[Report: SHRI RAM SHAW]
NEW DELHI: Peeved by “inadvertently missed out” name of the legendary music composer Laxmikant Kudalkar from the list of this year’s Padma awardees, Bollywood has made an anguished plea for posthumous recognition for him to match the Padma Bhushan, country’s one of the highest civilian honours conferred on iconic Pyarelal Sharma in the field of Arts.
“Laxmikant and Pyarelal were inseparable professionally and personally. Hindi cinema has always celebrated L-P together as musical twins, as a monolithic entity over the decades despite the demise of Laxmikant Ji in 1998,” says Jaya Kudalkar (Laxmikant’s wife) in a letter written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah which has also been marked to the Information and Broadcasting Minister and the Maharashtra Chief Minister.
“Inadvertently, this ‘partnership’ of L-P has been broken by the announcement of the Padma Bhushan this year,” writes Jaya Kudalkar urging the government to “restore” the partnership by announcing the Padma Bhushan for her husband posthumously. “We are genuinely happy for Pyare uncle, but our family is sad that my father’s name was missed out,’’ said Rajeshwari, daughter of Laxmikant.
It is pertinent to mention here that the country’s highest civilian honours Padma Awards have been announced and in the list of awardees only Pyarelal Sharma’s name is mentioned, while there is no mention of Laxmikant’s name. This journalist (Shri Ram Shaw) talked to some of the Bollywood legends to know their views: “Can there be a Pyarelal without a Laxmikant? Honouring one with Padma Bhushan, but leaving out the other is not totally unjust and uncalled for?”
The respondents were unanimous in saying that Laxmi-Pyare are inseparable. Both the names should be honoured with Padma Bhushan, they claimed.
Renowned playback singer Padma Bhushan recipient Udit Narayan is of the view that Laxmikant-Pyarelal Ji have done a tremendous job together. He says, “They have written history. Both should be conferred Padma Bhushan together. They have worked together for almost 40 years. Both have equal share. When the names of both are always together, then both their names should come together for Padma Award also. I have sung several songs in many films under their direction. “Humse tum dosti kar lo, yeh haseen galati kar lo” in the film Narasimha and“O Mummy Mummy, O Daddy Daddy” in Deewana Mastana. Both these songs were chartbuster scores; the film Trimurti did not do well, but its songs were huge hits. There must be posthumous recognition for legendary Laxmikant Ji.”
Udit Narayan spoke about how he used to visit Pyarelal Ji’s house almost every day, expecting the legendary musician to give him a big break. He said, “I never thought I will get to witness musical gods like Pyarelal Ji. In fact, for almost 2 years whenever I would to get time I used to go to his place. In spite of being so busy, he would always welcome me without questioning as to why I kept visiting every day. All his popular songs like Om Shaanti Om and Dafli wale were recorded in front of me and I was like a small fish in the huge ocean in front of these legends.”
Udit Narayan further added, “One fine day in the recording studio, I gathered courage and I told Pyarelal Ji, ‘Today I am not going to leave.’ He replied back, ‘Don’t leave; we will listen to your song today.’ I was very happy and I sang a folk song and an old song. After listening to me he said, ‘In this same city Mumbai, your time will come too; wait for it.’ After that, he gave me many opportunities. Even Laxmikant Ji gave me loads of love and I am really thankful to them.”
Anup Jalota, the renowned singer best known for the soulful devotional songs and ghazals he has sung over decades, and a winner of Padma Shri Award, who has made his voice indispensable in any Hindu religious ceremony not only inside India but also across the world, said, “I want to say that the Shankar-Jaikishan duo was given Padma Shri together. Kalyanji-Anandji were also honoured together. Here, between Laxmikant and Pyarelal, only Pyarelal has been conferred Padma Bhushan, while Laxmikant Ji has got nothing. To me, this seems like a small mistake on the part of those giving awards. Perhaps they might not have been paying attention. I would like to suggest that both should be given this honour together because earlier as well, the musician pair has been honoured together.”
Throwing light on the context of the composition of the two famous lines with Lata Mangeshkar for the film Ek Dooje ke Liye – “Koshish kar ke dekh le, dariya sare, nadiya sari/ Dil ki lagi nahi bujhti, bujhti hai har chingari…Solah baras ki bali umar ko salaam” becoming immortal and a classic hit, Jalota shared his experiences of working with L-P: “I had to meet Lata Ji; I had some work with her. She called me and asked to come to Mehboob studio. Lata Ji said, ‘I am recording a song there; you come there. We will meet.’ I reached there. Lata Ji’s recording had started. Laxmikant-Pyarelal was its composer. I met Lata Ji and whatever I had to talk to her, I did it. When I was about to leave, Laxmikant-Pyarelal Ji stopped me. They said, ‘when you have already come, please sit for a while and drink tea. This song will be done in half an hour…’ So I sat down. Lata Ji recorded her song and went away. I met her again, said hello and she left. After that, I was sitting and drinking tea with Laxmikant-Pyarelal Ji. In a loving, complaining tone, they said, ‘We have to make you sing songs, but you don’t meet us.’ I said, ‘I am very busy with my programs; otherwise I would definitely come and meet you.’ Then they told me, ‘Since you are already here, we are adding two lines to this song and you please sing them.’ I said okay and we recorded those two lines immediately and that song became a super-hit.”
“There was nothing much for me to rehearse for these two lines…just rehearsed there for 5-10 minutes and sang it. After this incident, Laxmikant-Pyarelal Ji called me several times and I also went to them…to record some songs. Then I politely told them, ‘Since I am busy with my own programs, I could not sing more songs.’ This was my life…this is the story of this super hit number,” added Anup Jalota.
Renowned actor-singer Aroon Bakshi, who is in the film industry for more than four decades with several musical hits to his credit, said, “Although there are many pairs in the field of arts in India, the pair of Laxmikant-Pyarelal Ji is one like heartbeat and soul. This pair has the same relationship as the heartbeat and the soul. One life, one soul (Ek zind, ek jaan)… it is as if there are two souls in one body. It is a different matter that someone is there and someone is not. It doesn’t matter. This pair has given us a lot. They have ruled over our hearts for decades. If Pyarelal Ji is being conferred Padma Bhushan, then it is really a very good thing. I am very happy. But, it would have been better if both names L-P were there in the award list because one is incomplete without the other.”
“My ‘life’ began with the blessings of these great composers. I am really very lucky that four lines of that timeless song – “Jaat na pooche, paat na pooche, na poochega tera dharma/ Rabb tera poochega O bande, kya tha tera karma” from the film Karma fell into my lap. Both of them helped me so much; they made me sing this song with so much of blessings. Lakshmi Ji was a wonderful person as well as an amazing composer. One composed excellent tunes and the other arranged songs beautifully. My heartfelt greetings to Laxmikant-Pyarelal Ji,” added Bakshi.
Dev Rathore, noted ghazal singer and composer who likes to offer his audiences a mix of genres and music styles to reflect what the Indian classical music and ghazal is about, a multitude of perspectives, has this to share: “It is a matter of great pleasure that the Maharshi of Indian film music, respected Shri Pyarelal Sharma Ji will be honoured with Padma Bhushan. He really deserves Padma Vibhushan or Bharat Ratna. The contribution of Laxmikant-Pyarelal Ji to Indian film music is unforgettable. Both of them are the moon and the sun of music, but when it comes to awards or honours, Laxmikant Ji’s contribution is equal to that of Pyarelal Ji. His contribution to whatever music we listen to today cannot be ignored. I request to the government of Bharat that Laxmikant Ji should also be honoured with Padma Bhushan, though posthumously.”
