Didn't have to struggle to become a lyricist or an actor

- Old Interview

When I reached the house of lyricist-actor Gulshan Bawra at the appointed time, he was waiting for me. Made me sit and went to 'arrange' for the evening. On arrival he also offered me but when I asked for a glass of thanga, he brought a glass of sherbet for me.

Taking a sip of his drink, Gulshan Bawra said, 'Now tell me, what you want to ask?'

Are you a poet or an artist? that was my first question.

I am only a lyricist. Writing songs for a film and doing poetry are two different things. If writing film songs and poetry were the same thing, today all the poets would have become songwriters. Poet-Inquilab Hazrat Josh Malihabadi was also called into film industries to write songs but he could not spend there. Eventually, he left the film industry. Similarly, many other great poets came and went back unsuccessful. Gulshan Bawra told.

‘Then where and how did you get the urge to write this song?’ I asked
'Actually, my mother was of great religious views. I often used to go to Kirtan etc. with him. It had the effect that I started writing hymns. After this, in 1947, both my parents were killed in the riots. That shock was so heavy on my heart that whatever I used to write, I used to feel pain. And when pain arises in the heart, then poetry starts coming out automatically. Then I went to Delhi. When he reached college, seeing the girls, he started writing love songs. Just like this, interest and mastery in poetry increased. Gulshan Bawra said.

‘So how did you get into films?’ I asked.
I had a hobby of writing songs. People also liked the songs. It was only because of his praise that I thought why not try my luck in films (Mumbai)? Incidentally, in 1955, he came to Mumbai as a Goods Clerk in the Railways. In this way in Mumbai, there was only the support of Dal-roti, he also started the struggle for films. After coming here, I got a place to stay in Jogeshwari. A production controller Swaran Singh lived there. When he heard my songs, he liked them very much. He introduced her to producer-director Ravindra Dev. Ravindra Dev heard one or two songs of mine and sent them to Kalyanji-Anandji. Then he heard my songs. He gave to write a song in 'Chandrasena'. I wrote the song according to the situation and handed it over to him. That song was- 'Main kya jaanoon kahe yeh sawan matwala hai.' That song played and played well. After that he made me write three songs for 'Satta Bazar'. The rest of its lyrics were written by Hasrat and Shailendra. But all three songs were hits. They were (1) 'You will remember sometimes we met' (2) for a few pieces of silver (3) 'The business of figures, Kabhi Teji Kabhi Manda' simply, these songs opened the doors of luck. Then I kept getting opportunities to write songs with N. Dutta, Ravi, Hansraj Behl, Usha Khanna, etc.' Gulshan Bawra said.

But how did he start acting while writing this song? Did you have a passion for acting since childhood?’ I asked.
'Neither was fond of it nor ever fought for it. This is an unsolicited pearl. It so happened that one day I was sitting at Ravindra Dev's place. There was a character in 'Satta Bazar' who simply asked, 'Will you do a role in the film?' I immediately agreed. Some scenes happened but later Johnny Walker came in that role and I was left with only one scene. People liked that one scene too. Then it became such a situation that in the film for which he used to write songs, he would have to do a half-role as well.' Gulshan said.

‘That means you neither had to struggle as a lyricist nor to become an actor,’ I said.
'Absolutely! And the biggest thing was that the producer-director himself used to call me happy and also used to show respect. Since I used to do service, I never extended my hand in front of anyone to ask for work or to ask for five rupees for food. If I had spread my hand, then I would have fallen out of sight. That's why she used to get respect from everyone.' Gulshan Bawra said.

‘When did you leave the service?’ I asked.
After the songs of 'Satta Bazar' became a hit, I had enough work, so I left the service. And only one friend. Started working in production with P. Kashyap. It was because of him that he wrote songs for his friend Manoj Kumar's films 'Shaheed' and 'Upkar'. Gulshan Bawra said.

'Sorry, even after giving so many hit songs, you could not become the market that Sahir, Majrooh, etc. had at that time. What is the reason for this? Why couldn’t you walk like them for longer?’ I said.

'Look, the point is, I believe in doing less but doing better. In overwork, the man would have written only 110 or 112 songs along with his work. Despite this, my hit songs have an average at best. Because I wrote fewer songs, I wrote good ones and that's why most of the hits happened.' Gulshan Bawra said.

How do you manage to juggle acting and composing songs? I asked.
‘Nowadays I have closed the acting shop. Now I only write songs. I need more time and peace to compose songs, now I don't have time to act after writing songs,' said Gulshan Bawra.
'The film industry is infamous for factionalism. This is the reason why many are unable to get work here. Have you felt this too?’ I asked.

'No, this is wrong. Tuning does not work here. People call it factionalism or monopoly. The point is that Salim-Javed

 -Parvez Syed