abdullah (Zafo films)

Alibaba Aur 40 Chor (eagle films)

Bandhish (suresh prods)

Choron Ki Baraat (citizen pictures)

Do Premi (shalini films)

Dostana (dharma prods)

Hum Panch (S.K. Films Instl.)

Judai (Prasad Art Pictures)

Jyoti Bane Jwala (Tirupati Pictures Comb)

Kala Pani (Fine Art Pictures)

Karz (Mukta Films)

Maang Bharo Sajna (Laxmi Productions)

Nishana (Roja Pictures)

Patita (Tristar Movies)

Qatil Kaun (Vishwakarma)

Raam Balraam (Navjeevan Films)

Shaan (Sippy Films)

Takkar (Padmalaya Films)

Barsat Ki Ek Raat (Shakti Films)

Daasi (Gaurav Int. Prod)

Ek Duje Ke Liye (Prasad Prod. (P) Ltd.)

Ek Hi Bhool (Laxmi Productions)

Fifty Fifty (S.Mukherji Productions)

Jyoti (Pramod Films)

Krodhi (Ranjit Films)

Love Story (Aryan Films)

Meri Aawaz Suno (Padmalaya Films)

Naseeb (MKD Films)

Raaste Pyar Ke (Jagapathi Art Pictures)

Raksha (Bharati International)

Rocky (Nalanda Productions)

Sharda (Shiv Kala Mandir)

Vakil Baboo (S.R.Films Combines)

Aamne Samne (Shakti Films)

Ayaash (Shakti Films)

Apna Bana Lo (amber Films)

Ashanti (Eagle Films)

Bhagwat (Sagar International)

Bemisal (Shri Loknath Chitra)

DawedaarRecensored as “Mera Karam Mera Dharam” in 1987 (Sunlight Films)

Dard Ka Rishta (Ajanta Arts)

Desh Premi (S.S. Movitone)

Do Dishayen (Sudarshan Enterprises)

Farz Aur Qanoon (Roja Pictures)

Gazab (N.N. Sippy Prod.)

Insaan (Mukesh Movies (P) Ltd.)

Jeevan Dhara (Prasad Art Pictures)

Johny I Love You (Nav Jeevan Films)

Main Intaquam Loonga (Prasad Art Pictures)

Rajput (Mushir-Riyaz Prod.)

Samrat (Seven Arts Pictures)

Shakti (M.R. Productions)

Taaqat (Aanandam Arts)

Teesri Ankh (S. Mukherji FilmsSyndicate (P) Ltd.)

Teri Maang Sitaron Se Bhar Doon (Raj Khosla Films Pvt. Ltd..)

Teri Qasam (Navjeevan Prod. Pvt. Ltd.)

Vidhata (Trimurti Films Pvt. Ltd.)

Yeh To Kamaal Ho Gaya (Bharti International)

Andha Qanoon (Laxmi Productions)

Arpan (Filmyug Pvt. Ltd.)

Avtaar (Emkay Enterprises)

Bekaraar (Jagapathi Art Pictures)

Betaab (Vijayta Films)

Coolie (MKD Films Combines & Aasia Films Pvt. Ltd.)

Farishta (Sikand Films)

Hero (Mukta Arts Pvt. Ltd.)

Lovers (Aryan Films)

Main Awara Hoon (Shakti Films)

Mujhe Insaaf Chahiye (D.V.S. Productions)

Nastik (V.R. Pictures)

Prem Tapasya (Annapurna Studios)

Romance (Sagar Enterprises)

Woh 7 Din (S.K. Films Enterprises)

Yeh Ishq Nahin Aasaan (IRA Films)

Zara Si Zindagi (Premalaya Productions)

Aasmaan (Navjeevan Prod. Pvt. Ltd.)

Awaaz (Shakti Films)

Akalmand (G.R.P. Arts)

All Rounder (Emkay Entertprises)

Baazi (Shiv Kala Mandir)

Bad Aur Badnaam (K.D.S. Films)

Ek Nayi Paheli (P.S.R. Pictures)

Ghar Ek Mandir (Tina Films Intl.)

