Remembering Shakeel: The unheard story of Mehboob Khan and Shakeel Badayuni

Shakeel Badayuni and Mehboob Khan were both unmatched artists in their respective fields. Both of them have given countless memorable films in collaboration with music emperor Naushad. Among them, 'Andaz', 'Aan', 'Amar', and 'Mother India' are especially noteworthy.

Today's memories are related to them.

Late Mehboob Khan was not educated in the true sense but despite this, he was unmatched in his art. No one could hold his hand. He did not compromise on what he wanted.

In those days Mehboob Khan was making 'Anmol Ghadi'. A song - 'Jawan Hai Mohabbat Hansi Hai Zamana' was being recorded for it. Mehboob Khan objected to some parts of the music. Naushad felt very bad but Naushad is a very calm person, so it is not in his nature to get angry at the slightest objection. Therefore, at that time he remained silent and removed the objectionable parts from the music.

The time came for the same song to be picturized. Coincidentally Naushad was also present on the set. Naushad thought of something mischievous and after taking permission from Mehboob Khan, he saw the shot from the camera and suggested some changes. Mehboob Khan got angry and said.

'What do you know about shots? You play your tabla-peti, Naushad bowed down and saluted respectfully and said is what I wanted to hear from you. Since directing a film is your job, giving music direction is my job.' Mehboob Khan immediately realized Naushad's hurt and said he had taken the right revenge. We are also Pathans, we will take such revenge that you will remember it for a lifetime.'

Mehboob Khan really took such revenge that Naushad remembers him even today. Actually, Mehboob Khan never interfered in Naushad's music, instruments songs or their lyrics, or selection of voices after that although today every person interferes in music whether he knows it or not. And because of this, even such songs are remembered for a few months or a few days. Whereas the sweetness of old songs still fills the ears with joy. They sound as fresh today.

Like late Mehboob Khan, Shakeel Badayuni was also a unique artist of his own kind. He not only gave meaning to the songs but also filled them with sweetness and pain. Before him, people used to just rhyme film songs. There was no depth in them. Shakeel Badayuni was a poet of Ghazal. Despite this, he composed some such sad songs in Hindi that the singer and the listener were forced to cry. The interesting thing is that he wrote all such songs under the music direction of Naushad.

'Aavan kah gae ajahuun n aae
Lii n morii khabariyaa
Mohe bhuul gaye saanvariyaa'

There was one such song in 'Baiju Bawra' which Lata Mangeshkar started crying while singing.
Similarly, while singing another song of Shakeel for Mehboob Khan's 'Mother India', not only Shamshad Begum but other girls singing in the chorus also started crying. That song was-
  'Pee ghar aaj pyaari dulhaniya chali.
  Roen mata pita unki duniya chali.

When Naushad asked Shamshad Begum the reason for crying, Shamshad told him, 'At this moment I felt as if I was bidding farewell to my daughter.' The strangest incident happened in Rashtrapati Bhawan where India's first President Late Shri Rajendra Prasad was being shown 'Baiju Bawra'. Shakeel Badayuni had written a bhajan for it,
'Man tarse hari darshan ko aaj'

The situation was that Swami Haridas could not have darshan of Shri Krishna due to illness. Baiju then started singing this song. He got up from his sick bed and his feet laden with pain started moving to the rhythm of the song. And when he saw the Krishna idol, you know what happened? As soon as Haridas Swami bowed to the idol on the screen, President Rajendra Prasad stood up and bowed. As if he was having darshan of Shri Krishna in person. And then the entire staff stood up with him.

In this world, only those hearts that are alive die. And those who die do not actually die because they remain alive in memories.
Mehboob Khan and Shakeel Badayuni are not in this world but will always remain alive in the hearts of people. As long as Mehboob's films are alive and the music of the films is alive, Shakeel will always remain alive in music and in the hearts of music lovers.

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