One of Hindi cinema’s leading lyricists, and a stalwart poet in his own right (I cannot resist wondering if that shouldn’t be “in his own left”, given Shailendra’s socialist leanings!), Shailendra was born on this day a hundred years ago. I have written about him before, in this post to mark an earlier one of his birthdays. But, since I like Shailendra’s poetry so much, I could not let his birth centenary pass without a post dedicated to him. A list of Shailendra’s songs, therefore, that are in ten different moods. And, so that this post isn’t a repeat, even in a small way, of my earlier Shailendra post, none of the songs here are from my earlier post.
As always, the songs in this list are from pre-1970s Hindi films that I’ve seen. Also, no two songs are from the same film.
A transliteration of the lyrics in the Roman script, along with a translation into English (by me) is available here, in the form of a PDF document.
Without further ado, therefore, and without the songs being in any particular order:
1. Maverick. Kuchh aur zamaana kehta hai (Chhoti-Chhoti Baatein, 1965): Where would Hindi cinema be without female characters singing songs? Bhajans, lullabies, love songs—and far too occasionally, a song that says it like it is. While Meena Kapoor’s rendition and Anil Biswas’s music are excellent, to me, they would be nowhere without the deeply impactful lyrics of Shailendra. The cynicism in this woman’s words, the bold and unafraid way in which she forges her own path, never mind that it goes against everything the world says and believes in… truly a maverick. And inspirational.
2. Torn. Jeevan ke doraahe pe khade (Chhoti si Mulaqat, 1967): One of the best songs there is about a character caught in a dilemma. Unlike the out-and-out flirtatious, player-style Kisko pyaar karoon (for which Rajinder Krishan wrote the lyrics), Jeevan ke doraahe pe khade is an intimate glimpse of a heart truly torn in two: the anguish of a woman who has fallen in love with a man not her husband. A husband, too, whom she does not recognize, because she was married—and immediately separated from him—as a young teenager. The agony as she tries to find the right path, between duty and love, heart and mind, is beautifully brought out in Shailendra’s lyrics.
3. Patriotic. Mera joota hai Japaani (Shree 420, 1955): Actually, my top favourite patriotic song written by Shailendra is not a film song at all: it’s the beautifully inspirational, uplifting Tu zinda hai toh zindagi ki jeet par yakeen kar, an IPTA song which was composed by Salil Choudhary (and which I, back in my school days in Kendriya Vidyalaya, used to sing). But since this list is about film songs, I choose this song from an RK film as an example of Shailendra’s patriotic writing.
I find it interesting that neither Tu zinda hai nor Mera joota hai Japaani have the chest-thumping adulation of India that one usually finds in patriotic Hindi songs. Tu zinda hai is more a song of hope, and this song too mirrors that hope: the hopes of a newly independent country, looking forward, moving ahead. It may look outwardly influenced by foreign forces, but this is India, solidly Indian. An interestingly nuanced look at patriotism, and at the exuberance of a country looking to make its place in the world. The fact that Raj Kapoor’s character in Shree 420 echoes this—naïve, joyful, striding out to make a name for himself—makes Mera joota hai Japaani (and its picturization) even more of a cult classic.
4. Romantic. Dil ki nazar se, nazron ki dil se (Anari, 1959): In a cinema that relies so heavily on romance as an important trope (often as the main trope), it’s not surprising that romantic songs form a large part of any lyricist’s oeuvre. Shailendra is no different: he has many, many romantic songs to his credit, from Yeh raat bheegi-bheegi and Pyaar hua ikraar hua hai to Raat ke humsafar and Mujhko tum jo mile yeh jahaan mil gaya. Here is one, dreamily romantic in a shy sort of way: RK’s somewhat bumbling, naïve young man confesses his love for his sweetheart. While Mukesh and Lata’s rendition, and Shankar-Jaikishan’s music is superb, Shailendra’s lyrics have that awed touch to them: as if he can’t believe his good fortune, and she can’t get over how happy she is to be in love.
5. Nature-loving. Hariyala saawan dhol bajaata aaya (Do Bigha Zameen, 1953): I have long considered Sahir Ludhianvi to be Hindi cinema’s best poet when it comes to describing nature. But Shailendra, actually, has several lovely songs that show his love for nature (and his ability to describe it). Even though most of these songs—like O sajna barkha bahaar aayi, Mila hai kisi ka jhumka, and Ketaki gulaab juhi champak ban phoole—simply use nature as a backdrop for romance, Shailendra’s understanding of nature comes through loud and clear in each of them. Hariyala saawan dhol bajaata aaya is exemplary in this sense: the imagery he builds up is so vivid, so very beautiful. Look at the metaphors he uses—the thunder is a ‘dhol’, beaten exuberantly; the land is a bride, veiled in green; the wedding of the rain and the Earth sow seeds of joy. The importance of the monsoon in an agrarian community is emphasized, as is the sheer relief and elation of its arrival.
