This article is written by Sudhir, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a contributor to this blog. This article is meant to be posted in atulsongaday.me. If this article appears in sites like lyricstrans.com and ibollywoodsongs.com etc then it is piracy of the copyright content of atulsongaday.me and is a punishable offence under the existing laws.
The pen whose first creations mesmerized everyone with the magic of “Mera Sunder Sapna Beet Gayaa” and “Yaad Karoge Yaad Karoge Ik Din Humko Yaad Karoge”. A dream debut that most artists just think about. He was introduced to Shashadhar Mukherjee, then still with Filmistan, and got the assignment to write for the 1947 film ‘Do Bhai’. Sachin Da took the words and wove a musical magic around them, and gave them to the voice of Geeta Rai (later Geeta Dutt). It need not even be mentioned that the rest is history.
Remembering Raja Mehdi Ali Khan on the anniversary of his passing away (on 29th July). And we couple the remembrance with a celebration – reaching the 200 songs milestone on our blog.
Maybe the introduction carried weight because of his pedigree. As a child, his education and learning happened under the oversight of a family well wisher, none other than the famous poet and author, Dr. Allama Iqbal. And maybe his talent with words and verses also has the genesis under the same umbrella.
Raja Sb was born in 1928 in Kareemabad, now in Pakistan. He lost his father at the tender age of four. Dr. Iqbal was a family friend, and that is how the child Raja came within his care. As he grew up, so surfaced his talent with the pen, and his became known for his fluent and impressive verses. Destiny brought him to Bombay in 1946, and to Filmistan Studios where he would get his maiden opportunity to write for Hindi films.
The environment was rife with tensions, as 1947 saw the unfortunate divide happen. Raja Sb and his wife Tahira made a conscious choice not to return to their home town, now in the newly formed nation of Pakistan. The decision assumes a remarkable significance, considering that he was a ward and a protégé of Dr. Iqbal, one of the advocates of the formation of Pakistan.
After ‘Do Bhai’ in 1947, his next film is ‘Shaheed’ in 1948, also from the banner of Filmistan. Raja Sb’s contribution is the timeless and iconic “Watan Ki Raah Mein Watan Ke Naujawaan Shaheed Ho” . Another notable episode, as the music director of this iconic song, Ghulam Haider Sb, made a choice to migrate to Pakistan. But Raja Sb chose his destiny to be in India.
A very non-impressive life style and a non-assuming personality, he shunned any kind of press and publicity. There is really nothing much that one can gather about his life, from the various known sources. Most information available in print or online, base their content simply on his work and the songs that he created. And what an impressive legacy and body of work that is. Two decades, a little over a hundred films and nearly four hundred songs that he wrote for Hindi films. Songs like “Meri Yaad Mein Tum Na Aansoo Bahaana” (‘Madhosh’, 1951), “Tujhe O Bewafaa Hum Zindagi Ka Aasra Samjhe” (‘Ziddi’, 1948), “Preetam Meri Duniya Mein Do Din To Rahe Hotey”(‘Adaa’, 1951), “Bahaaron Ne Chhede Khushi Ke Taraane, Magar Tu Kahaa” (‘Baghdad’, 1952), “Roti Huyi Aankhon Mein Hai Tasweer Kisi Ki” (‘Saloni’,1952), “Kahin Door Koyaliya Gaaye Re, Mera Chhota Saa Dil Ghabraaye Re” (‘Baraati’,1954), “Ek Baar Bhulaati Hoon To Yaad Aate Ho Sau Baar” (‘Toote Khilaune’, 1954), “Chhup-Chhup Ke Dil Ki Dhadkanon Mein Gaa Rahe Hain Wo” (‘Mohini’, 1957), “Humein Haale-Dil Tumse Kehna Hai, Kahiye”(‘Chaubees Ghante’, 1958), “Raat Sard Sard Hai, Chaand Zard Zard Hai” (‘Jaali Note’, 1960) – and then on to films like ‘Masoom’, ‘Mitti Mein Sona’ and ‘Mehlon Ke Khwaab’ in 1960, ‘Reshmi Roomal’ in 1961, ‘Anpadh’ and ‘Ek Musafir Ek Hasina’ in 1962, ‘Aap Ki Parchhaiyaan’ and ‘Who Kaun Thi’ in 1964, ‘Neela Akaash’ and ‘Tu Hi Meri Zindagi’ in 1965, ‘Mera Saaya’ and ‘Dulhan Ek Raat Ki’ in 1966, ‘Anita’ and ‘Jab Yaad Kisi Ki Aati Hai’ in 1967. . .
But he was, just 38 when he passed away on 29th July 1966 – unsung and unmerited as a person. But oh so well known through his songs, that no selection of favorites will be complete without including some of his creations.
