Mother Teresa

All of us know her as Mother Teresa but she was born at Skopje now capital of Macedonia, on 27 August 1910 with the name Anjeze Gonxhe Bojaxhiu or Agnes Bojaxiu in an Albanian farmer’s family of Macedonia area in Yugoslavia. Gonxhe that literally means a bud of rose or tiny flower in Albanian language was destined to shine like a flower of rose in the whole world. The lady who gave birth to ‘Missionaries of Charity’ a Roman Catholic religious mission basically soon became world famous revolution to help the cause of downtrodden, poor, children, sick suffering from diseases as leprosy, tuberculosis, cancer, women brought from brothels, beggars, people living on footpaths and unloving conditions. Mother Teresa who started her journey alone in 1949 with a heart full of love, service and willingness to do whatever she could for the sake of humanity soon achieved her goals. 

Life of Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa a very serious lady full of charity and love for poor and helpless had firm faith in humanistic values. She was interested to serve human cause by joining any of the different missions from Yugoslavia active in Bengal working for the cause of sick and poor. She started her career by joining ‘Sisters of Loreto’ after completion her schooling and she was sent to Dublin, Ireland the headquarters of Loreto to learn English language in the year 1928. Next year she was transferred to Darjeeling where she went under training and adopted the name Teresa in 1931 after the great Saint Teresa of Spain. 

Agnes was Mother Teresa from now on. After completion of her training in Darjeeling in 1931, she was posted in Intali in a Bengali school where she taught history and geography for 16 years and was later promoted to the post of head mistress of that school. However, the turning point came to her life in 1939 when she was deputed to teach in a middle level school in Lower circular road along with two other sisters of Intali School once in a week. That took her with the contact of poor local Bengali children out of the convent world. That was almost the same time when Mahatma Gandhi was busy with his ‘Grow More Grain’ agitation in Calcutta and local rich people were whole-heartedly supporting him in this social cause. 

Some of the young girls from the Bengali school also joined the movement with the inspiration of Mother Teresa. In fact, Mother Teresa was source of inspiration for different reasons to those studying in her school and that was the reason that when she stayed away from the school for personal reason and the school became center of indiscipline she had to be called back. The presence of Mother Teresa worked magically and everything went back to normal. Mother did not punish those erring students for their indiscipline but her personality did the trick. 

Mother Teresa looked for the entire personality development of her students instead of keeping their activities to merely studies. She would take them out for service of poor by visiting such areas on every Saturdays. She prompted her students for public welfare, meditation, education and everything that will be useful for their all-round personality development. She had divided her students in different groups who would visit different hospitals, communities and wherever they were needed to serve the poor. The girls of these groups used to tell their experiences of service to poor and needy to Mother Teresa, which made her think deeply. Mother Teresa developed good spiritual relations with many of her students which proved important in her life. In the mean time Mother Teresa did not keep well therefore she was sent to Darjeeling for rest.

Mother Teresa was uneasy and had taken the decision for her future while traveling by the train to Darjeeling in 1946 for her vacation. She had mentioned it later as the inspiration coming from the God himself as if He was telling her to look for the real purpose of her life that was assigned to her. She knew her destiny but was unsure how and where to start her journey. During her stay in Darjeeling she thought over and planed her future in detail. She now had a clear picture in her mind.

She went back to Calcutta and consulted her mentor and spiritual guru father of Khidirpore church for his guidance to achieve her goals. She wanted to begin a new mission for sisters and she had a blue print ready for the same written on few pieces of papers. She wanted to help the poor and sick, orphans and suffering people who did not have anyone to look after them. She wanted to take the services of dedicated women in a new dress of white saree with blue border on it. She had everything planned in detail. The new organization was to begin with the name of ‘Missionaries of Charity’ she wanted her plan to be presented before the bishop of Kolkata by Father Wayne of Khidarpore Church. 

Her scheme had a major problem, before beginning a new program it was mandatory for her to leave the Loreto. As per the rules of Church a Christian leaving the society, the concerned member must seek the permission of the bishop of the area. Leaving the church without permission of the bishop was not permitted and considered illegal in Christian society. The local area bishop was responsible for every activity of church workers therefore it was mandatory for Mother Teresa to seek the permission before starting his own campaign. 

Mother got the permission to leave Loreto in the end from Rome and father Wayne was given the job to convey it to her. She saw the permission with tearful eyes and went for a long prayer before reading it. She wanted to leave the Loreto but decided to postpone it by a few days. She went to market the next day and bought a white saree with blue border. Incidentally that white bordered saree is the uniform of the sisters of ‘Missionaries of Charity’.  Mother Teresa prayed with others in Loreto and left but she later admitted that leaving Loreto was like a big sacrifice for her.

She began her Campaign

Despite all the confidence she had in almighty and willingness to serve she was not yet fully prepared for her mission. She was an Indian citizen, knew local language and problems of Kolkata but these were not enough to carry out her plans therefore the Bishop of Calcutta decided to send her to Patna to learn basics of medicines and health related knowledge. She started for Patna on 18 August 1948 and the girls who came to see her off did not recognize her in a white saree with blue border she was wearing as her new uniform. She leaned as much about nursing and basic health care within three months in Holy Family hospital Patna as much a nursing student learns in three years that was her willpower to learn and begin her duty toward humanity. 

