Prasoon Joshi : a ‘Gulzar’ in the making?
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I have been at this post for quite a while now. But yesterday when I chanced upon this news piece that Prasoon Joshi was given the Shailendra award, I was spurred on to complete the post.
When I look around at all the lyrical mockery that’s happening and all the poetical gimmickry, I wonder what will be the fate of lyrics in cinema, going ahead. Its not a very happy picture, let me tell you. Barring a few new generation of lyricists, I don’t see much talent around.
Now, coming to the crux of the post; although we do have lyricists who churn out a few good songs, they all lack depth and versatility. That’s where my search begins for a ‘gulzar’ of the next generation. A lyricist/poet who can write sensitively, with sublimity, with progressive ideas and write on innocent situations as well as controversial stuff, who can make your blood boil as well as cool your senses, who can write about society at large as well as for the individualistic/common man, who has knowledge of historical events and keeps pace with contemporary issues. If we see the growth and maturity of Gulzar, we would all be befuddled by it. Starting with Mera Gora Rang Lai Le to Mera Kuch Saaman to Aye Zindagi Galey Laga Le to Tujhse Naraaz Nahi Zindagi to Goli Maar Bheje Mei to Fatak; his range is unfathomable.
The only person who comes to my mind, wo can carry forward the legacy of Gulzar, or who can write Gulzarian lyrics seems to be Prasoon Joshi. The talent that he has displayed through his variety of work is impressive. In fact, quite a few times his lyrics sound like its from gulzar’s school of thought. The lyrics like Maa from TZP and Khoon Chala from RDB have that distinctive Gulzar touch. Let me pick a few more works of Prasoon which seem to be the silver-lining around the dark clouds of movie lyrics.
Arziyan from Delhi-6:
Written as a quwalli, its a prayer with a lot of heartfelt thoughts. The first two lines in itself conveys the pathos of the soul. Face is the mirror of the soul; if the soul is wrankled, so will the face be. There is nothing more to explain than the expression of disdain written all over the face
Arziyaan sari main chehre pe likh ke laaya hoon
Tumse kya mangu mein tum khud hi samjah lo
He goes on to explain how people have gotten all their wishes fulfilled whenever they have approached him. The thirtsy ones who asked for a drop have received an ocean of blessings etc. I do not wish to translate it, it loses the feel. Just read it :
Jo bhi tere dar aaya, Juhkne jo sar aaya
Mastiyan piye sabko, Jhoomta nazar aaya
Pyaas le ke aaya, Dariya woh bhar laya
Noor ki barish mein bheegta sa tar aaya
Toot ke bikharna mujhko zarur aata hai
Varna ibbadat wala shaoor aata hai
Sajde mein rehne do, abb kahin na jaunga
Abb jo tumne thukraya to sawar na paunga
Sar utha ke maine to kitni khwahishen ki thi
Sar jhuka ke ek pal mei maine kya nahi paya
Really sublime!
Rehna Tu from Delhi-6:
When I first heard the song, I mistook it to be a love-song and I imagined AB Jr singing this for Sonam Kapoor. But I was pleasantly surprised that the song is dedicated to Delhi. That was a stroke of genius, where even Delhi is made to sound like a dilruba and jaaneman who is not supposed to change for anything.
Rehna Tu Hai Jaisa Tu
Thoda sa dard tu Thoda Sukun
Tujhe badalna na chahoon Rati bhar bhi sanam
Bina sajawat milawat Na jyaada na hi kaam
The character of Delhi is brought out very well and the spirit of romance is all over the song, sample these lines:
Mujhe teree barish mein beegna hai ghuljana hai
Mujhe tere lapat mein jalna rakh ho jana hai
I would like to make a mention of the song Dil Gira Dafattan, which has been written with immense feelings and emotions. And we also had Masakali which is such a fun number. So, in one album he packed a punch with such variety and depth of thoughts. In fact, in Delhi-6 he also co-wrote the screenplay which means he not only understands the medium but has also gained fine grip of it. He is looking to expand his horizons and we can expect some good story/screenplay out of him.
Maa from TZP:
I don’t get moved that easily, but this song creates the magic which can melt a stone. A beautiful peice of poetry, a dedication to every mother that echoes the sentiment of every child who has been showered by mother’s love.
Mai kabhi batlata nahi
Par andhere se darta hoon mai maa
Yun to mai dikhlata nahi
Teri parwah karta hoon mai maa
Tujhe sab hai pata hai na maa
Mom knows everything, mama’s boy, mom knows best and so many other phrases come to mind. But most of all, I recall what Mother Teresa said that God created moms so he could be everywhere.
Jab bhi kabhi papa mujhe
Jo zor se jhula jhulate hain maa
Meri nazar dhoondhe tujhe
Sochun yahi tu aake thamegi maa
Unse mai yeh kehta nahi
Par mai seham jaata hoon mai maa
Chehre pe aane deta nahi
Dil hi dil mein ghabrata hoon maa
Tujhe sab hai pata hai na maa
His delving into child psychology and coming up with such gems shows us a glimpse of his sensitivity and emotions. The ease with which he brings out those feelings is amazing.
