Am sure most of us remember Padosan as one of RD Burman’’s landmark films. Probably every single movie buff knows that Padosan’’s music was composed by Panchamda. Ironically, not many of us know who wrote the lyrics of these evergreen songs! The answer to that is, the legendary Rajendra Krishan. He is one of my favourites and I am sure once I start unveiling the work that this great lyricist has done, you will appreciate my effort of writing this review ;) Today, when people talk about lyricists, the first name which comes up is likely to be Sahir, then perhaps Majrooh and so on.
But who remembers that unassuming man who wrote classic lyrics like Gore gore (Samadhi 50) Aibad-e-saba aahista chal (Anarkali 53) and Chal ud ja re panchi (Bhabhi 57)? This is in fact the irony regarding Rajendra Krishan, whom one could call the ’’Invisible Giant’’. His creations spanned three decades and hundreds of classics bore his signature, but very few are able to recall his authorship today. Rajendra Krishan was born in Shimla, on June 6, 1919.
Even when he was studying in the eighth class he was attracted towards poetry. However, fate led him to a clerk’’s job in the municipal office, where he toiled upto 1942. During that period, he read eastern and western authors extensively and wrote poetry. He expresses his indebtedness to the Urdu poetry of Firaq Gorakhpuri and Ahsan Danish, as well as to the Hindi poems of Pant and Nirala. In those days the newspapers in the Delhi-Punjab brought out special supplements and held poetry contests to mark Krishna Janmashtami, in which he participated regularly. Which may explain the large number of Krishna-Radha classics he wrote for films later on, Brindavan ka (Miss Mary 57), Kaise avun Jamuna ke teer (Devta 56), Mat maro Shyam (Durgesh Nandini 56), Radha na bole (Azad 55) to name a few. In the mid-40s he moved to Mumbai to try his luck in films as a scriptwriter, as well as lyricist.
His first lyrics were for Zanjeer, his first script for Janta, both in ’’47. However, he had no luck with these. Then his script and lyrics for the Motilal-Suraiya starrer Aaj Ki Rat in ’’48 brought him recognition. Then the miracle happened: a private song he wrote and Rafi sang, brought both into the classic class - it was Bapu ki ye amar kahani whose 78 rpm record in those days could be seen in every house which boasted of a hand-cranking gramophone. Then in ’’49 he tasted immortality, his lyrics for Shyam Sunder’’s Lahore (Baharen phir bhi ayengi) and Hunslal-Bhagatram’’s Badi Behan (Chup chup khadi ho) which celebrated silver jubilee, became immensely popular.
The pleased producer of the latter presented Rajendra Krishan with Rs 1000 per month and an Austin car as well! A new phase began in his life. His knowledge of Tamil made him the ideal choice for AVM, and others to use his services for their films like Bahar, Ladki, Bhai Bhai. The music directors for whom he regularly wrote songs - C Ramchandra, Madan Mohan and Hemant Kumar were also composing for the South Indian Hindi movies. The combination chalked up a series of hits right into the Sixties.Rajendra Krishan also participated in the struggle to get a status for lyricists. As a person he was amiable, easy-going and full of humour. These characteristics expressed themselves in his lyrics also.
His songs are simple, inventive and full of meaning. He could write a swinging song like Mr John, Baba Khan and in the same film Barish (’’57) a philosophical song, Dane dane pe likha hai khanewale ka nam, lenewale karod, denewale ek Ram. The songs he wrote for Anarkali (’’53), Yeh zindagi usiki hai and Jaag dard-e-ishq jaag have attained legendary status. His Nagin (’’54) songs Man dole mera tan dole and Mera dil ye pukare aja are reverberating in our hearts even today. Apart from the three music directors mentioned above, he also wrote for other great composers like Sajjid Hussain (Saiyan ’’51, Sangdil ’’52), SD Burman (Bahar’’51, Sazaa ’’51, Ek Nazar ’’51), S Mohinder (Papi ’’53), Chitragupt (Bhabhi ’’57, Kangan ’’59), Salil Choudhry (Chaya ’’61), Laxmikant-Pyarelal (Intaqam ’’69). He could pen love-ballads and comedy songs with equal ease and effect. In the first category come the standards like Ye hawa ye raat ye Chandni (Sandgil), Koun aya mere man ke dware payal ki jhankar liye (Dekh Kabira Roya ’’57) and Ai dil mujhe bata de (Bhai Bhai ’’56).
As the whole world knows C Ramchandra and Madan Mohan put a special ingredient into the songs they gave to Lata. Who can remain unmoved when listening to the following songs Rajendra Krishan wrote for her: Hum pyar me jalnewalon ko chain kahan aram kahan (Jailor ’’58), Sapne me sajan se do bate ik yad rahi ik bhool gayen (Gateway Of India ’’57), Ai chand pyar mera (Khazana ’’51) and Wo bhuli dastan lo phir yad agayi (Sanjog ’’61)?
On the other hand, the comedy songs he wrote for the same composers are a totally different kettle of fish. Here Rajendra Krishan’’s comic music soared to delightful heights. He would take a central idea and keep on adding layer after layer of fancies to create a bright new world.In Patanga, Lata and Shamshad take turns to describe a world of love where all the known institutions operate under strange rules - Pyar ke jahan ki nirali sarkar hai the post-office is actually the human eye and telegrams are glances; there is a school but it has only one class in it, lakhs of students enrol there but very few pass; the lessons are tough but oh so enjoyable! In fact if you fall in love you’’ll join the unemployed masses. Every day will be holiday for you - har din itwar hai!
In the film Chandan (’’58) we see Johnny Walker as a traffic constable singing the praises of the Super Cop in the Skies, who has a key for every lock and a lock for every key. Bada hi CID hai vo neeli chhatriwala, no one sees him receiving reports, but the moment a crime occurs he gets an ’’’’automatic telephone’’’’ and he has with him a pocket book in which has been noted sabka maal masaala, his thana stretches in all directions and it is always open. Everyone has to go there sometime or other. You can’’t influence him, for all are equal so far as he is concerned - kya saali kya saala!
Rajendra Krishan was fond of races; strangely enough he actually won a jackpot for an estimated 46 lakhs! This obviously took the edge off his struggle for existence! He won the Filmfare award for 1965 for the film Khandan. At the time of his death in 1988, he had written songs for 300 films, of which 100 carried his screenplay as well.
HMV gave him the honour of being a major lyricist and brought out an LP containing 12 of his songs. He deserved all the honours he received, but none of them can do justice to the legacy of sheer listening pleasure he has bequeathed us.