Mother Teresa worked up to 16 hours a day to achieve her goals and as soon as she completed her training she came back to Kolkata. Now Kolkata was her battlefield for the sake of humanity and service of poor and sick. She stood up to face the challenges with confidence and willpower to solve the problems of suffering people. She approached father Hennery and asked about whereabouts of Motijheel which was a little astounding for him because she was asking for a place that was adjacent to previous workplace Intali. However, once she reached there to Motijheel, she asked everyone for a place from where she could begin her campaign. She found a hut ultimately for five rupees a month but she had no furniture there, neither a blackboard. So, she had no alternate to teach the children but writing on ground, singing songs for the children, teaching the good habits, and making them aware about their health related problems. That was beginning of her campaign.

She got a home finally

She had no place to live for herself therefore searching for one in that area so when a small organization offered her a place to live temporarily she accepted it happily. Few other missionaries were trying for her residence and finally she got a place to live in 14, Creek Lane at Circular Road on the third floor in the house of Mr. Michael. It was a quiet evening of February when Teresa reached to stay there with a small box as her only belonging that was used as table, box and chair by her. She continued her activity of going to Motijheel every morning after her prayer session, to teach children but with an added help, the daughter of Michel would accompany her to her efforts. 

She started a clinic

Meanwhile she added another feature to her activities; she opened a small clinic near the church at Circular road. A gentleman donated an old X-ray machine to her dispensary but her main problem was shortage of medicines. Although she never hesitated in asking for help but medicines were her real problem. Once she asked her landlord to arrange for medicines for her dispensary who took the list to a big medicine manufacturing company of Kolkata. The manager of the company asked them to come next day but he learnt that they wanted those medicines as donation he became furious and asked them to get out. Mother Teresa sat their on a chair praying to God unless the manager agreed to supply the medicines free of charge. Incidentally she received more medicines regularly in future without any cost.

She had assistance

Meanwhile a strange incident took place when one of her former students Subhashini Das one day knocked her door because she wanted to work for the mission of Mother Teresa. She was not interested in marriage at the age when she was still a student of class 11. Her family insisted that she got married but the matter reached to the court. The judge had no choice but to decide in favor of Subhashini when he saw her fully determined to stay with Mother Teresa serving the cause of poor. Once Subhashini joined the mission more than a dozen of her former students from Bengali school in Intali joined the mission and completed their own education along with doing the social work. Now the 14, Creek Lane was bubbling with social activities and the three rooms which were housing them were not enough to accommodate them all. The journey that Mother Teresa started and joined by Subhashini and other like her has reached to thousands and still counting.Mo

Missionaries of Charities

Later, Mother Teresa manage to buy three houses from Islam who was leaving to relocate to East Pakistan now Bangladesh, presently the headquarters of ‘Missionaries of Charity’ which houses the girls from different countries who come to serve the humanity. Missionaries of Charity was officially formed in 1950 but Mother Teresa was not limited to Church only but true symbol of selfless woman who used to visit temples, mosques, Gurudwaras and churches alike. She accepted whatever helps came her way from any source. She spent all money she received in awards and rewards for the benefit of poor and suffering people.    

Her awards

Mother Teresa was very simple by nature but she was firm with her ideology and if she decided to something, it was hard to stop her from achieving it. She was honored by Padma Shri in 1962 for her services for the ‘cause of human’ but she dedicated it to people of Kalighat, Kolkata saying that it belongs to people of Kalighat who are the real winner of this award. It was kept in ‘Nirmal Hriday’ the home for the dying because she thought it was the right place for such an award and the poorest of the poor the residents of Nirmal Hriday were the real winner of that award. She won many more awards like the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding in 1969 that is India's highest civilian award, Pope John Peace prize in 1971, the Bharat Ratna, Ramon Magsaysay Award and the Pacem in Terris Award. In 1979, Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, the highest prize awarded to an individual in the world. Besides above mentioned prizes there are hundreds of prizes given by almost all the countries of the world but Mother Teresa always used all the money for the service for the poor people through her charity mission.

The expected sainthood for departed Mother

Death is ultimate truth for every living person and Mother Teresa knew this, she used to say that when I will feel that my time has come, I would lie down on a bed in my mission with other patients and wait for the end of my life. Mother fought with death for 18 days in August 1997 while she suffered from Pneumonia and Malaria. She was advised to take full bed rest after the heart attack but she never cared for own diseases and kept busy serving others. Mother Teresa continued her job until she breathed her last and no praises are big for the goddess of love and charity.  

Mother Teresa lived in a period when achieving sainthood is not easy but if she had lived in an earlier time that would not have been that difficult to get sainthood as soon as she left this world. The beatification of Mother Teresa has already been conducted on Oct. 19, 2003 by the then Pope John Paul the second. And there is no doubt that the way Mother lived, she will surely be named a saint sooner than our expectations.  

