Anand Bakshi
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| The [Neutral point of view>neutrality] of this article is [NPOV disputedisputed]. Please see the discussion on the [ This article is becoming [Article sizevery long]. Please consider transferring content to subtopic articles where appropriate. See [Long article layout] and [Longpages] for more information. Anand Bakshi was an Indian poet and lyricist writer. He was born on July 21, 1930 at Rawalpindi, now in Pakistan during British Raj. Bakshi passed away on the 30 March 2002 in Mumbai, India after suffering from lung and heart illness. Bakshi came to Bollywood to get a career for himself, he tried singing as well as writing lyrics. The first movie, he wrote lyrics for was Bada Aadmi (1958). After writing for several movies for many years, he got his real breakthrough in 1967 with the movie Milan (starring Sunil Dutt). With this, he got opportunities to write for star music composers in Indian cinema and contributed memorable tunes in movies such as Bobby and Amar Prem (1973),Sholay (1975), Hum (1992), Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995), Taal (1999), Mohabbatein (2000), Gadar - Ek Prem Katha (2001) - to mention a few. Anand Bakshi got chance to sing but did not make any impressive mark as a playback singer. He also acted in a movie, Picninc (1966), in which he had a small role as a beggar. Bakshi was a permanent ingredient as a lyricist in all movies directed by Subhash Ghai, ever since Ghai's third movie Gautam Govinda (1979). Anand Bakshi wrote lyrics for a total of 13 movies directed by Subhash Ghai, and the last Ghai movie he wrote for was Yaadein (2001). Another big director Anand Bakshi constantly wrote for in the 1990s, is Yash Chopra. Their association gave such hits as Chandni (1989) and Dil to Pagal Hai (1997). Anand Bakshi also wrote lyrics for all of Yash Chopra's director/story writer/producer-son, Aditya Chopra's movies, and the same for Rajiv Rai. The last released movie with lyrics by Anand Bakshi was Meri Biwi Ka Jawaab Nahin (2004).
AwardsBakshi received 40 Filmfare nominations, and won four Filmfare awards as best lyricist. The songs were Aadmi Musafir Hain in Apnapan (1978), Tere Mere Beech in Ek Duje Ke Liye (1981), Tujhe Dekha in Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995) and Ishq Bina in Taal (1999). Bakshi wrote the most lyrics -- for more than 250 movies -- with the music directors duo Laxmikant Pyarelal as the movies' composers. Not coincidentally, he was the lyricist on all the occasions they won the Filmfare award for Best Music Director, except their first award winning album, Dosti, for which the lyrics were written by Majrooh Sultanpuri. Bakshi also wrote the lyrics for many films whose music was composed by Rahul Dev Burman and their association resulted in many hit songs.
He also won many Ruby Film Awards, Aashirwad Film Awards, Sushma Shama Awards, 3 Screen awards, and Zee & Stardust Hero Honda Awards. BiographyAnand was born in Rawalpindi, now in Pakistan, on Monday, 21 July 1930, at 7:55 a.m, in a palatial home in Chittian Hattean, Mohalla Qutabdeen, Rawalpindi. His ancestors were from Kuri, near Rawalpindi, and had origins in region of Kashmir.His grand father, Sughar Mall Vaid Bakshi, was a Superintendent of Police in Rawalpindi during the British Raj. His father, Mohan Lal Vaid Bakshi, was a bank manager in Rawalpindi, and served the Indian Army after partition. He lost his mother Sumitra in 1940 when he was 10 years old and apparently spent the rest of his life missing her love. His step mother was apparently unfair towards him. He believed later on in his life that the best way to love one's children is to love their mother. After his mother died, he was grew closer to his grand mother. His memorable songs in praise of mother’s love for Khal Nayak (Maa tujhe salaam), Chhota Bhai (Maa mujhe apne aanchal me chupa le), Raja Aur Rankh (Tu kitni Bholi Hai) and Mastana (maine maa ko dekha hai, maa ka pyar nahin dekha) are probably a reflection of this belief. He would apparently sell his books to see movies and even played roles on stage against the wishes of his parents and grand parents. He loved stunt films and apparently never missed a film of John Cawas and 'Fearless' Nadia. Sunil Dutt, his Mohyal brother (community brother), was his friend in Rawalpindi, and together they would attend and sing in marriages. He was the favorite for the locally held Ram Leelas and Nautankis. One day his grand father apparently discovered him acting a role on stage and beat him with