Thursday, August 30, 2018

Prof. Bipin Chandra

Today is the death anniversary of Prof. Bipin Chandra, an eminent historian and a great scholar . He had been a member of the UGC, and chairman of the National Book Trust for many years, besides many other prestigious assignments that he had.A renowned author, his books on History of India are a recommended reading for Civil Services aspirants .A Himachali from Kangra district Prof Chandra chose never to write his surname , which gave him a pan Indian identity .

My humble tributes to Prof Chandra !

गीतकार शैलेंद्र

हिन्दी सिनेमा के लोकप्रिय गीतकार स्व. शैलेंद्र की आज 95वीं जयंती है .आरम्भ में रेल विभाग में बतौर अप्रेंटिस अपनी नौकरी के दौरान शैलेंद्र ने कविताएं 
लिखना शुरू किया।सर्वप्रथम फिल्म अभिनेता- निर्माता राज कपूर ने उनकी कविता सुन कर फिल्म के लिए गीत लिखने का अनुरोध किया परन्तु आत्म सम्मान से भरे शैलेंद्र ने अनुरोध स्वीकार नहीं किया
। बाद में जब पत्नि की गर्भावस्था के दौरान उन्हें पैसे की ज़रुरत महसूस हुई तो वो स्वयं राजकपूर के पास गए ।मात्र पांच सौ रूपए के एवज में फिल्म बरसात के लिए दो गीत लिखे जो बहुत लोकप्रिय हुए ।इसके बाद शैलेंद्र ने पीछे मुड़ के नहीं देखा और एक से एक गीत फिल्मों के लिए रचे । यदि मुकेश राज कपूर की आवाज़ थे तो शैलेन्द्र उनकी भाषा या शब्द.वास्तव में ये राजकपूर ,मुकेश, शैलेन्द्र और शंकर-जयकिशन की चौकड़ी थी जिसने वर्षों तक सिनेमा और संगीत प्रेमियों के दिलों पर राज किया।
सुनते हैं, कि शंकर- जयकिशन ने उनसे वादा किया था कि वो उन्हें अन्य संगीतकारों से भी काम दिलाएंगे पर जब शंकर जय किशन ने ऐसा कुछ न किया तो शैलेंद्र ने क्षुब्ध होकर ये पंक्तियां लिख भेजीं ' छोटी सी ये दुनिया, पहचाने रास्ते हैं , कभी तो मिलोगे तो पूछेंगे हाल....'। शंकर जयकिशन ने न केवल उनके नाम की संस्तुति अन्य संगीतकारों से की बल्कि जीवन भर मित्रता भी निभायी ।बाद में ये पंक्तियां भी एक गीत के रूप में किशोर कुमार ने गायीं । शैलेंद्र ने शंकर जयकिशन के अलावा एस.डी. बर्मन, सलिल चौधरी, जैसे अन्य सन्गीत कारों के लिए भी गीत लिखे !आवारा, गाइड, तीसरी कसम, सन्गम, अनाड़ी, मेरा नाम जोकर, सुजाता, बरसात आदि फिल्मों के लिये उनके द्वारा लिखे गीत आज भी लोकप्रिय हैं । फिल्म 'आवारा ' का गीत ' आवारा हूँ ' तो देश विदेश में अत्यन्त लोकप्रिय हुआ । नोबेल पुरस्कार विजेता रूसी लेखक Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn के विश्व प्रसिद्ध उपन्यास Gulag Archipelago में भी 'आवारा हूँ ' गीत और इसकी धुन का सन्दर्भ मिलता है ।
फ़िल्म बूट पालिश का मशहूर गीत - चली कौन से देश - उनके द्वारा लिखित ही नहीं बल्कि उन पर फिल्माया भी गया है । बूट पालिश, श्री 420 , मुसाफिर को मिला कर पांच फिल्मों में शैलेंद्र ने अभिनय किया ।
तीन बार उन्हें फ़िल्मफ़ेयर उत्कृष्ट गीतकार पुरस्कार से भी नवाजा गया । उनने फिल्म ' तीसरी कसम' का निर्माण किया पर यह फिल्म बॉक्स ऑफिस पर सफल न हुई ।
मात्र 43 वर्ष की आयु में 1966 में शैलेंद्र का निधन हुआ ।
सीधे सादे शब्दों का प्रयोग कर अनेकों कालजयी गीतों की रचना करने वाले शब्दों के इस महान जादूगर को हमारी विनम्र श्रद्धांजलि !

