BHOPAL: Asad Bhopali maintained the standard of poetry even in film songs, says film writer and director Rumi Jaffery.
“The quality in Asad Bhopali that impressed me is that he gave breaks to most music directors. Generally it happens that music directors give breaks to lyricists but Asad Bhopali gave breaks to music directors, he says.
Jaffery was speaking in an online event ‘Pyaar Bantte Chalo,’ organised by Madhya Pradesh Urdu Akademi to mark the centenary year of poet and lyricist Asad Bhopali on Monday.
Chief guest Jafferi said poets like Majrooh Sultanpuri, Sahir, Raja Mehdi Ali, Kaifi Azmi, Ali Sardar Jafri etc. who worked for the promotion of Urdu literature in the film industry after independence but the list would not be complete without Asad Bhopali.
Writer Rashid Anjum said that Asad Bhopali wrote about 400 songs for 142 films from 1949 to 1989. Every song written by him completely meets the test of Urdu poetry. “ The song he wrote with the music of Laxmikant Pyarelal is remembered even today. The lyrics of that song are “Hasta Hua Noorano Chehra.”
Pervez Akhtar said that Asad Bhopali was a natural poet. The era in which he lived was a period of political and social change. It also affected the youth of that time. He got a government job but his poetic journey also continued and he started participating in Mushairas. He started making a place in the hearts of the people. When he got a call from the film world, he made his special place there too with his good songs.
Writer and poet Professor Atiqullah said “We need to remember Asad Bhopali and all those poets who tried to make Bhopal the centre of India.”
Poet Hasan Fatehpuri presented poetry and Shoaib Ali Khan presented two ghazals of Asad Bhopali.
The event was streamed live on Facebook page and on YouTube channel of the Akademi. Director of the Akademi Nusrat Mehdi said that the objective of the event is to make the younger generation aware of the poet’s works.