his stick. Bakshi joined the Royal Indian Navy on 12 July 1944 as Boy 1, hoping that his ship (H.M.I.S. Dilawar, and, H.M.I.S. Bahadur) would dock in Bombay, the land of his film dreams, but was disappointed when she did not. He was dismissed from the Royal Navy on 5 April 1946, after he was arrested and detained in custody for taking part in a Naval Mutiny at Bombay harbour against the British Empire, on the ship H.M.I.S. Hindustan. (He had since applied for Freedom Fighter status and the application is still pending with the Government of India.) Bakshi's family migrated to India on 2 October 1947, in the aftermath of the partition, when he was just 16 years old. Apparently on the day of the departure, while his siblings and parents grabbed money, clothes and other personal effects young Bakshi gathered together all the family photos as he considered these memories more valuable than money. Money could be earned again, he apparently thought, but the photographs of his family were irreplaceable. As a student, he often ran away from his Gurukul, near Meerut, but was always marched back by his strict father. He abandoned formal education after passing the 7th standard, on 6 March 1943, from Cambridge College, Rawalpindi. On 15 November 1947, he joined the Corps of Signals, got trained at Jabalpur and was later employed as a switch board operator. In his spare time he would write songs and sing to friends, and wished that his songs would one day play on the All India Radio (AIR). While watching films he would compose songs to fit into various situations of films and even sing them at Army gatherings, Bara Khanas. He was paid Rs. 75/- a month as salary, which he would send to home his poor parents and step mother and step siblings in Delhi. While in the Indian army, the Corps of Signals, on 24 January 1950, he wrote this "Aim in Life" for himself:
On 12 April 1950, he left the Corps of Signals to come to Bombay for the first time to join films. When he failed to find work in Bombay filmdom, he returned to Lucknow and rejoined the Army by enrolling in the EME (The Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) in 1951 as an automobile electrician and received training at Jalahalli and Secunderabad. In a workshop of the Infantry division, he continued to write songs in his spare time. While serving the Army, he would organize various entertainment programs for his Division, acting and singing in them too. Whenever he sang the songs of Mukesh or Rafi in army gatherings, his dream would come back to haunt him. During this time he got married to Kamla Mohan, his neighbor in Chittian Hattean, his birth place, through an arranged match. During his army days, Bakshi often travelled with a tin suitcase. He kept the tin suitcase with him to the end, occasionally getting it painted and cleaning it himself once in a while, as a reminder to himself of his humble roots. Later on, in the late 90’s, he wrote a special song for the Indian Military Academy, Dehra Dhun. He even wrote a song for the Corps of Signals, on their invitation. After his death, the Corps of Signals established a “Bakshi Corner” in their Corps Museum. His first published poem appeared in an Army publication, “Sainik Samachar”, and this boosted his morale and gave him confidence to try his hand in Hindi films. Thus, he arrived in Bombay for the 2nd time in 1956 leaving behind his wife Kamla and his first daughter, Suman, in Lucknow, in the care of her maternal parents. His family never encouraged him to leave the army job to join films. There were no known poets in their family history; they were either in the army, the police force, or were Zamindars. None of his relatives helped him find shelter nor offered him monetary help. He had come armed with about 60 songs but did not find work, so he would sit in the waiting room of Dadar Station, or the paltform bench at Marine Lines Station, and continue write his dreams -- his songs. His in-laws, Subedar Amar Singh Mohan, and Smt. Budhwanti, living in Aadarsh Nagar, Lucknow, were too poor to send him Rs 30, for which Bakshi had written them 3 post card requests. His wife Kamla and daughter Suman, who were living in Lucknow with her parents, arrived to live with him in Bombay only on 13 May 1960, after he got a little money and his own accommodation in Worli, Bombay. In 1956, failing to find work in films and broke, shelterless and disillusioned, he decided to return to his army job. But a young Ticket Collector at Bombay Central, Chitramal Swarup, a stranger, approached him, befriended him, and