Photo source- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_Teresa

I remember seeing her in many old films playing the mother's role clad in crisp cotton, chiffon and silk sarees depending on the role, but always looking elegant and classy! She had central roles in many films even if it was a mother's role and especially in films like ‘Waqt’ where her screen hubby Balraj Sahni serenaded her with the song 'A meri zohra jabeen tujhe maalum nahin ...tujhpe kurbaan meri jaan meri jaan " while she happily smiled and blushed!

There were many other films where she played mother to Leading ladies like Asha Parekh ( Mere Sanam), Vyjayantimala ( Sangam) and so on! People also remember her as Kajol’s Grandmother in the box office hit ' Dilwale Dulhaniya le jayenge'. But the fact is that Achala Sachdev began her career playing celluloid mother to heroes older than her, when she was in her twenties and her son was barely a year old!

Early Days of the ' young ' mother

Achala Sachdev was a refugee from Pakistan and began her career as an announcer with the All India Radio in Srinagar, also lending her voice for plays. She used to earn Rs 45 for each play and it was considered a big sum those days! She was invited to act on stage by a close friend and a few film personalities who saw the play liked her performance and complimented her.

One of the film producers who had seen her play offered her a mother’s role since Zohra Sehgal who was supposed to have played the role had gone on a tour with the Prithvi theater and the sets already readied for the shot would go waste! Achala agreed to do the role since money which was being offered, Rs 1500/ per day, was irresistible to her at that stage. It seemed like a lottery to her.

The film was Kashmir and had actor Arun in the lead , who is actor Govinda’s father. Achala was barely 21 years old and had to play the mother's role to Arun and other two actors who were all older than her. According to her, in her first scene she had to fall down the stairs with grief after hearing her son’s death and weep profusely, which she did without much effort and the flood gates remained open ever since.

Horror of Partition on Achala Sachdev

Achala felt that she was best suited to play emotional roles and she attributed her sensitivity to the horrors of one of the worst tragedies of our times – the partition! During those dark days their Muslim friends sheltered them from the rioters in Lahore, which was her birth place. Finally she and her family was forced to leave Lahore on August 11th 1947 and it took them three days to reach Delhi evading the rioters and when she reached Delhi she was horrified to see the carnage there which left a permanent impact on her. She says this is the reason why she is able to cry very easily, since people are normally moved to tears by something unbearably beautiful or when you are extremely hurt!

For her being alive and the hope of a different, more peaceful life gave something to look forward to and she began her career with a positive note promising herself to leave her past completely behind her! It may not have been easy but it goes to show the courage and determination she had even if she was just in her twenties.

Etched in Time

Achala did many films in the late fifties, sixties and some of them very prominent ones like Naukri, Adalat, Nazrana, Jhoola, Dil ek mandir, Haqueeqat, Mere Sanam, Arzoo and Sangam where she played the role of Vyjayantimala’s mother.

But people remember her for her role in Waqt. B.R Chopras film ‘Waqt’ was a landmark film in Achala Sachdev’s career and her role will always remain a memorable one. It also established her credibility as an actress. In one of her interviews she said – “ To this day people call me Zohrajabeen and no actress can ask for a better complement and to be remembered thus is indeed an honor“.

Apparently on the day the film had its premier Nargis and Sunil Dutt who had come to see the film were thoroughly impressed by her role and Nargis told her that other actresses should learn how to blush looking at her and the way she had done for the song! Coming from an accomplished actress like Nargis it was quite a compliment for Achala Sachdev. She felt that it was a perfect role as a loved and loving wife and mother which she thoroughly enjoyed doing! She also had the greatest respect, affection and regard for Balraj Sahni as a person and an actor , who she felt was one of the best actors of Hindi cinema.

Reaching Stagnation point

This happens in an actor's life and unless they rediscover themselves they may sink without a sound. Achala though never short of work had reached a point where work did not seem as challenging or interesting. She had acted in more than 200 films in which, according to her she played some good roles, some mediocre and more often than not the ever suffering mothers role, wearing the same stereotyped clothes and speaking more or less the same dialogues.

According to her, it was like eating stale food every day, but since she had no choice and because of the circumstances where her husband was jobless at that stage being a foreign national unable to work in India, and she needed the money. So, she accepted everything that came her way and in the bargain she had to compromise. That she did by playing mother to three generations of actors! Later of course things got better with her husband earning and being able to support her, but by then acting had become part of her life.

Although her performances were always appreciated by the audience, she was also hopelessly typecast. It seems she would console herself at one stage with the thought that she was not there to make a career in films and would leave sooner or later after having made enough money ! This is something most people tend to do and remain in films till the end and that’s what Achala Sachdev finally did.

There was a stage in her life when she felt that she was not doing anything new or worthwhile and her other desires like taking care of her home, husband, son and also the desire to have a bigger family were taking a back seat. She also felt that she was compromising all the time – waiting for the bigger stars, sometimes even waiting for horses and extras if they were working in another set! The more demand for a star , the more money and more success and everything else seemed unimportant and for her this was always an issue since she never compromised on her basic values!