Monday, August 27, 2018

Hrishikesh Mukherjee

Today is the death anniversary of Hrishikesh Mukherjee aka Hrishi da, the renowned Film Director and Screenwriter, next in prominence only to Satyajit Ray, a fellow Bengali.
Born on September 30 , 1934 at Calcutta in Bengal Presidency ( now Kolkata in West Bengal), he directed 42 movies in a career spanning four decades.
He is considered a pioneer in ' middle cinema', as he struck a middle path between extravagant romanticism of mainstream cinema and stark realism of art Cinema. This accounts for the mass popularity and appeal of his films.

His outstanding filmography includes films like Musafir, Anari, Anuradha,Chhaya, Asli Naqli,Aashiq, Anupama,Gavan, Manjhli Didi, Ashirwaad, Satyakam,Anand,Guddi, Bawarchi, Abhimaan,Chupke Chupke,Mili ,Aalaap,Golmal, Khoobsoorat and many others.
He remained a Chairman of Central Board of Film Certification and National Film Development Corporation.
A recipient of Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1999,he was also awarded Padma Vibhushan in 2001.
He was also a winner of 8 Filmfare Awards and 7 National Awards.
He died this day in 2006 aged 83.

Our humble tributes to the legendary Film Director !

Basu Bhattacharya


Today is the death anniversary of Basu Bhattacharya, the well known film Director of Hindi Cinema.He started his career as an assistant to Bimal Roy in films Madhumati and Sujata.He shot into fame with Raj Kapoor- Waheeda Rehman starrer 1966 film Teesari Kasam, which won the National Award for the Best Feature Fillm in 1967.Ironically the film was not a success at the box office.

His another noted film that won critical acclaim was Aavishkaar, the Rajesh Khanna- Sharmila Tagore movie.Rajesh Khnna won the Filmfare Best Actor Award for this film.Another film Anubhav won the second Best Feature Fillm Award.The film Sparsh produced by him in 1979 won him the National Award for the Best Feature Fillm in Hindi and also the Filmfare Best Movie Award.
Basu Bhattacharya was also a member of the Jury at the 12th Moscow International Film Festival.
He died this day in 1997 aged 63.
Our humble tributes !

