Sahir was just 13 when his rich landlord father remarried possibly twelfth time. This decision gave no choice to his mother except leaving her husband’s house due to persistent neglect and ill-treatment . Having lost the custody of Sahir ( Who Opted to Live with his mother ) ,his father threatened to take him away his mother, but she approached her brother who took care of them. His father Chowdhary Fazal Din took his mother to court, alleging that Sahir was illegitimate. After Lahore High Court gave the custody of the boy to the mother, A very strong attachment between the mother and son that remained there till Sahir’s death. Sahir could hardly move away from this strong bond.
Sardar Begum ( Died 1976 ) , mother of Sahir Ludhianavi was from a Kashmiri Muslim family that had settled in Ludhaina in Punjab. She was the youngest child of Abdul Aziz , a Kashmiri contractor of Ludhiana . Sahir’s Mamu ( Mother ‘s brother) had a Fruit shop at Jagraon Bridge in Ludhiana .
Abdu Aziz ( Sahir’s Maternal Grandfather ) was also related to the family of Shorish kashmiri . It was Shorish ‘ family that brought Sahir’s Mother to Lahore from Ludhiana during the communal Frenzy of 1947. Sahir’s father, who had lawfully separated from his mother, moved to Lyallpur (Now Faisalabad ) from Ludhaina where he died in 1964.
Sahir was in Delhi when his mother moved to Lahore. He went to Lahore in September 1947 to bring her back to India. At the same time, his close friend Hameed Akhtar had come to Lahore from Mumbai. Hameed insisted on sahir’s staying in Lahore . Very reluctantly Sahir agreed and started editing a newspaper after taking up rented accommodation at Abott Road Lahore opposite Nishaad cinema . But he had to pack back when arrest warrants were issued against him for writing anti establishment editorials including one wherein he questioned the legitimacy of Two Nation Theory. His belief in Marxism did not find favour with the rulers of the new born country. Sahir fled Lahore and returned to Delhi . From Delhi, he requested his friend Prakash Pandit to go to Lahore to bring back his mother .
Staying for some time at Delhi , Sahir moved to Mumbai. To make both ends meet in Mumbai, he even copied Manuscripts for publishers that also included Krishen Chander’s poorly handwritten pages. For this he earned Rs150. With no regular income, he once sold his mother’s bangles to pay water and electricity bills. Inspite of all this he did not lose patience .He kept moving from studio to studio for work but did not get a break or work from some established film company .And Ishar Kour , the sikh girl whom he loved during his college days had also moved to Mumbai. She tried to look for him in vain and was finally married to a distant cousin by her parents. This all happened before Sahir landed in Mumbai. No one knows what happened to her thereafter.
And then One day, his friend Mohan Sehgal recommended him to S.D. Burman who stayed permanently in GREEN HOTEL located at Khar. Sahir landed at the Hotel early in the morning and knocked at the door of Burman Dada ‘s room. Burman Dada was gracious and made him sit comfortably. Sahir introduced himself and spoke about the purpose of his visit to the hotel. S D Burman neither knew urdu nor was much familiar with poetic nuances. He was essentially a composer. Burman asked Sahir to listen carefully to a tune that he had prepared for a film song and then pen words to fill up the tune . And sahir wrote
“ Thandi havaayein ,
Lehra ke Aayein ,
Ruut Hai jawaan ,
Tum ko Yahaan ,
Kaise Bulaayein …..
A visibly overjoyed Burman jumped from his seat . He took Sahir to producer A.R. Kardar saying that the desired poet had arrived. When Lata Ji sang the song , it was an instant hit. Burman ensured sahir’s song writing in more films including Jaal,Taxi Driver ,Munim ji , Devdass , House No 44, Pyassa and Funtoosh etc. For 1957 superhit movie Pyassa , Guru Dutt ,Sahir and S D Burman pooled their Heart and soul .
“PHAILEE HUYEE HAIN SAPNON KI BAAHEIN ” …..When Sahir wrote this song for House No. 44 starring Dev Anand and Kalpana Kartik, an overjoyed S.D. Burman kissed his hands .
“Komaal Hai ! Komaal Hai ! ”Burman kept crying . And once Lata Ji gave her voice to the song, it turned immortal.
Burman had already composed the tune and Sahir just filled in the words. Sahir also wrote “ Chup Hai Dharti “ another beautiful song for this movie on a tune already prepared by S D Burman.
There came many women in Sahir’s life . His first love was a girl called Prem Chowdhary , who reciprocated his feelings but their affair was cut short when she died of tuberculosis. Sahir wrote a poem Marghat (Place of cremation) about her.His second lady love was Ishar Kaur. She followed Sahir to Bombay, where he had shifted on the advice but got married later . No one knows what happened to this Ishar Kaur. Then he got linked with Amrita Pritam and was also infatuated by singer Sudha Malhotra .However, the one woman he stuck to all his life was his own mother Sardar Begum. He took her to mushairas even in far-flung places. And his Mother would openly request all visitors to Sahir’s house to put pressure on him so that he could give up Alcohol .
Veteran Journalist Sardar Khushwant Singh writes ;
“ During later years of his life , Sahir had become a heavy drinker. Once he arrived in a party where I was also present, he was already high. The party was in honour of Firaq Gorakhpuri, who happened to be visiting Bombay. The guests included Akhtarul Imam, the novelist Krishen Chander, Sahir Ludhianvi and a few other lovers of Urdu poetry. He expected to be served with Scotch and soda. Instead he was served tea and Pakodas. He exploded in bad temper and the party was ruined.
Once he invited me over to his bungalow by the sea in Juhu. I was on my guard lest I say something which might upset him. I spent most of the evening talking to his mother and a lady cousin or niece. I could sense his mother doted on him as he doted on his mother. More than once, she asked me: “Puttar (son)you tell him not to drink so much. He is ruining his health.” I didn’t dare. I joined him for a couple of drinks, had my dinner and departed.”
Sardar Begum died in 1976. And Sahir was completely Devastated . He died of a Fatal heart attack at the age of 59 in October, 1980, leaving behind a treasure of poetry and rich Memories .
Autar Mota is a Banker by profession. He is a Blogger, Translator and writes in English , Urdu , Kashmiri and Hindi. A well Travelled man , he is fluent with kashmiri ,English , Punjabi , Dogri , Hindi and Urdu languages . His write-ups have appeared in many national magazines and journals.