Kholo Kholo from TZP:
I chose this song only to highlight the playful lyrics that Prasoon can come up with. This not only establishes his range but also the imagination that he is capable of.
Kholo kholo darwaze, parde karo kinare
Khute se bandhi hai hawa, Milke chhudao sare
Aajao patang leke, apni hi rang leke
Asaman ka shamiyana aaj hume hai sajana
Tu dhoop hai chham se bikhar
Tu hai nadi o bekhabar
Beh chal kahin, Udd chal kahin
Dil khush jahan, teri to manzil hai wohi
His handling of situation with such creative thoughts is beautiful. Prasoon’s lyrics in TZP is commendable because it shows the understanding that he has of children. Of course, he must have been guided by the sensitivity of Amole Gupte; but yet, to come up with such poetic lines is sheer genius. In fact, the title song of the movie and the Bum Bum Bole are songs which are at perpendiculars with each other, but Prasoon writes them both with such ease without ever losing the message in it.
Khoon Chala from RDB:
A call for revolution, a call for change, a call for new enthusiasm and a call for blood akin to what Bose once said – give me blood and I will give you freedom. Echoing those very sentiments are these wonderful lines.
kuchh kar guzarne ko khoon chala, khoon chala
aankhon ke sheeshe mein utarne ko khoon chala
badan se tapak kar, zameen se lipatkar
galiyon se raston se ubharkar, umadkar
naye rang bharne ko khoon chala, khoon chala
It brings out the pangs of revolt beautifully. Everytime I hear this, I get goose-bumps. It makes me sit up and think about how we take things so lightly instead of speaking out against it.
khuli si chot lekar, badi si tees lekar, ahista ahista
sawaalon ki ungli, jawaabon ki mutthi sang lekar, khoon chala
The movie demanded such lyrics, such pain and the subsequent actions that follow. Prasoon has very effectively described a revolt with such less words which actually translates to a whole lot of ideas.
Lukka Chhupi from RDB:
Another ‘mommy’ song but in a ballad format, sensitively written. The innovation in the song is the fact that its an ode from a dead son to his mother, which hasn’t been done before.
Luka chuppi bahut huyi, saamne aaja naa
Kahan kahan dhoondha tujhe, thak gayi hai ab teri maa
Aaja saanjh hui mujhe teri fikar
Dhundhla gayi dekh meri nazar aaja na
The manner in which the son, who is no more, describes the nether world is awesome.
Kya bataoon maa kahan hoon main
Yahan udney ko mere khula aasmaan hai
Tere kisson jaisa bhola salona
Jahan hain yahan sapno vala
Meri patang ho befikar udd rahi hai maa
Dor koi loote nahin beech se kaate na
The mother’s concern for the son and the son’s free-spirited reply makes for an enigmatic listening. This is one of the best songs to be written, not many people realize the beauty of it.
Teri raah takey aankhiyaan jaane kaisa kaisa hoye jiyaa
Dheere dheere aangan utre andhera, mera deep kahan
Dhalke suraj kare ishara chanda tu hai kahan
A couple of more songs worth mentioning are the Khalbali and Pathshala. While Khalbali brings out the angst in the youth and the boiling passion to do something, Pathshala describes college fun times and those moments of frolic and playfulness.
Let me quickly list a few more songs that would bring out Prasoon’s versatility and paint a bigger picture of his wonderful thoughts and imaginations. Two songs from Ghajini stood out, Guzarish and Kaise Mujhe Tum Mil Gayi. The two songs are written for different situations, but both are nice.
In Thoda Pyar Thoda Magic, he has written Seedhi Sapaat Zindagi which has some nice similies and Lazy Lamhe which is a totally fun song. And how can I forget the Chand Sifarish song which was a light hearted romantic number. Now this takes me back to his songs in the movie Hum Tum where he wrote Ladki Kyon Na Jaane Kyon to Chak De Saare Gham to Gore Gore Se Chhore and finally to the romantically poetic title song of the movie.
While I refrain from comparing Prasoon to Gulzar, I do believe that Prasoon has the pen with which he can put across creative thoughts and myriad ideas. If Gulzar is the clear stream of reason, Prasoon is a trickle of that spring, if Gulzar is that blazing sun of heated thoughts and words then Prasoon is a spark of those ignited flames, if Gulzar is the peak of serenity and calmness then Prasoon is but a hillock belonging to the same range of mountains. I just wish he continues to write, write well and touch people’s lives with his writing. I am ending this post with an ode on Prasoon using his own words …
naam -o-nishaan rahe na rahe
ye caarvaan rahe na rahe
ujaale mai pee gaya
roshan hua jee gaya
kyon sehte rahe
ruu-ba-ruu roshni hai
Anurag Kashyap
Abhay Deol
Dibakar Banerjee
Hansal Mehta
Khalid Mohamed
Kundan Shah
Anish Kuruvilla
Jaideep Verma
Manish Gupta
Navdeep Singh
Bhavani Iyer
D. Santosh
Onir
Ashvin Kumar
Ramu Ramanathan
Sudhir Mishra
Pankaj Advani
Revathy
Saurabh Shukla
Shilpa Shukla
Sujoy Ghosh
Suparn Verma
Santosh Sivan
Shashank Ghosh
Shivajee
Pavan Kaul
Partho Sen-Gupta
Prroshant Naryannan
Sam Langoria
Satish Kasetty
Loved your post. and i agree that Prasoon Joshi is really capable of writing evergreen lyrics which stoods on its own even without music.
