Hridayanath Mangeshkar turns 70 today on 26th October, 2006.

Scion of the Mangeshkar family, Hridayanth's repertoire includes music compositions for films as well as devotional songs and Marathi bhakti geet. His prodigious output has regaled music-lovers for well over four decades. Most of Hridaynath's compositions have been sung by his sisters Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhonsle. In fact, Hridaynath himself is a singer with a sensitive approach to poetry.



Many Many Happy Returns for the Day...

Learn ettiquets from Lataji...
Mood:  special


This superlady is so nice...here is a titbit regarding her:

Lata Mangeshkar refused to accept her first Filmfare award because the Filmfare statuette was designed in the shape of a woman and the woman had no clothes on. So Lataji had reservations in accepting that nude statuette. Finally the award had to be wrapped with a handkerchief to be granted to Lataji.

Namaste Lataji

Anup Manchalwar

Anand Bakshi - A Profile
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He was probably the most prolific lyricist of our time, with a 45-year career and more than 5000 songs. Few know that Anand Bakshi had started out as an army man, and that was where the superstar songwriter first learnt to wax lyrical in the language of the masses.

Born in 1920 at Rawalpindi in undivided India, Bakshi belonged to a working class family and joined the army at the age of 18. Educated only up to the eighth standard, he served in the army for almost three years before traveling, as they all do, to Bombay. There, for a comparable period of time, he struggled to make an impact as a writer - and returned to the army, depressed.

But he was back, this time married and with a daughter, and even more reason to work harder. His first break came when Bhagawandada paid him the princely sum of Rs. 150 for four songs in the movie Bhala Admi.

The break did not immediately carry him into the higher echelons until he met Raj Kapoor, who enlisted him to write the lyrics for his film Mehndi Lagi Mere Haath. Working with a stalwart like Kapoor ensured that people would talk about him, and the word soon spread.

The competition was not lax - he was in now in the same frame as Kaifi Azmi, Hasrat Jaipuri and Sahir Ludianvi and he had to work doubly hard to get any attention. Helped along by film makers like Shailendra, he was definitely on his way.

He was soon doing films like Jab Jab Phool Khile, Amar Prem, Seeta Aur Geeta, and Mera Gaon Mera Desh, all box-office biggies. Now working with Laxmikant-Pyarelal and R D Burman, he was in the big league.

Bakshi also sang in a few films. He sang the duet Rut bekarar aaye in Mome Ki Gudiya and a portion of Ke aaja teri yaad ayee in Charas in which he matched his vocal skills with ace playback singer Lata Mangeshkar.

Though there were hordes of huge hits peppered through his career, Bakshi rated the songs for Shakti Samanta`s Amar Prem specially Chingari koi bhadke among his best.

But he was also a composer. In fact, it`s a common secret in the music industry that Bakshi composed the tunes for many of the lyrics he wrote, though other big composers walked away with the credit.

His latest hits were Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Dil To Pagal Hai, Taal, Mohabbatein, Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat, and Subhash Ghai`s memorable film Yaadein, where he weaves magic with Anu Malik.

Apart from being nominated innumerable amount of times for the Filmfare award Bakshi has also won the coveted trophy three times in his illustrious career. He won it for the first time in 1978 for the song Aadmi Musafir Hai from the film Apnapan. In 1981 he won it for the song Tere Mere Beech Mein from Ek Duje Ke Liye and after 14 years he won it for the third time in 95 for Tujhe Dekha To Ye from Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge.

He has seen generations of filmmakers and music directors, and has worked with nearly every name in the industry. He was openly critical about present trends, and laments the lack of depth in storylines and lyrics. We would, indeed, agree with him.

Bakshi, who can easily be called the most prolific Hindi film lyricist and had a successful career spanning four decades, passed away on 30th March, 2002 at the age of 82. Bakshi is survived by his wife and four children.

A Tribute to Anand Bakshi
Mood:  special

I am a big big fan of Anand Bakshi. This man can pen down the entire three-hour movie in just three beautiful rhyming paragraphs. I salute this man.

I remember Javed Akhtar saying, "Ab hamari kya haisiyat jo itne bade shayar ke baarien mein kuch kahe" while he was interviewed at the funeral of this genius. I have no words to praise Anand Bakshi...whether it be the Pancham, Kishoreda and Rajesh Khanna combination or the new songs like the superhit - Mein nikla gaddi leke...or those sweet songs of Asoka (AAKASH HAI KOI PREMKAVI MEIN USKI LIKKHI KAVITA...MERE JAISA KOI NAHI AAYA JAG MEIN YUG BEETA) or Dil To Pagal Hai (Lataji: HUM JISE SUN CHUKE, USNE KAHA BHI NAHI...KYA GILA HUM KARE, WOH BEWAFA BHI NAHI)...Anand Bakshi was a perfect man. Note his rhyme scheme....he has never used a loose word. Anand Bakshi, a true poet, wrote unparalleled songs like - Zindagi ke safar mein - from Aap ki Kasam...(Note the meaning of song, the relevance of subject and his rhyme scheme and still the simple words he used)

