TRIBUTE TO A LEGEND.
🌺🪴🌺🪴🌺🪴🌺🪴🌺🪴🌺🪴🌺🪴🌺
TRIBUTE TO MY FATHER,A POET BEYOND POETRY...A SUPER DAD,PHILOSOPHER & SPIRITUALIST BEYOND FATHOM
By: Subhashini Swar (Daughter)
"IK DIL KE TUKDE HAZAAR HUYE,KOYI YAHAN GIRA,KOYI WAHAN GIRA..."
My father wrote this soulful unforgettable song in 1948 for the film Pyar Ki Jeet.This was one of his personal favourites, and went on to be the lament in his life as he kept losing people he cared for one by one; and was forced into a final quagmire of loneliness as he weakly wrestled with the agonies of old age as well as a nondescript existence. There was no way to collect any of the remaining ‘tukde’ and join them, since they had completely disintegrated and were too far apart, so finally on 9th January 2003 he bid farewell to this pulsating Metropolis with its rush hour sequence.
His greatest attribute was his acceptance of life and other people on a complete as is where is basis. His philosophic manifestations took form in his songs, and even his most emotional ballad or romantic ditty conveyed a subtle hangover of philosophy.
He was born in a Hindu Sanatani Punjabi family in 1917 in a small village called Patti in a town called Jalalabad, and was named Om Prakash. Right from the tender age of seven he started writing poetry in Urdu. There was no encouragement from home, but a wandering minstrel poet named Amar met him in his hometown and encouraged him to write,after recognizing his immense talent and potential. He also gave him the ‘takhallus’ of ‘Qamar’ which means moon, and Jalalabadi was added for effect because Qamarji hailed from that town.
It was the general trend in those days for writers to name themselves after the towns they hailed from.After completing his matriculation from Amritsar, Qamarji embarked on his journalistic career journey by writing for Lahore based newspapers like Daily Milap, Daily Pratap, Nirala, Star Sahakar. The lure of the Film industry brought him to Pune in the the early Forties.
n 1942, he wrote lyrics for his first film Zameendar which was a Pancholi Pictures production and the songs of this film were very well received, especially the song sung by Shamshad Begum “Duniya me garibonko aaraam nahi milta….rote hain to hasne ka paigaam nahi milta….“ which also had a line or two written by writer and poet Behzaad Lucknowi.
Thereafter he shifted to Mumbai with family and thus began an eventful career in the glorious film industry which went on for nearly 4 decades.
His songs were elusive wordplays that made you ponder deeply, looking for the hidden depths that were left upon the listener to uncover.Although he wrote what the need of the moment dictated, his gentle personality seeped through his lyrics. Potent love, deep excruciating pain and longing, ecstasy beyond comprehension, also hurt and humiliation that one faces in life through no fault; in other words every itsy bitsy emotion a lover or beloved goes through in the tryst to acquire true love, were portrayed in his effervascent songs.
Golden voices of the legendary singers like NoorJehan,G.MDurrani, Zeenath Begum, Manju, Amirbai Karnatqi and many others added mesmeric glitz to Qamarji’s deeply meaningful songs; alongwith eclectic singers like Mohd. Rafi, Talat Mahmood, Geeta Roy, Suraiya, Shamshad Begum, Mukesh, Manna Dey, Asha Bhonsle, Kishore Kumar and the Nightingale of India Lata Mangeshkar.
Not many people may know that the immortal composer S.D Burman had also rendered a comic song penned by Qamarji in the film Eight Days in 1946. The song was tuned by S.D Burman and the ticklish wordings were as follows…“O babu babu re dil ko bachana bachana, tere dilka banega nishaana…….”.
Music composer Sardar Malik had rendered a few soulful songs in his heydays, and Qamarji had written several ballads for him. One memorable song was from the film Renuka in 1947 “sunti nahi duniya kabhi fariyaad kissi ki, Dil rota raha aati rahi yaad kissiki….”. The regal Beauty of her times Naseem Banu sang a heart-wrenching ghazal penned by Qamarji “Dil kis liye rota hai…pyar ki duniya me, aisa hi hota hai” for the film Mulaquat in 1947.
Dancing legend Sitara Devi emoted a few of Qamarji’s songs in the film Chand In 1944 and in this film she played a cameo role as the slim and svelte second leading lady alongwith the charming Begum Para and dashing hero Prem Adib. Chand was one of the earliest of Qamarji’s successful and memorable films.