In TZP as well as RDB his words were too good for words.
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Prasoon Joshi is the most talented lyricist around no doubt but there is and will be only one Gulzar.
Gulzar saab has that ability to play with the words and come up with something different. He can pen down something like Jhoom Barabar Jhoom and Humne Dekhi hai un aankho ki mehekti khushboo with same excellence. It happens often that we stumble across some song and wonder what does it mean only to realize that it has been written by Gulzar saab (Latest Bajaj Ad), his songs definitely have a distinct feel to them.
Prasoon Joshi seems to have a very sensitive side which reflects in his songs and poems, he has the talent to compose something which may evoke certain emotions among the listeners even in a parched heart but then Gulzar saab’s songs may have different meanings and carry different emotions in different moods. I find some of his compositions unfathomable. Only Gulzar sa’ab can create a gem like Is mod se Jate hain- the depiction of the two lovers reaching a certain point in the path of life journey and their dilemma.
Prasoon Joshi has a long way to travel. It’ll be better to compare him with Sahir or Majrooh.
P.S.-kaafi samay baad sirjee
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* the comparison does not begin, and i have stated so already. but if there is anybody who can carry on that legacy then its PJ.
* sahir and majrooh are on a different platform altogether, bot talking about them at all
* nice that u mentioned ‘ads’. i think, asian paints ad was one of the best where gulzar saab wrote beautiful lines. he lent a house some character…awesome stuff
PS: will try and capture the reason for absconding, soon
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I don’t know whether I am a right person to say it but I have some issues with Gulzar sir’s poetry.
I really don’t understand how can a person who had written somthing like ‘Mora Gora rang lai le’ can write
Ankhe Bhi kamal Karti hai Personal se sawal karti hai.
Please help me unserstand the following poetry or lyrics.
Oas mein gholi, mint ki goli
Niri khushboo beeba
Kanni sey kaate, maanjhe ki dori
kaategi tu beeba
Auna pauna hi sahi, dil ka konna ki sahi
Lauta de mera Ticket to Hollywood
Aja chandani kutenge asaman ko lutenge chal dhua uda ke jhum barabar…
Aja aja dil nichode raat ki mataki phode
Koi good luck nikale aja gullat toh phode.
Saathiya, saathiya
Maddham maddham teri geeli hansi
Saathiya, saathiya
Sunke humne saari pee li hansi
(Hansti rahe tu hansti rahe
Haya ki laali khilti rahe
Zulf ke neeche gardan pe
Subah-o-shaam milti rahe
oo papadwale Panga na le thappad padega panga na le
I did not found single papadwala in the entire film.
I really don’t want to insult or hurt anyone’s sentiment here.
I love Prasoon joshi’s lyrics not because I am also
Joshi but because every word of his has a meaning.
Take an example of Javed Akhtar saab.
Tum mein dekhi hai dhanak toh, bolo rang kitne hain
Saath rang kehne ko, phir bhi sang kitne hain
Ho..raam hi toh karuna mein hai, shaanti mein raam hai
Raam hi hai ekta mein, pragati mein raam hai
Raam bas bhakton nahin shatru ke beech chintan hai
Dekh taj ke paap raavan, raam tere mann mein hai
Raam tere mann mein hai, raam mere mann mein hai
Raam toh ghar ghar mein har, raam har aangan mein hai
Mannse raavan jo nikaale, raam uske mann mein hai
Don’t you guys think that Javed Akhtar is 1000 times better than (So called) Great Gulzar. I will say Prasson Joshi:A Javed Akhtar in the making.
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i completely agree with what you are sying!!!
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Theres a difference between shayri and songs that connect with people. Your extracts are examples of the latter, and the biggest proof of it is that you remember them and are able to reproduce them here. If they hadnt connected they would be forgotten instantly.
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“Yeh Ishq Nahi Aaasaan,Yahan Aids ka Khatra hai, Patwaaar pehan jaana yeh aaag ka Daenriya hai……………..AIDS Awareness who can come up with just such a line……..—GUDDU in KAMINEY…AWESOME GULZAR BHAI.. I loved all the Tracks of TZP by PJ i Totally Agree with you infact he has even spoken in many interviews for his liking of Gulzar Saab!!
