Birth Anniversary: some memories of lyricist Ravindra Jain

By Bollyy 28 Feb 2024 in Birthday Special

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Literature and music are my life. Despite this, I am fundamentally a musician first and a lyricist second! Since I am from Aligarh. I grew up in an environment of Urdu, hence I have a deep love for Urdu. I developed a passion for poetry by listening to Mushairas there. Music has been ingrained in my soul since childhood. So when I went to Calcutta, Tagore studied music and literature there. While living there I also composed quite a few tunes. I also provided music for the plays performed there. That music is useful here today. The compositions of 'Jab Deep Jale Aana' and 'Shaam Teri Bansi Pukare Radha Naam' in the film 'Geet Gaata Chal' were made only for the plays. One advantage of writing the songs myself was that while narrating the tunes to the producers, they also liked the lyrics of the songs. In this way, I wrote all the songs for my first films 'Kaanch Aur Heera' and 'Saudagar'. However, Tulsi also got two songs written in 'Chor Machaye Shor'. Similarly, during the days of struggle, Dev Kohli also often used to come to the sittings. Therefore, when I started getting work, I got him to write songs for 'Ram Bharose' and 'Aakhri Kasam'. Because I want to focus more on composing music rather than writing songs. Anyway, the more work is done by sharing it among ourselves, the better it is.

I first got the lyrics written by lyricist Inderjit Singh Tulsi. He is a very musical man. Read by singing and reading a lot. He remembers the folk music of Punjab very well. Perhaps it was the feeling of becoming a film song that brought him from Delhi to Bombay. Nawaz is a big-hearted and friendly person.

The song 'Ek Dal Pe Tota Bole' from the movie 'Chor Machaye Shor'; Sitting was sung at Hotel Hilltop. Both of them were busy working in their respective rooms and if they wanted to talk to me, they kept asking the operator for their room number. But the matter in class was that I wanted to shave, so I asked him for a blade. It was not even remembered that he was Sardar Inderjit Singh Tusli. That's why now whenever we meet, he starts repeating this.

Worked with Hasrat Jaipuri in the film 'Do Jasoos'. He is a very hard-working man. If you get two intervals written, they get 10-12 intervals written. He has a great understanding of meter. He also brings out a lot of commercial punch in the songs. I have many of his songs. I will use them when I get the situation. Poor people have become victims of group arrest. Everyone has their group. By the way, these groups are formed in one minute and break up in the next minute. Which leads to misunderstanding. The work becomes a hit, a group is formed.

Other poets have also done films with Sahir Saheb, Anand Bakshi, Anjaan, Yogesh, Indeevar, Pradeep, Bharat Vyas, Naksh Lyallpuri etc. Working with Sahir Sahab had its pleasure. What a great poet Sahir Saheb was. To say anything about this would be to show a lamp to Suraj, his songs are full of literature. That's why I used to get him to write the situation of the song first. Then he used to compose its tune. Because if such great poets are made to write songs without being trapped in the constraints of meter, then they emerge more prominent. That's why when I talked to Sahir Saheb about writing songs for the film 'Insaaf Ka Taraju', he said that if I can write a better song than 'Sadhana' for it, then I will write the songs for the film, otherwise I will not write. The reason for this was that he had written a powerful song like 'Aurat Ke Janam Diya Mardo Ko' in 'Sadhana'. Therefore, the matter can be resolved only if a better creation is made. And he wrote a song for it 'People consider a woman to be just a body.

Before 'Insaaf Ka Taraju', I had done Prem Sagar's film 'Hum Tere Aashiq Hai' with him. In that, the situation for a song was being explained to him. There are mountains, there are valleys, there is greenery, and there are rivers. Sahir Saheb kept listening to this for some time. When he couldn't bear it, he said - 'You are telling the location. Tell me what is the situation?