As a lyricist he handled anything from the ridiculous to the sublime with equal deftness. On one hand he wrote mesmeric duets like “sun mere sajana dekhoji mujhko bhool na jana…” sung by Lata Mangeshkar and Mohd. Rafi (film: Aansoo 1953) and on the other hand he penned comic relief songs like “aaj pahli taarik hai” rendered with full throttle gusto by Kishore Kumar (film: Pehli Tarikh-1954). This song turned into veritable anthem and was played on Radio Ceylon on the first of every month for decades, and it still is.
The film Howrah Bridge (1954) sky-rocketed his career as lyricist to unpredescented heights. Songs like “mera naam Chin Chin Chu” (Geeta Dutt) and “aaiye meherbaan, baithiye janejaan….” (Asha Bhonsle) are still as breathtaking as ever, and are remembered far and wide for their rollicking tunes by Maestro Music composer O.P Nayyar as well as for the succulent lyrics. It is a sad thought that very few people know who the writer of these songs is.
He had several friends and hundreds of fans whom he lovingly called his “pankhe”. His fan mail came in various languages; Hindi, English, Urdu and many regional languages as well. I remember how meticulously he replied to all his fan mail and judiciously sent an autographed photo as well.
Some of his favorite people were poet Qateel Shifai, Ameen Sayani, Kalyanji and Anandji, the elusive O.P Nayyar (who visited him some time before Qamarji’s demise) Music Composer S.D Batish, C.L Kavish, D.D Kashyap and many more. From his past associations he remembered G.Damle of Prabhat Film Company, Dattaram Pai of Filmistan, Babubhai Mitra, Husanlal Bhagatram and S.Mukherji the most as they had been a part of his initial glorious days as a lyricist. It is impossible to equate a man’s lifetime in words.
In his long career span he worked for several Film Companies like; Prabhat Film Company, Pancholi Pictures, Filmistan Ltd., Famous Pictures, Minerva Movietone, Prakash Pictures, Wadia Films Ltd., Filmkar Ltd., Sippy Films, N.C Sippy Films, Shri Shakti Films, Mitra Productions and many more.He was one of the founder Members of prestigious organizations like FILM WRITERS ASSOCIATION & IPRS in Mumbai.
The music Composers he worked with were; Ghulaam Haider, G.Damle, Pt.Amarnath, Khemchand Prakash, Husanlal Bhagatram, S.D. Burman, Anil Biswas, Shyam Sunder, Sajjad Hussain, C.Ramchandra, Madan Mohan, Sudhir Phadke, S.D. Batish, Sardar Malik, Ravi, Avinash Vyas and in the latter phase of his career with O.P Nayyar, Kalyanji Anandji, Sonik Omi, Uttam Singh and Laxmikant Pyarelal as well. Most music lovers may not be aware that Qamarji was a polished and highly acclaimed Adabi Shayar as well, and had graced innumerable Mushairas and Symposiums related to Urdu Poetry all over India.
Tribute written by
Subhashini Swar (Daughter)
By: Subhashini Swar (Daughter)
"IK DIL KE TUKDE HAZAAR HUYE,KOYI YAHAN GIRA,KOYI WAHAN GIRA..."
My father wrote this soulful unforgettable song in 1948 for the film Pyar Ki Jeet.This was one of his personal favourites, and went on to be the lament in his life as he kept losing people he cared for one by one; and was forced into a final quagmire of loneliness as he weakly wrestled with the agonies of old age as well as a nondescript existence. There was no way to collect any of the remaining ‘tukde’ and join them, since they had completely disintegrated and were too far apart, so finally on 9th January 2003 he bid farewell to this pulsating Metropolis with its rush hour sequence.
His greatest attribute was his acceptance of life and other people on a complete as is where is basis. His philosophic manifestations took form in his songs, and even his most emotional ballad or romantic ditty conveyed a subtle hangover of philosophy.
He was born in a Hindu Sanatani Punjabi family in 1917 in a small village called Patti in a town called Jalalabad, and was named Om Prakash. Right from the tender age of seven he started writing poetry in Urdu. There was no encouragement from home, but a wandering minstrel poet named Amar met him in his hometown and encouraged him to write,after recognizing his immense talent and potential. He also gave him the ‘takhallus’ of ‘Qamar’ which means moon, and Jalalabadi was added for effect because Qamarji hailed from that town.