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fatak is an awesome piece of writing. i dont see anybody else who could have driven home that message with such poetic words which are hard-hitting at the same time.
PJ takes a lot of inspiration from gulzar, and maybe subconsciously it has reflected in his writing as well.
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A very well written post. The songs you mentioned here are awesome. I think the best from Prasoon Joshi is Khoon Chala… One of my favorite which you did’nt include is:
tu bin bataye mujhe le chal kaheen
jahan tu muskuraye meri manzil wahin
meethi lagi, chakh ke dekhi abhi
mishri ki dali, zindagi ho chali
jahan hain teri baahein mera sahil wahin
tu bin bataye mujhe le chal kaheen
jahan tu muskuraye meri manzil wahin
One can really feel the romance in this song. There is no doubt that Prasoon Joshi is the only one who could carry forward the lineage of Gulzar Saab but there is long way to go. Only gulzar Saab can create Tujhse naaraz nahi zindagi hairan hun mein.. a complaint to life in such a way ki zindagi bhi soch mein pad jaye, kya sach mein aisa hai..?
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all songs of tzp & rdb are worth writing about and discussing. the good thing is that he is selective about the movies that he works on, so he can give his best.
tu bin bataye no doubt is very good. his idea of romance is so simple, a surprise here and smile there…all so easy…nice stuff…
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Your post is heartfelt and insightful, but what a lot of people have forgotten are Prasoon’s non-film songs. Both ‘Ab ke Saawan’, and ‘ Man ke manjeere’are full of gems.
In ‘Ab ke sawan’, in the song ‘Bhai re’, he defines the ideal rishta ” kaanch-sa nazuk nahin, sheeshe jaisa saaf.’
I have yet to come across such a lyrical defination. In ‘Seekho na’ he says, ‘ sunana seekho is hawa ko sanananan kehti hai kya, padhna seekho salwaton ko, maathe pe ye bal kha ke likhti hain kya, aahton ki hai apni zubaan, inmein bhi hai ik dastaan..’
Remarkable stuff!
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Gulzar is a legend, since 40 yrs he has been writing, stories, screenplays,ghazals, nazmas,songs, film songs, songs and stories for children, short stories…he has explored all aspects of litrature over the years, he has been documenting his times along with it. Even if we talk about his lyrics, from ‘Haal Chaal Thik Thaak Hai’ representing the Indian youth of late 60’s and early 70’s to ‘cchod aaye hum ye galiya’- telling the story of 84 and its repurcussions, from ’salaam kijiye’ in andhi- documenting Indira gandhi era, to ‘ghapla hai bhai ghapla’- creating a satire on political scams…the list is endless…its a difficult and very important body of work. Prasoon joshi has shown promise in some songs, but on the basis of that, at most he can be a good hindi film song writer…thats it! Gulzar is much much more than that.
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Well said SARA!!
PS at most be a good hindi film song writer period.!!
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* your point is well taken. but you are comparing 40 years of gulzar saab to 4-5 years of prasoon; not fair at all
* also, i have myself not compared the two. just spoken about a person who has the potential to carry on that legacy.
* i was trying to focus of the ‘gulzar’ school of thought, thats all; not ‘gulzar’ per se
* prasoon is multi-talented. i made a mention that he has co-written delhi-6; so hopefully he will be a part of many such good projects. maybe become a story writer or director in the future…who knows…
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No clue if he has the wits of doing it but somehow all his lyrics sound as if they are heartfelt.. Maa, Rehna tu, Chand Sifarish … name any of his songs, they ve generally been heart felt… they mak sure they touch you somwhere.. same thing with his advertisments… I am waiting for him to become a movie maker .. (pretty sure it will be an AAMIR KHAN productions, whenever it is.. so would be stamped with quality even more)
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Aur mein yahaan baitha yeh keh raha hoon ke not one lyric of Kaminey seems to have been written by Gulzar. The poetry in Kaminey sounds suspiciously like that of Piyush Mishra. The tradition of ghost writing in the Indian film idustry goes back to the Sahirs and Majroohs. The language, metaphors, rhyme-scheme, ideas… everything about the songs of Kaminey is hugely like Piyush’s. Eventually film history will reveal the truth in another 20-30 years.
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@IDRIS
Please dont mind but then you dont have any understanding of Gulzar saab’s lyrics. I personally know about ghost writings employed by a few note lyricist of present time (Dont want to name them) but no Gulzar.
Just a few eg of Kaminey lyrics which have a stamp of Gulzar saab.
Kabhi zindagi se maanga pinzre mein chaand laa do
kabhi laalten deke kaha aasman pe taango.
Jiska bhee chehra cheela andar se aur nikla
maasoom sa kabootar naacha to mor nikla
Koi gudluck nikaalo, aaj gullak to todo
Yaad hai peeple jiske ghane saaye they
hamne gilahree ke joothe matar khaye they.
and please dont mention Piyush mishra here !!
