Ek Pyaar Ka Nagma writer Santosh Anand: Mere saamne banao, tab gaana doonga
Veteran lyricist Santosh Anand says composers have been approaching him for songs and a few things are in the pipeline too, but nothing has been finalised yet.
Unforgettable melody of Ek Pyar Ka Nagma Hai (Shor, 1972) reflected life’s philosophies beautifully penned by lyricist Santosh Anand. The octogenarian says the song expresses deep thoughts without saying much. Now if Anand pens some new song for films, he sums it up with a maqta: “Sabko Santosh ki zaroorat hai, shayari har jagah nahin hoti!”
On his recent visit to Lucknow, he said, “Chor chori chorr sakta hai, hera-pheri nahin. Main aaj bhi waise hi kaam kar sakta hoon [like before]. Mere andar rhythm humesha chalti rehti hai! Mere mann ka subject aur music director ho toh zaroor kaam karoonga. Main aur aagey badh sakta hoon, aur bhi achcha kaam kar sakta hoon. After being confined to a wheelchair, my physical efficiency has got affected, but my work efficiency is intact.”
The veteran lyricist says composers have been approaching him for songs and a few things are in the pipeline too, but until something is finalised, he doesn’t want to talk about it.
He adds that he doesn’t like the way most composers work now. “Main apne gaane khud saamne baith kar banwaata hoon. Laxmikant–Pyarelal (composers) mera paseena nikaal dete the aur tab jaa kar ek geet banta tha. Today’s composers want me to write something so that they could compose it or they share a tune and ask me to write on it. But that’s not how it works with me. There should be a collaboration. Tabhi achcha kaam nahin ho raha! On a (music reality) show, Vishal (Dadlani, singer-composer) asked me to give him songs. But it doesn’t work for me. Mere saamne mil kar banaoge tab gaana doonga,” he says.
‘Bahut samman mila Lucknow mein’
“My first memory of Lucknow is coming for a marriage in Aminabad around 1955. I remember visiting the zoo, Residency, Chhota and Bada Imambara on a rickshaw. Much later, I visited several times for kavi sammelan and (politician) late Lalji Tandon used to mandatorily call me on his birthday as he liked my poems. Bahut baar aana hua, sammaan bhi mila par ghoomna nahin ho paya,” says Anand, who penned the songs of Kranti (1981).
He was in Lucknow, for a musical evening ‘Ek Shaam Santosh Anand Ke Naam’ organised by Uttar Pradesh Artiste Association.
