Majrooh Sultanpuri: From Saigal to Salman

Beginning in the late 1940s, this trained Unani physician went on to craft some of Hindi cinema's most popular numbers. From the melancholy of Saigal to the machismo of Salman Khan, Majrooh Sultanpuri displayed a versatility that remains unmatched. Here is a list of 10 of his greatest.

1 Jab dil hi toot gaya (Shahjehan, 1946)

When Majrooh Sultanpuri met Naushad with a letter of introduction, the music director asked him to compose a couplet on the spot. The lyricist came up with 'Jab usne gesu bikhraaye/badal aaye jhoom ke'. He was signed up for Shahjehan (1946). The film starred the immortal KL Saigal, with whom the song 'Jab dil hi toot gaya' became synonymous. So taken was Saigal with this new young poet's work that he asked for the song to be played at his funeral.

2 Aye dil hai mushkil (CID, 1956)

There are songs about cities, and there are Songs About Cities. This beautiful ditty from Raj Khosla's classic noir CID is one of those. Majrooh Sultanpuri's lyrics captured the very ethos of the magnetic, eternally moving city of Bombay. The evergreen number remains the city's unofficial anthem to this day.

3 Hum bekhudi mein tum ko pukare (Kala Pani, 1958)

Majrooh is often credited with the revival of the ghazal as a genre in Hindi film music. His ability to craft lyrical poems resulted in some memorable film ghazals. One of them is this lilting number, composed by SD Burman, in Raj Khosla's Kala Pani (1958).

4 O haseena zulfonwali (Teesri Manzil, 1966)

Vijay Anand's Teesri Manzil changed the landscape of Hindi cinema in many ways. Shammi Kapoor's hyperactive moves in sync with RD Burman's rocking score created one of the most radical soundtracks of the age. However, one thing stayed unchanged. Majrooh transcended the genre of music and cinema by writing a pure Hindi ghazal for this rocking score. It was a template that would set the tone for film music for decades to come.

5 Chura liya hai tumne (Yaadon Ki Baraat, 1973)

The age of RD Burman well and truly dawned with Nasir Hussain's Yaadon Ki Baraat. There was Zeenat Aman in all her charming sensuality, swaying to seduce her love. The song is yet more proof, if proof were needed, of the versatility and emotive ability of Majrooh Sultanpuri's verse.

6 Inhi logon ne (Pakeezah, 1972)

From light-hearted romance to sarcastic bitterness, Majrooh's verses could stride the extremes of emotions with ease. For Kamal Amrohi's magnum opus Pakeezah (1972), the lyricist collaborated with two other brilliant poets – Kaif Bhopali and Kaifi Azmi. For a film that was set in the familiar locales of Lucknow, Majrooh crafted this beautiful nazm. It went on to become a symbol of Sahibjaan's plaints against society.

7 Bachna ae haseeno (Hum Kisise Kum Naheen, 1977)

Rishi Kapoor at his rocking best! Every possible sound that defined the 1970s in Hindi cinema was encapsulated in the film's music. In an album littered with gems like 'Kya hua tera waada' and the peppy 'Yeh ladka hai allah', Majrooh created a hero of a song with 'Bachna ae haseeno'. Three decades later, when Rishi Kapoor's son Ranbir made his film debut, it was this iconic number that he chose to be launched with.

8 Papa kehte hain (Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, 1987)

From one generation to another, the lyricist moved seamlessly through the film family. Setting his lyrics to the unique Western arrangements of a young Anand-Milind, Majrooh created the number which would become Aamir Khan's calling card.

9 Pehla Nasha (Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar, 1992)

It was Aamir Khan again who reaped the benefit of the lyricist's silky words. In Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar, Majrooh Sultanpuri created one of the finest love ballads of the 1990s in 'Pehla nasha'. The sight of Aamir Khan, in a red jumper, leaping around lush green tea fields, sent teenage girls in a tizzy. The song still does that.

10 Aaj main upar (Khamoshi: The Musical, 1996)

Sanjay Leela Bhansali's debut film was filled with melodious numbers that have stood the test of time. One wonderful number was the peppy 'Aaj main upar' pictured on Manisha Koirala and Salman Khan. The magic of the song lie in the simplicity of its language. It is a reminder of the consummate skill of a poet who was at home writing in khalees Urdu as well as in earthy Hindi.