Yash Raj Films released a book on Dilwale Dhulania Le Jayenge running for 20 years. Great! So, I decided to share what Bakshiji told the director Aditya Chopra after he heard the script: Adi, if you make even 50 percent of what you just narrated to me, this film will be a big hit! Many months later, after Bakshiji saw the preview of the film, before its release, he told Adi: Adi.... You have done 100 percent justice to what you had narrated to me. This film is going to be a blockbuster and it will not come off theatres for a very long time! But how long, I guess even Bakshiji could not have guessed that! Because only the viewing public can be the ultimate truest barometer of your work. When I met Yashji in 15 july 2012, a few months before he passed away, this was what transpired between us: I asked Yash ji: When and how did you meet my father, anand bakshi, and when did you decide to work with him, hire him as your lyrics writer? Yashiji replied, I would meet your father, Bakshiji, often in film functions and parties, and he was a very successful lyrics writer then. He also loved to sing and sang well. One day i was re-introduced to him by my lyrics writer Sahir. Sahir told me use Anand Bakshi for lyrics someday, he also writes well. I was surprised my own lyrics writer Sahir saab was recommending Anand Bakshi to me for my film, even though Sahir was my old and current writer working in all my films. I was very happy with sahir writing in all my films and i had not asked him to recommend me another lyrics writer. The best thing about Bakshiji was even though we both were established by the time we met in 1980s, and even before that, he never asked me for an opportunity to write songs in my films. I think he knew sahir saab was my favorite lyrics writer and friend, and bakshiji honored and respected that. I can say bakshiji was amongst the good human beings i have met, and the number one lyrics writer; there were many good poets and lyrics writers, but there will be only one lyrics writer cum poet like anand bakshi. one day a big producer wanted me to direct a film, the music was by r d burman. the producer was gulshan rai. he suggested, or was it r d burman who suggested to me that we should sign anand bakshi saab for the lyrics in my film. i happily agreed. i met bakshi saab for my film and he gladly agreed to work in my film as lyrics writer without asking any questions. however, when i returned home i felt guilty and very bad that sahir saab was also a very good song writer, and he was also my very good friend since years, therefore i must continue to work with sahir saab, even though he had once told me to work with bakshiji also. I decided, I have to go back to bakshi saab and say I am sorry. bakshi saab was a very successful and famous writer even then, since 1964-1970 onward he was very much in demand. Embarrassed, I approached bakshiji hesitatingly and apologized profusely for going back on my word to him. i honestly told bakshiji i want to remain loyal to my very dear friend and very talented writer sahir saab, so I cannot use bakshijis talent in my film, and asked him is that okay with him. bakshiji was extremely graceful, and he was very happy that i wanted to continue working with sahir saab even though we had a deal. i think sahir saab had given bakshji good advise on song writing and some good introductions to producers and directors when bakshiji was desperately looking for a foothold from 1956 to 1964 in this profession many years ago. Surprisingly, bakshiji told me even if we do not work together in a film we must remain friends. i will say here i never met a man like anand bakshi. he never played politics, never spoke bad about any others writers or people he did not work or worked with. he was always quite and did his job and would leave even when we became friends over many films we did together, no unnecessary chatter or gossip ever. it was only when God took sahir saab away from us, that i approached anand bakshiji for my film. Chandni was my first film with him. And what songs, what lyrics he gifted my film! Unforgettable. He wrote for so many films of mine, and some by other directors making films for yash raj, and even my son adityas first and second film as director. We worked together in: Chandni (1989) Lamhe (1991) Parampara (1992) Darr (1993) Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) Dil To Pagal Hai (1997) Mohabbatein (2000) Mujhse Dosti Karoge! (2002) When my son aditya narrated his script of dilwale dhulania le jayenge, to bakshiji, bakshi saab told my son, beta, if you make even 50 percent of the script you have narrated to me, this film will be a huge hit, an unstoppable success! That film is still running in Bombay, since 1995. Teenagers even today sing those songs. bakshiji would write songs within minutes for me. sometimes he wrote one traveling in his car from his house in bandra to my house in juhu, in 15 mins. sometimes he wrote verses for me in less than 4 minutes while i would hold on the telephone. when i would be stuck during a recording of a song and I felt a verse or word needs to me changed while we are recording the song with the singers, i would call him and he never said no or call me tomorrow. there and then he wrote! such was bakshijis speed, depth, dedication and enthusiasm. he never questioned or fussed with me why i want anything changed even after i had liked and accepted his lyrics. he never said it is not possible to make changes if i needed them over the phone while we are recording. he always delivered on every occasion that arose, any time, any day. once when he was admitted at nanavati hospital getting a heart pace maker put, i went to meet him there. he told me he had thought of some new verses for a song in Chandni which he had already delivered to me. i never asked him to improve on what he had already written. so he was thinking of his directors, producers even while he was being treated for his heart! where are such people, such dedication, such talent, such sincerity, such enthusiasm, today?! bakshi, bakshiji, bakshi saab, anand bakshi, remains unforgettable even today to me, and even my son adiyta. beta, we miss your father immensely.
Posted on: Sun, 14 Dec 2014 15:32:16 +0000
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