Since time immemorial, Love has been questioned, challenged and put to the test, and society too has been judgemental pedantic and condescending towards anyone who has dared to be different and to express emotion unabashedly.
Poet laureate and lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi however dared to question society openly. Through his poetry and songs. Sahir questioned all the atrocities and inequalities of life, as well the lunacy of war. The questioned the ever growing love for materialism in people, which destroys friendship and relationships. His poetry and songs created a special space for him in the world of writers. He was known as a revolutionary writer, and it is a matter of conjecture whether he was revoluting for his own means and purposes, or more probably, initiating a poetical revolution on behalf of all of us.
We all have issues, we will be have queries in our hearts, but not the compassion and grit to set right all the wrongs that are done to us in life. Somewhere along the path we change our pace or even routes according to the situations that we face, but to go through life holding on to our ideologies and convictions requires a special kind of determination, and Sahir the poet, the writer and the human being personified it all, through his songs, his poetry and interaction with life and its intrinsic situations. Sahir got his first break in films with the help of fellow-writer and good friend Prem Dhawan, who suggested his name to Anil Biswas. The song was "Mohabbat tarq kee maine, garibaan see liya maine, Zamane ab to khush hand over zaher yeh bhi pee liya maine..." and it was sung by the mesmeric Talat Mehmood. The Film got delayed and meanwhile Sahir got a headstart to his career as lyricist with the eclectic composer S.D. Burman, in 1951 with the film "Naujawan" starring Nalini Jaywant and Premnath. Two songs stood out immediately – "Dil ka dard na jaane duniya, jaane dil tadpana..." and "Thandi Hawaaen lehraake aaye, rut hai jawan unko yahaan kaise buaayen.."
This was the beginning of the Sahir – SDB daur. They did over 15 films together, and songs from some of these films even determined the overall success of these films. The Dev Anand – Geeta Bali starrer Baazi was a Super Hit. Songs sung by the ethereal minstrel Geeta Dutt like "Yeh Kaun Aaya Ke Mere Dil Ki Duniya then Bahaar Aayi....", "Tadbeer se bigdi huyi taqdeer banaa le.....", "Aaj ki raat piya dil na todo, man ki baat piya maan lo..." and "Suno gajar kya gaaye, samay guzarta jaaye..." established a milestone in the music scene.
After Baazi the Sahir – SDB Combination gave us songs to swoon over in films like Sazaa, Jaal, Lal Kunwar, Armaan, Jeewan Jyoti, Babla, Shahenshah, Angaarey, Taxi Driver, House No.44, Devdas, Munimjee, Society, Funtoosh and the last but the most memorable Pyaasa in 1957. The songs of this film took the nation by storm. Each and every song was a monument of exquisite expression and melody to match, and these song gems are still rendered and remembered with love almost 50 years later.
After Pyaasa, Sahir and S.D. Burman parted ways due to personal differences. Luckily for us, the songs remained because you cannot separate a lyric from the melody, and because of their beauty and ingenuity, the Sahir-SDB combination has become immortal.
Sahir wrote sons for several films from 1950 to 1980 and he worked with almost all the popular composers of this era, which included a range from Shyam Sunder, C. Ramchandra, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, N. Dutta, Madan Mohan, Hemant Kumar, Chitragupta, Roshan, Ravi, Jaidev, Khaiyyaam, O.P. Nayyar, Usha Khanna, Kalyanji Anandji, Laxmikant Pyarelal, R.D. Burman, Rajesh Roshan and Hridaynath Mangeshkar.
Sahir also wrote the lyrics for a film called Didi in 1959, under the combined baton of N. Dutta and singer Sudha Malhotra. His position as an ace writer in the history of film music is unchallenged and his contribution to Indian Cinema is tremendous. His lyrics added luster and mystic romanticism to films like Jaal, Amar, Sone Ki Chidiya, Dharamputra, Phir Subah Hogi, Dhool Ka Phool, Devdas, Barsaat Ki Raat, Ghazal, Chitralekha, Mujhe Jeeno Do, Hum Dono, Taj Mahal and many more. His last films were Deedar-E-Yaar, Lakshmi and Jeeo Aur Jeene Do (1982).
He has to his credit a variety of songs including classical-based numbers like "Laaga Chunari Mein Daag, Chhupaaoon Kaise..." (Dil Hi To Hai) invigorating qawwalis like 'Na to kaaravan ki talaash hai..." (Barsaat Ki Raat), while his mastery over ghazals is a phenomenon by itself. After all, his foray into films was preceded by his collection of Ghazals which were published in the late 'Forties like Talkhiyaan, Parchhaian Aao Koyi Khwab Bune and Gaata Jaaye Banjara. These poems were a mirror to his heart and soul, in which he revealed his entire persons for the whole wide world to behold. Several of these poems were later incorporated in films like "Pyaasa and Sone Ki Chidiya."
It is not as if Sahir wrote only sad and rueful songs – there are plenty of examples of a lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek subtle 'masti in several songs, like 'Chaahe Koyi Khush ho chaahe gaaliyaan hazaar de....." (Taxi Driver) and he also wrote rhythmic numbers like 'Ude jab jab zulfen teri, kunwariyon ka dil machle...." (Naya Daur).