It was the general trend in those days for writers to name themselves after the towns they hailed from.After completing his matriculation from Amritsar, Qamarji embarked on his journalistic career journey by writing for Lahore based newspapers like Daily Milap, Daily Pratap, Nirala, Star Sahakar. The lure of the Film industry brought him to Pune in the the early Forties.
n 1942, he wrote lyrics for his first film Zameendar which was a Pancholi Pictures production and the songs of this film were very well received, especially the song sung by Shamshad Begum “Duniya me garibonko aaraam nahi milta….rote hain to hasne ka paigaam nahi milta….“ which also had a line or two written by writer and poet Behzaad Lucknowi.
Thereafter he shifted to Mumbai with family and thus began an eventful career in the glorious film industry which went on for nearly 4 decades.
His songs were elusive wordplays that made you ponder deeply, looking for the hidden depths that were left upon the listener to uncover.Although he wrote what the need of the moment dictated, his gentle personality seeped through his lyrics. Potent love, deep excruciating pain and longing, ecstasy beyond comprehension, also hurt and humiliation that one faces in life through no fault; in other words every itsy bitsy emotion a lover or beloved goes through in the tryst to acquire true love, were portrayed in his effervascent songs.
Golden voices of the legendary singers like NoorJehan,G.MDurrani, Zeenath Begum, Manju, Amirbai Karnatqi and many others added mesmeric glitz to Qamarji’s deeply meaningful songs; alongwith eclectic singers like Mohd. Rafi, Talat Mahmood, Geeta Roy, Suraiya, Shamshad Begum, Mukesh, Manna Dey, Asha Bhonsle, Kishore Kumar and the Nightingale of India Lata Mangeshkar.
Not many people may know that the immortal composer S.D Burman had also rendered a comic song penned by Qamarji in the film Eight Days in 1946. The song was tuned by S.D Burman and the ticklish wordings were as follows…“O babu babu re dil ko bachana bachana, tere dilka banega nishaana…….”.
Music composer Sardar Malik had rendered a few soulful songs in his heydays, and Qamarji had written several ballads for him. One memorable song was from the film Renuka in 1947 “sunti nahi duniya kabhi fariyaad kissi ki, Dil rota raha aati rahi yaad kissiki….”. The regal Beauty of her times Naseem Banu sang a heart-wrenching ghazal penned by Qamarji “Dil kis liye rota hai…pyar ki duniya me, aisa hi hota hai” for the film Mulaquat in 1947.
Dancing legend Sitara Devi emoted a few of Qamarji’s songs in the film Chand In 1944 and in this film she played a cameo role as the slim and svelte second leading lady alongwith the charming Begum Para and dashing hero Prem Adib. Chand was one of the earliest of Qamarji’s successful and memorable films.
As a lyricist he handled anything from the ridiculous to the sublime with equal deftness. On one hand he wrote mesmeric duets like “sun mere sajana dekhoji mujhko bhool na jana…” sung by Lata Mangeshkar and Mohd. Rafi (film: Aansoo 1953) and on the other hand he penned comic relief songs like “aaj pahli taarik hai” rendered with full throttle gusto by Kishore Kumar (film: Pehli Tarikh-1954). This song turned into veritable anthem and was played on Radio Ceylon on the first of every month for decades, and it still is.
The film Howrah Bridge (1954) sky-rocketed his career as lyricist to unpredescented heights. Songs like “mera naam Chin Chin Chu” (Geeta Dutt) and “aaiye meherbaan, baithiye janejaan….” (Asha Bhonsle) are still as breathtaking as ever, and are remembered far and wide for their rollicking tunes by Maestro Music composer O.P Nayyar as well as for the succulent lyrics. It is a sad thought that very few people know who the writer of these songs is.
He had several friends and hundreds of fans whom he lovingly called his “pankhe”. His fan mail came in various languages; Hindi, English, Urdu and many regional languages as well. I remember how meticulously he replied to all his fan mail and judiciously sent an autographed photo as well.
Some of his favorite people were poet Qateel Shifai, Ameen Sayani, Kalyanji and Anandji, the elusive O.P Nayyar (who visited him some time before Qamarji’s demise) Music Composer S.D Batish, C.L Kavish, D.D Kashyap and many more. From his past associations he remembered G.Damle of Prabhat Film Company, Dattaram Pai of Filmistan, Babubhai Mitra, Husanlal Bhagatram and S.Mukherji the most as they had been a part of his initial glorious days as a lyricist. It is impossible to equate a man’s lifetime in words.