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i dont agree at all. plz state one song of piysuh mishra which is in league of kaminey’s songs. piyush mishra is talented, no doubt; but most of his works have been in the nationalistic/patriotic domain. he has hardly ever ventured into romance or heartbreaks or tears and emotions..
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Idris, now that’s a big allegation. Do you have any proof in the support of your allegation? Particularly since, Gulzar’s work stands so much apart from any other writer’s work… a vague, language, metaphor, rhyme scene, ideas is not enough. Either you point out the specifics or just shut up.
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Rals- good to see you back in action.Prasoon Joshi fits the Gulzar mould all right.While Gulzar is an allrounder- writer,lyricist,director, PJ is again an allrounder- somebody who is able to maintain the balance between his advertising career and his song writing.And he is clearly in love with both the facets of his career, something to be admired!!!
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it feels nice to be back. after PJ’s first step at screenplay writing for delhi-6, i am looking forward to more movie stories and eventually film-making
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Very well thought out and written post. Makes me want to revisit those songs and listen to them again.
Thank You.
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In my view all such posts are childish. Leave that man ‘Gulzar’ alone !!
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PJ is definetly the topmost lyricist of our times!
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Jitesh yaar shayari men language, metaphor, rhyme scheme, ideas ke ilawa aur kya hota hai? What is more specific than that? And PJ is no Gulzar. Abhi use vaqt lagega wahan tak pahunchne men.
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Risk taking men Piyush Mishra Prasoon Joshi se kahin aage hai.
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plz dont compare apple and oranges, dono hil alag-alag khet ki mooli hain.
risk taking kahan se aa gaya?? making successful ads for big shot company is a much bigger risk IMO. everyone takes risk in accordance with their capability. whose risk pays off, makes all the difference.
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yeh jo ‘khoon chala khoon chala’ ki yahan baat ho rahi hai, zara take a look at Pablo Neruda’s ‘I’m explaining a few things’ and Gabriel Garcia Marquez’ ‘Hundred Years of Solitude’ where the moment of blood is graphically traced through the doors, thresholds and the streets.
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that was a nice reference. had read neruda but not marquez, thanx.
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and yes this bit about ‘rehna tu hai jaisa tu’, look up Shubha Mudgal’s ‘kachhu aur na chaheen’ – a poem by Rabia rendered by her.
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and the inspiration of ‘lukka chhupi’ is clearly a late 80s poem in Punjabi – ‘Maan kahin gayi nahin thi’.
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inspiration ki baat nahi ho rahi hai. even if that poem existed from late-80’s, how many knew of it? it takes guts and good writing to bring such things to light.
sun has been rising for 5000 years now…but gulzar saab wrote Chal rok le suraj chhup jaayega, Paani mein gir ke bujh jaayega
it takes imagination and creativity to come up with such stuff. the same goes for lukka chhupi
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meri baat ka vazan woh bashar samajh sakte hain jinhen Piyush bhai ke ‘Jab sheher hamara sota hai’ ka kuchh ata pata hai baki yatri type commenton ki mujhe koyi parwah nahin. Aur mein yeh baat sabit kar sakta hun ke Kaminey ke lyrics agar Piyush ne g
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I guess a lot of people on this forum would appreciate you if you prove you allegations.!! Please proceed !!
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thats a bloody serious charge. u better back it up with some proof before making such casual remarks and serious allegations
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Understand one or two things clearly – and this is no bloody frivolous remark – ghost writing is a damning blot that Bollywood has to live with. It is as real as the sleaze and the muck that sticks to the casting couch. If I had the time I will take it up point by point to show where all Gulzar is drawing from (including most of all Piyush Mishra) in his Kaminey lyrics. Prasoon ka to abhi pitara kholna hi shuru kiya hai aur aap ghabrane lage!
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ghabraane ki baat hi nahi hai!
take some time out and come up with all your references dude…lets see
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@IDRIS
Please take your time and enlighten us with you Proofs and facts. We all are eagaerly waiting.
Thanks
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host write nahin kiye to Gulzar Sa’ab pe Piyush ka asar hone laga hai.
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Very well written post. But I must mention some songs of prasoon Joshi which are gems but may not be well known but perhaps are at par with the best ever written. From Phir Mlienge- Khul Ke muskuralye tu dard to sharmane de , kankaron ko taluwe par geet koi gungunane de hawieyn keh rahi hai aa jhule zara , gagan ke gaal ko ja choo le zara….. kucch pal and phir lieneg ttle song form thsi same sensitive film by Revathy are such poetic delight. Then teher is an album that he had done with shubha mudgal- called mann ke manjeere- teh sonsg from that seekho na naino ki bhasha pia, babul jiya mora gahbraye, and maati are just brilliant. There is no doubt that in this generation we finally have not just a super lyrcist but a poet. I worship gulzar and am glad to say that Prasoon Joshi is proving to be a prolific writer in such a short span of time. more power to his thoughts and pen.
