Sahir : The Original Angry Young Man !

Although the term “Angry Young Man” was given to Amitabh Bachchan for the anti-establishment roles he played in the 1970s films written by Salim-Javed, it was Ludhianvi who actually deserved the epithet before Bachchan. With his incisive poetry and characteristic plainspokenness, Ludhianvi consistently raised uncomfortable questions and expressed bitter truths through his verse. The anger in his writings is palpable as he strove to awaken the masses into changing the status quo.
Ludhianvi admitted to this objective in the closing lines of his nazm, Mere Geet Tumhaarey Hain:
Aaj se mere fann ka maqsad zanjeerey pighlaana hai,
Aaj se main shabnam ke badley angaarey barsaaoonga
(From today, my art will strive to break the chains
From today, I will rain embers instead of dew drops)
Ludhianvi’s stature as a respected poetic figure predated his phenomenal rise as a lyricist in the Hindi film industry. The poems from his first anthology, Talkhiyaan (published around 1943-1944), are an early primer of the strident revolutionary tone that would become a hallmark of his writings. Consider his poem Tarah-e-Nau (A New Foundation), where the radeef (ki khair) of every second line is, literally, a dire warning to fascist oppressors as highlighted in this instance:
Faaqa-kashon ke khoon mein hai josh-e-inteqaam
Sarmaaya ke fareb-jahaan-parvari ki khair
(The starving millions are thirsting for revenge
Beware the treachery of the capitalistic setup)
A careful consideration will reveal a dialogue-like quality to these lines by Ludhianvi. Similar examples are seen in other feisty couplets or lyrics such as “Ek shahenshah ne daulat ka sahaara lekar hum gareebon ki mohabbat ka udaaya hai mazaak” (Taj Mahal), “Takht na hoga, taj na hoga, kal thaa lekin aaj na hoga, jismein sab adhikaar na paaye, vo sachcha swaraaj na hoga” (Aaj Aur Kal, 1963), “Zulm ki baat hi kya, zulm ki auqaat hi kya” (Khoon Phir Khoon Hai) and “Khatam huyee afraad ki shaahi, ab jamhoor ki saalaari hai” (Tulu-e-Ishtiraakiyat).
#sahirludhianvipoetry #sahirludhianvi #sahirludhyanvi #amitabhbachchan
#salimjaved #angryyoungman