Sahir passed away in 1980 but as he proceeded towards his Heavenly abode, he silently crept into our hearts, and slowly and certainly made a cozy nook for himself. Each and every music lover adores this controversial sage of the golden era of music, and if there are stories floating around of the strife in his personal life, it is only natural, for every legendary genius of his time has been a topic of discussion because such people are a rare, mysterious enigma for us.
 

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"Kuch log zamane me aakar
geeton ki zubaan ban jaate hain
kuch log dilon me ghar karke
nagmon ke nishaan ban jaate hain
ai kaash Madan Mohan jaise
'Samrat' dubara paida ho
jo ghazlon do zinda kar de
is daur ko sharminda kar de
phir se dhun ki jhankaar baje
sangeet ka phir shingaar saje".

Madan Mohan was born on 25th June, 1924, into the prestigious family of Rai Bahadur Chunnilal, one of the charismatic doyens of Indian Cinema, connected with the Bombay Talkies and later Filmistan Studios. On the insistence of his father, Madan Mohan joined the Army, but his heart was not in it, so he finally quit and went to Lucknow to join A.I.R. His musical roots strengthed in Lucknow because he came across famous people like Ustad Faiyyaz Khan, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Roshan Ara Begum, Begum Akhtar, Sidheshwari Devi and Talat Mehmood, all renowned names in the field of classical muic and Ghazal singing. He imbibed from them passion and deep understanding of Ghazal composition. This early influence seems to be one of the main reasons why he excelled in exquisite compositions, inspite of the fact that he had no formal training in music. Madan Mohan came to Bombay in the late 1940's. He assisted S.D. Burman and later Shyam Sunder for a brief spell. He met the Reigning Queen of Gayaki, Lata Mangeshkar in the Filmistan Studios, and thus began a warm and close relationship, both professional as well as personal, for Lataji called him "Bhaiya". Soon they became a great team together and Lata song for almost all his films. Madan Mohan made excellent use of voices of Talat Mahmood and Mohd. Rafi as well. His favourite lyricists were Raja Mehndi Ali Khan, Rajendar Krishan and Kaifi Azmi. Majrooh Sultanpuri and Sahir Ludhianvi also wrote for him for a few films. He did not receive any popular awards, but he received the Sur Singar Sansad Award in 1966 for his song "Naino Me Badra Chhaye..." for the film "Mera Saaya". He was known as the Ghazal Samrat of Indian Music. He died on 14th July, in the year 1975. He did not live to see the success of two of his very big hits "Mausam" and "Laila Majnu". Most popular films of Madan Mohan were "Ashiyana, Madhosh, Baghi, Bhai Bhai, Mastane, Gateway of India, Dekh Kabeera Roya, Adalat, Chacha Zindabad, Manmauji, Sanjog, Who Kaun Thi, Jahan Ara, Ghazal, Sharabi, Mera Saaya, Neela Akash, Ek Kali Muskayi, Chirag, Dastak, Heer Ranjha, Haste Zakhma, Mausam, etc. Some of the most mesmeric songs made under the magical baton of Madan Mohan are as follows.
"Mori attariya pa kaaga bole" (Ankhen – 1950),
"Meri yaad me tum na aansoo bahana" (Madhosh – 1951),
"Basti Basti Parbat Parbat Gaata Jaye Banjara" (Railway Platform – 1955)
"Kaun aaya mere man ke dwaare" (Dekh Kabeera Roya – 1957)
"Tujhe kya sunaun mai dilruba" (Aakhri Daao – 1958) "
Unko yeh shikayat hai ke hum kuch nahi kahte" (Adalat – 1958)
"Saba se yeh kehdo" (Bank Manager – 1959)
"Bhuli huyi yaadon mujhe itna na satao" (Sanjog – 1961) "
Rang aur noor ki baraat kise pesh karoon" (Ghazal – 1964)
"Kar chale hum fida" (Haqueequat – 1964)
"Teri ankhon ke siwa duniya me rakha kya hai" (Chiraag – 1969)
"Baiyan na dharo O balma" (Dastak – 1970)
"Dil dhoondta hai phir wahi fursat ke raat din" (Mausam – 1975)
Madan Mohan will live forever in our hearts as long we live on this earth, and even after that our hearts will sing "baharein humko dhoondengi na jane hum kahan honge".

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