Hazrat Jaipuri, A Tribute On his 99th Birth Anniversary

Hasrat Jaipuri Saab Was A  Poet Who Thought  Like The  Masses,” Says LataMangeshkar,Paying The Peerless  Poet A Tribute On his  99^th  Birth Anniversary

If Hasrat Jaipuri had lived longer  he  would have been 99 on May 15. He left behind a luminous lucid legacyof lyrics  :  Zindagi ek safar hai suhana yahan  kal kya ho kissne  jaana, the song from the film Andaz(1971)  that went a long way  in  the making of Rajesh Khanna’s  superstardom was written by Hasrat  Jaipuri.

Lata Mangeshkar  who sang some of Hasrat Jaupiri’s finest  film songs recalls her  association with Shankar-Jaikishan.  “Hasrat Saab had a tuning with  Shankar while Jaikishan liked his songs  to be mostly written by Shailendra. They  were all part of Raj  Kapoor’s  team. Hasrat Saab, Shailendraji, Shankar-Jaikishan, Mukesh…they had a professional association with Raj Kapoor. I was called to sing a lot of their songs.But I  was  not professionally  bound into the RKorganization.”

Recalling Hasrat Saab Lataji  says, “He  was  funny and poetic sometimes at  the same time. Listen   to  Aao twist Karen in  Mehboob Bhai’s film  Bhoot Bungla. And then listen to  Duniyabanana wale kya  tere mann mein samayee  in Teesri Kasam.  It is  hard to believe  they were  both written  by the  same poet. Hasrat Saab was  versatile and he wrote  a poetry that  was accessible  to the common man .And he was  really funny. He  could tell a joke  and he  enjoyed  jokes at  everyone’s expense including his own.”

What about  Lataji’s luminous  songs written by Hasrat Saab?  “They were truly  poetic songs. Ajee  rooth kar abb kahan jayiyega(Arzoo) , Ehsaan tera hog mujhpar(Junglee) , Unse mili nazarke  mere  hosh udd gaye(Jhuk Gaya Aasman) , Tum mujhe yun bhula na paoge(Pagla  Kahin Ka)…I think  my last  big hit written  by Hasrat Saab was  Sun sahiba sun in Ram Teri Ganga  Maili.”

Lataji gives  credit to Raj Kapoor for fostering and  nurturing musical talent. “Raj Saab could  play  any number  of musical instruments  from the harmonium and piano to the guitar and table. He  would  make  suggestions to  musicians and lyricists   and they would happy  incorporate  his  suggestions. Hasrat Saab came  into  the RK banner  from the  time it was established.  He wrote the songs  for  RK Films’ first production Barsaat. I sang almost all  the songs  of  the  film. The superhit Jiya beqaraar hai  was written by Hasrat Saab.It’s special song in my career. It was one of my  first big  hits.I think every song of his that I  sang was a  hit.”