Aligarh ka Shakeel Badayuni: A Poet of Romane in World of Progressives poets.

Meri zindagi hai zaalim, tere Gham se ashkara

Tera Gham hai dar-haqiqat mujhe zindagi se pyara

This short write-up is dedicated to Shakeel Badayuni, who was decisively romantic poet in the world of Progressives. A generation of Aligs has grown up by humming Shakeel’s some romantic lines, such as---

“Suhani rat dhal chuki na jane tum kab aoge”, “Milte hi aankhen dil hua deevana kisi ka”, “jab pyar kiya to darna keya”,  “Na milta gham to barbadi ke afsane kahan jate”, …….and many more.

It is painful that Aligarh Muslim University has all but forgotten Shakeel. The next year 2020 will be 50^th year of Shakeel’s passing away. It is requested “AMU Aligarh Students Union” and “University Cultural Education Centre to remember the legend Shakeel Badayuni.

Shakeel hailed from a literary family. He was born in 1916 in Badayun and died 49 years ago in 1970, at age of 53 but, his lyrics didn’t die…they would never. He had done enough by then for lovebirds in the Hindi-Urdu speaking world to sing his songs, listen to his ghazals.

After overcoming initial hurdles Shakeel turned a legend in early 1950's. He had earned name and fame as a poet during his Aligarh Muslim University days, winning awards at many mushairas.

An utter romanticist at a time when it was fashionable to be in the league of Progressive writers, Shakeel made his short life count.

An utter romanticist at a time when it was fashionable to be in the league of Progressive writers, Shakeel made his short life count.

He joined Aligarh Muslim University in 1936, where he started participating in inter-college, inter-university mushairas and won frequently.

After completing his BA from Aligarh Muslim University, he moved to Delhi as a supply officer, but continued participating in mushairas, and in 1944 to Mumbai.

At a time when the best and brightest of Urdu poets wavered between shabab and inquilab – the two poles around which much of Urdu poetry has always gravitated–Badayuni spoke up steadfastly for shabab.

He applied his talents to describe the beauty, love romance, emotional, sentimental and passionate experiences as well as joys and sorrows of life.

He had little interest in political ideology or social causes and did not join the contemporary galaxy of progressive poets such as Faiz, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Kaifi Azmi, Sardar Jafri, Makhdoom Mohiuddin and others.

Music by Naushad, lyrics by Shakeel Badayuni: The great partnership in Hindi film music history.

Shakeel was Naushad’s discovery; it was Naushad who got the struggling poet a break in A R Kardar’s film Dard (1947), ending days of poverty. 

As the story goes, Naushad had asked him to sum up his poetic skill in one line and Shakeel said:

 “Hum dard ka afsana duniya ko suna denge

 Har dil mein Mohabat ki ek aag laga denge”.

This was the beginning of the Naushad-Shakeel partnership that was to continue for over the next two decades.

The songs of “Dard” were a great hit especially the one by Uma Devi (Tun-Tun) “Afsana likh rahi hun dil-e-beqarar ka”.

Soon, Naushad-Shakeel team became one of the most sought after duo by the film industry.

Their box office hits included “Deedar”, “Baiju Bawra”, “Mother India, “Mughal-e-Azam”, “Gunga Jumna “and “Mere   Mehboob”.

Shakeel turned a household name after his all time-favourites of “Baiju Bawra”, “O Duniya Ke Rakhwale” and “Man Tadpat Hari Darshan Ko Aaj”.

Then there was “Na milta gham to barbadi ke afsane kahan jate”in “Amar”, which prompted Sahir Ludhianvi to compliment Shakeel as the best ghazal writer in Hindi cinema.

Shakeel reached the zenith of his fame with “Mughal-e-Azam”, with each song being a runaway hit and one of them, “Pyar kiya to darna kya” turning an all-time classic. Incidentally, with “Mughal-e-Azam”, the best of Naushad was over and so was the partnership with Shakeel.

he had done enough by then for lovebirds in the Hindi-Urdu speaking world to sing his songs, listen to his ghazals.