discouraged him from returning to the army. Chitramal paid Bakshi’s Guest House dues, and voluntarily offered him shelter in his one room chawl in Borivili, although Chitramal himself was living with his family of 5 persons, and kept him in his house for almost 5 years without asking for any rent, or favor. Even after Bakshi was an established sng writer, Chitramal never charged him a penny for the favors he had done for Bakshi. Bakshi believed God had sent Chitramal as an angel in disguise to give him hope, shelter and food during his hard days of struggle. Had Chitramal not offered him hope and shelter that day at the railway platform, and persuaded him to stay back in Bombay, he would probably have left the film industry forever. Chitramal passed away in 2000 without ever asking a return on his favor. It was one of Bakshi's regrets that Chitramal never gave him an opportunity to pay him back in his lifetime. Chitramal’s sons and wife continue to visit Bakshi’s family, even after Bakshi’s passing away. Sunil Dutt, his Mohyal Brother, childhood friend and a distant relative, was acting in “Mother India” when he gave Bakshi an introductory letter to meet Raj Kapoor. Though Raj kapoor would not accept lyrics from a newcomer, his secretary Hiren Khera promised him a break if he ever became producer. Sahir Ludhianvi, a stalwart Urdu poet and a successful lyricist, also introduced Bakshi to many producers and encouraged him to write. Bismil Saeedi was another poet who was impressed by the young poet and told him so (See "Anecdotes"). Thanks to the encouragement from such talented people, Bakshi was confident he would make it one day. Bismil’s praise forever inspired Bakshi to go on struggling. As a back-up, however, he got himself a driving license, deciding to drive a taxi or a private car if he failed to find work in films but not return to the Army. He had no other educational qualifications. He got his first break in films in 1956 when Bhagwan Dada signed him for four songs for Brij Mohan’s “Bhala Aadmi”, a stunt film. When Bakshi saw his name in the credits, he cried in happiness. He was paid Rs. 150/- (~$4) for his first 4 songs. His first recorded song was "Dharti Mere Liye". Hiren Khera, as promised, had Bakshi write the lyrics when he turned turned producer with "Mehndi Lagi Mere Haath". Surinder Kapoor (the father of Anil & Boney Kapoor) also encouraged Bakshi and gave him work in “Tarzan Comes to Delhi.” Much later, in the late 90's when Boney started a film ('Prem') to launch his brother Sanjay, Bakshi volunteered to write the songs. Boney was most happy to accept Bakshi’s gesture as Bakshi had successfully written for a lot of newcomers. Bakshi got an opportunity to work for music composer Roshan for “CID girl”, and then “Devar”, which proved to be a big hit after an eventful meeting (see "Anecdotes"). Bakshi also made a mark for himself for writing a qawwalli for Kaala Samundar, “Meri Tasveer Lekar Kya Karoge tum”. He signed innumerable films when he sang his poem “Maine Poocha Chaand Se” in film parties or gatherings of his film friends. The song was recorded after more than a decade by Sanjay Khan in “Abdullah”. It was originally written for Ramesh Saigal’s film which got canned. This song was composed by S D Burman, but it was R D who ultimately recorded it. He got his first break to sing in films when Mohan Kumar, making “Mom Ki Gudiya”, heard Bakshi singing a song in a Charity function, and convinced LP to give Bakshi a song to sing for his film. Bakshi sang a solo song “Mein Doondh Raha Tha Sapno mein”, and it result was so good, that Mohan Kumar roped him in for a duet with Lata Mangeshkar “Baagon mein Bahar Aayee” for the same film. Bakshi gifted Lata a huge floral bouquet for singing a duet with him. Both songs were love songs. He had written a poem for himself, (“Mein koi Baraf Nahin Hoon Jo Pighal Jaoon Ga, mein koi haraf nahin hoon jo badal jaoonga”) which he would sing to himself whenever he felt lose of confidence in himself. He had once told his son that this poem of his was the force behind his passion and his consitency of hits right from the days of his struggle and all along the course of his 600 films, 4000 songs, in 46 years. He would send money every month to his parents till they survived. He supported the education of his two step brothers, Ashok and Vaid, and helped his 4 step sisters Uma, Shubh, Jeevan, Indra, too. He purchased his first car, a second hand Fiat, 1964 model, through his friend Parveen Choksi. He travelled in it till the last years of his life. He maintained his