Hum Dono (Happy Films (India) )

Hum Hain Lajawab (Milan Movies)

Inquilaab (Sri Ishwar Productions)

Jagir (Pramod Films)

Jeene Nahin Doonga (Shankar Movies)

John Jani Janardhan (Lakshmi Productions)

Khazana (Subhash International)

Maati Maange Khoon (Ramayana Chitra)

Mera Dost Mera Dushman (Johny Bakshi Films)

Meera Faisla (Ranjit Films)

Phansi Ke Bad (Eastern Films)

Sharara (Angel Films)

Sohni Mahiwal (Eagle Films)

Sunny (Nalanda)

Yeh Desh (Bharati International)

Aar Paar (Shakti Films)

Alag Alag (Aashirwad Films Intnl. Pvt. Ltd.)

Jawab (Suchitra)

Lava (Iqbal Sing’ s)

Mera Ghar Mere Bachche (Prasad Prod. Pvt. Ltd.)

Meri Jung (N.N. Sippy Prod.)

Sarfarosh (Tirupati Pictures)

Yaadon Ke Qasam (Modern Pictures)

Yudh (Trimurti Films Pvt. Ltd.)

Aag Aur Shola (Tirupati Pictures)

Aakhri Raasta (Lakshmi Productions)

Aap Ke Saath (Filmyug Pvt. Ltd.)

Aisa Pyar Kahan (Tutu Films)

Amrit (Emkay Pvt. Ltd.)

Anokha Rishta (Century Films )

Baat Ban Jaye (Jay Films)

Dosti Dushmani (Srinath Productions)

Ek Main Aur Ek Tu (Ravi Tandon Prod.)

Jaal (Eagle Films)

Kala Dhanda Gore Log (A.A.A. Films)

Karma (Mukta Arts Pvt. Ltd.)

Nache Mayuri (Ushakiron Movies)

Naam (Aryan Films)

Nagina (Eastern Films)

Palay Khan (Shakti Films)

Qatl (R.K. Nayyar Films)

Sadaa Suhagan (Vidyashree Films)

Samundar (M.R. Productions)

Saugat (Jaya Gowri Films)

Shatru (Pramod Films)

Swati (Prasad Prod. Pvt. Ltd.)

Swarg Se Sunder (Tina Films Intl.)

Chakma (Pee Kay Movies)

Dacait (H.S. Rewail Presents)

Hifazat (Bhanodaya’s )

Insaaf Ki Pukaar (Shiv Kala Movies)

Itihaas (Navjeevan Productions)

Madadgaar (B.N.T. Films)

Mera Karam Mera DharamOriginally censored as “Davedar” in 1982 (Bemisal Films Pvt. Ltd.)

Nazrana (Filmovision)

Parivaar (Brighu Maharaj Films)

Sansar (Lakshmi Productions)

Sindoor (Tina Films Intl.)

Uttar Dakshin (Deepali Arts)

Agni (Filmyug Pvt. Lltd.)

Bees Saal Baad (Nishi Productions)

Charanon Ki Saugandh (Tina Films Intl.)

Do Waqt Ki Roti (Satyendra Films)

Ganga Tere Desh Main (BMB Productions)

Gharana (Tina Films Universals)

Intaquam (Shri Krishna Films)

Kabzaa (Vishesh Films)

Khatron Ke Khiladi (Jagapathi Intl.)

Khoon Baha Ganga Mein (Aarohi Films Pvt. Ltd.)

Mahaveera (K.S. Enterprises)

Mar Mitenge (Tutu Films)

Mil Gayee Manzil Mujhe (Chetana Movies)

Pyar Ka Mandir (amit Arts)

Ramavtar (Kalpeshwar Productions)

Rama O Rama (Mirza Brothers Films Pvt. Ltd.)

