Entertainment News Desk !!! Shankardas Kesarilal (English: Shankardas Kesarilal, famous name- ‘Shailendra, born: 30 August 1923 Rawalpindi, (Pakistan); died: 14 December 1966 Mumbai) was a famous lyricist of English films. Shailendra, the creator of dozens of memorable film songs like ‘Hothon Par Sachchai Rahti Hai, Dil Mein Safai Rahti Hai’, ‘Mera Juta Hai Japani’, ‘Aaj Phir Jeene Ki Tamanna Hai’, worked a lot with the great actor and film producer Raj Kapoor.
Early Life
Shailendra’s father was in the army. He was a resident of Bihar. After his father’s retirement, he stayed in Mathura and got his education there. Urdu and Persian were a tradition at home too, but Shailendra’s interests were somewhat different from those at home. He had nationalistic thoughts since high school. In 1942, he went to Bombay Railway to study engineering. He also went to jail during the August movement. But his passion for poetry remained. Only Babulal knows the small house of Gangasingh in Dhauli Pyaau lane, which was once a colony of Mathura railway employees, in which Shailendra lived with his brothers. All the brothers were in the railways. Elder brother B.D. Rao was educating Shailendra. According to Babulal, Shailendra secured third position in the whole of Uttar Pradesh in high school in Mathura’s ‘Government Inter College’. That was in 1939. He was 16 years old then. He used to participate enthusiastically in the antakshari competitions organized in K.R. Inter College and used to win many prizes. After this Shailendra got a job in the railway workshop. Babulal also got a job in the railway. After staying in Mathura for a few days Shailendra was transferred to Matunga.
Early Career
In August 1947, Mr. Raj Kapoor was impressed after seeing Shailendra ji reciting at a kavi sammelan. He asked him to write for the film ‘Aag’ but Shailendra ji hated film people. After marriage in 1948, it became difficult to run the house with low income. So he went to Mr. Raj Kapoor. In those days Raj Kapoor was busy preparing for the film Barsaat. When Shailendra left the house to meet Raj Kapoor at the appointed time, it started raining heavily. As he walked and got drenched, the song ‘Barsaat mein tum se mile hum sanam’ spontaneously took birth on Shailendra’s lips. Before handing over his ten songs, Shailendra played this new song to Raj Kapoor. Raj Kapoor hugged Shailendra. He gave Shailendra fifty thousand rupees as remuneration for all the ten songs. The new song became the title song of Barsaat[2]The songs became popular and after that Shailendra Ji never looked back.
sensitive lyricist
Expressing emotions and sentiments in simple and precise words was a great specialty of Shailendra ji. The idea of ’smiling in someone’s tears’ is only possible due to the sensitive nature of a lyricist like Shailendra. Heart It can come in. See an example of their sensitivity –
“Tomorrow your dreams will be strange, but they will be reflected in my eyes
You will depart in a palanquin of flowers, but your fragrance will remain in my breath….”
Perhaps he may have fallen so low on the path of love that he could never recover. That is why he writes-
“It is easy to walk on the straight path, but when you see confusion, get out of it
Whether anyone accepts it or not, it is very difficult to recover after falling….”
Before writing songs for films, he had a different way of contributing to the country’s freedom struggle. At that time, he used to write heroic poems full of patriotism and by reciting them with enthusiasm, he used to fill the listeners with the spirit of patriotism, as a result, the freedom fighters of the country were greatly encouraged. His composition ‘Jalta Hai Punjab…’ got a lot of fame in those days. Even after coming into films, this passion of his remained, that is why he expresses the poor Indian in these words –
“My shoes are Japanese, these trousers are English
The red cap on my head is Russian, but my heart is Indian….”
How beautifully he displays the feelings of an Indian woman in this song of his-
“I have handed over my body and mind, I have nothing else
What I have from you my love, I don’t even expect that from God…”
Songwriter-turned-producer
Very few people would know that Shailendra had produced the film ‘Teesri Kasam’ starring Raj Kapoor. Actually, Shailendra liked Phanishwar Nath Renu’s story ‘Maare Gaye Gulfaam’ very much. He decided to become a producer along with being a lyricist. He made ‘Teesri Kasam’ with Raj Kapoor and Waheeda Rehman. He spent all his wealth and a huge amount of money borrowed from friends on the film. The film flopped. Shailendra, who was burdened with debt, fell ill. This was in 1966. He was admitted to the hospital. At that time he was busy composing the song ‘Jaane Kahan Gaye Woh Din, Kehte The Teri Yaad Mein, Nazaron Ko Hum Bichhayenge’. Shailendra expressed his desire to meet Raj Kapoor. He went towards RK Studio even in his illness. He died on the way. This day was 14 December 1966. It is a coincidence that Raj Kapoor was born on this day. Shailendra did not know that his film would be a hit after his death and would receive an award.
Honours and Awards
Shailendra ji received the Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist three times, which are as follows-
In 1958, he received the Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist for ‘Yeh Mera Deewanapan Hai…’ (Film- Yehudi). In 1959, he received the Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist for ‘Sab Kuchh Seekha Humne…’ (Film- Anadi). In 1968, he received the Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist for ‘Mai Gaon Tum So Jao…’ (Film- Brahmachari).
demise
On 14 December 1966, ailing Shailendra was going to RK Studio to meet Raj Kapoor. He died on the way. Everyone has to go to the jaws of death one day but the void created in Indian cinema by the departure of a lyricist like Shailendra will never be filled. Even though we know that it is impossible for these words written by him to come true, let us repeat those impossible words of his once –
“O you who are leaving, come back if you can…”