Fiat car immaculately, and travelled in it even after he purchased other newer and imported cars. He always believed that his roots, his humble beginning lay in that car. He was so fond of his old 1964 Fiat, that when the Fiat company returned to India in the 90’s and launched their Uno model, they invited Bakshi to buy the first Uno released in the market, and he did, and even wrote a poem on his old 1964 Fiat car. The company has displayed the poem with pride in their workshop at Vidyavihar. After his mother, he missed visiting his birth place, Rawalpindi, the most. He regretted the partition, that he could never travel back to his country, city, village, mohalla, house of birth. In Feb 2002, he made plans with his dear friend Sham Keswani to visit his birth place after discharge from hospital. In the middle of his long hospitalization period, somewhere in April 2001, and even in September 2001, he would sing songs in his hospital wards on the request of the ward sisters, nurses and even the sweeper and doctors. Last few weeksTill the very end, he often tried to put an end to his bad habits of eating Tobacco laced Paan, (up to 25 paans a day), smoke cigarettes, and drink alcohol, but did not always succeed. He could stop alcohol, but could not give up chewing tobacco laced paan, and smoking as he found it difficult to write without their help. He finally succumbed to respiratory failure due to smoking having affected his lungs. In April 2001, he caught a bacterial infection at Nanavati hospital, during a routine minor heart surgery, and could not fight the impact and consequences of the infection having spread all over his blood stream, finally causing multiple organ failure, beginning with his weak lungs and healthy kidneys. In the last weeks of his life, he regretted having smoked to help himself write poetry. He smoked his last cigarette for his friend Mr Ghai on 4 April 2001, but he could not keep his promise, and smoked again after that. He was very sad during his last 7 months of hospitalization, and generally towards the end of his life, that most of his past and present producers, friends, technicians, music directors and singers did not visit him. Anand Bakshi passed away on 30th March, 2002 at Mumbai's Nanavati Hospital, at the age of 72. AnecdotesOnce, as a 14-year-old navy cadet, he had disembarked from his ship, HMIS Bahadur, and was touring Karachi city when suddenly, he felt an unbearable urge to go to the toilet but could not find a one nearby. When he could not hold it any longer, he noticed a house whose doors were open. He rushed inside without permission and entered their toilet. The owners thought he was a thief and alerted the neighborhood, and as Bakshi was relieving himself inside, neighbors gathered outside the toilet door with sticks and stones to beat him up. After he finished, he came out with his hands raised in surrender and an apology on his lips. Luckily, he could convince them of his innocence and they then proceeded to offer him water and soap to clean himself. -- Bakshi ran into composer Roshan one day at Filmistan Studios. Roshan asked him to come meet him at his house the next day at 10 AM. The struggling Bakshi was thrilled and returned to Chitramal's humble railway quarters in Borivili. That night it rained so much that trains and buses stopped plying by late night. The ciy was flooded. Bakshi feared that the rain was trying to stop him from meeting Roshan the next day. But he considered himself a Fauji, a soldier, determined to win, calculated that it would take him at least 3 to 4 hours to walk till Santacruz from Borivili. So he left 3 hours before the appointed time of 10 am, and started walking early morning with his umbrella and song book in the storm. He reached Roshan’s house at the appointed time but his umbrella was tattered, his slippers torn and the song book was wet. When an amused Roshan saw Bakshi at his door steps, he remarked “ Aare, tum aadmi ho ya Bhoot?” ("Hey, are you a man or a ghost?") Bakshi answered “kamaal hai saab, aap hi ne toh mujhe bulaya tha”. ("But it was you that had called me here") Roshan “Haan, bulaya toh tha, magar kaam itna zaroori nahin tha.” ("Yes, I did, but it was not that important.") Bakshi “aapke liye shayad zaroori na ho, magar mere liye who bahut zaroori tha”. ("Perhaps for you it was not, but to me it was.") Impressed, Roshan took Bakshi inside the house and offered him fresh clothes, tea and biscuits. He followed that up with by giving him a chance to write for “CID girl”, and then “Devar”, which proved to be a big