In his long career span he worked for several Film Companies like; Prabhat Film Company, Pancholi Pictures, Filmistan Ltd., Famous Pictures, Minerva Movietone, Prakash Pictures, Wadia Films Ltd., Filmkar Ltd., Sippy Films, N.C Sippy Films, Shri Shakti Films, Mitra Productions and many more.He was one of the founder Members of prestigious organizations like FILM WRITERS ASSOCIATION & IPRS in Mumbai.
The music Composers he worked with were; Ghulaam Haider, G.Damle, Pt.Amarnath, Khemchand Prakash, Husanlal Bhagatram, S.D. Burman, Anil Biswas, Shyam Sunder, Sajjad Hussain, C.Ramchandra, Madan Mohan, Sudhir Phadke, S.D. Batish, Sardar Malik, Ravi, Avinash Vyas and in the latter phase of his career with O.P Nayyar, Kalyanji Anandji, Sonik Omi, Uttam Singh and Laxmikant Pyarelal as well. Most music lovers may not be aware that Qamarji was a polished and highly acclaimed Adabi Shayar as well, and had graced innumerable Mushairas and Symposiums related to Urdu Poetry all over India.
Tribute written by
Subhashini Swar (Daughter)
Qamarji left for his Heavenly abode on 9th January 2003,and in his gracious memory I started my regular Events Company Swar Sagarika Music Circle in 2004.
Today it has been nearly 18 beautiful musical years that I have been organizing Tributes for my father,and other legends he worked witn.In this endouver I am supported by several friends and colleauges,singers,musicians and to top it all many celebrities from the Film Industry.
Blessed by the music maestro himself ..Janaab Khayyam Saab & his charming wife Mrs Jagjit Kaur Khayyam.
Venue:ISKCON Audi Juhu.
Venue:ISKCON Audi Juhu.
Sudesh Bhosle as chief guest,where the great singer/mimicry King regaled audience with his unforgettable performace.
Venue:Bhavan's Audi Andheri
Venue:Bhavan's Audi Andheri
Second generation of great Bollywood legends at the Qamar Jalalabadi Tribute Program
Javed Shakeel Badayuni
Raju Naushad,Mrs Raju Naushad
(d/o Majrooh Sultanpuri)
Subhashini,Shikha Anil Biswas & Shahid Mohd Rafi
Venue:Goregaon Sports Club,Malad
Javed Shakeel Badayuni
Raju Naushad,Mrs Raju Naushad
(d/o Majrooh Sultanpuri)
Subhashini,Shikha Anil Biswas & Shahid Mohd Rafi
Venue:Goregaon Sports Club,Malad
Javed Shakeel Badayuni Rajesh Rajindar Krishan Duggal,Subhashini & Akhtar Hasrat Jaipuri.
Venue:Mayor's Hall,Andheri.
Venue:Mayor's Hall,Andheri.
Sitarist Ashok Bhagatram Sharma and Subhashini
Venue:Goregaon Sports Club,Malad.
Venue:Goregaon Sports Club,Malad.
Shikha Anil Biswas delighting the audience with memories of her beloved dad Anil Biswas
Venue:Goregaon Sports Club,Malad.
Venue:Goregaon Sports Club,Malad.
Rajesh Rajindar Krishan Duggal,my crazy Group singers and Smt Lakshmi Sirur,Sister in law of Music Maestro Laxmikant Ji.
Venue:Mayor's Hall,Andheri.
Venue:Mayor's Hall,Andheri.
SOME GLIMPSES OF OUR GROUP MUSICAL TRIBUTE CONCERTS IN VARIOuS VENUES IN MUMBAI
My first music CD produced by me "Jhhoote Tore Naina"
Lyrics:Subhashini Swar Jalalabadi
Music : Santosh Nair
Singer : Mahesh Rao.
Lyrics:Subhashini Swar Jalalabadi
Music : Santosh Nair
Singer : Mahesh Rao.
My second song recording,later set into a beautiful Video."Tum bin ab to jiya na jaaye…"
Lyrics:Subhashini Swar Jalalabadi
Producer: Perfect Time Pictures
Singer:Palak Muchhal
Music:Nitesh Ramchandra.
Lyrics:Subhashini Swar Jalalabadi
Producer: Perfect Time Pictures
Singer:Palak Muchhal
Music:Nitesh Ramchandra.
