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In his 30-year long career as a lyricist, Javed Akhtar has delivered several memorable songs. ThePrint selects 10 to celebrate him.

New Delhi: Some things in life are passed on from one generation to another. For Javed Akhtar, it was his inheritance of love of poetry from his poet-lyricist father, Jan Nisar Akhtar.

A decade into his very successful screenwriting partnership with Salim Khan, Akhtar took the plunge to write lyrics for Hindi films.

Over the next 30 years, he won several awards for his lyrics. With each passing decade, Akhtar played with the art form to come up with memorable poetry, suited to the world of each film he worked on.

On his 74th birthday, ThePrint takes a look at his career, one tune at a time.

Silsila (1981)

Akhtar made his debut as a lyricist with Yash Chopra’s Silsila. The story goes that after the untimely demise of Sahir Ludhianvi, Chopra had to coax Akhtar to write the lyrics for his film. Akhtar relented only after Chopra agreed to pay him an unheard of sum. And Bollywood got a lyricist for the ages.

In Silsila, from the melodious Yeh Kahan Aa Gaye Hum to the rainbow track Dekha Ek Khwab, Akhtar’s emotionally-charged words brought to life the moral dilemmas of the extra-marital affair-themed film.

Saagar (1985)

Ramesh Sippy’s Saagar brought together a veritable duo — composer R.D. Burman and Akhtar.

Sach Mere Yaar, filmed on the inimitable Kamal Haasan, remains a key highlight of the film and Akhtar’s career.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uf1VjX_bvnM

1942: A Love Story (1994)

A decade later, Pancham Da, as Burman is affectionately called, and Akhtar returned for another set of stunning compositions in Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s 1942: A Love Story.

Of the film’s several unforgettable tracks, Ek Ladki Ko Dekha To Aisa Laga defined love for an entire generation. The album also won Akhtar a National Film Award for his lyrics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oTWAU6ee4U

Border (1997)

In J.P. Dutta-directed Border, which was also the beginning of a long-standing professional relationship, Akhtar wrote his most well-known patriotic song, Sandese Aate Hain.

After Border, Akhtar wrote many a patriotic songs, including the 12-minute long Main Kahin Bhi Rahoon in LOC Kargil, and the title track in Farhan Akhtar’s Lakshya.

Also read: Urdu sounds are disappearing from Bollywood songs

Lagaan (2001)

Ashutosh Gowariker’s Oscar-nominated period drama Lagaan was another landmark moment in Akhtar’s career. Of the many iconic tracks in the film, his words in the devotional Radha Kaise Na Jale added a lot to the characters and the storytelling in the film. Akhtar won his second National Film Award for lyrics for Lagaan.

Dil Chahta Hai (2001)

When his son Farhan Akhtar made his debut with the now-cult film Dil Chahta Hai, Akhtar’s experimentation with words went a step further.

Akhtar’s usage of words like ‘chamkeele din’ gave the film a flavour of its own. The album remains a defining one for its composers Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy.

Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003)

In Nikhil Advani’s Kal Ho Naa Ho, Akhtar wrote perhaps his most popular song in modern era — defining actor Shah Rukh Khan’s charm for an entire generation.

Over the years, separate from the success of the film, the song has acquired a life of its own, in no small measure due to Akhtar’s words. The song won both the lyricist and composers Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy a Filmfare.

Veer Zaara (2004)

In Yash Chopra’s Veer Zaara, Akhtar had to do a difficult job — fill the tunes of late composer Madan Mohan with his words in a recreation by the composer’s son Sanjeev Kohli.

His lyrics for Main Yahan Hoon, Tere Liye and Do Pal made for some of the most old-world-melody songs in the last couple of decades.

Swades (2004)

In yet another Ashutosh Gowariker film, Akhtar penned some of his most profoundly philosophical lyrics till date.

From the wanderer’s anthem Yuhin Chala Chal Raahi and to the NRI tearjerker Ye Jo Des Hai Tera, his words added a rich layer to Gowariker’s fine take on patriotism.

Luck By Chance (2009)

In his daughter Zoya Akhtar’s debut film, Luck By Chance, Akhtar wrote the dialogue as well as lyrics. While the film has a niche following of its own, Akhtar captured the ambition and the naivety of a young upstart in his profoundly written song, Sapno Se Bhare Naina.

Also read: How Shiv Kumar Sharma, who turns 81 today, rocked Hindustani classical with ‘alien’ santoor

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