Sahir Ludhianvi was a 'paradoxical man', says Javed Akhtar

Addressing the audience at the Jashn-e-Rekhta festival that is happening at the national capital, Javed Akhtar revealed a part of Sahir Ludhianvi's life that is lesser-known to people.

Mumbai: Poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar on Saturday opened up about one of the widely celebrated poets Sahir Ludhianvi in the ongoing Jashn-e-Rekhta festival in New Delhi.

Fighting for what was right, Ludhianvi was known for his radical attitude, his poetry and speaking the truth no matter what, revealed Akhtar while adding that he was entirely a different person in his private life.

"He was a very paradoxical man, I can't say a more boring thing about him if I say he was a good man. When he was good he could be good beyond limits and the same goes for when he was angry with somebody. It was like a pendulum with him," Akhtar said at the event.

The poet, who was the only son of a rich landlord, stayed with his mother after her divorce during early childhood and led a life of poverty before becoming a successful poet and lyricist.

Akhtar said that it is wrong to think that Ludhianvi must have led an easy life considering the suffering he had gone through. The poet who died in 1980 led a life of poverty before achieving success as a poet and lyricist.

"Do you think a man who led a relaxed life, the one with money and comfort would name his book 'Talkhiyan' (bitterness)? It is not possible. His life was full of bitterness and sadness and it remained with him till his last days," said the 74-year-old lyricist.

READ | Capital punishment no deterrent to crime, says Javed Akhtar

Reminiscing about an incident at Ludhianvi's Versova home in Mumbai, Akhtar said that his mother had a profound effect on him and that he had never seen such a mother-son relationship.

Recalling one of their informal meetings, where everyone agreed to Ludhianvi's take on the then-current political situation, Akhtar said: "He thanked everyone and in the middle of the conversation, he walked to the other end of the house to his mother's room, narrated the entire incident to her, told her how everyone appreciated his point of view and then came back."

A 45-year-old successful poet, who could admonish ministers, fight with directors, producers, music directors, sought approval of his mother for the smallest thing, he added.

"He had these two different sides to him. He was not one man, there were several men inside him," the lyricist said.

Ludhianvi was known as the "people's poet" as his writings reflected their love, suffering, angst and joy.

For people who lived under rocks, he had also worked extensively as a film song lyricist for close to three decades.