Sahir Ludhianvi

Early life and education

Sahir was born on 8 March 1921, in a Gujjar family in Karimpura, Ludhiana, Punjab, British India. Sardar Begum required protection from Sahir's father and suffered financial deprivation. Sahir's place of birth in Ludhiana is marked with a small plaque on the building's arched entrance.

Sahir was educated at the Khalsa High School in Ludhiana. He then enrolled at the Government College, Ludhiana. The auditorium there is named after him. As a college student, Sahir was popular for his ghazals and nazms (poetry in Urdu) and empassioned speeches.

Career

In 1943, Sahir settled in Lahore. There, he completed Talkhiyaan (Bitterness) (1945), his first published work in Urdu. He was member of All India Students Federation. Sahir edited Urdu magazines such as Adab-e-Lateef, Shahkaar, Prithlari, and Savera and became a member of the Progressive Writers' Association. However, when he made controversial statements promoting Communism, a warrant for his arrest was issued by the Government of Pakistan. In 1949, after partition, Sahir fled from Lahore to Delhi. After eight weeks, Sahir moved to Bombay. He later lived in Andheri, a suburb of Mumbai. There, his neighbours included Gulzar, a poet and lyricist and Krishan Chander, an Urdu litterateur.

Sahir was a member of IPTA and also the Progressive Writer's Association

Sahir's work as a lyricist in the film industry gave him financial stability beyond his earnings as a poet. He made his debut with four songs performed in the film Azadi Ki Raah Par (1949). One of the songs was Badal Rahi Hai Zindagi. Both the film and its songs went unnoticed. However, after Naujawan (1951), with music by S.D. Burman, Sahir gained recognition. Sahir's major success was Baazi (1951). Again, the composer was Burman. Sahir was then considered part of Guru Dutt's team. The last film Sahir made with Burman was Pyaasa (1957). After this film, Sahir and Burman went separate ways due to artistic and contractual differences.

Sahir did work with other composers including Ravi, Roshan, Khayyam and Datta Naik. Datta Naik also credited as N. Datta, a Goan, admired Sahir's poetry and their collaboration produced the score for Milap (1955), Chandrakanta (1956), Sadhna (1958), Dhool Ka Phool (1959), Dharamputra (1961) and Naya Raasta (1970). Sahir also worked with music director Laxmikant–Pyarelal in the films like Izzat (1968), Man Ki Aankhen (1970), Dastaan (1972) and Daag (1973). From about 1950 until his death, Sahir collaborated with Baldev Raj Chopra, a film producer and director. Sahir's last work for Chopra was for Insaaf Ka Tarazu (1980). Yash Chopra, both while directing for B.R.films, and later as an independent director and producer, also engaged Sahir as the lyricist for his films, till Sahir's death.

In 1958, Sahir wrote the lyrics for Ramesh Saigal's film Phir Subah Hogi, which was based on Fyodor Dostoevsky's novel Crime and Punishment. The male lead was played by Raj Kapoor. It was presumed that Shankar–Jaikishan would be the composer but Sahir demanded a composer with a more intimate knowledge of the novel. Khayyam composed the film score. The song Woh Subah Kabhi Toh Aayegi with its minimal background music remains popular. Khayyam collaborated with Sahir in many films including Kabhie Kabhie (1976) and Trishul (1978).

Sahir was a controversial figure in that he was artistically temperamental. He insisted that the film score should be composed for his lyrics and not the other way around. He also insisted on being paid one rupee more than Lata Mangeshkar and this created a rift between them. He also insisted that All India Radio credit film song lyricists in its broadcasts.

Personal life

Sahir was romantically involved with Amrita Pritam and later Sudha Malhotra. Sahir and Pritam's love story was to be the subject of a 2014 movie that was legally objected to by the latter's grandson.

Death

On 25 October 1980, at the age of fifty-nine, Sahir died of a sudden cardiac death.

Discography

Books

• Mahmood K. T. (2000) Kalām-i Sāḥir Ludhiyānvī. A collection of Ludhiavni's poetry with English translation.
• Abbas K. A. (1958) Shadows Speak: (Parchhaiyan). 29 pages.
• Hassan R. (1977) The Bitter Harvest: Selections from Sahir Ludhiavni's Verse. 169 pages.
• Sucha S. (1989) Sorcery (Sahri): poetry.
• Gaata jaye Banjara (1992). A collection of film lyrics.
• Bitterness: Talkhiyan

In media

The Hindi film, Pyaasa (1957), is said to be inspired by Sahir's unrequited affection for the Hindi novelist and poet, Amrita Pritam and features several famous songs with lyrics written by him. Sahir's life has been chronicled by Sabir Dutt and by Chander Verma and Dr. Salman Abid in "Main Sahir Hoon"

Sahir Ludhianvi: the People's Poet by Akshay Manwani is the product of interviews and writings about Sahir by his friends such as Yash Chopra, Dev Anand, Javed Akhtar, Khayyam, Sudha Malhotra, Ravi Chopra and Ravi Sharma. The book also analyses Sahir's poetry and lyrics in the context of his personal life.

