The Most Underrated Lyricist, The most underrated lyricist Options

[ani218122]

I have the feeling that Rajendra Krishan, an icon among lyricists, if perhaps the most underrated, People discuss Sahir , Shailendra, even Gulzar and Javed, but not this guy whose work spans mpre than 3 decades.

Invite members to talk on this please

Anirudha

[mmuk2004]

Irrespective of his status as a lyricist, which I think is very very high in Bollywood, I can vouchsafe that he was one of the most luckiest financially. Now don't ask me how.

NASIR.

One possible explanation:
maheshks

During my childhood I saw him appearing in Tabassum's programme "Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan". This was a time when he was considered as the most rich writer in the hindi cinema. The reason was that he had won the jackpot worth Rs.46 lakhs in horse racing. The sum was considered as a huge amount during the late seventies. A full article about him has been posted by me here:

Pyala mere hoton par aakar bhi nahin aaya... amazing that there are such few articles on Rajinder Krishan on the web. Love this Talat/CR/RK combo...

Main peeke nahin aaye
Are masti bhari aankhon se
do jaam chura laya

masti meri aankhon mein botal se nahin li hai
saki se nahin maangi chullu si nahin pee hai
behosh nahin phir bhi main host gawan aaya
Main peeke nahin aaya

jeena kise kehte jeekar bhi nahin samjha
Peene ka mazaa kya hai peekar bhi nahin samjha
Pyala mere hoton par aakar bhi nahin aaya...
Main peeke nahin aaya

Apne hi khayalon ko maikhana banaya hai
Toote hue ik dil se paymana banaya hai
Sawan ki ghataon ko aankhon mein chupa laya
Main pee ke nahin aaya...

Right.. The Jackpot story is correct. This I remember because I would have been the next winner if he didn't win. Now you can imagine my heartbreak. It's like this:

As you know, there are five races in a Jackpot event and in each race your bet must be the winner in 1st place. Now, there was no winners in two successive Jackpot events. The moneys of two Sundays were carried forward to the third Sunday. It was also declared that the Jackpot amout would not be carried forward further and that the amount would be given irrespective of the fact whether all the five horses come 1st place. That is, even if one were to have four wins he would be eligible.
If my memory is right, Rajinder Krishan bought tickets for Rs. 9000/-, which enabled him to have many choices as the winners. I never used to spend over 20 rupees in an event because Ladyluck can smile on a single ticket. This time too, the winning horse was a fluke. So just a single man won.
The amount was Rs. 70,000/- which was really a huge amount those days. The amount you mentioned is after deduction of income tax.
Well thats my tearful story. How can I forget. This is without prejudice to the parties concerned.

NASIR.
p.s. It was after this event, that they started the Consolation Prizes for the winners of four events out of five. This was 30 per cent.

Wow! That must have hit close, you remember the amount RK spent on buying the tickets...

The source of that info was Maheshks by the way.

Madhavi

[nasir]

Irrespective of his status as a lyricist, which I think is very very high in Bollywood, I can vouchsafe that he was one of the most luckiest financially. Now don't ask me how.

NASIR.

One possible explanation:
maheshks

During my childhood I saw him appearing in Tabassum's programme "Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan". This was a time when he was considered as the most rich writer in the hindi cinema. The reason was that he had won the jackpot worth Rs.46 lakhs in horse racing. The sum was considered as a huge amount during the late seventies. A full article about him has been posted by me here:

Pyala mere hoton par aakar bhi nahin aaya... amazing that there are such few articles on Rajinder Krishan on the web. Love this Talat/CR/RK combo...

Main peeke nahin aaye
Are masti bhari aankhon se
do jaam chura laya

masti meri aankhon mein botal se nahin li hai
saki se nahin maangi chullu si nahin pee hai
behosh nahin phir bhi main host gawan aaya
Main peeke nahin aaya

jeena kise kehte jeekar bhi nahin samjha
Peene ka mazaa kya hai peekar bhi nahin samjha
Pyala mere hoton par aakar bhi nahin aaya...
Main peeke nahin aaya

Apne hi khayalon ko maikhana banaya hai
Toote hue ik dil se paymana banaya hai
Sawan ki ghataon ko aankhon mein chupa laya
Main pee ke nahin aaya...

Right.. The Jackpot story is correct. This I remember because I would have been the next winner if he didn't win. Now you can imagine my heartbreak. It's like this:

As you know, there are five races in a Jackpot event and in each race your bet must be the winner in 1st place. Now, there was no winners in two successive Jackpot events. The moneys of two Sundays were carried forward to the third Sunday. It was also declared that the Jackpot amout would not be carried forward further and that the amount would be given irrespective of the fact whether all the five horses come 1st place. That is, even if one were to have four wins he would be eligible.
If my memory is right, Rajinder Krishan bought tickets for Rs. 9000/-, which enabled him to have many choices as the winners. I never used to spend over 20 rupees in an event because Ladyluck can smile on a single ticket. This time too, the winning horse was a fluke. So just a single man won.
The amount was Rs. 70,000/- which was really a huge amount those days. The amount you mentioned is after deduction of income tax.
Well thats my tearful story. How can I forget. This is without prejudice to the parties concerned.

NASIR.
p.s. It was after this event, that they started the Consolation Prizes for the winners of four events out of five. This was 30 per cent.

Wow! That must have hit close, you remember the amount RK spent on buying the tickets...

The source of that info was Maheshks by the way.

Madhavi

I'm sorry. On going through my own info above, I found that Rs.70,000/- has been mentioned. By the way, it was Rs. 7,000,000 (Seventy Lakhs) out of which Income tax was deducted and Forty Lakhs (white money) were given to the winner. Believe me, that amount in the late sixties was a huge amount. A First Class Government Servant in India, say, a Sessions Judge at that time was paid only Rs.3,500-/- a month. The salary of the President of India at that time used to be just Rs.10,000/- a month


NASIR.