hit. -- During a song recording of “Chhota Bhai”, Bakshi was approached by the director and was explained another song situation of happy children singing. Bakshi remarked, "Well, to eat, drink, and be merry, is the life of children”, and so wrote the mukhda on the spot “Khate Hain, Peete hain, Aur Mauj Karte Hain”. He added “Had I written with much deliberation and thought, I may have ended up writing a better poem, but I preferred writing a natural song, as it was children singing it.” -- One day, Bakshi and a friend, Hari Mehra, were traveling in Bakshi’s 1964 Fiat car when he saw a very beautiful woman pass by. Bakshi remarked to Hari maehra, “Kya roop paya hai”, a well meaning compliment to the woman walking by. Immediately Bakshi stopped his car and told Hari not to talk for 10 mins. He started penning a song. After 10 mins of silence, he had completed the mukhda and a few antras. When Hari questioned him, Bakshi told him he will reveal the song to him someday. After the film was released, he informed Hari that the song in wrote that day under the shade of the Gulmohar trees, after watching a beautiful woman walk by, was “Roop Tera Mastana, Pyaar mera diwana”, “Aradhana”. -- He wrote the song “Hum Tum Ek Kamre mein Bandh Hon”, for Bobby, while traveling with Laxmikant to meet Raj Kapoor. Laxmikant did not know whether Bobby was the name of the hero or heroine, so Bakshi decided to write lines where it would work both ways. Further, he wrote the lines “tere nainon ki bhool bhulaiya mein, Bobby kho jaye” when he and Laxmikant got lost in Raj kapoor’s huge Bungalow trying to find his way to the music sitting room. -- He considered himself the luckiest man in the world and would always advise people to count their blessings. When film makers, friends, or his family asked him to increase his price, he would reply, “From an army jawan earning Rs. 75 a month, to owning a car and a flat, getting my children married, I have come a long way in life. I don't need anything more from life and my work. I already have earned what I need to live a basic and happy life.” At another time he said, “I don't increase my price often, and drastically, as I don't want to ask for a price that will be refused to me if my work is no longer outstanding. I have never had to drop my price and that is my pride. So why should I increase it?” -- On 12 July 1956, Bismil Saeedi wrote a letter to Bakshi from Delhi. The contents were:
After the success of “Jab Jab Phool Khile”, Bhagwan Dada met him at a big film party and advised him, “Bakshi saheb, khushi ki baat hai, aap ka naam ho gaya hai. Magar ek baat yaad rakhna ke yahan aadmi ko naam se zyada us ka kaam zinda rakhta hai.” ("Mr. Bakshi, I am happy for your success. But always remember that here it's not a man's name but his work that keeps him alive.") Bakshi never ever forgot that golden advice from the heart of a good man. -- A man apparently had decided to commit suicide and placed his head on the railway tracks waiting for the train to run him over. But then he heard a song playing from a radio in a nearby hut, “Gaadi Ka Naam, Na Kar Badnam, Patri Pe Rak ke Sar Ko. Himmat Na Haar, Kar Intezaar, aa laut jaen ghar ko. Who Raat ja rahi hai, dekho subha aa rahi hai”, from the film “Dost”, and he decided not to end his life, and he returned home to write a thank you letter to Bakshi. -- When the Press was refused permission to shoot Bakshi’s body lying inside his home, his wife Kamala instructed her children not to stop the Press from filming his body. “The media attention is Bakshi’s true earnings. After all, my husband never worked for money and the money he earned was incidental. At this time, during his final journey on Earth, we must permit the media to honor him in their voluntary and own way.” And so the family permitted the Press, media to enter their home at this sensitive moment. -- When he was in Hospital, a sweeper would serve him very caringly. When his daughter tipped the sweeper for the extra attention, the sweeper returned the tip, as he was happy serving his idol, without expecting anything in return. -- When he needed blood transfusion, in March 2002, and his son made requests for blood donors of his rare blood type, B Negative, and put up posters, cell sms, email fwds, to friends, acquaintances, relations, asking for donors, they received overwhelming response. Even strangers were not only willing, but felt honored if they could offer their blood to bakshi. Also, strangers, and hospital staff, would come up to the family and confide in them that they are praying