Anjaan Death Anniversary: If someone asks you if you know Lalji Pandey, you might have to rack your brain, but if someone asks you if you know ‘Anjaan’, you must have heard this name. Yes, we are talking about the famous lyricist Anjaan.
Lalji Pandey alias Anjan impressed people with his poems and songs. He used sweet Bhojpuri and Purvanchal words in his songs. This is the reason why people who listened to his songs enjoyed it a lot. Let us tell you that famous lyricist Sameer Anjan is his son.
Who was ‘Anjaan’?
But the world could not know Lalji Pandey by this name. Actually his friends had given him a nickname ‘Anjaan’ and this name gave him his real identity. He had no connection with art, he was a student of commerce but his pen was so skilled that whatever words he wrote started echoing in the air.
Singer Mukesh had discovered ‘Anjaan’
In true sense, this rare diamond which the film world of Mumbai got was the discovery of singer Mukesh. Mukesh had once come to Banaras for his programme and here on someone’s request he heard some lines written by Anjaan from his mouth and then told him that you should write songs for films.
Anjaan ji wanted to go to Mumbai because he did not like the climate of Banaras anyway, and on top of that, his asthma was restricting his breathing. In such a situation, the doctors were also advising him to leave this city if he wanted to stay alive.
In such a situation, ailing Anjan left Banaras for Mumbai. Mumbai also could not take care of Anjan. The city of dreams made him wander from door to door. Anjan spent many nights sleeping in trains because he had no place to hide his head. He would sleep on a bed placed under an apartment.
How did ‘Anjaan’ get his first break?
If you work hard, success is sure to come, even if it is delayed. The year was 1953. Premnath was making ‘Prisoner of Golconda’. At that time, Mukesh sahab remembered Anjaan and arranged a meeting between him and Premnath.
After this, he wrote a song for a film for the first time as a lyricist. Although the film flopped badly, Anjaan kept getting work, yet he kept struggling for name and fame. There was no reduction in his struggles.
Then in 1963, the film ‘Godaan’ was released whose songs were written by Anjaan. One of its songs ‘Pipra ke patwa sarikha dole manwa, ki jiyara me utha hilor, hiya jarat rahat din rain ho Rama, jarat rahat din rain’ brought recognition to Anjaan’s name but his bank balance remained the same even then.
When Anjaan’s song got Rafi’s voice
After this Guru Dutt thought of making a film ‘Bahare Phir Bhi Aayengi’, its songs were being written by Kaifi Azmi, Shevan Rizvi and Aziz Kashmiri. Meanwhile Guru Dutt died suddenly and the production of the film was stopped.
Then his brother Atmaram took the responsibility of completing this film. Anjaan got the job of writing two songs of the film. One of these songs ‘Aapke Haseen Rukh Pe Aaj Naya Noor Hai, Mera Dil Machal Gaya To Mera Kya Kusoor Hai’ was sung by Rafi Saheb. This song created a stir with the release of the film.
How did the unknown’s luck open?
Then Anjan wrote songs for GP Sippy’s film Bandhan (1970) with Kalyanji-Anandji and this is where Anjan’s luck really started to shine. Anjan always used to say that Mumbai’s film industry never grooms a runaway lover; it wants a true lover who never leaves it even in times of struggle.
He always used to say that this industry is heaven where you get houris, money, fame but to go to heaven, you have to die and one should be prepared for it.
These superhit songs came from the pen of Anjaan
You must have heard ‘Mere Angne Mein Tumhara Kya Kaam Hai’ in the voice of Amitabh Bachchan. This song was also written by Anjaan. Apart from this, he also wrote songs like ‘E Hai Bambai Nagariya Tu Dekh Babua’, ‘Jiska Mujhe Tha Intezaar’, ‘Jiska Koi Nahi Uska To Khuda Hai Yaaro’, ‘Kab Ke Bichhde’, ‘Disco Dancer’, ‘Yashoda Ka Nandlala’.
‘Eat paan Banaras wala’, ‘Oh friend, what is the point of living without you’, ‘Everyone comes crying, who will go laughing’, ‘Why are you so proud of money’, ‘Look and hide, look and hide’, ‘If we slip today, don’t wake me up’, ‘What gesture did you give by touching my heart’, ‘The waiting has reached its limit’, ‘You are a mad wandering lover’, ‘My wrists are fair, you load me with green bangles’, ‘If you believe, I am mother Ganga’, such countless superhit songs are the pearls of Anjaan’s pen.
Anjaan, who had penned more than 1500 songs for more than 300 films, suddenly suffered a stroke of paralysis and was bed-ridden for 4-5 years. He died on 13 September 1997 at the age of 67. Anjaan never received any award or honour but he was happy that he saw the success of his son Sheetla Pandey (Sameer) during his lifetime and felt the joy of him receiving a Filmfare Award.