Anand Bakshi has written so many songs that it is tough to praise all this song in a go. No words to praise the depth of song - Chitthi aaye hai (his message to the NRIs - AAJA UMAR BAHUT HAI CHHOTI, APNE GHAR MEIN BHI HAI ROTI...what a talent!)
I really cant praise Anand Bakshi as a shayar...but yes, if you give me any ONE of his song, the task will be easy and enjoyable. He is a good singer as well. DIL INSAAF KA EK TARAZU....JO INSAAF KO TOLE ....wow....and once Anand Bakshi finishes his line...the way Lataji picks up - KE AAJA TERI YAAD AAYE.....brilliant....I hear this song daily. Lataji has sung the word JALIM kitni der laga di so nicely...

I owe a lot to Anand Bakshi and so do millions of lovers of Indian music and Hindi and Urdu shayars. Anand Bakshi was a great great shayar. I cant just pick his best...all his songs are so meaningful and so rhythmic...just cant challenge it.

§ Kya yahi pyaar hai...(what a melody....Kishoreda Lataji add sweetness to Anand Bakshi's rhymes).
§ Lagi aaj saawan ki phir wo zhadi hai (Ultimate song...CHAMAN MEIN NAHI PHOOL DIL MEIN KHILE THE...or....KABHI TOOT KE KOI CHEEZ JUDI HAI)
§ Lambi judaye...(Music makes it more melodious, but what it is without Anandji's rhymes and the importance he gave to JUDAI)
§ Mere naina sawan bhado...(Incomparable composition...RD, Kishoreda and Sultana Parween made good use of Anand Bakshi's powerful pen and note the rhyme scheme)
§ Pyar diwana hota hai...(Oohhh..Probably the simplest way to describe Diwanapan)
§ Sawan ke jhule ...(Lataji sang so nicely...just want to hugg her...)
§ Solah baras ki baali umar...(Amazing...Anand Bakshi lamented as he was not given Filmfare award, but for another song of the same film)
§ Tere mere beech mein (the way Lataji has sung KITNI JUBANE BOLE LOG HUMJOLI...PYAR KI HAI DUNIYA MEIN EK HI BOLI)
§ Ye jo chilman hai....(Note the use of adjectives...maasha allah Anandji)
§ Aaj mausam bada...beimaan hai bada (note the use of word Bada)
§ Aate jaate khobsurat (note the shayaris and rhyme scheme)
§ Bhigi Bhgi raatoen mein (note the rhyme scheme and his adherence to the subject)
§ Chingari koi bhadke (Note his imagination power and amazing skill of relating things)
§ Dream girl....(note his shyaris and his command over language and use of words...)
§ Ek tha gul aur ek thi bulbul (the way he tries to make people get the point...his simplicity)
§ Kaanchi re kaanchi re (note that he never goes away from subject and situation...)
§ Kora kaagaz (beautiful composition)
§ Kuch to log kahenge (wonderful imagination - TU KAUN HAI TERA NAAM HAI KYA, SITA BHI YAHA BADNAAM HUI...superb)

(Ref: http://www.geetmanjusha.com/hindi/lyricswriter/3.html)

It would be pure injustice to this great soul if I do not appreciate "Baagon mein bahar aaye" a duet from film Mom Ki Gudiya with Lataji. Now the question is whether I shall appreciate his writing or his voice or Lataji's? Well, you listen to the song and feel how blessed you are that you got to listen this number.

Anand Bakshi wrote more than 4000 songs...and I repeat that he is the man who can churn entire life, whether a tragic or comic, in just two three paragraphs - the paras full of music, melody and rhymes and subject.

Hats off Anandji...you are genius!! Come again...

Fan,
Anup Manchalwar

Day II, thank you...
Mood:  special


Thank you Deepakji. Afterall it was your inspiration which encouraged me to start this blog. I wanted to mention your name in the very first entry itself, but then I thought to dedicate the first entry to our Lady Love fully. I am damn inspired by you, your blog, your mails, your writting, and your love for Lataji. I will need you in future...Thank you very much for posting comments...

Thank you Vimlaji. You are my new idol. I have saved all your mails in a different folders just because they are too important for me. Thanks for sending the song "Aye hawa mere sang sang chal..." What a pleasant gift it is from Lataji. Vimlaji, I am thankful to you for many things, but for now, on this blog, let me thank you for the encouragement you have given by posting the comment. Yes, the name of blog is common...and my fair lady is - LATAJI

- Anup Manchalwar