According to her punctuality is not important in the film world. All the big stars would come late and this was almost a status symbol showing how busy the star is and how others are prepared to wait for him or her. All these issues began to make Achala Sachdev feel that it is better to move away from the arc lights and after two decades of working in films she decided to quit, She began to concentrate on her family, home and son.

On The Comeback Trail

Achala Sachdev was married to a British national Clifford Douglas Peters who passed away in 2002 in Pune.

Achala Sachdev was a favorite with the Chopras’ and she had featured in many of their films including Waqt. So after more than 2o years it was natural for her to make her comeback with one of their films. She set the ball rolling by playing Kajol’s grandmother in the film Dilwale Dulhaniya le jayenge.

Apparently, Yash Chopra would always tell her that she was lucky for his films so when she was invited to act in the film she just could not say no. She was facing the camera after several years, her last film being Chandani! But when she started shooting, she had the feeling that the film would break all records which it did! She even told the film makers that she would take her payment only after the film celebrated its golden jubilee.

When this happened Chopra handed her a cheque which showed her how much the Chopra family respected and loved her. Apparently she was flabbergasted when she read the amount, she thought he had put the extra zeroes by mistake. When she asked him about this Chopra told her that he had an enormous amount of respect for her and he could never put a price on her talent!

Achala Sachdev did another film Dahek playing Sonali Bendre’s grandmother and she felt that too was a good meaty role. She had many special memories of that film and her experience with the unit people and the artistes involved in that film. She also acted in films like Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gam, Na tum jano na hum. Later she acted in a couple of serials for Ekta Kapoor where she was given good roles befitting her status. 

Down memory lane

Looking back Achala Sachdev never had any regrets about her career in films. According to her it was not really bad, she travelled all over the world and was richer both materially and through experience. She was well respected and well known by most film goers so she felt that it was definitely worth the trouble. She felt that the 200 films she had acted in , all gave her confidence, joy and educated her in many ways. She moved to Pune in 1998 and was later happy with whatever work and offers she got even though they were few and far between.

She used to love watching serials and films on TV, her favorite serial being Saans which was being telecast in the year 2000. She also had the time after she retired to catch up with some of her own  old films , some of which she never had watched earlier She was very critical of her performances and always felt that she could have done better in all her roles.

She had played mother to Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Nalini Jaywant, Raj Kapoor, Sunil Dutt, Manoj Kumar, Sadhana, Shammi Kapoor, Shashi kapoor, Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan, Shaban Azmi , Jaya Bhaduri, Vyjayanti mala, Asha Parekh, Mala Sinha , Zeenat Aman among others.

Many of her films were box office hits – Azaad, Hum Panchi Ek dal ke, Himalay ke godmein, Sangam,Arzoo,Hare Rama Hare Krishna, Kal aaj aur Kal, Waqt, Andaz, Kora Kagaz, Bandhan, Chandni and of course Dilwale Dulhaniya..

 When she was asked to name her favorite actors – among the older stars she liked Dev Anand, Shashi Kapoor, Raj Kumar and Shammi Kapoor. Among the leading ladies she was fond of Asha Parekh, Nargis and Sadhana. Among the new actors she naturally liked Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol with whom she gave one of the biggest hits in the history of Hindi cinema.

Later years

During the last 12 years of her life after the passing away of her husband, the actress lived a lonely life in her two-bedroom Konark Estates apartment near Poona Club, with only a night attendant to take care of her. Achala Sachdev spent most of her time meditating and listening to meditation music and discourses.

She had a son Jyotin through her first marriage which had ended in a divorce during partition. Her son lived in the US and never visited her nor cared for her after she was married for the second time to Clifford.

In the year 2011, Achala Sachdev suffered a fracture in her femur when she was working in her kitchen. She was shifted to the Poona Hospital and Research Centre and was diagnosed with multiple emboli in her brain leading to total paralysis of all four limbs and torso. She was looked after by a physician Vinod Shah, who tended to her for more than seven months. She had known him all through her film career and left her apartment and other assets to him. He in turn made sure that she had a daily help when she was living in her apartment and later in the nursing home during her last days.

She Succumbed to her various ailments at the age of 88 on April 29th 2012.

Conclusions

We find most film actresses leading a lonely life after they are past their prime except a few who remain in the lime light right until the end. Even the greatest of artists of their time with lakhs of fans , at the last days of life remain lonely with no family nor fans to care for them. This was also the case of Achala Sachdev but she at least had someone to care for her during her last days.

Achala Sachdev will always be remembered for her roles and her onscreen personality, a loving and caring wife and mother, which is what she played in most of her films.

(images - wikimedia)

Dilip Kumar

Dilip Kumar was born in Khuda Badarea of Peshawar now in Pakistan on December 11, 1922. His father Lala Ghulam Sarwar was owner of many orchards in Peshawar and Deolali in Nasik of Maharashtra and that is where Yusuf Khan (Dilip Kumar) started his schooling from the prestigious Barnes School but his family relocated to Mumbai in late 30s. By the end of 1940, Yusuf Khan left home to settle in Pune where he started his career in the business of running a canteen and supplying dry fruits at the same time.

