Majrooh Sultanpuri Biography: Birthday, Early Life, Career, Awards, Death

Majrooh Sultanpuri Biography: Majrooh Sultanpuri was a man who insured that film music, which is an integral part of the Indian film industry, would never be relegated to a supporting role and would always be the film’s soul. His lyrics seem to effortlessly merge with the melodies, the words flowing so pleasantly over the notes that people would still sing these songs decades later. His contributions to the Indian music scene have been immeasurable, and due to his immense success in this field, few people are aware that he was also a distinguished poet.

Majrooh Sultanpuri Biography

Infancy And Early Life

Asrar ul Hassan Khan, also known as Majrooh Sultanpuri, was born in the Uttar Pradesh city of Sultanpur in 1919. His father, who was a police sub-inspector, could not afford to send him to a costly school, so he received no English education. Instead, Sultanpuri completed a seven-year course in Arabic and Persian Dars-e-Nizami and continued his studies to become an Alim. He then moved to Lucknow and enrolled in Takmeel-ut-Tib College to study the Unani (Greek) System of Medicine, from which he graduated in 1938.

He then established a thriving medical practise as a Hakim. Once in Sultanpur, he recited one of his ghazals to enthusiastic applause and praise from the audience. This motivated him to abandon his medical career and begin composing poetry seriously. He began reciting his poetry at various mushairas and subsequently gained widespread popularity. During this period, he also became close with the celebrated Urdu poet Jigar Moradabadi, whom he would later consider his mentor.

Career

In 1945, the Saboo Siddique Institute in Bombay hosted a mushaira, which Majrooh Sultanpuri attended. His ghazals were praised by the audience, particularly by the renowned film producer A.R. Kardar, who was also in attendance. When the producer approached Majrooh with an offer to write for films, he declined because he had a low opinion of the film industry. However, his close friend Jigar Moradabadi convinced him to accept the offer because films paid well and Majrooh was having trouble supporting his family.

When Majrooh eventually accepted the offer, Kardar introduced him to the renowned composer Naushad. At their first encounter, Naushad put the young man to the test by providing him with a melody and requesting that he write lyrics in the same style. Majrooh was hired as the lyricist for the film “Shah Jahan” by Naushad, who admired his work. When the film was released in 1946, the tunes became immensely popular, bringing both fame and fortune to Majrooh. The singer and actor K.L. Saigal wished for one of the numbers from the film Jab Dil Hi Toot Gaya to be performed at his funeral.

Majrooh was unable to appreciate his success in Bombay for very long, as he became ill due to the city’s harsh climate. As a result, he returned to Bombay only after completely recuperating in his hometown. After “Shah Jahan”, Majrooh worked on a string of films and laboured tirelessly to establish himself as a renowned lyricist. In 1949, however, because of his anti-establishment writings, the government sent him to prison along with other radicals in the industry. He was sentenced to two years in prison for his refusal to apologise for his radical views.

Honours And Commendations

“Chahunga mein tujhe sham savere” from “Dosti” earned him the Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist. He became the first lyricist to receive the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1993 for his lifetime contributions to the film industry. Other awards he received include Iqbal Samman, the highest literary award given by the government of Madhya Pradesh, the Film Journalist Award for his writing for films, the Film Writers Association Award for his contributions to the Indian film industry, the Uttar Pradesh Hindi-Urdu Sahitya Award for his contributions to Hindi and Urdu literature, the All India Journalist Award for his overall writings, and the Maharashtra State Urdu Academy award for his work titled ‘Ghulam’.

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Death

On May 24, 2000, Majrooh Sultanpuri passed away after suffering from a severe case of pneumonia.