100 years of Sahir Ludhianvi: An essential, timeless poetic voice
EDITOR S NOTE:
Firstpost s ode to the people s poet , through a collection of video tributes by seven leading Hindi film lyricists from Varun Grover to Kausar Munir, Irshad Kamil, Shellee, Raj Shekhar, Mayur Puri and Hussain Haidry. Each of these lyricists has picked the verses that speak most to them, explaining why Sahir s words resonate even three decades after his death.
MY FATHER had a great fondness for Mirza Ghalib. He would often read a couplet and provide an interpretation, which for a high schooler like me at that time was difficult to comprehend as Urdu had not been a part of my curriculum. By the time I entered college, Sahir was everywhere. His songs were heard on the radio, his movies attracted large audiences, and his poetry was the topic of conversations among friends. I was drawn to Sahir’s work in a way that I hadn’t been to Ghalib’s. One day I walked into a bookstore and bought Sahir