Hindi poet par excellence bids adieu at 93
LUCKNOW: …karwan guzar gaya, gubar dekhte rahe
Writer of such soul-stirring lyrics, a magician of words, Padma Bhushan Gopal Das Neeraj, 93, is no more. He passed away on Thursday evening at the AIIMS trauma centre in Delhi.
“Neeraj had suffered a head injury following a fall at his house in Agra and was undergoing treatment at a hospital there,” Dr Rajesh Malhotra, chief of the AIIMS trauma centre, said.
“He was shifted to the trauma centre here (Delhi) on Wednesday night in a critical condition. He had suffered kidney failure, had infection all over his body and head injury,” he said.
Neeraj’s family was by his side during his last hours.
Born in a Kayastha family in a small village, Puravali, in
Etawah district on January 4 ,1925, Gopal Das Neeraj went on to become a professor in Hindi in Dharma Samaj College of Aligarh.
He penned several songs for Bollywood movies and was one of the best poets of the country.
Neeraj was born in a village, chased his dreams and achieved success in Bollywood and came back to his roots to give back to society from where he achieved such stardom.
“Recipient of Padma Shree and Yash Bharti, too, Neeraj advocated a better deal for poets, writers and literary persons, that’s why he was not shy of demanding pension for Yash Bharti award winners,” said ghazal writer Sanjay Mishra ‘Shauq’ who shared the dais with legendary Neeraj on several occasions.
“Neeraj ji was not only a great Hindi geet (song) writer, but was a very good Urdu ghazal writer as well. His lines ‘Ab to mazhab koi aisa bhi chalaya jaye, jisme Insaan ko insaan banaya jaye’ just show his class. Recently he developed the habit of writing Haikus,” said ‘Shauq’.
Poet Mukul Mahan says, “Songs like Rangeela Re…, Phoolon Ke Rang Se… still captivate the listeners. No wonder Neeraj was nominated for the Filmfare awards in three consecutive years. For his creative writings he was honoured with Padma Shri in 1991 and Padma Bhushan in 2007.”
Poet Sarvesh Asthana, a Yash Bharti winner said, “He was like Sachin Tendulkar of poetry. His Bollywood stint during the sixties and seventies came in as a fresh wave of air in Bollywood. His chemistry with Shankar Jaikishan, and SD Burman was outstanding.”
He entered Bollywood because of Bhagwati Charan Varma (Chitralekha fame), who introduced him to Shankar Jaikishan in the sixties and they soon became fans of his poetry.
Neeraj is survived by three sons and a daughter. The mortal remains of Neeraj will be brought to Agra on Friday and then taken to Aligarh. He had declared to donate his body and it would be taken to Aligarh for this purpose. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath said Neeraj’s last journey will be carried out with full state honours. Kundanika Sharma, his daughter, said that they would proceed from Delhi on Friday to fulfill his wish to donate his body.
Some of his hits are followings Dil Aaj Shayar Hai Ghum Aaj Nagma Hai.
Likhe Jo Khat Tujhe Phoolon Ke Rang Se Swapn Jhare Phool Se Khilte Hain Gul Yahan Jeevan Ki Bagiya Mehkegi Rangeela Re
Aaj Madhosh Hua Jaaye re, Ae Bhai Zara Dekh Ke Chalo Kehta Hai Joker Sara Zamana Mera Man Tera Pyasa Shokhion mein ghola Jaye thoda sa Shabab
Megha Chaye Aadhi raat Bairan Ban Gayi Nindiya Jaloon Main Jale Mera dil Tose Najariya adayi
Dar Lage to Gana Ga Sharmileee O meri Sharmilee Taqat Watan Ki Humse hai Dheere Dheeraa Se jaan Bagiyan Mein
Jaise Radha Ne Malaa Japi Shaam Ki
THE MORTAL REMAINS
OF NEERAJ WILL BE BROUGHT TO AGRA ON FRIDAY AND THEN TAKEN TO ALIGARH