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Neeraj, my father

Poet and author Gopaldas Neeraj, popularly known as Neeraj, also penned the lyrics of several hit film songs. His son, Mrigank Prabhakar, pays tribute on his birth centenary
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Mrigank with his father, poet Neeraj.
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Had he lived to this day, we would have celebrated Mahakavi Neeraj’s 100th birthday on January 4. The fact is that regardless of how long he lived, he lived those years to the fullest. So, happy birthday, Babuji!

It’s been almost six years since he left us, and I still feel the emptiness. A father’s absence affects your whole entity, because a father is decisive in the destiny of an individual. However, the kaleidoscope of images from the past is still fresh.

For the world, he was a quiet, charismatic man, a romantic poet and an astrologer. At home, he was quite a contrast. Most of his time was devoted to poetry, card games and fighting for his health.

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Neeraj, the poet, was a true artist — sensitive and subtle. But if I see him through the lens of my childhood, perhaps he does not meet the standards of being a ‘good’ father. By the time my twin brother and I were born, Neeraj had established himself. My two sisters and elder brother had to bear the brunt of the father’s ‘absence’.

However, he was always there in our difficult times. I remember the floods of 1978. Our house was near the banks of the Yamuna. The deluge displaced thousands in Agra. Some portions of our house were damaged. Babuji cancelled many assignments to take care of everything.

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To me, the best of times were when he would narrate tales of Shakespeare, TS Eliot, Mahadevi Verma and Sumitranandan Pant at night or teach us to play chess during the day. Sometimes, he would teach us how to write songs. One day, I wrote something and showed him. It was not grammatically correct but I argued that it was. I had never seen him angry, but that day he was infuriated. I received my first and last slap from my father. More than me, it affected Babuji. He cried for days and did not eat in repentance. But this incident changed my whole life; later, I entered journalism.

Only my brother Shashank followed in Babuji’s footprints and is a poet. He has two books to his credit. Few people know that Neeraj was a remarkable astrologer too. He wrote three books on astrology with my eldest brother, Arastu Prabhakar.

Babuji may not have been the best father, but I do not regret it even one bit. Today, when he is no longer there, his contribution to the world of literature makes me proud. He was perhaps not made for parental care. However, my father left an indelible mark on all of us. He was a teacher, philosopher and guide — and all of us credit Babuji for our careers and positive outlook in life.

Melodious verses

Neeraj wrote around 120 songs in 40 films. He was nominated for Best Lyricist at the Filmfare Awards three times — ‘Kaal ka pahiya ghoome re bhaiya’ (‘Chanda Aur Bijli’, 1969), ‘Bas yehi apradh main har baar karta hun’ (‘Pehchan’, 1971) and ‘Ae bhai, zara dekh ke chalo’ (‘Mera Naam Joker’, 1970).

Some of his memorable songs include:

‘Dil aaj shaayar hai, gham aaj naghma hai, shab ye ghazal hai sanam’

‘Phoolon ke rang se, dil ki kalam se, tujh ko likhi roz paati’

‘Likhe jo khat tujhe, woh teri yaad mein’

‘Rangeela re, tere rang mein yun ranga hai mera mann’

‘Khilte hain gul yahan, khil ke bikharne ko’

‘Megha chhaye aadhi raat’

‘Mera mann tera pyasa’

‘O meri, o meri, o meri, sharmilee’

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