A Tribute To Bharat Bhushan On His 100th Birth Anniversary Yesterday

Not many are aware of the fact that yesterday 14^th June 2019, marked the 100^th Birth Anniversary of the late actor Bharat Bhooshanji. Aparajita Bhooshan, his daughter, has paid a humble tribute to him through these few words that arise spontaneously from her heart. On her request, her childhood friend Ashok Shekhar, son of the legendary film personality, Chandra Shekharji, her father’s best friend, has shared her thoughts with JYOTHI VENKATESH for all the readers of bollyy.com.

“My father indeed had a wondrous journey and as I reflect on him sometimes, I marvel at how he enjoyed the ultimate days of glory and stardom and thereafter, so graciously accepted and embraced the most challenging days in the last phase of his journey! He had contributed the best he could to the cellular world of cinema through his unforgettable mythological and historical films, some of them being Bhakt Kabir, Baiju Bawra, Mirza Ghalib, Barsaat Ki Raat, Basant Bahar, Maa, Kavi Kalidas, Sangeet Samrat Tansen, Phagun, Gateway of India and Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu!

“I remember him of course for his unparalleled portrayal of these famous characters with such realistic, artistic finesse … yet I miss him more for all that he gifted to me intangibly as a human being with stoic principles and ideals! He exemplified how life is to be lived at one’s own terms without compromises on character or dignity and how one must learn to accept life’s uncertainties with quiet calm and spiritual strength! His invaluable collection of books and music and unflinching faith in himself were his solace in his days of aloneness and solitude!

“My father lost all his material possessions, bungalows, cars and the rest, but never ever did I see him complain or grudge, or bitterly accuse anyone or any event in his life! The only times I saw his eyes moist were when he worried about his paraplegic daughter, Anuradha, my elder sister! A few weeks ago I came across an article posted on the net, written in 1961 by the late lyricist Sahir Ludhianviji, who had been very close to my father. His depiction of my father as the person he actually was , is the most touching and appropriate one I have ever read! I wonder at this intense, complete description of my father by his poet friend! It is titled - Bharat Bhushan as I know him! Yes, indeed, when Bharatji passed away in January 1992, it was a silent and unpretentious farewell ! And my tribute to my father would be incomplete if I did not share Sahirji’s precious words with you”!

Over to Sahirji! “I sit on the well-mowed lawn outside Bharat’s single-storeyed bungalow in Santa Cruz, waiting for Bharat to return from the studio. There is no one around me. All is silence. I ponder. The first time we met was on the pre­mises of a bank, hardly a place for me, a poor poet. Bharat had been in films for about four­teen years; I for about nine. I had seen his portrayal of Kabir and he had read all my verses. We knew each other only through our work. I had formed an image of Bharat in my mind. So had he of me. But his image was utterly different. He had imagined me to be a white-bearded, bent-backed man with one foot already in the grave! No wonder, because though an ardent student of Hindi literature, his acquaintance with Urdu literature and litterateurs was recent. “What probably amused Bharat was that his `favorite poet’ turned out to be a tall, lean, straight-backed young man of thirty. What amused me was that my image almost tallied with the man himself! Few are aware of the warmth, affection and friendship which exist between him and me. We have the unquestioned run of each other’s house. I don’t know whether Bharat would reciprocate the sentiment, but so far as I am concerned I do not know of a better way of spending my leisure than with him. Often we have sat together for hours and not ex­changed more than a few sentences in all; for between true friends a silent communion often grows which makes words sound empty.

“It was during the planning stages of “Bar­saat Ki Raat” that we saw much of each other. Sitting to discuss the story of the film, its characters and other preliminaries afforded me an opportunity of knowing the man. Simpli­city is his virtue; so is humility. Everyone who knows Bharat superficially tells me that he has one great failing—that of never being able to muster courage to say ‘no’ to anyone or anything. But I know to the contrary. It is not because of lack of courage, but because life has mellowed him to the point of never wanting to inflict pain. When, on rare occa­sions, he does say ‘no’ to someone, he is as firm as a rock, while at the same time remaining gentle as a lamb.

