Daily Times

I was shocked when I listened to Qateel ShifaI’s famous song ‘Ulfat Ki Nai Manzil Ko Chala’ now ruined by Yesudas in KalyanJi AnandJi’s music for an Indian film.

Though I am a fan of Yesudas and KA for their other works but this song in a different tune disappointed me since it was already an established number liked both by Indian and Pakistani music lovers. The cohesiveness of the instruments with vocals was missing in the Indian version. Qaeel Shifai’s reputation as a lyrical poet had already reached Bollywood, so in 1970’s and 1980s he stared visiting Mumbai to write songs. He mentioned to me in an informal encounter that he used to stay in a rented flat on his own with a locally hired cook and worked for Bollywood films from there with no financial burden on his producers. In the process he not only wrote new songs but also sold his already famous numbers from his Pakistani films. I supported him for the former but not for the latter part of his statement.

Jagjit Singh laid his hands on Qateel’s famous Ghazal ‘Yei Mojaza Bhi Muhabbat Kabhi Dikhaye Mujhe’ in a composed Ghazal format singing whereas Mehdi Hassan’s version was already established and popular in Khuli Ghazal singing style. Similarly the song ‘Kyun Hum Sei Khafa Ho Gaye’ by Mehdi Hassan for the film ‘Salam-e-Mohabbat’ filmed on Muhammad Ali was an established tune by Khwaja Khursheed Anwar. Despite this, it was sung by Jagjit Singh in the same tune. He seemed struggling to reach to Mehdi Hassan’s level of rendering.

The other songs of Qateel included in an audio album of Jagjit-Chitra duo are: Dil Ko Gham – e – Hayat Gawara Hai In Dinon, Apne Haathon Ki Lakeeron Mein Basa Lei, Pareshan Raat Sari Hai Sitaro Tum To So Jao, Angrai Par Angrai Leti Hai Raat Judai Ki, Sadma To Hai Mujhe Bhi Keh Tujhse Juda Hoon Main and Mil Kar Juda Hue To Na Soya Karenge Hum. Nurjehan – Rasheed Attre song for hit Pakistani film Neend ‘Tere Dar Pei Sanam Chale Aaye’ met a new treatment but this effort was fruitless as Nurjehan had sung it outstandingly well for Rasheed Attre.

I am amazed that with what stubbornness the song ‘Badlon Main Chup Raha Hei Chand Kyun’ already hit in Saleem Raza and Naseem Begum’s voice was sold to Mahesh Bhatt for the film ‘Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aai’ composed by Annu Malik rendered by Alka Yagnik and Kumar Shanu. Cover song is already popular in Ali Abbas and Sara Raza Khan’s voice for PTV’s programme Virsa Heritage.

There are dozens of other songs Qateel Shifai wrote for Bollywood. For example his song ‘Mari Gayi Pyar Main Main Tau Sanam Teri Qasam’ is rendered by Anuradha Paudwal, Anu Malik on a love sequence by Rahul Roy and Pooja Bhatt for the film Jaanam. Music was composed by Annu Malik. The same composer brought Qateel Shifai to write the song ‘Gungunaye Sajan Apna Aik Aik Pal’ for the movie Shabnam. Singers were Anuradha Paudwal, and Sonu Nigam. This film’s cast was Sanjay Mitra, Kanchan, Aroona Irani, Mohnish Bahl, Aloknath, and Bharat Kapoor, The film remained unreleased.

Qateel’s Pakistani films: We can talk about Qateel’s contribution to Bollywood endlessly but we are more concerned with his contributions in Lollywood. He was born in Haripur Hazara on December 4, 1919. When he was 28, his first assignment in January 1947, was on the invitation of Lahore-based film producer, Dewan Sardari Lal before the creation of Pakistan. Prior to that Qateel was doing menial business and jobs. He started his own sporting goods shop. Being unsuccessful in his business, he decided to move from his small town to Rawalpindi, where he started working for a transport company.

The first film for which Qateel wrote lyrics was ‘Teri Yaad’, Pakistan. He was assistant lyricist to Tanvir Naqvi for this movie. This film was directed by Daud Chaand and music was by Inayat Nath, who was Asha Poseley and Rani Kiran’ father. Nasir Khan, the hero went back to India. He was Dilip Kumar’s younger brother and his films Nagina and Ganga Jamuna in India became popular later on. This movie was flop despite that many disagree with this conclusion as it ran for five weeks both in Lahore and Karachi competing with Indian films released in Pakistan.

Qateel worked as assistant lyricist to some of the famous poets/lyricists for some time; from 1948 to 1955. With passage of time he became a highly successful film lyricist of Pakistan and according to Wikipedia he competed with big names such as Kaifi Azmi, Amrita Pritam, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Sahir Ludhianvi, Majaz Lucknawi, Tanvir Naqvi, Saifuddin Saif, Ahmad Faraz and Muhammad Hasan Askari. It is amazing how he managed his poetic interest alive despite the fact that his father was a businessman and there was no tradition of saying poetry in his family. Qateel did not lose hope and started taking informal tutelage from Hakeem Yahya Shifa Khanpuri. This association converted his name as Qateel Shifai from Muhammad Aurangzeb. He derived his poetic surname ‘Shifai’ from this association. He started getting guidance from Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi who happened to live in the same neighbourhood.

His successful ventures as lyricist were Intezar, Qatil, Gumnaam and Gulnaar. These films are remembered for their hit songs such as ‘O Jane Wale Re’ by Nurjehan for Intizar, ‘Ulfat Ki Nai Manzil Ko Chala’ by Iqbal Bano for Qatil, ‘Payal Main Gee Hain Cham Cham Kei’ by Iqbal Bano for the film Gumnaam Director: Anwar Kamal Pasha, cast comprised Mohammad Afzal, Sabiha Khanum, M Ismail, Asif Jah, Nasreen, Ragni, Sudhir, Ghulam Mohammed, Producer : GA Gul, ‘Bachpan Ki Yaadgaro’ and ‘Lo Chal Diye Woh Hum Ko Tassali Diye Baghair’ by Nurjehan in Master Ghulam Haider’s music in Gulnaar. This was Imtiaz Ali Taj’s directed movie for Evernew Pictures.

The other successful films with songs written by Qateel Shifai were Naila, Haveli, Shaheed, Zeher-e-Ishq and Anarkali. For the latter film Qateel Shifai won the Nigar Award. The other films at home and abroad are: Shireen Farhad, Qudrat, Tahqiqaat, Painter Babu, Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayee, Sir, Hum Hain Bemisaal, Naaraz, Naajayaz, Tamanaa Auzaar, Yeh Hai Mumbai Meri Jaan and Bare Dilwala.

AUTOBIOGRAPHY —Qateel Shifai started work on his autobiography “Ghungroo Toot Gaye” with the assistance of his pupil, now a famous Urdu poet, Naeem Chishti in 1988. It took him long to complete his autobiography. Naveed Qateel, his son completed the book and published it after his death in 2006. The book broke out many hidden facts about film industry and literary circles and revealed some interesting facts from the personal lives of legendary personalities like Sahir Ludhianvi, Nurjehan and Iqbal Bano.

The writer is the recipient of the prestigious Pride of Performance award. He can be reached at doc_amjad@hotmail.com