Lalit Pandit On Working With Anand Bakshi In DDLJ

Lalit Pandit, one-half of the Jatin–Lalit duo recalls the experience of working with Anand Bakshi. 

Lalit Pandit: “Anand Bakshi  Saab, my brother Jatin and I met for music session of Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge(DDLJ) at Mr  Yash Chopra’s  bungalow. Bakshi Saab would  get the briefing for the song situations,  go back home  , write  the song and then  return again to Yashji’s home with  the words for the song.”

Lalit Pandit makes a startling revelation. “Do you know  the opening  two lines of Mehndi lagake ke rakhna—Yeh kudiyan nashe di pudiya, yeh munde gali de gunde – was not only written  by Bakshi Saab but also composed by him in one  sitting on Yashji’s request. Yashji said,  Shah Rukh’s entry in the song  must be done to the accompaniment of the special two lines. Anand Bakshi Saab wrote and  composed  Shah Rukh’s opening. The rest of the song was composed by me.”

  Apparently Anand Bakshi  secretly composed  the tune  for several hit songs. Bakshi Saab has composed many  songs without taking credit for it. He has composed  the  mukhda(opening riff)  of  Gadi bula rahi hai(in Dost) and Aaj mausam bada hai(Loafer). Only  the opening riffs are Bakshi Saab’s. The  rest  of the song you can make  out the mature harmonies are  Laxmikant-Pyarelal’s.”

Recalling Bakshi Saab’s  speed , style  and substance Lalit Pandit says, “He wrote a song for any situation in a jiffy.Aur kamal  ka likhte the woh! He would  call us at his home  at 4.30 pm for other  soundtracks like Albela  , etc  that we did together.  He would start at 4.30 and have the words for  the entire song ready by 5.30 pm when he  went for  his walk.For him  writing  the lyrics for a song was like  having breakfast. Hanste  khelte  kaam ho jaata ttha.”

Anand Bakshi didn’t like to write in the lyrics to pre-composed tunes.

Recalls Lalit Pandit, “Bakshi Saab would call before a musical sitting and ask if my brother Jatin and I have already composed the tune. I’d no. He’d say, ‘Good,  let me arrive first then we’ll do it  together. Sometimes he’d  come with the words for the mukhda. While  he  would be  conversing with  people, his mind was constantly writing songs. Many times while  I’d play the tune he would  hum along the words created there and then along with the tune. This suited producers just fine.Tune and words together, that was Bakshi Saab’s USP. He was  a great artiste. Mahaan  insaan Anand Bakshi.”