This wonderful song would probably be one of his last creations. The film it belongs to, ‘Kaun Ho Tum’ was released in 1970, four years after his passing away. Music director Usha Khanna composed the slow paced, almost haunting music for this and Mukesh breathed in a soul into this song with his voice. A fabulous gem so beautiful that I was myself taken by surprise to note that this is still waiting in the wings to come on to our blog. A song that is going to steal your heart away.
Listen and enjoy.
Part 1
Part 2
Song-Dhadkanon ke saaz par kya gaa rahi hai zindagi (Kaun Ho Tum)(1970) Singer-Mukesh, Lyrics-Raja Mehdi Ali Khan, MD-Usha Khanna
Lyrics
Part 1
————————
dhadhkanon ke
saaz par kya
gaa rahi hai zindagi
dhadhkanon ke
saaz par kya
gaa rahi hai zindagi
kaarwaan ban kar guzarti
jaa rahi hai zindagi ee
dhadhkanon ke
saaz par kya
gaa rahi hai zindagi
gardishen shaam o sehar
kuchh bhi nahin ek khwaab hai
gardishen shaam o sehar
kuchh bhi nahin ek khwaab hai
kyun khilaunon
se hamen
behlaa rahi hai zindagi
kaarwaan ban kar guzarti
jaa rahi hai zindagi ee
dhadhkanon ke
saaz par kya
gaa rahi hai zindagi
ek taraf shabnam ke aansoo
ek taraf gul ki hansi
ek taraf shabnam ke aansoo
ek taraf gul ki hansi
har chaman mein
ro rahi muskaa rahi hai zindagi
kaarwaan ban kar guzarti
jaa rahi hai zindagi
dhadhkanon ke
saaz par kya
gaa rahi hai zindagi
———————————
Part 2
———————————
dhadhkanon ke
saaz par kya
gaa rahi hai zindagi
kaarwaan ban kar guzarti
jaa rahi hai zindagi
dhadhkanon ke
saaz par kya
gaa rahi hai zindagi
thhak gaya raahi
mila ab tak na manzil ka nishaan
thhak gaya raahi
mila ab tak na manzil ka nishaan
koi ye poochhe
kahaan le jaa rahi hai zindagi
kaarwaan ban kar guzarti
jaa rahi hai zindagi ee
dhadhkanon ke
saaz par kya
gaa rahi hai zindagi
naakhuda ojhal
shikastaa naao aur hum bekhabar
naakhuda ojhal
shikastaa naao aur hum bekhabar
har kadam par
sau jhakole
khaa rahi hai zindagi
kaarwaan ban kar guzarti
jaa rahi hai zindagi ee
dhadhkanon ke
saaz par kya
gaa rahi hai zindagi
——————————————–
Hindi script lyrics (Provided by Sudhir)
——————————————–
भाग १
——————————
धड़कनों के
साज पर क्या
गा रही है ज़िंदगी
धड़कनों के
साज पर क्या
गा रही है ज़िन्दगी
कारवां बन कर गुज़रती
जा रही है ज़िन्दगी
धड़कनों के
साज पर क्या
गा रही है ज़िन्दगी
गर्दिशें शाम ओ सहर
कुछ भी नहीं इक ख्वाब है
गर्दिशें शाम ओ सहर
कुछ भी नहीं इक ख्वाब है
क्यों खिलौनों से हमें
बहला रही है ज़िन्दगी
कारवां बन कर गुज़रती
जा रही है ज़िन्दगी
धड़कनों के
साज पर क्या
गा रही है ज़िन्दगी
एक तरफ शबनम के आँसू
एक तरफ गुल की हंसी
एक तरफ शबनम के आँसू
एक तरफ गुल की हंसी
हर चमन में
रो रही मुस्का रही है ज़िन्दगी
कारवां बन कर गुज़रती
जा रही है ज़िन्दगी
धड़कनों के
साज पर क्या
गा रही है ज़िन्दगी
————————
भाग २
————————
धड़कनों के
साज पर क्या
गा रही है ज़िंदगी
कारवां बन कर गुज़रती
जा रही है ज़िन्दगी
धड़कनों के
साज पर क्या
गा रही है ज़िन्दगी
थक गया राही
मिला अब तक ना मंज़िल का निशां
थक गया राही
मिला अब तक ना मंज़िल का निशां
कोई ये पूछे
कहाँ ले जा रही है ज़िन्दगी
कारवां बन कर गुज़रती
जा रही है ज़िन्दगी
धड़कनों के
साज पर क्या
गा रही है ज़िन्दगी
नाखुदा ओझल
शिकस्ता नाव और हम बेखबर
नाखुदा ओझल
शिकस्ता नाव और हम बेखबर
हर कदम पर
सौ झकोले
खा रही है ज़िन्दगी
कारवां बन कर गुज़रती
जा रही है ज़िन्दगी
धड़कनों के
साज पर क्या
गा रही है ज़िन्दगी
कारवां बन कर गुज़रती
जा रही है ज़िन्दगी
धड़कनों के
साज पर क्या
गा रही है ज़िन्दगी