for bakshi’s recovery, and they cannot bear to see their childhood idol lose the battle of life. Such touching moments made the family proud of bakshi’s true earnings. -- In Bombay, when he stayed at Hotel Evergreen, (now Hotel Guru) in Khar West, he would spend all his time writing songs. Mrs Hari Prasad Cahurasia, one of the other persons who lived there recollects that he would talk little, write more, and sometimes entertain everybody by singing his poems and songs. He would have his meals at the Banarsi Sweet Mart nearby and have paan at the corner paan shop. At night, he would stand below the street lamp outside the Banarsi Sweet Shop and write songs. -- Sahir had advised me, Bakshi recalled once, “Choose simple words, as your songs have to be heard all over the nation.” On his advice, Bakshi made it a point to meet 5 to 6 film persons every day to ask for work. Sahir would say, "Either you call on people, or people call you. There is no other way to get work." Others like Ramprakash Ashq and even Shailendra, a Raj Kapoor staple, encouraged him to write. He even asked Bakshi to write a qawwalli for his film. The late poet Bismil Saeedi once apparently told him, “Bakshi, tumko faarsi nahin aati, lekin tumhari tabiyat mein faarsi hai. Tumhare mijaaz mein faarsi hai, aur yeh tumhaare bahut kaam aayegi.” ("Bakshi, you don't know Faarsi, but you are of the Farsi nature. You have the Faarsi attitude and this will prove very useful to you.") -- In the early days, when Manoj Kumar was still a small time actor, he would hear Bakshi’s poems on the sets of “Picnic”, in which Bakshi was playing the small role of a beggar. He advised Bakshi that he must seek Shirdi Sai baba’s blessings for success in his work and even took Bakshi to Shirdi with him. After that, Bakshi would visit Shirdi often, and when he stopped visiting due to ill health, he would play Sai baba songs at home. On any auspicious day, festive day, birthday, or anniversary, he would play a particular Sai Baba bhajan on his hand held mono audio cassette player and walk all over the house, purifying the place with the music. -- When Raja Mehendi Ali Khan died, Bakshi completed a song of his, and refused the payment, telling the producers to give the money to his widow instead. It was for Raj Khosla’s “Anita.” Bakshi was still a struggler in those days, and yet had the dignity to help others. Such was his inner strength, and character. (It’s ironic that after his death, some film makers who owed him money did not fulfill their commitment.) Quotes"I wrote 'Chingari Koi Bhadke' for my personal pleasure. But Shaktida heard me sing it in a party and used it in Amar Prem. I was inspired to write this song when I once lit my cigarette and threw the lit match stick in the pouring rain, and the rain water extinguished the match. Even the following were written by me for my personal pleasure my later turned into film songs by their makers: “maine poocha chaand se” (Abdullah); “Yahan mein Ajnabi Hoon” (Jab Jab Phool Khile); Duniya Mein Kitna Gham hai” (Avtaar); Rajesh khanna heard me sing this song in a party, and recommend that we use in his film “Avtaar”. -- "There is no secret for my inspirations. Every human heart has emotions, gathered in the process of living. Unwittingly they pour out in verses. There is nothing more mysteriouis than unrequitted love. And that’s a great source of inspiration. Folk songs too inspire me. For my song from “Pratigya”, “mein toh yamla jat diwana”, I was inspired by a Punjabi quote. In “Mera gaon Mera desh”, “Maar diya jaye, ke chod diya jaye”, I was inspired by the dialogue between King Porus and Alexandra the Great, who used almost the very same lines “tumhare saath kya salook kiya gaye”. -- "During a song sitting of “Aan Milo Sajna”, me and LP tried for many hours to get a break through but failed. I got up to leave, and remarked “Acha toh hum chalte hain”. Laxmikanth asked me in reply “Phir kab milo ge”, and thus I was inspired to make a song out of it. " -- Once, questioned by his son on him why he would not increase his PR to win more Film awards, Bakshi replied, "I don’t crave for Film awards, as I shall leave these awards behind for decoration of my house. The reward I will carry to my next birth, the one with which I decorate my soul, I have already received. Unintentionally, unknowingly, I have helped make a difference in someone’s life." -- "Me, Laxmikant, and bakshiji came out of kardar studios, parel, after watching the trial show of a tamil film, which was to be later readapted as “Milan”. We stopped at a paanwala