Saturday, August 25, 2018

Lilies of the Valley

LILIES OF THE VALLEY
Collection of Essays  by
Lily Swarn
Publishers :Authorspress, New Delhi
ISBN 978-93-88008-52-5
Pp:            117
Price:   Rs 250/-
 Lily Swarn is a well known name especially in the English  language Literary circles with a  collection of poems    ‘ A Trellis of Ecstasy ‘, published last year . The poetry collection was well taken by the poetry lovers home and abroad and earned rave reviews in the printed mainstream  media as well as the social media. A formidable presence on the literary scene now, so far as poetry in English is concerned ,her poems have been translated into many Indian and Foreign languages . A winner of the 2016 Reuel  International  Prize for poetry, she has had  the honour of being invited as a distinguished  guest  at many conventions and conferences . The back page of the Cover of the book under discussion sums up her noteworthy achievements.
‘LILIES OF THE VALLEY’ has an excellent   Foreword by Ashok K. Bhargava , President Writers International  Network, Canada, followed by ’You cannot Hide Lily among the Thorns ‘  a beautiful poem by  Dr. Lanka Siva Rama Prasad, a medical  specialist , which shows us the various aspects and manifestations of the Lily flower  and which according to me could by extension mean Lily , the  writer of these essays   showing her many  shades ,  moods and views  through these nuggets . This also extends to the title of this collection. The Prologue by the author gives a peep into the background of this collection coming up ,describing  the churning ,  creative process .
  The writer has dedicated this collection to the memory of her dear mother, who departed on the Valentine Day in 2016
It  is a collection of fifty essays covering  diverse topics and written in her inimitable style .The topics chosen are of wide range and spectrum , and relate to objects, emotions, feelings , relationships, habits  and what not .While the writer seems to have a different take on  some of the  subjects, she adds a new dimension to many others    Interspersed with  lines from Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi poetry, befittingly and deftly made use of , the essays make an absorbing  reading.The references to various authors and books even  from other languages that enrich the text  also  show that the writer is well read .
 The very first essay  ‘Gossip’ sets the tone and  the writer is unsparing of the  male of the species for they also   indulge in this favourite pastime like women , who unfortunately being singled out , bear the burden of  reputation for this.Gossip may not always be a lie and could contain a grain of truth that  need not be told.  And who can deny the infectious genuine ‘Smiles’  that have the healing effect, while the artificial plastic smiles could painful to the person sporting them.  .The topic of ‘Love’  has been dealt twice with different  description and dimensions. ‘Coffee, Tea  Or Me’ deals with the subject close to my heart . While the mention of Indian Coffee House  pleases me no end, she has the last word when she sums up the brew ideally  ‘ Black as the devil, hot as hell;pure as an angel , sweet as love’ One can feel and savour the aroma throughout .
‘Dawn’ dwells on what a late riser  might miss out on, given the salubrious fresh morning breeze and the sweet cooing of the Koel that always has the magic effect of lifting the mood and the spirit.
‘Hypocrisy’ dissects the false hoods  in the expletives and hyperbolic expression of love .
‘Tree’ appears as a persona in  the beautiful essay, symbolizing objects of love . A lone tree could also mean a forlorn lover or simply a person without company.
In  ‘ Raqs’  suggestively  titled so, dance is not mere entertainment like Giddha . There is a spiritual and religious dimension to it. The terms ‘raqs-e anaa’ &  ‘ raqs-e- sharar’   are an addition to my knowledge and vocabulary .
‘The “F” Word ‘  meaning  Fat is the most abhorred  word these days , a detriment to health , looks, well being and self esteem . This has been beautifully brought out by the writer in this essay. Laced with her own wedding time experience , there is an express  longing  for the  old times , when the  painter  Peter Paul Reuben painted the perfect  woman. She quotes from a   Hindi film song  that celebrates a ‘ fat biwi’.
‘Diseases of the Soul’  presents inter alia the example of one Mr. Bajaj , a nonagenarian with extraordinary zest for life.
‘Tears’ discusses the ‘most potent weapon’ in altogether a different light . The writer does not fiorget to mention the famous  Folk song from Chamba,  ‘ Kapde dhowan nale rowan kunjua….’ to my utter delight.
‘Father’ is discussed on the expected lines, as  the writer seems to me ‘a father’s daughter’  bearing physical facial resemblance to him.
‘Moustaches’  comes with some amount of research and a touch of humour
In short , the writer treats us  with  a wide gamut of subjects, covering  objects ,  emotions , feelings….etc . Some of the essays are philosophical  and are a result of  serious introspection
The essays though short and crisp never grow terse . Further the references and quotations from various sources like lines from Urdu poetry, Hindi songs, Punjabi sayings and adages   are woven into the text with dexterity and the total impact is just amazing.
I ,for one,  am left wonderstruck like the villagers   in Oliver Goldsmith’s poem ‘ The Village Schoolmaster ‘
‘…..That one small head could carry all  (s)he  knew ….’
A reader's delight  !!
The taste of pudding is in the eating , so why wait  !

