Meri Aawaj Suno

Writing songs, and especially songs for films, is something Urdu writers have long considered beneath their level. There was a time when dialogue writers (munshis) and lyricists were considered the lowest of the low. Therefore, the reason for the late Josh Malihabadis decision to permanently abandon the film industry and flee that world of dreams is easily understood. Its equally easy to understand why people labeled poets like Raja Mehdi Ali Khan as nagmanigar (singers) and completely forgot their poetic personality. But then came a time when a group of progressive poets, clad in torn clothes and worn slippers, wandered the streets of Lucknow and Delhi, hungry for two days a week, and flocked to Bombay in search of livelihood. Determined to make their voices heard at all costs, these writers included Majrooh and Makhdoom, Sahir and Asad Bhopali, Jan Nisar Akhtar and Akhtarul Iman, Gurbaksh Singh Makhmoor Jalandhari, and our own Kaifi Aajmi. This was a time when the film industry had a certain brilliance, but it wasnt as abundant as it is today. Even when Bharat Bhushan was considered a top artist, his monthly income was limited to a few thousand rupees. What Manto has described about the glamour of those days is beyond what anyone can say! But the remarkable feat of these progressive young poets was that, as far as song, story, and dialogue were concerned, they transformed the very face of the film industry. Beyond melodies, untouched lyrics and lofty ideas, a vision for the future, and dreams of the heights of human life were the hallmarks of these lyricists. The truth is that, before or after these lyricists, the genre of song never reached the heights that these blessed poets have taken it to. To understand the contributions of these poets and lyricists, consider this in the face of todays decadent environment, when counterfeit coins, eager to amass wealth, are displacing genuine ones from the market. A self-proclaimed lyricist even plagiarized two songs by Amir Khusro and didnt even bother to mention Khusros name, instead removing the final lines from the songs. In such a dark, gloomy environment, the songs of poets like Kaifi shine like fireflies. As you may know, Allama Iqbal even described the firefly as a million times better than the moth, saying that it doesnt need anyone elses fire. A traveler possessing courage and fortitude can successfully continue his journey in the light of fireflies.