[Watch] Shakeel Badayuni: Geetkar-e-Aazam

Most important characteristic of songs of Shakeel Badayuni (3 August 1916 – 20 April 1970) is their variety and diversity. Shakeel wrote ghazals, geet, poorbi songs, bhajans, naats, qawwali, and sad numbers. Shakeel Badayuni was born in 1916 in Badayun, Uttar Pradesh. He joined Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh in 1936. When he joined Aligarh Muslim University in 1936, he started participating in inter-college, inter-university mushairas and won frequently. In 1940, he married Salma, who was his distant relative and had been living in a common house with him since childhood. After completing his BA, he moved to Delhi as a supply officer, but continued participating in mushairas, earning fame nationwide.

Shakeel moved to Bombay in 1944 to write songs for films. He met film producer, A.R. Kardar and music composer, Naushad Ali who asked him to sum up his poetic skills in one line. Shakeel wrote, Hum dard Ka Afsana Duniya Ko Suna Denge, Har Dil Main Mohabbat Ki Ek aag Laga Daingay. Naushad immediately signed him for Kardar’s film, Dard (1947). The songs of Dard proved to be very successful especially Uma Devi (Tun Tun)’s Afsana Likh Rahi Hoon. Only a few are so lucky that they attain success in their first film, but Shakeel deserved success which started with Dard and continued on over the years.

Together, he and Naushad became one of the most sought after composer/lyricist duos in the industry. Among the scores they churned out together, are those of Deedar (1951),Baiju Bawra (1952), Mother India (1957), and Mughal-e-Azam (1960), that stand out. Other films they scored together include Dulari (1949), Shabab (1954), Ganga Jamuna (1961), and Mere Mehboob (1963). Although Shakeel Badayuni worked most extensively with Naushad, he also collaborated with Ravi and Hemant Kumar as well. His lyrics for the song Husnwale Tera Jawab Nahin and Ravi’s music both won Filmfare Awards for the hit film Gharana. His other notable film with Ravi is Chaudhvin Ka Chand (1960), while Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962) is his biggest hit with Hemant Kumar. The title song from Chaudhvin Ka Chand, rendered by Mohammed Rafi, won Badayuni the Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist in 1961.

Shakeel got three Filmfare Awards consecutively for three years for Best Lyricist category:

1. 1961 Filmfare Best Lyricist Award for the song Chaudvin ka chand ho in the film Chaudhvin Ka Chand
2. 1962 Filmfare Best Lyricist Award for the song husnwale tera jawab nahin in the film Gharana
3. 1963 Filmfare Best Lyricist Award for the song kahin deep jale kahin dil in the film Bees Saal Baad

He was also nominated in the same category for film Mere Mehboob and Do Badan. Mere Mehboob-a classical hit- was shot in the AMU campus and in Lucknow.

A postage stamp, bearing his face, was released on 3 May 2013 by India Post to honour him.

Below are few of best songs ever written in Bollywood.

Chaudhvin Ka Chand Ho