Tuesday, August 21, 2018

Qurratulain Haider

Today is the death anniversary of Qurratulain Hyder, a renowned Urdu novelist and short story writer.She was born on 20th January, 1927, in Aligarh to Sajjad Haidar Yildarim and Nazar Zahra, both writers.Her Urdu novel, 'Aag Ka Dariya'  first published from Pakistan in 1959, which encompasses the period from 4th Century BC to post Partition of India, remains her most notable work.
A recipient of Sahitya Academy Award in 1967 for her collection of short stories titled 'Patjhar Ki Awaz',she also won the 1989 Jnanpith Award for Akhire Shab Ke Humsafar. She won the  prestigious Sahitya Academy Fellowship in 1994 .
She was awarded Padma Shri in 1984 and Padma Bhushan by Government of India in 2005.
She brought a new sensibility , thought and imagination to the genre of Urdu novel.
She was also an academician and had teaching assignments in India and abroad.
She bears favourable comparison  with contemporary writers like Milan Kundera and Gabriel Garcia  Marquez .
She died this day in 2007 aged 80.
Our humble tributes !

Sunday, August 19, 2018

हज़ारी प्रसाद द्विवेदी

आज हिन्दी के महान लेखक - उपन्यासकार, निबंधकार, आलोचक आचार्य हजारी प्रसाद द्विवेदी की जयन्ति है। शान्ति निकेतन  सहित अनेक संस्थाओं में हिन्दी शिक्षण से सम्बद्ध रहे।
उनकी प्रमुख रचनाएँ अशोक के फूल, बाण भट्ट की आत्मकथा व अनामदास का पोथा हैं। भक्ति कालीन साहित्य का उनका अध्ययन एवं शोध  अद्वितीय है।
पद्मभूषण से सम्मानित  हिन्दी साहित्य के इन पुरोधा को हमारी विनम्र  श्रद्धांजलि  !

Jan Nisar Akhtar

Today is the  42nd death anniversary of  Jaan Nisar Akhtar, a noted Urdu poet who penned Ghazals and Nazms. He remained associated with the Progressive Writers Movement  and also wrote memorable lyrics for Hindi films.T he lyrics of songs written by him for the film Yasmeen, CID, Prem Parbat, Noori, Razia Sultan as also the nazm "Ash'ar  mere yun to zamane ke liye hain.... ...." deserve special mention.
His son, Javed Akhtar is a noted Urdu poetry, lyricist, dialogue writer and a social activist.
Jan Nisar Akhtar was a recipient of  Sahitya Academy Award.
Our humble tributes  !

Sunday, August 12, 2018

SUNDAY MUSINGS

SUNDAY MUSINGS -
Being a Shimlaite, I have been a compulsive walker especially in my young age. In my twenties  during early years of my employment, I was a frequent visitor to Chandigarh on one pretext or the other.I could not resist having a long walk even there without caring to be an odd man out as people there move about in car, scooter, mobike or even plain bicycle. Many others have the option of a cycle rickshaw.
Once during one of my sojourns,I took a walk from Sector 35- where I was staying- to  Sector 17 along the main road through Sector 22. As I reached the Parade Ground, I was face to face with a roadside vendor selling hair oil of some kind.As our eyes met , in his typical manner, he asked me to go for some oil.
Not concerned or conscious about my looks,I said my hair was Okay.
Seeing a potential customer slipping out of his hands, he started a verbal salvo in Hindi- Urdu mix - kya khaak  theek hain, rookhe sookhe betarteeb baal hain..etc.
Not taken in by his persuasion, I moved on , did my usual loitering and window- shopping and returned to my place again walking.
His words  rang in my ears and on an impulse I had a look at myself in the mirror.My hair did appear dry  and unkempt as he had suggested.
But soon, I brushed aside the matter but was simply impressed by his salesmanship and  marketing strategy.
This was not a big deal anyways, but don't we get duped time and again by many people including politicians who by their all too well known  false promises are able to garner our votes !

Saturday, August 11, 2018

गोपाल सिंह नेपाली

"अफ़सोस नहीं इसका हमको, जीवन में हम कुछ कर न सके,
झोलियाँ किसी की भर न सके, संताप किसी का हर न सके,
अपने प्रति सच्चा रहने का, जीवन भर हमने काम किया,
देखा-देखी हम जी न सके, देखा-देखी हम मर न सके ।"
- गोपाल सिंह नेपाली
आज इनकी जयंती है ।
हमारी विनम्र श्रद्धांजलि !!