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Bollywood tribute to poet Faiz strikes a chord with Pakistanis
A Bollywood song based on a poem by renowned Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz has struck all the right notes on this side of the border, including with the late writer's family.
A Bollywood song based on a poem by renowned Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz has struck all the right notes on this side of the border, including with the late writer's family.
"Gulon Main," the song written by journalist-lyricist Neelesh Misra for the yet-to-be released film "Sikandar" is based on one of Faiz's best known works. Faiz's daughter, Salima Hashmi, who has just returned from a trip to India, picked up CDs of the song for family and friends.
"I have had a chance to listen to the song and am very pleased with it. The ghazal was made famous by the great Mehdi Hassan's rendering of it. In fact, my father was often called upon to sing the 'Mehdi Hassan wali ghazal'!" Hashmi said.
Misra borrowed the first two lines ('mukhda') from Faiz's "Gulon Mein Rang Bhare Badlon Bahar Chale/Chale Bhi Aao Ke Gulshan Ka Karobar Chale" and rewrote rest of the 'antara'.
In fact, he wrote separate lyrics for the upbeat and the serene versions of the song. "I think the poem (Misra's) has lent itself unusually well to this adaptation. Quite a difficult task! The words and music, although dramatically different in this context, somehow still convey that mood of hope and promise which was Faiz's," Hashmi told PTI.
"Sikander is a film about a schoolboy in Kashmir whose parents were killed by militants.
