Zoom Time/ Remembering Anand Bakshi

By Narendra Kusnur 

Event: FB Live chat on Anand Bakshi (link below)
Panelists: Subhash Ghai, Vijay Akela, Rakesh Anand Bakshi
Date: July 20
Organiser: IPRS, moderated by Rakesh Anand Bakshi
Rating: ****

The moment he had some free time, lyricist Anand Bakshi would take a dusting cloth and clean his trophies. “There were some 300 or 400 trophies in our drawing room, and he took regular care of them. These would include awards he won for songs or mementos if a film completed a silver or golden jubilee,” his son Rakesh Anand Bakshi revealed during an online Facebook Live chat with filmmaker Subhash Ghai and lyricist Vijay Akela on Monday.

Held on the eve of Bakshi’s 90th birth anniversary on July 21, the chat was organised by the Indian Performing Right Society (IPRS). While Ghai narrated many anecdotes involving their friendship and professional association, Akela cited incidents reflecting how Bakshi thought and approached his writing Rakesh talked of his habits and fondnesses.

The obvious focus was on Ghai-directed films like ‘Meri Jung’, ‘Hero’, ‘Karz’, ‘Saudagar’, ‘Karma”, ‘Khal Nayak’ and ‘Taal’. As such, the two-hour and 10-minute chat missed out on earlier classics like “Milan’, ‘Aradhana’, ‘Amar Prem’, ‘Bobby’, ‘Sholay’ and ‘Ek Duuje Ke Liye’, and some other hits like ‘Gaadi Bula Rahi Hai’ in ‘Dost’ ‘Chitthi Aayi Hai’ in ‘Naam’. Maybe Akela and Rakesh could have spoken on those films.

The lyricist’s son revealed a few interesting things. He once asked his father how he could write such intense romantic poetry when he himself hadn’t had any involvements in his student days. “Bakshi Ji replied that if he had actually been romantically involved, he would never have been able to write such heartfelt songs,” said Rakesh.

He also talked about how his father insisted on replying to evert letter he received. He recalled, “Those days, they would come by post cards or inland letters. There was no e-mail. But Daddy responded to each one, often remembering the struggle he himself had gone through.”

Akela, who has written Bakshi's biography called ‘Main Shayar Badnaam’, talked of the walks they had at Joggers Park on Carter Road, Bandra. He said, “In the song ‘Dard-e-Dil’ in ‘Karz’, there was a line ‘Pehle to main shayar tha, aashiq banaya aapne’. I asked him whether it should have been the other way around as people are ‘aashiq’ before becoming ‘shayar’. He said it could very from person. In some cases, he became an ‘aashiq’ first, and in others, he was a ‘shayar’ first.”

Though the tribute was meant to celebrate Bakshi’s landmark day, Rakesh agreed that it was turning out to be a homage to all lyricists per se. This was after Ghai highlighted the fact that though people remembered the singers, actors and even the words, they rarely knew the names of the lyricists.

Ghai narrated various incidents like working with singer Reshma in ‘Hero’, how the song ‘Ek Hasina Thi’ was created in ‘Karz’, how the term ‘Ilu Ilu’ was created in ‘Saudagar’, and how Rahman had to be explained Bakshi's lyrics in ‘Taal’ in English.

“Bakshi Ji wrote keeping the common man in mind. He would listen to the story closely and get an idea about what words to use that would go with the story and the tune,” Ghai pointed out.

Rakesh recalled an incident when he asked his father why his work with some directors was excellent when in a few cases he didn’t match up to the standards he had set. He added, “He wasn’t very happy with my question but admitted that in some cases, the filmmakers would come up with great storylines and situations, and also knew what kind of music they wanted. That made the difference.”

Anecdotes like these made the show rather interesting. To state the obvious, it was a perfect remembrance of the genius and persona of Anand Bakshi.

Show link - https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=319495905751690&id=2292100484190356