“Bharat is the supreme example of an in­trovert. He is always withdrawn and mostly takes refuge in a book. He is a man of few words, but when he speaks, he impresses the listener deeply. To my mind Bharat’s perso­nality has been greatly influenced by the bio­graphical roles he has played. There is Kabir, the mystic poet-saint; Ghalib, the eloquent poet with a life time devoted to the flavor of wine and the music of words; Chaitanya, the great founder of the Krishna bhakti cult; Baiju, the singer who sang from his heart and loved with his soul; and Kalidasa, Sanskrit’s supreme poet. While playing the parts of these great men of the past, Bharat had an invaluable opportunity to probe deeper into their hearts and souls; study their character, mannerisms and the stuff they were made of. This in turn influenced his personality to a great extent.Whenever the youth of today calls to mind Kabir, Kalidasa, Ghalib or Chaitanya, he im­mediately thinks of Bharat.

“Once a film producer asked me for my photograph and I gave him one from my album. On seeing the photo he said: “You don’t look like a poet in it.” To this I had only one reply. “If you want a poet’s photo,” I said, “take one of Bharat.” His knowledge is profound, but he sel­dom displays it. I remember a recent gather­ing at his residence when the topic of nuclear science came up for discussion. The discussion was obscure to all the persons pre­sent, but, curiously enough, Bharat was an interested listener. I thought he was merely trying not to appear an ignoramus. He proved me wrong by interposing a remark couched in such scientific terms that everyone looked at him in surprise. Later on, he shamefacedly confessed to me that included in his leisure- time reading were two or three scientific jour­nals to which he was a regular subscriber. “His collection of books is already legendary. His house is more like a library than a home. This brings to my mind an incident which hap­pened not long ago. I was waiting for Bharat in his living-room. At last he returned from his work. I asked him jokingly, “Whom do you want?” He paused a little and said: “You are entitled to ask this question because this house looks more as if it belongs to a writer than to a film star” For years he has been in a position to ‘show off’ and throw his weight around. But he has always risen above the cheap tempta­tion to swank and brag. He is allergic to social functions and crowds, also to suits and boots. A simple shirt, a white trouser and a pair of chappals have practically ruined his social career!

“Since his wife’s death Bharat has been lonely and the impression one receives of meeting a sad, isolated man seems to have deepened. But no one will deny that the man has borne his loss with the characteristic stoi­cism of the philosopher. His devotion to his two daughters- Anuradha and Aparajita is tantamount to an obsession worthy of going down in folklore. The absence of a life partner is felt—sometimes acutely— but there is a strong disinclination to fill the void in a hurry. “No two children could wish for a more con­siderate father. To be capable of such extreme self-effacement, to be so careless of one’s own needs and happiness, one has to be more than an ordinary man. One has to be a Bharat Bhushan. And that is how I have come to regard Bharat Bhushan in almost every aspect. To me he is an extraordinary human being. Right from the way he receives his dinner guests down to his treatment of his domestics, the man displays patience, kindliness, genero­sity, considerateness and cool aplomb.

“There is at least one excellent reason which accounts for the strong affinity between Bha­rat and me. We are both shy of public and so­cial functions. But while I am blunt and out­spoken in my antipathy to these functions, Bharat is tactful and diplomatic. There is another strange reason why I am so fond of Bharat Bhushan and seek him out so much and so frequently. Poetry, you see, hates Noise. It seeks, loves and epitomizes sil­ence. And in no other man do I find silence cultivated to such a fine art. I find inspiration in his unremitting worship of silence, in his uncompromising disdain of noise. “Bharat is a genuine lover of poetry. His library is stocked with all the celebrated poets’ diwans and it is amazing how much he remem­bers of them. I was once trying to recite a poem of my own at his house and got stuck at a point. With the air of a man apologizing for the interruption, up came Bharat with the missing words. You might have thought he had read the poem yesterday! Or written it! Most film producers who engage me to write their songs are generally eager and anxi­ous to give me all possible comforts and aids to good writing—a solitary, cool, well-furnish­ed room, good food and so forth. But I wish I had a rupee to give myself for every song I have conceived and written in the solitude of Bharat Bhushan’s house—the one haven of peace and calm I most love to retire to, for work or pleasure. And the greatest single fac­tor that contributes most largely to this peace and quiet, this blessed, ennobling, invigorating and activating silence is Bharat Bhushan himself. Wherever he is, he becomes an island of Silence and it is in this island that I most yearn to take my poet’s refuge”!

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