Awards and nominations

References

References

1. (1994). "Encyclopaedia of Indian cinema". Routledge.
2. "Sahir Ludhianvi – Profile & Biography".
3. Coppola C. "Politics, Social Criticism and Indian Film Songs: The Case of Sahir Ludhianvi." Journal of Popular Culture 1977 10(4) p896-902. "Perhaps the best known and certainly the most legendary songwriter in Indian films today is Sahir Ludhianvi." Accessed 8 July 2015.
4. (10 May 2023). "Sahir Ludhianvi's Padma Shri (1971) and Filmfare Awards (1964 and 1977) (see page 11)". Indian Philately Digest via GoogleBooks website.
5. Nawaid Anjum. (25 October 2019). "Sahir's poetry is a beacon of hope".
6. link. (29 October 2013 Public Information Bureau, Government of India, Published 8 March 2013, Accessed 14 November 2019)
7. This is the reason why he added the suffix ''Ludhianvi'' after his name. His mother, Sardar Begum, left her husband, thus forfeiting any claim to financial assets from the marriage. In 1934, Sahir's father remarried and sued (acrimoniously and unsuccessfully) for custody of his son. In a recent biography titled ''Sahir: A Literary Portrait'' ([[Oxford University Press]]) written by US-based author Surinder Deol, the author agrees with the very brief conclusion of Pakistani poet [[Ahmad Rahi]], a friend of Sahir over the years, about Sahir's life story in a nutshell, "In his entire life, Sahir loved once, and he nurtured one hate. He loved his mother, and he hated his father."Pandit P. ''Sahir Ludhianvi: Life Sketch and Poetry'' Rajpal and sons, 1995, p12.
8. Verma C. and Abid S. [https://www.amazon.in/dp/817650629X "Main Sahir Hoon"] {{Webarchive. link. (1 September 2023 Star Publications. 2014. {{ISBN). 817650629X (in Hindi).
9. M. l. Dhawan. (24 October 2004). "Sahir: The poet lives on". The Tribune India newspaper.
10. link. (13 January 2016 Rajya Sabha TV, 27 January 2012 at YouTube.)
11. [http://www.urdupoetry.com/profile/sahir.html "Biography – Sahir Ludhyanvi."] {{Webarchive. link. (2 September 2011 Urdu Poetry.com website, Accessed 14 November 2019)
12. Chatterjee, Patha. (2014-02-05). "Inhabiting two worlds". Frontline.
13. (2021-01-05). "SAHIR LUDHIANVI: "The Magician" whose songs live on reverberating with love and life".
14. Saran S. "Ten Years with Guru Dutt – Abrar Alvi’s Journey." p111-112.
15. "Milap (1955)". Hindigeetmala.net.
16. (10 March 2019). "Sahir's poetry in Kabhi Kabhie and our forever connection with them".
17. "100 Greatest Bollywood Soundtracks Ever – Part 4". Planet Bollywood.
18. Quint. (20 August 2019). "Poetry and Melody: A Musical Journey Through Khayyam's Life".
19. (22 July 2010). "Sahir Ludhianvi – Profile".
20. (2025-07-22). "Amrita Pritam And Sahir Ludhianvi Love Story: The Poets Who Gave Us 'Main Tainu Phir Milangi' And 'Chalo Ek Baar Phir Se' But Couldn’t Write A Happy Ending For Themselves".
21. (2014-08-05). "Sahir-Amrita love story in legal tangle - Pune Times Mirror".
22. "Profile of Sahir Ludhianvi".
23. "Filmfare recommends: Best Bollywood noir films of the '50s".
24. link. (10 May 2023 Star Publications, 2000. {{ISBN). 9788176500302
25. link
26. Sucha S. "Sorcery (Sahri): poetry. " Vudya Kitaban Forlag, Sollentuna, Sweden. {{ISBN. 91-86620-05-3. Accessed at World cat.org 19 November 2015.
27. Dutt, Nirupama. (24 October 2020). "Roundabout: Pyaasa revisited on Sahir Ludhianvi's death anniversary in his centenary year". Hindustan Times.
28. Dutt S. "Fan-o-shaksiyat (Sahir No.)"
29. ''Sahir Ludhianvi: the People's Poet'' Harper Collins 2013.
30. "Sahir Ludhianvi – The People's Poet". HarperCollinsPublishers.
31. "The Nominations – 1958, Filmfare Awards". Indiatimes.com website.