Lockdown Legends ( Day 3) : Wondrous Wordsmith

There are some songs which one remembers forever. Add to this, a

special feature of such songs which makes one aspect of song ( either

of these: music, lyrics, rendition or picturisation ) tower over the

other so much that one remembers the song only for that aspect.

Today's legend  has to his credit at least one such "immortal" song

for which the credit was largely associated with singing and

picturisation and to an extent composition. As in many cases lyrics

came last. However, now when you listen to the song
"aayega aanewala aayega..."from Mahal, you will realise

the greatness of its lyricist NAKSHAB JARACHAVI , who is our special

celebrity today.

Born in  1925 in a small village Jaracha in

Bulandshahar district of UP. Nakshab Jarachvi shot to fame in 1945,when his debut

film Zeenat (1945 )was released and its Qawwali song , "aahein na

bhari, shikve na kiye " became an instant super hit in British

India.It was sung for the first time in India, by an all female

qawwali singing group of Zohrabai Amabalawali, Noor Jehan and

Kalyani.

Nakhshab Jarchavi got noticed after Mahal and got more work, as a result

of this success.

It was not long before he held the megaphone for his own directorial debut

Naghma 1953. A very interesting anecdote is associated with this film.

With Ashok Kumar and Nadira as the lead pair, Nakshab wrote all the

songs. What follows is  an insight into the working of Nakshab. 

 He initially approached Naushad Ali for

composing the music for his film. When Naushad Ali refused, the irate

director Nakshab   then chose Shaukat Ali Delhalvi and changed his

name to Nashad, to make it sound like Naushad !

Shaukat had composed music under several names earlier. 

Rechristened as Nashad, he composed for

Jarachavi's 1953 film Naghma, starring Nadira and Ashok Kumar.
The effect was awesome.

 The songs kahe jadu kiya,
badi mushkil se dil ke beqarari ko and
teer chala o teer chalane wale were declared  hits.

Nakshab was known for his magnanimity and there are anecdotes which

indicate that he was ready to help his friends without giving it

another thought. He  was fond of throwing lavish parties and betting on horses.

Once someone expressed that he had not seen a Rs. 500 note,

 Nakshab took out a note from his pocket and gifted it to the gentleman. 

When the person returned the money,
 Nakshab refused to take it and is reported to have said,

 "what comes out of the pocket does not go back ! "

The style and substance which Nakshab had in abundance mad him a

memorable name across the borders and the songs he wrote

reverberate  in our psyche till this day, making him a legend in his own right.