But as the luck would have it, the famous couple of Devika Rani and husband Himanshu Rai who owned the film production company Bombay Talkies saw him in Aundh military canteen and offered him to work in their upcoming movie Jwar-Bhata as hero. He accepted the role and the famous Hindi writer Bhagwati Charan changed him into Dilip Kumar. That is how he entered in the film world but his first film went almost unnoticed but everyone appreciated work of Dilip Kumar. He had made his entry. 

The Tragedy King

Next came Jugnu with lovely and beautiful singer cum actress Noorjehan in 1947 that set many records, the film became instant success and big hit on the box office, followed by Shaheed in 1948 with another as beautiful actress Kamini Kaushal a still bigger success. Not only the subject of the movie but performances of both Dilip Kumar and Kamini Kaushal were highly rated and applauded. There was no stopping Dilip Kumar who gave successful movies one after the other. He acted in Andaaz by Mehboob Khan, which was love triangle an all time hit, Jogan, deedar, Devdas, Deedar, Daag, Yahoodi, Madhumati almost all of these were serious movies which helped establish Dilip Kumar as the tragedy king of Indian Cinema. 

He played different roles

He was established as tragedy king but he developed few problems in his own life those put him into depression and physical as well mental problem therefore he wanted to play some light comedy roles to overcome that mental status. He was suggested by his doctors too to take life in an easier way and play lighter roles for his mental and physical fitness. He wanted to prove that his talent was not limited to tragedy roles therefore he played roles like Aan, Aazad, Naya Daur, Kohinoor during 1952-1960 along with some of the other movies. Then came one of the most memorable movies of the century Mughal-E-Azam, Produced by K. Asif, Dilip Kumar played the role of his lifetime as Shahzada Salim with another great actor Prithivi Raj Kapoor who played the role of Akbar in that movie. That movie is not yet a history as it still pulls crowd whenever it is shown in any cinema hall anywhere in the country. The movie was initially black and white but later a portion was converted into color. And once the movie was totally converted into color and re-released in 2004, it broke all records allover again. 

People not only recall the movie Mughal-E-Azam for Dilip Kumar’s acting but its entire team of actors and technicians along with its ever-popular music, costly sets and of course, the dialogues in between Akbar, Salim and Anarkali portrayed by yet another heartthrob of millions, Madhubala. The film touched the heights of greatness in all departments but dialogues and sets along with acting parts were the main attraction of Mughal-E-Azam. Just remember the one delivered by Akbar – “Salim Tumhe Marne Nahi Dega Aur Ham Tumhe Marne Nahi Denge O Anarkali.” That was a stunning moment, when Akbar ordered his men to set Anarkali alive into a wall.

Close on the heels followed Ganga Jamuna, a movie produced by Dilip Kumar with Vyjayanthimala as in female lead role. That was super-hit. Every song of the movie created history. The music director Naushad did wonderful job with the music of Ganga Jamuna. Songs like Do-Hanso Ka Joda, Mere Pairon Me Ghungroo broke all the records of popularity and proved that Dilip Kumar was as comfortable with light roles as with the tragedy roles. His next movie Leader was another popular movie although it did not do that big on the box-office. His next movie Ram Aur Shyam in which he played a double role was an instant success and set the trend of missing brothers in childhood meeting later with identical faces creating comic situation, for years to come. However, ‘Ram Aur Shyam’ proved another milestone in Dilip Kumar’s great career. 

Come back Of Dilip Kumar

Dilip Kumar took a break from movies from 1976 to 1981 but came back to work in Manoj Kumar’s multi-star Kranti. Next year he did a major role in Vidhata of Subhash Ghai and the same year in 1982, he was in Shakti in the role of father of Amitabh Bachchan winning yet another Filmfare award in the best actor category. The story goes on, 1984 saw his Mashaal presented by Yesh Chopra and Duniya by R. Talwar. In 1986, he played the role of a jailor where he trusts convicts like Anil Kapoor and Jackey Shrof for taking revenge of death of his own family members. That was another feather in his already decorated cap. He acted in Saudagar with another great film actor Rajkumar and the song they song in the movie ‘Ek Jungle Ke Do Sher’ that was unique in itself as that was after a long gap pf decades that these two appeared in a movie together. Neither of them proved inferior to each other.   

Dilip Kumar

Dilip Kumar was active in the Indian Cinema for almost 50 years and acted with every single heroin worth her name. He acted with them all right from Noorjehan to Mumtaz and if we look at the top-notch list of actress, we have Madhubala, Nargis, Nimmi, Meena Kumari, Nutan and Wahida Rehman. He refused to work in films like Sangam and Pyasa, which later proved big success for his own reasons but he has no regrets for refusing those offers. He was always choosy and acted in what he thought suited his own mood and acting style otherwise, the list of his movies would have been far bigger. He once said that he felt bad because he had to refuse Guru Dutt for his movie Pyasa. It is not that all his movies did very good on box-office but even if his movies did average business, no one blamed Dilip Kumar for his lesser efforts. You can keep movies such as Bairag and Dastaan in that category. 