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phir milenge had other good songs like jeene ke ishaare mil gaye and the title song of course.
it seems like he preserves his best for shankar-ehsan-loy and ar rahman
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Kudos – a much needed acknowlegdement that after Gulzar saab PJ is the one.
‘Seepiyon ke honth se, moti chhalak rahe hain.
Lehron ki sohbat mein, geet bhi behek rahen hain.
Samandar lehron ki, lehron ki chaadar od kar so rahaa hai.
Par mein jaagoon, ek khumari, ek nasha sa ho raha hai……..’
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Amazing article..Congratulations…..
I would rate his work in “Phir milenge” at par with RDB,TZP…
With due respect to author,he clearly missed “Phir Milenge” :-)
Here are my favourite lines..
Hawayen Keh Rahee Hain, Aaja Jhoolein Zara ,Gagan Ke Gaal Ko Jakey Choolein Zara….
Jheel Ek Aadat Hai, Tujhmey Hee To Rehtee Hai
Aur Nadee Shararat Hai, Terey Sang Behtee Hai
Har Lehar Yeh Kehtee Hai, Khud Ko Jhoom Janey De
Zindagi Ko Aaj Naya Geet Koi Ganey De
Titlyan Yeh Kehtee Hain Ab Basant Aaney De
Jungalon Ke Mausam Ko Bastiyon Mein Chaney De…
and from jeene ke ishaare..
Meri Zindagi Main Teri Baarish Kya Hui
Mere Raste Darya Bane Behne Lage
Meri Karvaton Ko Tune Aake Kya Chhua
Kahin Khwab Neendon Ki Gali Rehne Lage
Jeene Ke…Kinare Mil Gaye
Meri Loh Havaaon Se Jhagadkar Lee Uthi
Mere Har Andhere Ko Ujale Pee Gaye
Tune Hasken Mujhse Muskurane Ko Kaha
Mere Man Ke Mausam Gulmohar Se Ho Gaye
Kuch Khushbuyen, Saanso Se Saanso Me Ghul Gayi
Kuch Khidikyan, Aankhon Hi Aankhon Me Khul Gayi
Kuch Pyaas Adhuri
Kuch Shyam Sindhoori
Kuch Reshmi Gunahon
Main Rate Dhal Gaye
Gulzaarsaab must be proud of him….
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Excellent article….and very correct…. Prasoon had loads of talent …….My special will always be the Arziyan from Delhi-6…You keep sinking in the meaning and feeling of it…………hats off Mr.Prasoon
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Excellent article….and very correct…. Prasoon has loads of talent …….My special will always be the Arziyan from Delhi-6…You keep sinking in the meaning and feeling of it…………hats off Mr.Prasoon
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To me Prasoon Joshi’s lyrics feel forced and jerky taking multiple listens to sound right, while Gulzar’s are a pure delight that flow smoothly from the first listen.
A lot of lyricists write verses that are soulful but a very rare breed gives catchy smooth meaningful lyrics on a consistent basis. That is a very important difference between a shayar and a ‘pop’ lyricist who connects with the audience. Gulzar is both.
Comparing Prasoon Joshi to Gulzaar is quite disrespectful to the latter, in my humble opinion, him being nothing more than a cheap imitation.
A true test of an artist’s talent are their worst works, not their best. Listen to Ghajini lyrics and you would see what I mean.
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* worst works could be a test of an artists’ true ability, but thats not always true.
* ghajini did not have bad lyrics as such, the situations given were not very good to begin with. i did like the other two songs where he delivered…guzarish and kaise mujhe tum mil gaye…
* i was not comparing the two, plz read again. i was just looking around someone who could probably be ‘that’ person for the next gen as ‘gulzar’ saab has been for ‘this’ and the ‘past’ gen
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I respect your opinion, but in my view Prasoon Joshi is not worthy of being a legend that Gulzar was, in the same way as Sajid Wajid or Himesh or Pritam cannot be a Rehman or RD Burman. There are many lyricists more capable than him, just not as high profile. We will have to hope a Gulzar for the next gen emerges instead of pinning our hopes on someone that will have to make do.
Lyrics of ‘Kaise Mujhe’ sound like a spoof of an old song to me -
main to ye sochta tha
ki aaj kal
uppar wale ko fursat nahi
phir bhi
tumhe banake woh
meri nazar mein chadh gaya
rutbe mein woh
aur badh gaya
Did you really like this?
