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A dominating musical force in Indian cinema, the poet who was imprisoned for he dared to speak against those who ruled in the name of democracy, Majrooh Sultanpuri was an avant-garde Urdu poet. Main akela hi chala tha janib-e-manzil magar log sath aate gaye aur karvan banta gaya!
Died on 24th May 2000
A singer who called his songs Nautanki for some peculiar reason wrote his poems in Urdu, sang his Ghazal with a tinge, and wrote lyrics that are a witness to his journey to success filled with ups and downs. For him, it was passion and money never worked as an incentive to do more in life, as it does for the rest of the world. Sultanpur-born Asrar-ul-Hasan Khan was popularly known as Majrooh Sultanpuri. Most Ghazal singers acquire new names based on their styles and the regions they come from.
Just as everyone's family dreams for their children and most often tries to set paths for them to walk on, so did his family. Asrar's father did not want him to study in an English-medium school, so he decided to send him to a Madrasa, the Islamic institution where he was eventually supposed to become Maulana. But Asrar was on the other path given his varied interests. He started playing football in the madrasa for which a Fatwa, a warning **was issued against him.
Asrar tried to gain a foothold in many fields to find a suitable profession for himself; kind of an experimentalist! He even took admission to the UNANI medical school in Lucknow. Everyone was hopeful to soon see there Hakeem Saheb all well trained, working day and night to treat the sick in his place and become well-known! But destiny had other things in its fold.
Because no one knew what was written in Asrar's destiny, Asrar himself did not know that a doctor was not written on its pages. His passion for poetry was going on simultaneously. Adding to the romance in to-be doctor-poet life, he fell in love with the daughter of a subdivision magistrate. Maybe it was love that made him such fine a poet.
Once in a public meeting, he displayed his ghazal singing skills, everyone became a fan of Majrooh and admitted that a new poet had arrived.
Gradually, Majrooh's craze for ghazals increased. After getting accolades, he started stage shows of Shayari. Here he came in contact with the famous poet Jigar Muradabad. Jigar motivated him and offered to come to Mumbai to try his luck in the business of Ghazals.
During a stage show in Mayanagari, A.R Kadar (a director) offered him a song, but Majrooh refused his offer as Bollywood was not considered a respectable profession at the time. Jigar Muradabad convinced him to write songs for Bollywood films and earn good money. It was from here that the Indian film industry found an incredible Ghazal singer and he found an audience unmatchable in scale.
Kadar, once tested his skills by giving him a tune. Kadar said, "Majrooh, write down what comes to your mind after listening to this tune." Sultanpuri then penned jab usne gesu bikhraye badal aaya jhum ke. He was signed for the film Shahjehan.
Asrar started his career with the song Jab Dil Hi Toot Gaya from the film 'Shahjehan'. He wrote songs and ghazals and participated in Jashn-e-Azadi, where he showed the importance of freedom of the pen. The freedom of the pen is the "sole palladium" of people's rights because without it people would have no way to make any claim to rights and practice their right of freedom of expression.
Poem on Jawaharlal Nehru
Sultanpuri could never stop writing all these political pieces and exercise his right to freedom of speech and expression. His pen was always his sword and he kept speaking loudly through it. There was also a time when Majrooh fell into trouble due to his political views and he had to go to prison. There were always clashes between him and the government of that period. Once addressing a labour gathering, he recited a poem on Jawaharlal Nehru. The government lost its temper and forced him to apologize, but Sultanpuri refused to do so.
This anti-government poem resulted in his imprisonment in a defamation case. But even in jail, he did not stop his profession, his singing kite also flew from there.
While he was in jail, his family was facing a financial crisis and was in need of money. Raj Kapoor tried to help them but the self-respecting Majrooh refused his donation. Then, Kapoor offered the singer a way to earn because the poet had previously rejected the donation. In the song Ek Din Bik Jayega Maati Ke Mol, Majrooh's voice again showed the power of his lyrics writing, and this song became a blockbuster hit! Regardless of whether the song became a hit, Raj Kapoor was successful in his kindness either way.
Majrooh Sultanpuri was a poet who has written more than 4000 songs in 300 movies. He was honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for his lifetime contribution to the world of Ghazal singing.
The music directors changed their style, the actors changed, but Majrooh's lyrical thoughts kept on flowing with the clock. He was a poet who never let go of his principles over time.
The charming poet and singer died today in 2000 due to lung disease. This talented artist left his songs and ghazals behind for centuries.
This Shayar gave a new meaning to Ghazal; the lamp of his name will keep burning for a long time.
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