6. Satirical. Kya hawa chali (Parakh, 1960): Or cynical, or just pure and simple mocking. Shailendra wrote some wonderful songs for Parakh, from the romantic O sajna barkha bahaar aayi to the touching Mere mann ke diye—and this deliciously barbed one, which pours scorn on hypocrites who will do anything for gain. When an anonymous benefactor has it announced in a village that he will give a large sum of money to the most generous man in the village, various people (a nasty and discriminating priest, a money-minded doctor, and a greedy zamindar among them) seem to turn over a new leaf overnight, each trying to outbid the others in an attempt to come across as good and upright and public-minded. But not everybody is fooled, as the lyrics of this delightful song reveal.
7. Free. Kaanton se kheenchke yeh aanchal (Guide, 1965): I actually found that ‘free’ a problematic way to describe, in one word, the emotion of this song. The repression which Waheeda Rehman’s character has seen as the neglected wife of a workaholic (and unfaithful) husband, heightened by her having to set aside the dance that she so loves, is shattered by the companionship she finds in her growing relationship with Raju (Dev Anand). This song vocalizes the rebellion of Rosie, the storm that bursts into her life, giving her the will and the power to break the shackles and set herself free. It’s a paean to being free, to soaring high. To not letting oneself be held down by fear and pain.
8. Yearning. Tumhe yaad karte-karte (Amrapali, 1966). Shailendra wrote, of course, many, many romantic songs, and songs too which ran the gamut of romantic love: from playful to teasing, from seductive to heart-broken. There are among these also songs like this, my favourite song from Amrapali. The loneliness in Lata’s tones, the picturization as Vyjyanthimala’s character wanders through the impressive confines of her chambers in the palace: all of these only serve to accentuate Shailendra’s lyrics, of a woman aching for the lover who has gone away. The desire, the “I miss you terribly” comes through impactfully in the lyrics, and you get a sense not just of deep love but of the desperation she feels at being away from the object of her affections.
9. Philosophical. Sajan re jhooth mat bolo (Teesri Kasam, 1966). Shailendra, of course, was one of Raj Kapoor’s favourite lyricists: along with Hasrat Jaipuri, he wrote the lyrics of almost all the films that RK directed. RK’s onscreen characters often ended up spouting philosophy, whether it was the patriotic Mera joota hai Japaani or the carefree Awaara hoon, or this: from the film that bankrupted lyricist-turned-film maker Shailendra to the extent that he died soon after at the tragically young age of 43. Sajan re jhooth mat bolo is a touching reminder of the worthlessness of greed and ambition: we, each of us, is destined for death. Why this mad and heedless rush to get ahead, then? All will end in nothing, for we go as we came. Alone, without the trappings of the years we have spent on Earth.
10. Deceptive. Apni toh har aah ek toofaan hai (Kaala Bazaar, 1960): And clever, flirtatious, humorous, a master of the art of innuendo. Not the bosom-heaving double entendre of other, later songs (not by Shailendra!), but a subtle, sly, sophisticated paean. But is that paean to the beautiful Waheeda Rehman, who lies in the top berth of the train compartment, or to the neglectful Almighty, who doesn’t cast even a glance down at his creation? The words could be utterly flirtatious, but they could also be a somewhat cynical plea directed at God. A witty song, really, and a great example of Shailendra’s prowess with the pen.
Which are your favourite Shailendra songs? Please share!
Dustedoff 
It is wonderful of you to remind us of Shailendra. The present “poverty” is, in this blogger’s opinion, not only because of the change in the taste of audience, but also the fact that such “craftsmen” have been virtually forgotten after deriving enjoyment/entertainment from their work. Is not one Guide enough to keep reminding ourselves & others about Shailendra’s greatness? Yes, our world is poorer without the likes of Shailendra , who belonged to the golden, now almost forgotten, era of Hindi movie music
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Very well said. Our world is certainly poorer without people like Shailendra, or Sahir, or Majrooh… and many others, lyricists and more. Somehow the cinema that generation was able to create just cannot be paralleled, I think.
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Wonderful list (as always). Shailendra is a poet whom I really love. Vividh Bharati played a few songs of his yesterday afternoon as a tribute. Feel sad that he had to leave early and that too while financially broken due to Teesri Kasam. Life is not always easy.
Difficult to pick a single favourite song but I will go with – Khoya Khoya Chand – It uplifts the mood. And there is a very nice story that RD Burman once narrated in an interview about how and when this song was written.
