The ripples of the modern Ghazal wave that started in the late seventies from across the border was felt in as far as Madras, the epicenter of film industry in South India. The wave had a huge impact on the composers, music aficionados, lyric writers and actors. Though written in a language not understood by many in South India, ghazals penned by Ghalib, Ahmed Faraz, Daag Dehelvi and Fiaz Ahmed Fiaz, in Urdu was a bite the industry could hardly afford to miss. So deep was the impact of the Ghazal that it caught the fancy of the Thespian of Kannada film industry Dr Rajkumar.
Ever since Raj was exposed to Ghazal gayaki, he developed a special fondness for ghazals and soon came under the spell of ‘The Emperor of Ghazal’ Mehdi Hassan.
Music director G K Venkatesh introduced Rajkumar to ghazals. He was smitten by the sheer beauty of the poetry, the meanderings of the raag, and the style of rendering by the master. G K Venkatesh used to buy the latest LPs (long play records) of the master.
Later, the two of them, along with P B Srinivas, would listen to the album together, analyse the entire album, the nuances of the music, the composition, the scale of the swara, the poetry and the expression breathed into each word by Mehdi Hassan.
Raj introduced Chi Udayashankar, his favourite lyricist, to the “Art of Expression of Love” and their appreciation sessions would continue for hours, recalled singer P B Srinivas. Mehdi Saab’s ghazals evoked a feeling of bliss – especially classics like Ranjishi sahi, Shola tha jal bhooja hu, Mohabbath Karne wale, Tanha tanha math socha kar, Zindagi mein to sabhie pyar kiya karate hain. The tunes and compositions were addictive, said P B Srinivas.
An ardent classical music lover, Rajkumar loved Raag Yaman and in the movie ‘Ravichandra’, he recorded the song Eedu Rama Mandira Née, Rama Chandira inspired by a Mehdi Saab’s composition titled ‘Ranzish hi sahi’. Rajkumar paid tribute to raga Miya ka Malhar-based ghazal ‘Nawazish karma shukriya meherbani’ by recording the song Kannale pranayada kavitha haduve in the movie ‘Kavirathana Kalidas'. The ghazal Duniya kisi ke pyar mein, jannath se kam nahin was closest to his heart and he would sing it impromptu from memory.
Such was his fascination for Mehdi Hassan’s music, that Rajkumar would stack cassettes of Mehdi Saab’s ghazals in his car to sing along and would even take it with him on his long trips to Gajnur to hear in his moments of solitude, recalls Hanumanthu, the personal car driver to Rajkumar.
Even at home,Rajkumar gave the cassettes and records of Mehdi Hassan a designated place. Rajkumar’s wife, Parvatamma Rajkumar, would treasure these precious possessions of the thespian.
“You don’t need to understand the lyrical meaning of poetry to get addicted to Mehdi Saab’s music. Mehdi Saab’s selection of raga, his tone, the brilliant movement between the harmonium scales, the feel in his songs and most important of all, his expressiveness while using the words, transcended the language.
For a genuine art lover, language is immaterial and only Mehdi could connect with the listener in the language of music. Mehdi Saab’s music has divine power and the force to erase borders,” Rajkumar had said. The opinion of the thespian is echoed by music lovers. The legendary singer’s death evokes the memories of a bygone era and the relationship he shared with another great performer, from across the border, through his music.