Gulshan Bawra: Lyricist with the magic pen
Rajendra Bora
Noted lyricist Gulshan Bawra, whose song in Manoj Kumar’s film ‘Upkaar’ – ‘Mere Desh Ki Dharti Sona Ugle’ – turned out to be one of the finest patriotic songs in Hindi films, passed away in Mumbai today. Many would not know that the poet who also wrote ‘Yaari Hai Imaan Mera’ for Amitabh Bacchhan’s first blockbuster ‘Zanjeer’, had Jaipur connection.
The poet, who thrilled the Hindustani Film Music buffs for about 40 years had his schooling in Jaipur. He was born at Sheikhupura, about 30 kms from Lahore in undivided India. His original name was Gulshan Kumar Mehta. His family was a victim to the partition riots where young Gulshan saw his parents being killed in front of his eyes. After the tragedy his sister brought him and his elder brother to Jaipur and brought them up. The family used to live in Raja Park area and Gushan had his schooling in the Pink City.
After his brother got a job, Gulshan was shifted to Delhi where he graduated from the Delhi University. He started writing poetry in his college days. After graduation he got a job in Railways and was posted to Kota. But he found that the post at Kota had already been filled when he reached there to join. He was later posted as a clerk in Mumbai, the tinsel town.
He tried to get a break in films remaining in his job. Kalyanji - Veerji Shah gave him first opening in ‘Chandrasena’ (1959) and Lata Mangeshkar sang his very first song ‘Main kya jaanu kahan laage yeh saawan matwala re’
He tasted his first big success in film ‘Satta Bazar’ when Kalyanji – Anandji’s musical score gripped the audiences all over the country. ‘Tumhe Yaad Hoga Khabhi Ham Mile The’ from this film is still rage among music lovers.
It was during the making of this film that the film’s distributor Shantibhai Patel christened him ‘Bawra’. He was very impressed by his lyrics but could not reconcile their excellence to the typical young man in his twenties who wore a rather colourful shirt. He said, 'Main iska naam Gulshan Bawra rakhoonga. He looks like a 'bawra' (madman).'
He eventually left the Railway’s job 1961 joined the tinsel world. Stastically he wrote only 240 songs in a 42-year career because he was always selective in doing films not allowing himself to turn into a song producing machine.
Almost half of his total number of songs had been with R.D.Burman. His last release was Zulmi (1999) and his last hit was ‘Le pappiyaan jhappiyaan paale hum’ for Haqeeqat(1995), which landed him in his only controversy - of writing a vulgar song.
Bawra, who did comeo roles too in a few films was on the board of the Indian Performing Right Society (IPRS) for the past seven years.
Film historian M.D.Soni had talked with the lyricist two months back for inviting him to a meeting of ‘Suryatra’ , a group of film music buffs in Jaipur. Although he was ill but enthusiastically assured that he would come to Jaipur after two or three months for rekindling his childhood memories. But fate decided otherwise.
(The piece appeared on page one of HT Live of Hindustan Times on August 8,2009)
Noted lyricist Gulshan Bawra, whose song in Manoj Kumar’s film ‘Upkaar’ – ‘Mere Desh Ki Dharti Sona Ugle’ – turned out to be one of the finest patriotic songs in Hindi films, passed away in Mumbai today. Many would not know that the poet who also wrote ‘Yaari Hai Imaan Mera’ for Amitabh Bacchhan’s first blockbuster ‘Zanjeer’, had Jaipur connection.
The poet, who thrilled the Hindustani Film Music buffs for about 40 years had his schooling in Jaipur. He was born at Sheikhupura, about 30 kms from Lahore in undivided India. His original name was Gulshan Kumar Mehta. His family was a victim to the partition riots where young Gulshan saw his parents being killed in front of his eyes. After the tragedy his sister brought him and his elder brother to Jaipur and brought them up. The family used to live in Raja Park area and Gushan had his schooling in the Pink City.
After his brother got a job, Gulshan was shifted to Delhi where he graduated from the Delhi University. He started writing poetry in his college days. After graduation he got a job in Railways and was posted to Kota. But he found that the post at Kota had already been filled when he reached there to join. He was later posted as a clerk in Mumbai, the tinsel town.
He tried to get a break in films remaining in his job. Kalyanji - Veerji Shah gave him first opening in ‘Chandrasena’ (1959) and Lata Mangeshkar sang his very first song ‘Main kya jaanu kahan laage yeh saawan matwala re’
He tasted his first big success in film ‘Satta Bazar’ when Kalyanji – Anandji’s musical score gripped the audiences all over the country. ‘Tumhe Yaad Hoga Khabhi Ham Mile The’ from this film is still rage among music lovers.
It was during the making of this film that the film’s distributor Shantibhai Patel christened him ‘Bawra’. He was very impressed by his lyrics but could not reconcile their excellence to the typical young man in his twenties who wore a rather colourful shirt. He said, 'Main iska naam Gulshan Bawra rakhoonga. He looks like a 'bawra' (madman).'
He eventually left the Railway’s job 1961 joined the tinsel world. Stastically he wrote only 240 songs in a 42-year career because he was always selective in doing films not allowing himself to turn into a song producing machine.
Almost half of his total number of songs had been with R.D.Burman. His last release was Zulmi (1999) and his last hit was ‘Le pappiyaan jhappiyaan paale hum’ for Haqeeqat(1995), which landed him in his only controversy - of writing a vulgar song.
Bawra, who did comeo roles too in a few films was on the board of the Indian Performing Right Society (IPRS) for the past seven years.
Film historian M.D.Soni had talked with the lyricist two months back for inviting him to a meeting of ‘Suryatra’ , a group of film music buffs in Jaipur. Although he was ill but enthusiastically assured that he would come to Jaipur after two or three months for rekindling his childhood memories. But fate decided otherwise.
(The piece appeared on page one of HT Live of Hindustan Times on August 8,2009)
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