The theatrical show Parchhaiyaan will delve into lesser-known facets of poet Sahir ludhianvi's life. Director Suhail Akhtar Warsi chats with Shrabasti Mallik
Sahir ludhianvi, who penned down popular lyrics like Main pal do pal ka shayar hoon, Main zindagi ka saath nibhata chala gaya and Jaane wo kaise log the jinke pyaar ko pyaar na mila had a troubled childhood and matured into the man that the world came to know him, at a very early age. Many would not know this but the lesser-known facets of the legend’s life will be presented in a theatrical show Parchhayiyaan — A tribute to Sahir ludhianvi, directed by Suhail Akhtar Warsi.
“It is more of a biographical sketch of the legend, starting from his troubled childhood into the young lover, his failed relationship with Amrita Pritam and his association with the progressive socialist movement before Partition,” says Suhail, an Urdu poet, who himself wrote the play. He believes that whenever anyone talks about ludhianvi, the conversation revolves around Amrita Pritam (with whom he had a failed love affair). “People, therefore, talk very less about Sahir,” he adds.
Sahir’s poetry reflected the mood of the age. Kahat-e-Bangal (The Famine of Bengal), written by him when he was 25-year-old bespoke maturity that came early. His Subah-e-Navroz (Dawn of a New Day), mocked the concept of celebration when the poor exist in squalor. Suhail says, “The poems he wrote were very poignant and he always questioned things. He was not afraid to call spade a spade. Guru Dutt used most of his poems in Pyaasa.” Pangs of his childhood flowed in his poetry and touched many chords.
The basic structure of the play, says Suhail, rests entirely upon the poems. He explains, “Many of his couplets and nagma will be presented. His verses comprises over 60 percent of the narrative. We have also used a few of his Bollywood songs to add a different dimension.” The narrative is a beautiful blend of dialogues and poetry. It revolves around two characters, Sahir and She, who represents his lifelong bachelorhood and the roller coaster of love affairs — the emotional side of the poet. It is about the strength he gains from the vicissitudes of life — his own love and sorrows. The story is told by Sahir (Tom Alter) himself.
“It’s a saga of a passionate young college going Sahir, from Punjab to Bollywood, from a troubled child to a psychologically complex persona — a mature poet, lyricist and a freedom fighter,” he adds. The narrative of the script speaks volumes about the changing times of the mid-20th century, the impact of World War II, the struggle for Independence followed by the havoc of partition and its socio-political effects on the common man.
Parchhaiyan is one of his famous poems. Interestingly, it is also the name of bungalow that Sahir built and lived till his death. The writer was most influenced by his mother, Suhail informs and adds, “During Partition, his mother was caught in the riot and almost reached the refugee camp. He looks for her like anything and the pain and agony of being separated from his mother reflected in his poetry. The shadow of his mother lurks behind in his emotions.” He was affected by the socio-economic turmoil after World War II. If one pays attention, one would not miss a lingering melancholic feeling that underlines most of his songs, which were written like poems. And the reason why his works found such good acceptance was because of the lucidity and simplicity of his diction.
As a poet he was unable to praise khuda (God), husn (beauty) or jaam (wine). His pen, at its best, was pouring out bitter but sensitive lyrics over the declining values of society, the senselessness of war and politics and the domination of consumerism over love. Whenever he wrote any love songs, they were tinged with sorrow due to realisation that there were other, starker concepts more important than love. “He used those realisations and transformed them into revolutionary socialist thoughts,” Suhail points out.
The poet was a man with many shades to his character. History has it that with success, he started displaying arrogance. He insisted on writing the lyrics first and then having them set to music unlike his contemporaries, who were happy penning their verses to tunes. His insistence of being paid a rupee more than lata Mangeshkar created a rift between him, SD Burman and the singer. “With this play I hope to show more creative side of the legend. I believe that the play will successfully showcase a few interesting anecdotes of his bohemian personality,” Suhail rounds off.
