Khurshid Anwar, a leading light of the film world won
immense popularity in the Subcontinent for his stylish and heart rending
compositions. He was pluck away from our midst by the inexorable angel of
deatn seventeen years ago on October 30, 1984 signalin the end of a golden
chapter in film music. It is difficulL to encompass his multi-faceted personality
in a single piece of writing. He was at once a poet of considerable merit,
a perceptive playwright, sensitive film director, and a competent film producer,
a musicologist of uncommon erudition and scholarship and, above all, an original
and stylish composer. He had the knack of picking the right instrument for
the conveyance of the nuances and emotion sofasong. He created a new style,
provided a new tangent and gave an elan to film music. Dulcet, tender and
tuneful, his songs were decorated viith dreamy cadences. Music buffs and
listeners were equally hypnotized by the sweetness of his compositions.
To the art of composition, Khurshid Anwar brought the same trenchant and
restless intellect that made him so fine a scholar, poet, producer-director
and one of the most erudite interpreters of classical music in the Sub-continent.
His musical thinking was profound (sometimes abstruse and esoteric) as perhaps
only those who listened to his discourses frequently could best appreciate
these. His special gift for endowing tonality in general; and the use of
shurtis (microtonal pitches) in particular, were the striking features of
his songs.
Khurshid Anwar was born with the proverbial silver spoon in his mouth. His
father was a leading specialist in criminal law, but had an irresistiole
passion for music. He had a large collection of gramophone discs, containing
good selection of classical and light classical music. He also held soiree
at his residence wherein seasoned practitioners of classical music were invited
to demonstrate their melodic prowess. It was in this congenial environment
that Khurshid Anwar was brought up. Besides, he spent a part of his formative
years in Rohtak (Haryana), where his grandfather served as a senior civil
servant. The influence of Haryana folk melodies on Khurshid Anwar's compositions
can easily he discerned by discriminating listeners.
To some, because of his excellent educational qualifications and rich family
background, Khurshid Anwar was a dry, not very affable individual, but to
those (like this scribe), who succeeded in penetrating the veneer of the
introvert ambiance of his personality, Khurshid Anwar was friendly, kind
and an understanding person.
It was a time of great political unrest when Khurshid Anwar was studying
at Government College, Lahore. Left-oriented and anti-colonial enthusiasts
started a movement to rid India of colonial Yoke of the British. As an acutely
sensitive person, young Khurshid Anwar could not resist the temptation of
joining the movement. Touching base with freedom frontline fighters of the
time like Bhagat Singh and within his limits, he took part in the struggle
for independence.
It is a popular misconception that Kh~irshid Anwar could not sing, nor he
could play an instrument. The fact of the matter is that he was a practitioner
of the art of classical singing, which he learnt from Ustad Tawwakal Husain
Khan. According to his younger brother, Khawaja Sultan Ahmad (a senior lawyer
of the Supreme Court of Pakistan), Khurshid Anwar was extremely good at imitating
the singing styles of classical vocalists of different hues. He learnt classical
vocalization by listening to the recorded music of frontline melodists of
that time.' Once Ustad Tawwakal Husain Khan chanced to listen to Khurshid
Anwar imitating his style of singing during one of his visits to our house,
disclosed Khawaja Sultan, adding, "My brother was not aware of the fact that
someone was eves-dropping on him. The Khan Sahib did not interrupt Khurshid
Anwar and waited for him to complete his practice session. Giving him a friendly
hug, Tawwakal Khan, who was so pleased with my brother's talent, congratulated
Khurshid Anwar and offered to teach him on a regular basis. In the estimation
of the Khan Sahib, Khurshid Anwar become a competent classical singer already'.
We inquired how come Khurshid Anwar did not vocally rehearse his compositions
with the singers during the final pre-recording sessiors. "It is not entirely
true", he responded with a touch of authority, adding, "I have in my possession
a cassette containing a very difficult composition of my brother - Chaand
hassey duniya bassey, which Khurshid A2war recorded in his voice without
any musical accompaniment. It was only after he underwent surgery for the
removal of his inflamed tonsils that he gave up singing on doctor" advice".
