A lyricist's legacy that defied time

Penning melancholic ghazals to penning hits that resounded with the youth, Majrooh Sultanpuri's lyrical prowess spanned decades, reflecting his paradoxical yet prolific career

His lyrical exploits in Hindi films spanned over half a century, starting from KL Saigal to the Khan trio, but were versatile, prodigious, and paradoxical. That the pathos-filled Jab dil hi toot gaya was penned when he was in his 20s while frothy numbers like Papa kehte hain, Pehla nasha, pehla khumar, and Janam samjha karo that entranced teenagers when he was in his 70s, gives insight into his prowess. The range of Majrooh Sultanpuri, who wrote nearly 4,000 songs for around 350 Hindi films and was a familiar name for radio listeners as his name frequently cropped up when announcers read the names of all those involved in a song, defies conjecture.

His diverse discography

At one end of this poet's creations are sublime creations like ghazals Shaam-e-gam ki qasam, aaj gamgin hain ham (Footpath) and Rahte the kabhi jinke dil mein (Mamta), the evergreen Rahen na rahen ham (Mamta) or Hai apna dil to awara (Solva Saal), the softly sensual Baahon mein chale aao (Anamika) or Raat akeli hai bujh gaye diye (Jewel Thief), the pensive Rahii manva dukh ki chinta kyun satati hai (Dosti), dapper Dev Anand's Khwab ho tum yaa koi haqeeqat (Teen Deviyan), the heartfelt Tumne mujhe dekha ho kar mehrbaan (Teesri Manzil) and the haunting Hamen tumse pyar kitna (Kudrat), among others.