Remembering Prem Dhawan: A person who had a world of his own

That golden era of the Bollywood music world, when every song touched the heart, when there was such a harmony of music and music that listening to it, either the eyes would become moist or the heart would dance drenched in the shower of love. Then, such a storm of patriotic feelings would arise that the countrymen were ready to die. That was the golden era of the fifties and seventies, and in the same decade, a priest of art spread many colors of his versatile talent on the land of Bollywood in such a way that the music world became green. I am talking about the genius lyricist, composer, actor, and choreographer Prem Dhawan whose patriotic songs, "Mera Rang De Basanti Chola," "Aye Mere Pyare Watan," "Chhodo Kal Ki Baatein," "Aye Watan Aye Watan Humko Teri Kasam," is still ranked among the top ten patriotic songs. When it comes to the sweet joys of love or the pain and complaints of separation, these songs written by Prem Dhawan, "Yeh Parda Hata Do Zara Mukhda Dikha Do," "Saiyaan Le Gayi Jiya Teri Pehli Nazar," "Mujhe Pyaar Ki Zindagi," "Jogi, Hum to Loot gaye tere pyaar mein," "Agar bewfa Tujhe Pehchaan Jaate," "Halke-Halke Chalo Saware", "Aaram hai Haram", "Teri Duniya se Dur chale Hoke Majbur Hame Yaad Rakhna.", and many such songs stir the storm of desires and emotions of the heart.

Despite Prem Dhawan being so talented, he did not get the place he deserved in the Hindi cinema world. This is probably because Prem Dhawan was a very selfish person and he never tried to buy or hold awards and respect. Born on June 13, 1923, in Ambala as the son of a jail superintendent, Prem Dhawan was a rebel since childhood. He joined the Communist Party of India during his college studies in Lahore. There he met the famous poet Sahir who was also his classmate. Often both of them used to talk about poetry after college and sometimes they used to write poetry and poems to express their rebellion against the British and read them in their college. At the age of just twenty-three, his talent got him a job as an assistant composer in Ahmed Abbas's film 'Aaj Aur Kal', also in Lahore. The sky of art had opened before him, he spread his wings and took the path to Mumbai. But it was not so easy to open the doors of Bollywood even in those times.

Prem Dhawan started looking for studio work and finally, he got a call from Bombay Talkies for the post of Assistant Director. And when it came to the interview, two great personalities of the cinema world, Devika Rani and Ashok Kumar, were sitting in front of him. After the interview, he did not get the job of assistant director but got the job as a lyricist. This is how his journey in the cinema world started with the film 'Ziddi'. Over time, he became associated with progressive theater movements as a writer and thus entered IPTA (Indian People's Theater Association), where he met Shanti Roy Bardhan, a member of dance magician Uday Shankar's legendary dance troupe, and the legend Pandit Ravi. Happened to Shankar. He learned something from both those giants that was useful to him later on. He learned classical dance from Shanti Bardhan, took classical music lessons from renowned classical musician Ravi Shankar, and then got a chance to showcase his talent as a lyricist in 'Dharti Ke Lal'.

Although he had to work with many other lyricists in that film, still his art shined in many songs of that film like 'Ab Na Zaban Par Taale Dalo, Aaj Sukha Khote Mein', Aao Badal Aao 'Beete Ho Sukh Ke Din, Everyone recognized. Now he started getting independent films as a lyricist like, 'Jeet, Aaram, Tarana, Aasmaan, Vachan, Tange Wali, Jagate Raho, Heera Moti, Guest House, Shola Aur Shabnam, Tel Massage Boot Polish, Jabak, Kabuliwala, Maa Beta, Cobra Girl, Shabnam, Dara Singh Iron Man, After Midnight, Dus Lakh, Ek Phool Do Mali, Mera Naam Joker, Nanak Dukhiya Sab Sansar, Pavitra Papi, Geet, Purba Aur Paschim, etc. The lyrics of Prem Dhawan's songs were so impressive that once Manoj Kumar told him that he could compose patriotic songs not only as a lyricist but also as a musician. Inspired by Manoj's words, Prem Dhawan wrote and composed songs dedicated to the country like Ae Watan Ae Watan, Mera Rang De Basanti Chola, Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna Ab Hamare Dil Mein Hai. His other film 'Pavitra Papi' took him to the pinnacle of fame in which the song sung by Kishore Kumar became a chartbuster of that era, 'Teri Duniya Se Hoke Majboor Chala', this was the same song which Kishore Kumar later sang. It was played extensively on the day of his death.

Prem Dhawan, rich in versatile talent, also kept his hold strong as a musician. He wrote songs in films like Aadhi Raat Ke Baad, Veer Abhimanyu, Shaheed, Pavitra Papi, Nanak Dukhiya Sab Sansar, Bharat Ke Shaheed, Mera Desh Mera Dharma, Kisan Aur Bhagwan, Bhagat Dhanna Jat, The Naxalite, Raat Ke Darken Mein. Also gave music. Having learned classical music and being close to Pandit Ravi Shankar, he had a lot of knowledge of classical art. He was such a versatile artist that he did not find it appropriate to be confined to just one field, hence despite being established as a lyricist and musician, he also worked as a dance director in many films like Munna, Waqt, Dhool Ka Phool, Sahara, Naya Daur (Ude Jab Jab Zulfen Teri, it was his choreography), Vachan, Do Bigha Zameen, Arzoo, Sheesh Mahal. As an actor, he also worked in the film, 'Laajwaab'. He acted so beautifully as an actor in the film 'Goonj Uthi Shehnai' that his colleagues and family members advised him to leave everything and pursue a career as an actor but he did not agree, he said that songwriting is his life, music is his life. Giving was her hobby, dancing was her joy and acting was a change.

Many artists lesser than him in Bollywood were awarded so many awards and honors, but Prem Dhawan received only a few awards and honors in his lifetime, like he received the National Award as the Best Lyricist in 1971, and the Government Award in 1970. Received Padmashree, the fourth highest Indian civilian award by the Government of India. Prem Dhawan never regretted that he did not get fifty awards, he believed that each of his songs was an award for him, and the fact that the Government of India honored him so much outweighed every award.

This great personality died of a heart attack in Mumbai on 7 May 2001, after which no one has been able to fill his void to date.

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