“Hasrat Jaipuri Saab Was A Poet Who Thought Like The Masses,” Says Lata Mangeshkar, Paying The Peerless Poet A Tribute On His 99th Birth Anniversary

If Hasrat Jaipuri had lived longer he would have been 99 on May 15. He left behind a luminous lucid legacy of lyrics: Zindagi ek safar hai suhana yahan kal kya ho kissne jaana, the song from the film Andaz (1971) that went a long way in the making of Rajesh Khanna’s superstardom was written by Hasrat Jaipuri.

Lata Mangeshkar, who sang some of Hasrat Jaipuri’s finest film songs, recalls her association with Shankar-Jaikishan. “Hasrat Saab had a tuning with Shankar while Jaikishan liked his songs to be mostly written by Shailendra. They were all part of Raj Kapoor’s team. Hasrat Saab, Shailendraji, Shankar-Jaikishan, Mukesh…they had a professional association with Raj Kapoor. I was called to sing a lot of their songs. But I was not professionally bound into the RK organization.”

Recalling Hasrat Saab Lataji says, “He was funny and poetic sometimes at the same time. Listen to Aao twist Karen in Mehboob Bhai’s film Bhoot Bungla. And then listen to Duniya banana wale kya tere mann mein samayee in Teesri Kasam. It is hard to believe they were both written by the same poet. Hasrat Saab was versatile and he wrote a poetry that was accessible to the common man .And he was really funny. He could tell a joke and he enjoyed jokes at everyone’s expense including his own.”

What about Lataji’s luminous songs written by Hasrat Saab? “They were truly poetic songs. Ajee rooth kar abb kahan jayiyega (Arzoo), Ehsaan tera hog mujhpar(Junglee) , Unse mili nazar ke mere hosh udd gaye (Jhuk Gaya Aasman), Tum mujhe yun bhula na paoge (Pagla Kahin Ka)…I think my last big hit written by Hasrat Saab was Sun sahiba sun in Ram Teri Ganga Maili.”

Lataji gives credit to Raj Kapoor for fostering and nurturing musical talent. “Raj Saab could play any number of musical instruments from the harmonium and piano to the guitar and table. He would make suggestions to musicians and lyricists and they would happy incorporate his suggestions. Hasrat Saab came into the RK banner from the time it was established. He wrote the songs for RK Films’ first production Barsaat. I sang almost all the songs of the film. The superhit Jiya beqaraar hai was written by Hasrat Saab.It’s special song in my career. It was one of my first big hits.I think every song of his that I sang was a hit.”