Saazish (Malhotra Films)

Shahenshah (Film Vison)

Tamacha (Tirupati Pictures)

Vardi (Cineyug)

Aag Se Khelenge (N.N. Sippy’s)

Abhimanyu (Navjeeva Prod. Pvt. Ltd.)

Bhrashtachar (Sippy Films)

Chaalbaaz (Lakshmi Productions)

Chandani (Yash Raj Films)

Dost Garibon Ka (M.T. Films Combines)

Elaan – E – Jung (S.K.F. Combines)

Garibon Ka Data (Saptarishi Films)

Jurrat (Aryan Films)

Majbor (Bhagavati Pictures)

Nigahen-Nagina Part-2 (Eastern Films)

Ram Lakhan (Suneha Arts)

Sachchai Ki Taaqat (Sadanah Brothers)

Shehzaade (Maatarani Films)

Tridev (Trimurti Films Pvt. Ltd.)

Awaargi (Swaraajya Shree Movies)

Agnipath (Dharma Prod. Pvt. Ltd.)

amba (Emkay Enterprises)

Amiri Garibi (Tutu Films)

Doodh Ka Karz (Aftab Pictures Pvt. Ltd.)

Farishtay (S.G.S. Films Pvt. Ltd.)

Hum Se Na Takarana (Bahry Films)

Izzatdaar (Divya Films Intl.)

Jeene Do (Trishul Arts)

Khilaaf (Krishna Movies Pvt.Ltd.)

Krodh (Verma Films Combines)

Pati Patni Aur Tawaif (Shankar Movies)

Pratibandh (Geetha Arts)

Pyar Ka Karz (Shiromani Chitra)

Qayamat Ki Raat (Kumar Mangat Prod.)

Sherdil (Akshar Intl. Prod.)

Veeru Dada (Sri Haripriya Cine Creations)

Ajooba (Aasia Films Pvt. Ltd.)

Akayla (M.R. Productions P. Ltd.)

Banjaran (Bhawani Pictures)

Benaam Badshah (Tina Films Enterprises)

Hum (Romesh Fims)

Izzat (Aftab Pictures P. Ltd.)

Khoon Ka Karz (Bhappi Sonie Prod.)

Lakshmanrekha (Om Shakti Films)

Lamhe (Yash Raj Films)

Mast Kalandar (Rahul Rawil’s)

Paap Ki Aandhi (Shivkala Movies)

Prtikaar (A.G. Films P. Ltd.)

Pyar Hua Chori Chori (Anirudh Arts)

Pyar Ka Devta (amu Enterprises)

Saudagar (Mukta Arts Pvt. Ltd.)

Shikari (Eagle Films)

Yodha (Cineyug’s)

Angaar (Aarishaa International)

Apradhi (Ratan International)

Chamatkar (Eagle Films)

Dil Hi To Hai (Magnum Films Intl.)

Heer Ranjha (Eastern Films)

Humlaa (Seven Arts Pictures)

Jai Shiv Shankar (Rajesh Khanna Prod.)

Khuda Gawah (Glamour Films)

Kshatriya (Pushpa Movies)

Marg / Prem Dharam (Swarajya Shree Movies)

Mr. Bond (D.M.S. Films)

Parampara (A.G. Films Pvt. Ltd.)

Police Officer (Aftab Pictures P. Ltd.)

Prem Deewane (Suneha Arts)

Vishwatma (Trimurti Films P. Ltd.)

Aashik Aawara (Eagle Films)

Bedardi (Lama Productions)

Chahoonga Main Tujhe (A.H. Movies)

Darr (Yash Raj Films)

Dil Ne Iqraar Kiya (Kushal Films)

Gumrah (Dharma Prod. P. Ltd.)

Inspector Kiron (Mamta Movies)

Khalnayak (Mukta Arts Pvt. Ltd.)

Pehla Nasha (Ahlan Productions)

Phool (Aryan Films)

Sahibaan (Parul Films Intl.)