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* they may not be the best, but they are definitely good
* [There are many lyricists more capable than him, just not as high profile] .. plz name one who has such a body of work. i do know that prasoon has along way to go and the comparison with gulzar saab doesn’t even start. but yet, he seems to be the only one to take forward that legacy…IMO
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thank you for highlighting prasoon joshi’s work for phir milenge . It is indeed wonderful and so is mann ke manjeere the album he did with shobha mudgal. If one is to see his latest body of work- Delhi 6 I think it is par excellence.
ariziyaan gives even an agnostic like me goose bumps-” Sar utha ke maine toe kitni khwaeishyen ki thi, kitne khwaab dekhe the, kitni koshishe ki thi… tu jo rubabroo aaya, nazerin na mila paya , sar jhuka ke maine kya nahi paya”.. wah.
then the brilliantly playful maskalali with its layered meaning_ ‘udiyon na daryion..tan taan le muskaan le…ghar tera badal ki colony… ”
the uttely romantic ‘dafatan’ – word one is hearing after eons- samundar leharon ki chaadar od ke so raha hai… ghazalon ki sohbat mein geet behaek rehen hai…” or genda phool’s bushirt pehne ke khaiye beeda paan” or even noor”… I think his work speaks volumes.
And TZP’s -Dekho inhe yeh hai oas ki boondein.. muhaale ki raunak galeiyan hai jaise… mausam ki muthi mein jaise hawayein, yeh toe hai buzargo ki dil ki duyaein…. can’t help but tug at a hearstring.
He has introduced fresh voabulary and with meaning. No recent film song writer comess to mind who has not just sensitive and imaginative sounding words but deep and layered thought- be it Khul ke Muskurale tu from Phir milenge, Lukka chuppi/Rubaroo or even the added poetry ‘Lalkaar’ to sarforshi ki tamanna from RDB, Maa/Kholo Kholo from TZP. Even an innocuos rdb song ‘masti ki paathshala -”naata sanaata lambu shor” has experimentated with words and meanings. Khoon chala or Rubaroo’s ’sooraj ko main nigal gaya’- this is pure poetry.
Yes I agree comparisons with gulzar ji or any other poet are not correct becasue Prasoon joshi’s work is distinctive and has his stamp. which is commendable. He is a rare gem and should be acknowledged thus by all music and poetry lovers like us.
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good long comment, thanx. noticed that you had made a similar comment on my blog as well
agree with whatever u have said, all so true…
i do hope that prasoon carves a niche of his own
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I won’t commit the stupidity of comparing the two but will point out a smilarity between the two- both of them make a brilliant use of human insights. ‘Mera kuchh saamaan’ and ‘Ma’ song are the best examples, no tough words, no rhyme yet powerful enough to move you to tears. Another PJ gem that u forgot to mention here was ‘Haan maine chhookar dekha hai” from Black. It’s an awesome song from the point of view of a blind girl…
Btw, u sound like there’s a dearth of quality lyricists in Bollywood. Just keep Samir and his ilk aside, and u’ll find Swanand Kirkire who is just as brilliant and Piyush Mishra who overshadowed even Gulzar. His poetry in Gulaal was in the league of Dinkar and Jayshankar Prasad. It had some of the best lyrics of all times.
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* there is a dearth of quality lyricists, probably you are not in touch with the audio tracks that are getting released every week.
* while kirkire and piysuh mishra are good, no doubt, they still have their limitations…so to speak. they are fantastic/comfortable in their own small domain and they have their own forte.
* unlike prasoon joshi they have not worked on varied subjects; and even when they have their work has not spoken too much for them. just a few hardcore fans who want to keep up with their works.
* based on gulaal you say that piyush overshadowed gulzar, whereas i think the comparison between the two doesn’t begin at all.
* just as people are on the look for next sachin, next vishwanathan anand, next bigB….i was on search of next ‘gulzar’. just as there cant be another sachin or bigB, there cant be another gulzar. but the qualities that they stand for will always be worth emulating
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i noticed u’ve put an asterisk before each point. N since, asterisks are associated wd ‘Conditions apply, i m not entirely convinced.
i feel anyone who says swanand’s work is not varied and is praised only by hardcore fans is either ignorant or clueless. don’t know much about piyush mishra’s earlier wor but gulaal just blew me away, n feel he deserves to be in the same league of Gulzar and Prasoon. btw, just want u to know that I am a bigger fan of Prasoon than u wd imagine. I owe a little part of my career to him. and do listen to ‘haan maine chhokar dekha hai’ from Black. U wd have another reason to feel he’s the net Gulzar.
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- plz do not misinterpret the asterisk symbol, it was used as bulleting and nothing else; hence using a different symbol now lest you misinterpret again
- i am not taking any credit away from kirkire and mishra, as already asserted before. difference in opinion is truely appreciated. after all, we are all worshippers of the art and go by our own sensibility. so, agreeing to disagree
- small request…plz do highlight [if its not too personal] what and how you owe anything to prasoon. maybe there lies a tale, some inspiration for some of us here…something that needs to be told for everyone’s benefit….
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Sorry but my tale is more of ‘khoda pahaad, nikli chuhiya’. Nothing too personal. I got into advertising because of him. After college, when I didn’t know what to do wd my life, I read his interview about how small town guys are making it big in advertising since their writing is more rooted. That’s how I got into advertising and along the way, had the opportunity to work wd him at McCann, the agency that he heads. btw, if u think his lyrics are amazing, u should listen to some of the radio spots (meant for awards) he has written. The man is brilliant.
