Gulzar: Main ek kissa batata hoon...

Gulzar has spent over six decades romancing language and literature, articulating lyrics and verses to capture emotions, thoughts and actions, and beyond. So, who better than the veteran lyricist himself to share stories about the origins of some of his most timeless songs? At the Kathakaar International Storytellers Festival in association with Delhi Tourism, Gulzar shared some priceless and lesser-known anecdotes behind four of his most memorable songs.
During the conversation, singer Mohit Chauhan paused often, asking Gulzar for the specific thought behind a particular line or the backstory of the songs. Gulzar would say, “Agar aap gaane ka waada karein toh main kissa suna dunga.” And thus began a free-flowing melodic evening during which Chauhan revisited Gulzar’s songs, and the veteran lyricist shared how those tracks came into being.
‘Lataji ne badmashiyon ko hans ke gaaya - yeh unki badmashi thi’
“Main ek kissa batata hoon...” Gulzar began before adding, “Aap Ki Ankhon Mein Kuch... Pancham (RD Burman) ko ‘badmashiyon’ se aitraz tha. Usne kaha didi (Lata Mangeshkar) nahi gaayengi. Maine kaha unhone bhi bahut badmashiyaan ki hongi... aur agar woh nahi gaayengi toh main badal dunga.” The lyricist shared that while RD Burman was helping Lata Mangeshkar rehearse for the song, Gulzar kept looking at them intently and expectantly. He said Lata Mangeshkar seamlessly sang the entirity of the lyrics. Gulzar continued, “I used to call her Begum. I told her, ‘Begum, inko (RD Burman) bada aitraz tha ki aap yeh line nahi gaayengi’. Toh Lataji hans pari aur boli, ‘Aapke gaano mein hi aisi koi anokhi cheez nikalti hai’.”
Gulzar further added, “Toh Lataji ne gaaya, aur gaaya toh badmashi unki bhi thi. Unhone bataya nahi ki woh kya karengi gaane mein – unhone badmashiyon ko hans ke gaaya. Woh hansi ko usmein shaamil kar gayi – yeh unki badmashi thi.”
The lyricist then went on to clarify, “Main badmash nahi tha. Kishoreda aur Pancham badmash thay.”

‘Raat ke 4 baje tak woh (Burman) mujhe sadkon pe liye ghumta raha’
Gulzar recalled, “(When we met) Pancham asked me if I had penned anything yet. I told him, ‘Musafir hoon yaaron, na ghar na thikana, mujhe chalte jana, bas chalte jana hai’. He said, ‘Yeh achhi lines hain, inko deke jana’.” Right after, Burman told Gulzar to leave him alone to work. Gulzar shared, “That’s how deep our friendship was.” But late that night, the composer woke up Gulzar at his home and took him on a drive. Gulzar recalled, “Raat ke waqt sadkein khoobsurat bhi hoti hain. Usne antre ki dhun banayi thi, woh mujhe sunayi aur kehne laga, ‘Iski line tu banata reh taaki yeh main dhun bhool na jaoon’. Raat ke 4 baje tak woh mujhe sadkon pe liye ghumta raha. Maine antre likhe aur woh gaana taiyyar ho gaya. That was Pancham.”

‘Aisi fursat aur kya hogi - laga woh baat shayad (Ghalib ne) puri nahi ki’
The original sher Dil Dhoondta Hai Fursat Ke Raat Din was penned by Ghalib and Gulzar said that he wanted to elaborate on that “fursat”. He shared, “Dil dhoondta hai, phir wahi fursat ke raat din, baithhe rahen tasawwur-e-jaanaa kiye huye. Humne socha aisi fursat aur kya hogi. Lekin mujhe laga woh baat shayad (Ghalib ne) puri nahi ki. Batate toh ki kaisi fursat hoti hai. Maine usse puri karne ki koshish ki ki woh fursatein kaisi hoti – jaadon ki narm dhoop aur aangan mein lait kar, aankhon pe kheench kar tere aanchal ke saaye ko aundhe pade rahe kabhi karwat liye huye. Yaa garmiyon ki raat jo purwaiyan chale, thandi safed chaadaron pe jaage der tak taaron ko dekhte rahe chath par pade huye. Yaa barfili sardiyon mein kisi pahad pe, yeh ek aur kaifiyat.”

‘Yeh saare experiences aapke andar hain’
In reference to the Gharaonda song, Mohit Chauhan told Gulzar, “When I came to Delhi for the first time, I knew no one here. I used to roam around everywhere alone. The song with which I used to identify myself a lot was Ek Akela Is Shaher Mein. I think many people identify with this song.” Speaking about the song, Gulzar said, “Yeh ek waqt mein bayaan nahi kiya ja sakta. Yeh saare experiences aapke andar hain. Woh kahin aapke andar rehte hain aur kisi ek mauke pe jab aap usko creatively use karna chahte hain toh purane tajurbe dhuein ki terah uthte hain aur aap uss dhuein ko churn karte hain.” Requesting Mohit Chauhan to sing the track, Gulzar said, “Aap humein thodi si uss tenhai ke taraf le kar chaliye.”
After he finished singing the song, Gulzar commended Mohit Chauhan saying, “Jab aap gaate hain toh mujhe guitar ki dhun sunayi deti hai.” Then the veteran joked, “Koi bahut achha shayar tha jisne yeh (gaana) likha hai.”