During entire duration of his journey in the film-world, Mohammad Rafi sang for him although Mukesh and Talat Mehmood also contributed in his illustrious career with their melodious voice. He married a much younger actress Saira Banu the beauty queen aged 22 when he himself was 44 and this was almost 50 years before when she was at the top her career. Now Dilip Kumar is 91 but the pair looks as much in love as it was 50 years before. They two went for Umrah, the Holy Pilgrimage to Makkah this year and that was for the first time for Dilip Kumar. 

Dilip Kumar Who has won almost every award that Indian film industry has to offer including ‘Dada Sahib Phalke award’, ‘Padma Bhushan’ by government of India and Pakistan’s highest civilian award ‘Nishane E Imtiaz’ that was retained by him after some political interference. Also, Dilip Kumar was appointed Sheriff of Mumbai in 1988 almost twenty-five years before which is to honor a person for his outstanding services. His success story goes on with highest number of Best Actor Awards, nineteen  nominations and eight awards to be precise, in Indian cinema and he is listed in Guinness Book of Records for his achievement. To add to the list of his awards, he was honored with Lifetime Achievement award by Prestigious CNN-IBN group.

Conclusion

There is no conclusion for greats like Dilip Kumar because whatever they do in their lives always proves to be their best. It is a bare fact that gold has to go through the fire before it can be converted into jewelry, the same applies to Dilip Kumar who has done his best efforts to reach to the top where very few can reach. I greet Dilip Kumar on behalf of the Boddunan family for the finest of Birthday and wish him many more to come. Aaaj Ki Raat Mere Dil Ki Salami Lele. I have never written a single word about any film personality ever before but could not help write this one for the greatest of them all - The unmatched Dilip Kumar.  

Photo source - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dilip_Kumar

K.J. Yesudas and A.R. Rahman – They are two legends of music. If these two artists related to music touch someone’s feet or consider someone as their Guru – it’s none other than the music director of Malayalam Yesterdays – M.K.Arjunan whom we fondly call Arjunan Master or simply Arjunan Maash (in Malayalam words). There are a few reasons behind it. Through this article I would like to briefly explain this mystery and let us know this music director and his contributions a little more near.

The music director’s tunes with fragrance of Kasthuri

When old classic movie – Madhumati was made in Malayalam, Prem Nazir reprised the role of Dilip Kumar and Lakshmi of Julie fame played the leading role of heroine (done by Vaijayanthimala in the original). The music director was none other than M.K.Arjunan. When a movie was made in Malayalam in 2011 titled, Nayika, the ‘Kasthuri’ song was used once again without any change. As in original, Yesudas rendered his voice once again. That shows the impact of Kasthuri song and its magic on Malayalam viewers even after 40 years! “Kasthuri manakkunnallo kaaattil” – literally meaning, “Air is filled with the fragrance of Kasthuri (musk)” is one of the finest compositions of M.K.Arjunan. Not only that all his songs hold a sweet aroma of freshness and romance. He entered an era as ‘a small child’ when Devaragan and Baburaj were acting as magicians on Malayalis’ hearts with mesmerizing music. Yet, M.K.Arjunan proved his identity to be a versatile composer Kerala has ever witnessed. Not only that he is a true human being with a loving heart and when you people end reading this article, I am sure you will agree with me too! Otherwise how can these two magic maestros regard Arjunan as their guru and give him due respect always?

Parvathi Mandiram of Palluthi. There is a big mango tree in its courtyard. It’s not related to any historic moment. But there lives this great composer of yesterdays at present, listening to the music of air, rain and cuckoo’s songs. He is M.K.Arjun whose life span in Malayalam cinema is 55 years now. Yet he stays away from present noise in his own world of music and loneliness. He started his musical journey long back in 1958, composing songs for the drama – Pallikuttam. After that, how many songs has he contributed to dramas as well as cinema, numerous!

“What are you doing? Have you retired from service?” Many people are still there in his Palluthi village who asks him the same question. For a few persons, Master is a still an old farmers who owns a lot of cows. But there is a road and a public auditorium in the Palluthi village in the name of Master Arjun.

An interesting incident to quote first

The whole world hears his music and adores him a lot, including his villagers. Though his villagers hum his beautiful compositions many people don’t know that the person behind those tunes is none other than their own native. Let me quote an interesting incident that took place years before.

Once in S.D.P.Y school, a teacher in the class named Rajam asked her students – “There is a famous music director from this village Palluthi. Can you quote his name?” No student answered the question. Arjuanan’s daughter Deepa was also in the class and most surprisingly when teacher repeated her same question, Deepa couldn’t answer it. Teacher asked her to ask her father and give the answer the next day. That’s the day when Deepa understood that it was none other than her father whom the teacher asked about.