near prabhadevi, which laxmi would regularly patronize. While the paan was being prepared, bakshiji, who was very happy that we three had come together for this big film, said the words “mubarak ho sabko, sama yeh suhana, mein khush hoon mere ansoo- on pe na jana”. He was so happy that we three were working together, and later he used this expression in a song for the same film." –Pyarelal. -- "His favorite authors were Sidney Sheldon and Danielle Steel; he would read a few Urdu monthly’s, especially those from the Shama group, Delhi; he was also an every day avid reader of The Readers Digest. He believed that any person who has not read anything new in 24 hours, has nothing to contribute to society, to life." - Rakesh Bakshi son of Anand Bakshi. "He would do Yoga exercises briefly in he mornings, and would walk briskly every evening. He drank alcohol only after 9pm, and would not drink if he were writing, as he respected his pen and song book as being Saraswati." "He wrote all his songs in Urdu, as he had poor knowledge of written Hindi. And for this reason, he would always dictate his written lyrics to the film makers or music directors, and never wrote it for them. If the directors misplaced the lyrics, it would be almost impossible for him to locate them in his song book, as he wrote them over a large number of pages, and not necessarily in a continuous page wise order. There would be other songs written for other films in between the antaras of one song. If he did not feel inspired, he would leave the song, and move on to writing another, and return to the earlier songs only when he was inspired while writing the lyrics of other songs. Maybe this was only possible because he wrote an average of 100 songs a year." –Rakesh. NotablesBakshi's lyrics were no small reason for the success of several superstars of Hindi cinema, notably Shashi Kapoor, Rajesh Khanna, Dimple Kapadia, Sharmila Tagore, Jeetendra and Mumtaaz among others.Bakshi also penned the lyrics for the very first films of several of today's stars, including Sunny Deol, Jackie Shroff, Kamal Hassan, Rishi Kapoor, Amrita Singh, and Uday Chopra among several others. Bakshi worked with several music directors who were the sons of the music directors that he had worked with in his early days: SD and RD Burman, Chitragupt and Anand Milind, KA and Viju Shah, Roshan and Rajesh Roshan, Shravan and Sanjeev Darshan. He also worked with father-son pairs of film directors like Manmohan Desai and Ketan Desai & Yash and Aditya Chopra. He wrote the first recorded songs of playback singers like Shailendra Singh, Kumar Sanu, Kavita Krishnamurthy and S. P. Balasubramaniam to name a few. He was instrumental in the breakthrough performances of artists like Pankaj Udhas and Anuradha Paudawal. Kishore Kumar zoomed to the top with “Aradhana” and Rafi staged a big comeback with Amar Akbar Anthony and Dharam Veer. Stars like Dev Anand, Dharmendra, Jeetendra, Sunny Deol, Raj Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor, Sunil Dutt, Amitabh Bacchan, Anil Kapoor, Rajendra Kumar, Ajay Devgan, Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla opted for Bakshi when they started their own film production companies. Bakshi won an award from the SPCA for his hard-hitting lyrics for the song Nafrat Ki Duniya Chhodke Pyar Ki Duniya Mein from the film Haathi Mere Saathi. FilmographyHit filmsMehendi Lagi Mere Haath, Devar, Jab Jab Phool Khile, Milan, Do Raaste, Aradhana, Amar Prem, Main Tulsi Tere Angaan Ki, Jurmana, Hare Rama Hare Krishna, Aasra, Himalaya Ki Godh Mein, Chota Bhai, Sohni Mahiwal Seeta aur geeta, Mera gaon mera desh, Roti, Anokhi Ada, Jeene Ki Raha, Aan Milo Sajna, Sharafat, Khilona, Maryada, Kati Patang, Raja Aur Rankh Haryali Aur Raasta, Aradhana, Farz, Do Raaste, Raja Rani, Raja Jaani, Loafer, Bairaag, Piya Ka Ghar, Apna Desh, Charas, Aap Ki Kasam, Bobby, Main Sundar Hoon, Amar Akbar Anthony, Dharam Veer, Shalimar, Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Julie, Jawani Diwani, Dostana, Hero, Main Sundar Hoon, Taqdeer, Raja Saab, Love Story, Betaab, Avtaar, Aasha, Apnapan, Suhag, Mr Natwarlal, Sargam, Karz, Ram Balram, Aas Paas, Krodhi, Fifty Fifty, Jaaneman, Judaai, Sharda, Namak Haram, Mukti, Khilona, Jeevan Mrityu, Naseeb, Desh Premee, Chupke Chupke, Ek Hi Bhool, Jeevan Dhara, Andha Kanoon, Farz, Shaan, Abdulla, Sholay, Rocky, Aamne Saamne, Shakti, Teri Kasam, Hum, Saudagar, Lamhe, Sahibaan, Khuda Gawah, Alag Alag, Sacha Jhoota, Shor, and more.1956 to 1999 (to be updated to 2003)
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