Poet Pradeep is also a great poet of his kind. I had given music with him in 'Bole Hey Chakradhari'. Had my first meeting with him. I gave him great respect. When it came to work, he said, 'I need water and a glass'. I said water was fine, but I still didn't understand the glass thing. He said – Actually, without this, the windows of my mind do not open! We said, you go home and we will come there. Because the music room is no less than a temple for us. We do not drink alcohol there. After this, we prepared all the songs sitting at Pradeep Ji's house.

Bharat Vyas ji is also a very talented man. I worked with him in 'Har Har Gange'. His way of working is that after discussing the situation and creating a tune, he watches for a while to see what tune is being made. Then he sits down with his musical instrument. And recite countless songs. The purpose of which is - take from this what the fool is thinking! Why is he wandering? By the way, he also has a lot of sense of music.

Got an opportunity to work with Indivar in the film 'Ek Gaon Ki Kahani'. He is a very interesting man. He has so much medical knowledge that he can take his classes.

After 'Pati Patni Aur Woh', I got a chance to give music with Anand Bakshi in 'Dasi' and 'Ayyaash'. Bakshi Saheb has great sense of music. He is also very fond of singing. Has also sung in two films. That's why their request is to give us also an opportunity to sing. He is a musical man, hence he proves to be very helpful in making tunes. It is said that many people take tunes from him only.

Bakshi Saheb is very afraid of airplane travel. Once he had to go somewhere by air. He said – I am feeling very stressed. I am very scared to go by plane.

I said- Why should you be tensed, those who are taking you will be tensed.

After the confluence of lyricists and composers, filmmakers and singers also have a big role in taking that music to the people. We prepare songs according to the situation. After that, before it reaches the public, it is very important to get the certificate of liking of the film. N. N. Sippy Rajshree Wale and Raj Khosla etc. are such people who have a lot of understanding of music. That's why we like good things immediately. But some are not able to take the decision themselves but prefer it after seeing the reaction of seventy people. Still, sometimes disagreements arise. I composed the song 'Aankhiyon Ke Jharokho Se' for the film 'Ghar'. Director Manek Chatterjee liked it very much but Sippy Saheb said - 'It seems cold.' And he rejected it. I narrated that song to Rajshree people, they immediately liked it and recorded it. It even became the title song of the film. After this, one day Sippy Saheb said that Manekda likes the song 'Aankhi' very much and will record 'Ghar' from her. I told them you were rejected. That's why I have given that song to Rajshri people. He got angry on just this and the film got ruined. However, Sippy Saheb was the first to record my song in Bombay. And by paying ten rupees each he has got his name written on who knows how many tunes. Which I have not told anyone till date.

Rajshree people have their specific taste in films. I had prepared all the songs for his film 'Toofan'. His recording had been fixed. Then one day Raj Babu said - 'Seth ji has come from outside. Let them also sing the song. Raj Babu had said that Tarachand ji would also be happy after listening to the music. But Seth ji rejected all of them. But Raj Babu recorded all those songs at his own risk. And of which the title songs - 'Toofan Hai Mera Naam', and 'Pyaar Kar Pyaar Kar' were also quite popular.

When the song 'Agre Se Ghaghra Manga De Sayyaan Ghaghra Ke Beecham-Beech Taj Ki Tasveer Ho' was being recorded for 'Chor Machaye Shor', an objection was raised that the word 'Beecham-Beech' did not sound good. Therefore, it had to be changed to 'There should be a picture of the Taj on the ghagra'. With the change, the line did not fall from the meter but it fell from their eyes. Due to this changes had to be made. In this way, the singers themselves censor the words even before the censor board.

Similarly, for 'Toofan' we wrote a song in Asha ji's voice -

fairy princess

when will you get married

then what will happen?

your instrument will ring

After three-four days of recording, Asha ji called - 'What song have you recorded?' People are saying it is vulgar!

It is amazing that while singing, Asha ji did not feel bad about singing but people praised her without any reason. At last, I explained to them that only band-baja plays at the wedding. This is an instrument. There is no obscenity in this. When she finally understood. Otherwise, before censoring, people had left no stone unturned in creating trouble by censoring.

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