Master is a popular cyclist of Palluthi village. No one can win him in a cycle race. It’s not because he has learnt the art of cycling, but only because in the bad phase of his life, his whole life was running in his cycle. In Master’s words, “In those days, there was no sound recording. They used to play dramas at different places. Artists had to give background music live in those days. As I had to go to far places, I used to tie my harmonium in my cycle and travel at high speed to reach the venue at right time. Sometimes, a friend may also accompany me in my cycle. In old days, it was our need. Now no one needs cycle for such travels”. 

Let us go 70 years back

Arjunan’s father was Maliyekkal Kochukunju. He was ‘Kolkali’ artist – an art form performed in South India. They resided at Chirattapalam of Fort Kochi in those days. Not only that, Kochukunju was an expert in Mridungam also. His wife Parvathy was a good singer. They were financially not stable. But they had 14 kids. Due to poverty and poor living conditions, only 4 kids remained. Of the 14 kids, Arjunan was the youngest one. His father passed away when he was only 6 months old. Whole throughout the life, his mother lived hiding the sorrows of her lost husband and 10 kids.

Poverty was so fierce during those days and at the age of 8, along with his elder brother Prabhakaran, he left Fort Kochi. Their journey ended in ‘Jeeva Karunyananda’ Ashram of Palani, Tamil Nadu. They engaged in small jobs of ashram and lived there. In the evenings they used to participate in Ashram prayers. One of those evenings changed his life forever. Ashram authorities happened to notice the singing talent of young Arjunan in Bhajans. They arranged a guru for him to learn music. His guru’s name was Kumarayya Pillai. It lasted for three years and Arjunan returned back to his village, Palluruthy.

He assumed that he can earn a living by conducting singing concerts. But later, his financial troubles prompted him to do other works as well. He used to save a little money from what he earned everyday and bought a harmonium. He learnt music as well. Thus in those struggling days, he led a life with hard manual works at daytime and music in the night.

Those early days of 50’s was the golden era of amateur plays and he started him music journey by composing tunes for such amateur plays. Thus with the harmonium he bought through his savings, began the journey of a great composer whom everyone fondly calls Arjunan Maash.

Pallavi of Gaana Gandharvan’s musical journey

In those early days of theatre plays, a new music instrument appeared in Palluthi. For the villagers it was a strange and magical instrument. Dr. Valson, a physician who worked in a foreign country was the man who brought that strange instrument to the village. It was not a strange object – but an ordinary tape recorder of Granding Company. The news fast spread the village that this instrument is able to record our voice and reproduce it back whenever we want to hear it again. Dr.Valson asked Arjunan about the possibilities of tape recorder in their amateur plays – “Why can’t you record a song of yours with this tape recorder so that you can use it again?”

Arjunan understood that it’s a nice idea. In those days, a drama group approached Arjunan to compose a revolutionary song for their play. So he decided to do his experiment first with that revolutionary song. He chose a poem written by Ponkunnam Damodharan and composed its music. The next question was with whose voice it should be recorded. There were a lot of talented and famous singers in Fort Kochi and its premises and his friends suggested choosing someone from them. But for some unknown reason, Arjunan was not interested.

Suddenly someone told him about a boy of 15 or 16 years of age. He was frequently seen in Fort Kochi and premises singing songs. He was a student of Thripunithura Music School who sings Mohammed Rafi’s songs most. When a friend suggested his name, he enquired and was impressed by his singing talent and voice. He also noticed that this boy is the son of a friend, Augustine Joseph Bhagavathar – a singer.

Without any hesitation Arjunan gave him the opportunity. The boy came too, and without much rehearsal he learnt it easily. “Let us start!” Master asked. “Yes Maashe, we can start”. Arjunan recorded this boy’s voice in his tape recorder for the first time and how many times have his voice been recorded and heard by the whole world! Keralites’ days are not complete without hearing a song sung by this great singer – similar to Mohammed Rafi or Kishore Kumar to North India. You guessed it right. It’s none other than the great legendary singer of present India – K.J. Yesudas, who still holds the record of maximum awards in singing section (including male and female) for Kerala awards as well as National awards. I don’t think it’s easy to break his record of 7 National awards and 43 State awards including all south Indian languages and Bengali.

Now Yesudas is the private property of all music lovers. Yet it was through Arjunan’s tape recorder that this Gandharva’s magical voice was recorded for the first time. Yesudas heard his voice for the first time through this tape recorder too. It took many years for Yesudas to get an opportunity to sing for movies. It happened through the movie Kaalpadukal in 1959. But in many occasions Yesudas has told that it was through the recording of the revolutionary song composed by Arjunan Master that he started his musical journey. 

The legend who we call A.R.Rahman

When Devarajan Master came to know about the magician of harmonium he became interested to meet Arjunan once. But he didn’t give full assurance that time. He hired him in assistant’s job with a condition, “If I am not satisfied with your work, I will send you away”. But it never happened and he stayed with Devarajan Master for long years.