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I love Khoya-khoya chaand. Great lyrics, wonderful music, and beautifully rendered. :-) I must try and see if I can find that incident you refer to, because I cannot seem to recall it. I should check Anirudha Bhattacharjee and Balaji Vitthal’s biography of RDB.
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Lovely list. But I don’t recognize 1, 2, 5 and 6.
The picturization of ‘Apni to har aah ek toofan hai’ is funny.
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I’m glad you liked this! And yes, the picturization of Apni toh har aah… – the reactions of the parents. :-) And the blissful smiles as they convince themselves that he is a good and righteous soul singing a bhajan. Priceless.
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Ah, There it was… at the end. I was wondering if Apni to har aah ek toofan hai would feature. What a witty song and the picturisation! Superb. Delightful selection of songs, Madhu. I would have included Mat ja mat ja mere bachpan (Choti si mulaqat) – the coming of age song in my list of Shailendra songs I like but Jeevan ke do rahe pe fits the mood you have selected perfectly.
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I am glad you enjoyed this one, Harini! And yes, Mat jaa mat jaa is a song I like a lot too. A very nice addition to the list, thank you.
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To me, the greatest film lyricist ever but certainly, one of the best !
Everybody knows that ‘ Teesri Kasam ‘ totally broke him financially but he was more broke due to the betrayal of his ‘ so called close friends ‘ whom he expected to stand by him in that crisis. I read somewhere that arising out of this despair, he wrote ‘ Rula ke Gaya sapna Mera, baithi hun kab ho savera ‘ of ‘ Jewel Thief ‘ which was his last song.
Your selection of songs of his various moods is immaculate, as always.
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“I read somewhere that arising out of this despair, he wrote ‘ Rula ke Gaya sapna Mera, baithi hun kab ho savera ‘ of ‘ Jewel Thief ‘ which was his last song.”
That’s so tragic. I did know that that was his last song – I think he was specially credited in Jewel Thief for Rulaake gaya sapna – but hadn’t realized it was so straight from the heart. I hadn’t known he had been betrayed by people he considered close friends. How terrible.
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Wonderful post as usual, Madhu!
My favourite Shailendra song must be the one where he messes with so many sacred cows. He adheres punctiliously to the Ghazal format replete with qāfiyā and radif; adds internal rhymes to the first lines of every shēr except the Matlā; and then deploys a vocabulary drawn almost entirely from simple everyday language – not even a whiff of high-flown Persian anywhere!
Incidentally, I find the music lovely too. It’s by the Sitar maestro Pt Ravi Shankar who, for good measure, also created the Raga Tilak Shyam the song is set to. Lata Mangeshkar comes up with a masterly interpretation of this difficult composition. And of course it’s picturised on the ethereally beautiful Leela Naidu (not a great fan of her acting, though).
Lata Mangeshkar, Jaane Kaise Sapnon Mein (Anuradha, 1960):
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Ooh, lovely song, Abhik! And thank you for those annotations. I have to admit I had never paid that much attention to the ‘grammar’ of Jaane kaise sapnon mein – but this time I sat up and paid attention. :-)
P.S. Agree about Leela Naidu’s ethereal beauty, but lack of acting skills. Her diction, especially, I find quite stilted and flat.
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‘Din dhal jaaye haye, raat na jaaye…’ (Guide), ‘O re manjhi…’ (Bandini), ‘O sajana, barkha bahaar aayi…’ (Parakh), ‘Jaago mohan pyaare…’ (Jaagte Raho), ‘Aa ja sanam madhur chandni mein hum…’ (Chori Chori), ‘Yaad kiya dil ne kahaan ho tum…’ (Patita)……the list is endless!
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Indeed the list is endless! One could go on and on, and still have songs left over…
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‘ AA ja sanam madhur Chandni me hum ‘ and ‘ yaad Kiya Dil ne kahaan ho tum ‘ were both penned by Hasrat Jaipuri.
Just a little correction.
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I stand corrected. Thank you!
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A great list!
Difficult for me to add songs, I won’t be able to shortlist.
Kuchh aur Zamana and Aaj phir jeene ki Tamanna are most favourites on the list.
And,
Not a surprise, I missed yet another birth centenary!
😔
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Glad you enjoyed this list, Anupji! And if it’s any consolation, I missed a birth centenary too – of another major lyricist, Prem Dhawan. But I’ll be posting that list later sometime. :-)
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Great post and what an extraordinary tribute to the gifted poet on his birth centenary ! I like all the listed songs very much. And the inclusion of Jeevan Ke Doraahe Pe Khade Sochte Hain Hum startled me like anything. Shailendra had perhaps not penned a single song which could be considered as ordinary or below par.
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I’m glad you enjoyed thus post, Jitendraji. But why were you startled about the inclusion of Jeevan ke doraahe pe khade? I’m curious.
