Since ages, poets have had a say about the world we live in, often holding a mirror to society. Sahir Ludhianvi is one such personality whose immortal poems still strike a chord with people, even decades after his demise.
Sahir, who penned poems in Hindi and Urdu, also deeply influenced the music of Hindi cinema with his lyrics—some laced with sublime expressions of love and others that struck at societal ills. Was he a revolutionary or an eternal romanticist, a people’s poet or an armchair activist—these are doubts one faces while reading his poems. The excellence of Sahir is that you cannot confine his works into a genre; he has a share in all.
Sahir is remembered for his songs, the disillusion of love and separation in them and a tussle between the rich and the poor. He throws in dark truths between the lines when he attacks the feudal society and a sense of hope when he shows the bright light ahead. The evergreen song of Pyaasa (1957)—ye mahlon ye takhton ye tajon ki duniya—is filled with expectations of a beautiful tomorrow. Each of his songs, be it about love or oppression, has an air of romance. Adding to the pleasures, Sahir presented his agony as a rebellion in his works.
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Sahir's innate quality was his veracity. If you try to understand his truth, you will find his love; try to dive into his love, you will sense his rebellion.
Dr Siraj Ajmali, poet and professor of Urdu at Aligarh Muslim University, says Sahir gave new meaning to Urdu poetry. Earlier, Urdu poetry did not address the opposite gender directly. The gender was not disclosed, as in tum aa rahe ho or tum keh rahe ho. Those who addressed the gender explicitly were called 'progressive'; Majaz Lakhnavi being at the forefront of the Progressive Writers' Movement and Sahir carrying it forward. For instance, Sahir's soul-stirring lyrics of Kabhi kabhi mere dil mein redefined unrequited love and longing, and also transformed Amitabh Bachchan from the 'angry young man' into a romantic hero.
“Another great contribution of Sahir is that his presence in Bollywood marked an era where the poet or lyrics writer gained significance and respect. Before him, the poet was not given due recognition. Urdu poets were given their due credit in Bollywood because of Sahir,” says Ajmali.
Sahir’s revolutionary stand is as relevant today as it was seven decades ago. The face of power changes, the way of dissent changes too; but the soul of his words remains intact. Every artist, poet and songwriter have their own view of society, relationships and customs. Sahir is no different. He conveys his concern for the society in such a way that he seems to be talking to you.
Today when society is being divided on the lines of religion and politics, songs of Sahir can help build a collective conscious. His songs like Allah tero naam, Ishwar tero naam or jism mit jane se insan nahin mar jate are stark reminders of how our society was and should be.
“Sahir was disappointed with the society he had, and urged for the one he wanted,” says Dr Ali Javed, professor of Urdu at Delhi University and an authority on Sahir. “There is a misconception that his poetry caters only to a young audience. People usually confuse romance with romanticism. Any poet who is revolutionary in approach has to be romanticist. Romanticism is related with the imaginative understanding of the poet. Sahir inspires everyone who is peace-loving and anti-war” says Javed.
Javed makes a point that Sahir was an activist in his own sense. It is not necessary that an activist has to be a flag-bearer out in the streets. An artist is known by the activism in his art. In his poem Parchaiyan, Sahir addresses his lover and stresses upon the state of world affairs. In the golden period of inqalabi shayari, Sahir carved a new cultural movement giving importance to dignified human values in his writings.
A grey area in Sahir’s life which draws criticism was his love affair. Javed believes that the account of his relationships are exaggerated and given out of place importance. “Sahir’s relationship with Amrita Pritam could not sustain, like it happens in many other relationships. But this does not imply that he became a loner. He had a vast circle of friends and admirers,” he says.
His friend and poet Kaifi Azmi has written:
My first meeting with Sahir was at the Hyderabad station. After a chat, I realised Sahir's life wasn’t much different. Sahir was still in adolescence when his parents’ relationship severed. His landlord father needed an heir and Sahir was the only son he had. Sahir’s mother refused custody to his husband. Conditions worsened and his father’s anger turned into hatred. His education was then taken care of by his Maa and Mamu. It seems as if Sahir has absorbed every aspect of poetry possible. In his place in Bombay, Sahir made money, not for himself but for his friends. Sahir never married and it is arguable. Marriage requires balance. There are three or four incidents from his life when marriage was on the cards but he escaped every time.