When Arjunan joined Devarajan’s team, his musical journey was already 10 year old. He was working in Kollam Kalidasa Kalakendra when he joined films. During those days, all music recordings were done at Chennai (then known as Madras). Arjunan too shifted to Chennai and he happened to meet a musical director of R.K.Shekhar. After a struggling period it was a time when R.K. Shekhar began to get settled with Malayalam films. He was a known name that time.

R.K. Shekhar’s home was nothing short of a music theatre. The home was always filled with music. The frequent visitors are also related to music in one way or another. Thus Arjunan too became a frequent visitor. Majority of his early hits were composed from R.K.Shekhar’s home. Very often their works end late. It was during this time that a strong bond developed between Arjunan and R.K. Shekhar.

In those recording nights, a young boy used to watch their work late night. He was a very silent boy. But he carefully hears music and never sleeps till their work is complete. He was none other than music director R.K. Shekhar’s son, Dileep whom the whole world knows today as A.R. Rahman!

When Arjunan reached R.K. Shekhar’s home in 1968 for the first time Dileep was only three or four years old. “Music was in his veins at a younger age. No one noticed it, even Shekhar…” says Arjunan. “Dileep was a keyboard artist and he used to play many of my compositions as an expert, surprising me many often. When I search the keyboard player who beautifully plays my tunes, I was always received by a mischievous smile by young Dileep. Those days itself I was quite sure this boy is to conquer new worlds. Dileep was a silent boy. When all friends of his age used to play outside, he was always near some musical instrument.” – Arjunan recollects his memories of Rahman as a child. 

Fate and destiny were something itself. It gave severe tests to young Dileep’s life. Unexpected death of Shekhar at the peak of his career was a great shock to his family. Dileep was only 12 years then. The family had no other source of income. Arjunan couldn’t leave his dearest friend’s family in such a pathetic state. That’s how he took care of him and joined his troupe. In those days, Dileep’s family used to rent out Shekhar’s musical instruments to earn a living. By this time, Dileep had already become proficient in keyboard. Arjunan took Dileep to many famous music directors in search of opportunities. No one was willing to give him a job at the age of 12. Some of them even made it a funny joke asking Arjunan why to accompany a boy who is not even healthy enough to take a keyboard in hands. Some of them advised Arjunan to send Dileep to school. Some musicians sent them out of the studio.

But for a boy of 12, a job was needed to financially support his family. Except music he knows nothing else. If it’s the case of Arjunan, he was less busy in films with less film opportunities. Yet for his project, he gave Dileep an opportunity to play keyboard. Thus in 1981, A.R. Rahman stepped into music world as a keyboard player for Shreyas Production’s Malayalam movie – Adimachangala at the age of 14 or 15, music given by M.K. Arjunan.

That ‘First letter to learning’ became popular in a short time. Film field that once criticized the real talent of this boy began to appreciate him. The later was just history! Now Rahman stands at the top of the world is such a position that it’s not easy to achieve by someone else. When Rahman won Oscar awards, he was asked a question by a famous English magazine, “Who is your guru in music?” Rahman’s reply was, “I have no teachers in music. But there is a person whom I see in guru’s position – M.K. Arjunan”

But this music director of yesterdays is not at all surprised by the humble reply of his favourite disciple. Even in the busy schedule and high profile life, Rahman secretly visits this music director in his small village and calls him often too. He is one among those rare persons whom Rahman wishes to call occasionally. Most of the readers don’t know the fact that Arjunan is the only person who still calls Dileep as Dileep, not Rahman!  

Memories still at full moon night!

Similar to Devarajan Master, P.Bhaskaran has also been instrumental in his entry to films as a music director. It happened this way. The scriptwriter of the movie - ‘Karutha Paurnami’ insisted on giving opportunity to M.K. Arjunan as the music composer. Arjunan was only a new name and he had experiences of amateur plays only. So the producer of the movie was not willing to give him an opportunity. His desire was to give assignment to Baburaj. The lyricist P.Bhaskaran came up with a suggestion. He has already written 5 songs. His suggestion was to give Arjunan opportunity and that if tunes are good, they can be used for the movie. The music given by Arjunan became instant hit. Songs like ‘Hridayamuruki’ and ‘Maanathin muttathu’ were super hits that time. Thus began the career of Arjunan as a successful music director of Malayalam.

Though his first attempt was a big success, he had to wait 12 long months to get next opportunity. It happened due to small indifferences between the music directors. But when his songs of Prem Nazir movie – Rest house got released in the year 1969, they became the chartbusters of the year. Songs like Pournami chandrika, Yamune and Muthilum muthayaa mani muthu are still remembered by melody lovers.

Before I leave, let me pick a few more gems from his successful musical journey – The man who gave first opportunity to great two music artists India has ever witnessed. Akasha poikayilundoru poinninthoni of Randu mukhangal, Thalir valayo thamara valayo of Cheena vala, Chandra kiranathin of Mizhimeer pookkal, Ella dukhavum of Lovely, Aayiram ajantha chitrangalil of Shankhupushpam and Anuvaadamillathe akathu vannu of Puzha.

Image source: Wikipedia