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Sorry but my tale is more of ‘khoda pahaad, nikli chuhiya’. Nothing too personal. I got into advertising because of him. After college, when I didn’t know what to do wd my life, I read his interview about how small town guys are making it big in advertising since their writing is more rooted. That’s how I got into advertising and along the way, had the opportunity to work wd him at McCann, the agency that he heads. got to learn a lot from him. btw, if u think his lyrics are amazing, u should listen to some of the radio spots (meant for awards) he has written. The man is brilliant.
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@bonzer: wow…u got to work with prasoon, thats cool. can u plz tell me where i can get hold of the radio spots that u r talking about. will it be possible to share them over mail or something?? lemme know, would surely love to read them…
on a lighter note…its a rat race…jahan bhi khodo, chuha hi niklega
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unfortunately i don’t have them. will definitely mail if I get hold of them. But I am sure u’ll find some on the net… what’s ur email id?
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sorry, too many typos. i meant ‘next’ in the last line.
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bahut khoob Crazyrals bhai. Aapne jo saare ka saara argument Vishwanathan Anand aur Sachin Tendulkar ke saath jor diya, to bhai aapne to chaaron taraf akl-o-ilm ki roshni ke charaagh jaga diye. Shukriya, meherbani, karam…
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@idris: amaa…pehle to ilzaam lagaate ho gulzar saab pe…ilzaam bhi nahi .. tohmat kahiye…uss par se saboot bhi pesh nahi karte…aur hame charag dikhane chale…meherbani tou tab hogi jab aap kuch aisa pesh karenge jisse ke aapke ilzaam sach saabit ho.
rahi sachin aur viswanathan ki baat…plz dont qoute out of context. wo kisi aur taaluq mei bola gaya tha…
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published this post when prasoon was given shailendra award. discussion is still on and he has been awarded with National Award for Best Lyrics for the song Maa from TZP
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Ama teri khushi ka yeh aalam dekha na jaaye! Kaminey ke lyrics agar ghost written nahin hain (and most probably GW by Piyush Mishra), then Mr Sampuran Singh Kalra aka Gulzar at his ripe old age is beginning to accept positive influences – of younger poets like Piyush Mishra. Whats wrong in that? We should all welcome such a dawn of wisdom. Vaise yeh baat jitni jaldi maan lo utna hi achchha hai tumhari zehni sehat ke liye ke Piyush Prasoon se behtar shayar hai. Prasoon ko agar Rehman na mila hota to woh ghark ho gaya hota. Aur Gulzar ke saath to use compare kariyo hi mat. kargas ka jahaan aur hai shaaheen ka jahaan aur.
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Idris mian aap shayari ki samajh toh bilkul nahin rakhte magar aap in piyush saheb ke koi khas dost lagtey hain,you have without a reason brought your friend in to this very analytical and intellectual debate about two very worthy and important wrters of our time
my request is not to corrupt this noble discussion with PR agendas,PLEASE.
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i think prasoon joshi’s maa song from rdb is much better than that from tzp
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@shiva.nagri: the two songs cannot be compared. both have a different context, different frame of reference for different age group and maturity level. what a young zealous son would convey to his mother would definitely be very different from what an innocent child would. i love both the songs, they are unique in their own sweet way
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Great discussion, at least some people are discussing poetry,I agree Prasoon Joshi is great he has written really inspiring songs in a very short span and that needs to be given a salute by all poetry lovers and for those people who are trying to trivialize such a genuine talent i would only say please learn to accept quality without bias, Gulzar ji is great but we have another one in Prasoon who deserves similar respect if not more,Lets not forget Prasoon is writing in a very tough time where poetry is almost lost people have lost vocabulary there is no culture of Mushairas and kavi sammelans language is so mixed so confused that half the time people do not speak a single line in hindi or urdu and yet Prasoon has given us songs where you get great thought with exceptnal craft and yet you do not feel you did not understand it.Lets celebrate Prasoon’s work.
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I absolutely agree with you Sahil prasoon has really done some amazing work and yes you have a big point about Prasoon doing a tougher job as we do not have a culture of poetry today.
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I think Prasoon ji has done someyhing which was next to impossible:creating a new wave and taste for poetry in in popular culture.God bless him.
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Dear moderator thank you for starting this conversation,I live in hongkong and must tell you whenever my father used to talk about Sahir ludhyanvee and other poets of his time i used to feel why do’t we have great poets/writers in our generation,Mr Prasoon Joshi has given Us all immense pride that poetry in our generation is not dead in fact after goiing through Mr Joshi’s work he agrees(though reluctantly as he is a tough nut to crack)that Mr Joshi’s is really great he also educated me how Mr Joshi uses the language etc.I also learnt about Mr Joshi being a famous ad Guru and went through some of his ad work and i must say this man is rare and i think his company mcann(i hope am correct) is really lucky to have him.More power to his thoughts and his pen.
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Wonderful post !!!
Totally agreed
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