Tum Karo Vaada / Kalyug Ka Krishna (Robin Films Intl.)

Ab Insaaf Hoga (Parth Productions)

Aurat Aurat Aurat (S.S. Khimanni Movitone)

Chauraha (Revati Films)

Mohra (Trimurti Films P. Ltd.)

Paapi Devataa (Kala Bharti’s)

Pehla Pehla Pyar (Brar Productions)

Swarg Se Pyara Ghar Hamara (Waris Pictures)

Aazmayish (Emkay Films P. Ltd.

Ahankaar (Shakti Films)

Dilbar (Ghori Arts)

Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (Yash Raj Films)

Prem (Narsimha Enterprises)

Ram-Jaane (Eagle Films)

Ravan Raaj (Maa Sherawali Prod.)

Trimurti (Mukta Arts P. Ltd.)

Bhishma (R.R.R. Movies)

Dhun (BNA International)

Jaan (Suneha Arts)

Jung (A. Saptrishi Films)

Prem Granth (R.K. Films)

Rajkumar (Tutu Films)

Return of Jewel Thief (Arshee Films)

Tere Mere Sapne (ABCL’s)

Tu Chor Main Sipahi (Pooja Arts)

Aflatoon (Tridev Arts)

Ankhon Mein Tum (Aradhana Films)

Chirag (A Saptarishi Films)

Deewana Mastana (M.K.D. Films Combines)

Dil To Paagal Hai (Yash Raj Films)

Ghulam – E – Mustafa (S.G.S. Cine Arts Intl.)

Gupt (Trimurti Films P. Ltd.)

Mahanata (Ayesha Films)

Pardes (Mukta Arts P. Ltd.)

Qahar (Shankar Movies)

Barsaat Ki Raat (Timma Films)

Dand-Nayak (Mateshwari Films)

Dushman (Pooja Bhatt Prod.)

Jab Pyar Kisise Hota Hai (Tips Films)

Jhooth Bole Kauwa Kate (Tristar International)

Maha-Yudh (KDS Films)

Shyam Ghanshyam (Suneha Arts)

Zakhm (Pooja Bhatt Prod.)

Zor (Vicky Films)

Aarzoo (Dayavanti Pictures)

Dil Kya Kare (Devgan Entertainment & Software Ltd.)

Hindustan Ki Kasam (Devgans Films)

Hum Tumpe Marte Hain (C.Y. Films)

Kachche Dhaage (Tips Films)

Kohram (Mehul Movies P. Ltd.)

Taal (Mukta Arts P. Ltd.)

Dil Kya Kare

Hum Tumpe Marte Hain

Arzoo

Bulundi

Hadh Kardi Aapne

Mohabbatein

Raju Chacha

Dhun

Khoobsurat

Rahul (Mukta Arts Ltd.)

Yaadein (Mukta Arts Ltd.)

Pyaar Diwana Hota Hai

Gadar

Kitne Door Kitne Paas

Kranti

Na Tum Jaano Na Hum

Satyam Shivam Sundaram (R K Films)

''To be updated for 1999 to 2003''

EXTERNAL LINKS

Filmfare awards

Screen India

	CATEGORIES ABOUT ANAND BAKSHI

	1930 births

	bakshi, anand

	2002 deaths

	indian songwriters

	indian poets

	APPAREL
	BABY
	BEAUTY
	BOOKS
	CAR TOYS
	CELL PHONES
	DVD'S
	ELECTRONICS
	GOURMET FOOD
	GROCERIES
	HEALTH & PERSONAL
	HOME & GARDEN
	JEWELRY
	MUSIC
	MUSIC INSTRUMENTS
	OFFICE PRODUCTS
	SOFTWARE
	SPORTING GOODS
	TOOLS & HARDWARE
	TOYS
	VIDEO GAMES
	SHOPPING HOME

	MORE SHOPPING...

Information About

Anand Bakshi