At that stage of our conversation, another younger brother of the late composer,
Khawala Afzal interjected to remind us about the daily Riaz (training) which
Khurshid Anwar used to have during the prime of his youth. "He would sing
for hours", Khawaja Afzal pointed out, "when we, as younger brothers, used
to listen in such a manner as would not disturb him or distract his concentration.
When asked to comment on his brother's acumen for compositions, Khawaja Sultan
reminded about an incident that took place in Pehalgam in Kashmir in the
year 1940, "When all of us had gone there on a vacation. While Khrshid Anwar
was enjoying the swings of a 'Jhoola tied with strong branches of a tree',
and was being pushed by Rafiq Ghazanvi, he composed a beautiful song using
his own lyrics written simultaneously with the invention of the tune surprising
all of us. Mind you! He had not yet made his debut as a film composer althougn
he was working for All India Radio as the producer incharge of music programmes
. Creativity was simply oozing out of him", Khawaja Sultan recalled with
a touch of nostalgic fondness.
Khawaja Sultan Ahmad also recalled his brother's association with lyricist
D.N. Madhok in Lahore and Bombay and how KA was cheated by the songwriter
on several occasions.
"Madhok was not a clean person as he would stealthily sell my brother's compositions
to producers of other films. After the success of Kurmai, my brother was
assigned to score music for Kardar's film Sharda, ano he composed a song
- ghir ghir ayee badariya - for the film. But when Khurshid Anwar learnt
that the film would not be directed by J.K. Nanda, as agreed upon earlier
and that Mian Kardar would direct it, Khurshio Anwar go miffed and repudiated
the commitment. Learning of toe development, lyricist Madhok, who had earlier
on rehearsed the mukhra of that song with my brother, passed it on to composer
Naushad, who used it as his own creation in the film Sharda.
"Similarly, the tune of the song Mohay mera bachpna, in Kajal (produced by
Malikka Pukhraj in Bombay) was invented by my brother Khurshid Anwar, but
was passed on to music director Ghulam Muhammad by Madhok. The tune of another
song, which Khurshid Anwar composed for the film Parwana, and was not included
in it, was also given to the music director of the film, dak Bangla by Madhok.
Later, Khurshid Anwar used the same composition - Jaab yad kisi ki aye -
in pakistani film Jhoomar, which was a remake of Parwana".
It is generally believed, that Khurshid Anwar when he was asked to sing for
the radio, he shied away from the offer. What do you have to say about it?
"The perception is not based on facts. Khurshid Anwar did participate in
the morning stint of radio by singing a morning raga. However, he was visibly
nervous because it was the first time that he sang before a live microphone.
Later in the night, he rendered a ghazal for the radio - Ye Kaya keeya mujhey
kuch kuch mita kay choor diya, zara sa chehrey say parda utha ke choor diya
with complete confidence and ease. Perhaps, the ghazal was written by Khurshid
Anwar, but not known for sure. What about the episode in which Late Mangeshkar
reportedly did not wait for Khurshid Anwar for the rehearsal of a song when
she learnt that the composer could neither sing or play an instrument, as
narrated by Raju Bhartan in the biography of Lata Mangeshker he has outhored,
Khawaja Sultan was asked.
This too has been misreported. The factual position is that Lata had been
booked for recording at HMV studios for five consecutive days, and she had
no time for the rehearsal of a song composed by Kiurshid Anwar. Learning
about it, my brother used the voice of Asha Bhosley, which he found equally
effective to convey the nuances of his composition. Lata did not show any
contempt for Khurshid Anwar for his inability to sing or play an instrument
as narrated by the author of her biography.
A majority of Khurshid Anwar compositions are heard and enjoyed even today
for their sonic freshness and enduring impact. His songs have the irresistible
appeal of the sentiment of love and tender pahtos. They also radiate matchless
beauty of music true to nature and daring in invention, and are as captivating
to a child as to the sophisticatec grown up individuals. The more often one
listens to his compositions, the more meaning he/she reads into their melodies.
One's aesthetic experience gets enriched and stimulated after a listening
session. His varied pieces are original in all respects and exhibit a marked
individuality of style distinct from those of his illustrious contemporaries
in the subcontinent.
The mortal Khurshid Anwar is no more but his immortal melodies continue to
provide solace to millions of his fans in the Subcontinent.