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I should say, startled with joy. This excellent song is definitely an underrated song of Shailendra and this movie (Chhoti Si Mulaqat) as well. Whenever there is a reference to this film’s music, mostly the title track (Ya Ya Yippi Yippi) is recalled. That’s why I was (happily) surprised to find it in your list of Shailendra’s classic songs. Using the word ‘startled’ was incorrect on my part.
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I see. :-) Yes, it is an underrated song, which I find sad, because it’s all around very good: great music, and a superb rendition by Lata in addition to Shailendra’s superb lyrics.
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Madhuji, it is so difficult to pick a few songs of Shailendra! All of them are so well written! He was so spontaneous. It is said that Shailendra was upset that Shankar Jaikishan had used Rajinder Krishan for penning the songs of the movie College Girl (1960). Thus, after a fight with them over this, these were the lines he uttered – chhoti si ye duniyaa, pehchaane raasten hain, tum kahin to miloge, kabhi to miloge to poochhenge haal (The world is small place with familiar roads; we are sure to bump into each other. I will then surely enquire about your well being). These then became the mukhda of a song in Rangoli. The lyrics appear to have come straight from the heart.
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What a wonderful bit of trivia. I guess it goes to show just from where a great poet/writer can draw inspiration – I also guess it might have been somewhat cathartic for Shailendra to write those lines!
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Wow Madhuji.. Superb list and great tribute to a sensitive and humane poet
On the Patriotic mood I would have been tempted to include “Yeh chaman hamara apna hai” from Ab Dilli Door Nahi..
Of course – Mera Joota hai is equally splendid.. So its a sweet and lovely dilemma
A quick aside — Shailendra was addressed Kaviraj in RK camp or did he call himself that, I am not sure…
But my point flows from the song Mera naam Raju gharana Anaam.. where towards the end of a stanza he sums up, ” Kaviraj kahe na yeh raaj rahe na yeh raaj gharana…..
Would any of the knowledgeable readers like to throw light on this one..
Or is it just a coincidence that He mentions the word Kaviraj..
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I don’t recall hearing about the Kaviraj epithet, but it seems befitting a poet of Shailendra’s calibre! His using that word in Mera naam Raju gharaana anaam could be a play on words, actually: it could mean both that he was referring to himself, and that he was referring to ‘great poets’ in general. Very clever.
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Madhu ji, add one more mood i.e., intoxicating and this song.
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Oh, yes. Din dhal jaaye is a wonderful song. Intoxicated, maudlin, regretful: so many adjectives that might fit this.
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Dil ki nazar se in Anari and aajaa sanam from Chori Chori are immkrtal songs and tunes.
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Also jaane kaise sapnin me so gayi .
Thanks for the raagam information,
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Shailendra is one of my favourite lyricist and am also grateful to him, because he was the guru of my another favourite lyricist, Gulzar.
And everytime I think of Shailendra, I think of Teesri Kasam and his sarcastic song, dil kaa haal sune dilwala from Shree 420. Hats off to this genius, who in such a simple and seemingly harmless language could pack such a punch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBlBBJWBSQw
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Oh, yes, Harvey. This is a wonderful song – and such an excellent mix of emotions, really, from the satirical to the heartbreaking, with even a little bit of amusement here and there. Thank you for this.
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I am missing the centenaries and milestones of several of my favourite artistes. :( My poor blog!
That whine apart, what a lovely tribute, Madhu. While Sahir remains my favourite lyricist, Shailendra (and Majrooh) run him a very close second. And yes, ‘Kaviraj’ was the nickname that RK bestowed upon him.
You (and the comments) have already mentioned so many of my favourite songs by Shailendra; let me add a few.
Dil ki girah khol do from Raat aur Din – Philosophical?
Sajnwa bairi ho gay hamaar from Teesri Kasam – Tragic
Zindagi khwab hai from Jagte Raho – Hedonistic
Dil tadap tadap ke keh raha hai Madhumati – Romantic
Chhota sa ghar hoga from Naukri – Optimistic?
Ajeeb dastan hai ye from Dil Apna aur Preet Paraayi – Unrequited love *and* good wishes for the beloved who has moved on
Dum bhar jo udhar munh phere from Awara – Sensual
Neend pari lori gaaye from Char Diwari – Maternal
(I didn’t want to clog your blog up embedding videos, so I hyperlinked them; hopefully, it works!)
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Thank you for taking the trouble to hyperlink all of those songs, Anu, instead of just embedding them! All of them are lovely – several there, too, that were in my shortlist (Dam bhar jo idha, Dil tadap-tadapke, Ajeeb daastan hai yeh…), so I’m especially happy to see them posted by you.
What a very versatile poet Shailendra was.
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