Pakistani & Indian Film Industry got some talented poets as lyricists. These poets including (Qateel Shifai, Sahir Ludhiyanwi, Majrooh Sultanpuri) written some beautiful ghazals and Nazms for the films from both sides of the border. This trend continued till today and the ghazals / Nazms written by famous poets including (Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Ahmed Faraz, Gulzar, Javed Akhtar) are still being used in films.
With the introduction of Television Industry in Pakistan in 1964, many Nazms and Ghazals were briliantly used by the directors as OSTs / Theme songs of the Dramas. The trend started by Legendary Shahzad Khalil with Ahmed Shamim’s ‘Kabhi Hum Khoob soorat thay’ for Teesra Kinara still continues with Naseer Turabi’s ‘Wo Humsafar tha’ by Sarmad Khoosat for ‘Humsafar’.
In this thread, lets share your favourite ghazal and poem used in movies and dramas.
I’m starting this with my favourite Nazm by Faiz Saheb ‘Mujhse Pehli Si Muhabbat’ beautifully sung by Madam Noor Jehan for the movie ‘Qaidi’.
**when it come to use of poetry in Bollywood movies, only ONE movie comes to my mind which was quite unique and it still is. no other movie, in my knowledge, was ever made using poetry in dialogue form.
the movie was *"Heer Raanjhaa" [1971]---starring *Raj Kumar and Priya Rajvansh, produced by **Chetan Anand *and directed by *Vijay Anand**** [brothers of Late Dev Anand]. the dialogues in the form of poetry was written by ***Kaifi Azmi.*
Yes its a unique production, but I like Gulzar’s drama ‘Mirza Ghalib’ most when it comes usage of Urdu poetry in Dramas / Movies in India. They not only used best Kalam of Ghalib in voice of Jagjeet & Chitra Singh, but some of the poetry of Bahadur Shah Zafar used in the drama was amazing. I love ‘Ya mujhe afsar e shahana banaya hota’.
Trendsetter Nazm used in Shahzad Khali’s Teesra Kinara in beautiful voice of Nayyara Noor. I think people must be in love with this Nazm and the lead pair of the drama ‘Sahira & Rahat Kazmi’ as they are in love with singer of ‘Wo Humsafar tha’ Quratulain Baloch & lead pair Fawad & Mahira of ‘Humsafar’
Sahira Kazmi, the talented actress and the director has used Urdu poetry of Faiz Ahmed Faiz & other poets as OST / Theme songs for her serials. starting from Khaleej to Zaib u Nisa, her dramas contained ghazals / Nazms of many famous writers.
In Khaleej, she used Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s beautiful Nazm ‘Gar mujhe iska yaqeen ho’ in Tina Sani’s voice brilliantly.
Ahmed Faraz is the most popular poet of Pakistan, whose poetry is sung more than other poets. His famous ghazal ‘Ranjish hi sahi’ which was used in Pakistani movie ‘Mohabbat’ set records and was also sung by the singers like Asha Bhoslay and Anuradha Podwaal in India.
Faraz’s other ghazal ‘Ab ke hum bichray to shayad kabhi khwabon main milen’ was first used in Pakistani movie ‘Angaray’ in Mehdi Hassan’s (Badsha e Ghazal) voice.
This ghazal was also used by used by Najum U Zaman (RIP) in his serial for Indus TV ‘Ab ke Hum Bichray’ which was based on Bernard Shaw’s Pigmalion.
Ahmed Faraz’s famous ghazal ‘Suna hai log usay Aankh Bhar ke Dekhte hain’ was used in Hasan Askari’s movie on Indo-o-Pak partitian ‘Jannat ki Talash’ in voice of Asif Mehdi.
Nice sharing Diwana. Qateel Shifai’s kalam is used in movies on both sides of the borders. The song ‘Tere Dar per Sanam Chale Aae’ used in ‘Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aai’ was firstly used in Pakistani movie ‘Neend’ in Madam Noorjehan’s voice:
Sahira Kazmi, after successfully utilising Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s ‘Gar Mujhe iss ka yaqeen ho’ in Khaleej (a story revolving around the dwindling relationship of a working woman and her less successful husband), in her next serial ‘Tapish’ dealing with the problems of youth due to supression of freedom of speech, used Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s ’ Bol ke lab Azad hain tere’ very brilliantly.
One of the track of ‘Tapish’ related to girl who was exploited and harrased by a politician. For this Sahira used Mustafa Zaidi’s ‘Meri Palkon ko mat dekho’.
Amjad Islam Amjad’s ‘Jo bhi kuch hai muhabbat ka phelao hai’ is probably the first Nazm that was used as theme song for Ashfaq Ahmed’s famous series’ Ek Muhabbat Sau Afsane’. It was used in the voice of Dr Amjad Pervez.
Later on, this has been sung by many singers including Nayyara Noor & Faisal Latif.
In Pakistani movie Shaheed (released in early 1960’s) Muneer Niazi’s ghazal ‘Uss Bewafa ka shehr hai’ was used in voice of Naseem Begum. The ghazal was beautifully picturised on Musarrat Nazeer and it is considered as one of the famous performance by her.
Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s famous Nazm ’ Nisar Main teri galiyon pe ae watan’ was also hilight of the movie ‘Shaheed’
Nice sharing Catskin. Beautiful kalam of Nasir Kazmi.
Na mila kar udas logon se
Husn tera bikhar na jae kahin
Nasir Kazmi was famous for his beautiful ghazals in ‘chhoti behr’. His ghazals like ‘Dil dharakne ke sabab yaad aya’, ‘Phir Sawan rut ki pawan chali’ , ‘Dil main ek lehr si uthi hai abhi’, 'and ‘Nae Kapde Badal kar jaon kahan’ became hit through PTV music programs. I used to thought that famous ghazal ‘Jab se Tune mujhe deewana bana rakha hai’ sung by Abida Parveen is the kalam of Nasir Kazmi, but its written by Hakeem Nasir.
The only kalam of Nasir Kazmi that I remember was used in Drama and movies are:
(1) Gaye Dino a suragh le kar kidhar se aya kidhar gaya wo, in PTV serial ‘Manoos Ajnabi’. The version used in drama is not available online, however, its sung by many singers including Ghulam Ali, Asha Bhosle, Parvez Mehdi, Habib Wali Muhammad, but I like the version sung by Masood & Sheelo Khan.
(2) Gham hai ya khushi hai tu originally sung by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was used in Indian movie ‘Kartoos’ in the voice of Alka Yagnik.
(3) Ab ke baar poonam main sung by Pervez Mehdi / Asif Ali was later on used/misused in Indian movie ‘Jaanasheen’
I forget to mention my favourite ghazal (Ga raha tha koi darakhtoN maiN) by Nasir Kazmi used in Haseena Moin’s drama Padosi (*ing: Mareena Khan & Saleem Shaikh) in voice of Ali Haider:
They also used Iftikhar Arif’s ‘Abhi Kuch din aur’ in Padosi
Sahira Kazmi’s Dhoop Kinaray set new records of popularity. The drama has been adapted by Sony TV soap ‘Kuch to log kahenge’.
Dhoop Kinaray was appreciated for beautiful scrip of Haseena Moin, brilliant direction of Sahira Kazmi, amazing acting by all actors specially the lead Rahat Kazmi & Mareena Khan. The Background music of the drama by Arshad Mehmood played a major role in creating the over all impact.
They used two of Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s Nazms in the drama.
Hassan Akbar Kamal’s Nazm ‘Hansi Khanakti hui’ was also used beautifully in the drama:
