Verses beyond time

Mona

Ki puchh de ho haal fakiraan da, Maye ni main ek shikra yaar banaya, Ek kudi jidha naam mohabbat gum hai, Aaj din chadega tere rang varga, Mainu tera shabab lai baitha... Shiv Kumar Batalvi’s verses have made it to common man through popular films, books and mushairas. While fans and followers of Batalvi may differ on their favourites, one thing that they agree on is that no one could ever sing Batalvi as well as he did.

“What John Keats is to English poetry, Mirza Ghalib to Urdu poetry... Shiv Kumar Batalvi is to us. Itni khoobsurat shakhsiyat yadi Punjabi ko Waris Shah ke baad mili hai to vo Shiv hain,” says famous singer Hans Raj Hans. “Jagjit Singh has sung him; I have also done it and so many others too. Par jab Shiv gaata tha to aisa lagta tha ki puri kaynat ro rahi ho.”

Hans Raj Hans also took out an album, Ghama Di Raat, on Shiv’s poetry. “It had eight-nine songs, but I read a lot for them. Recording was a tough challenge too. I have spent nights reading Batalvi and crying. I have never given as many retakes as I have while recording him. I would break down so often; there is so much pain in his verses.”

Deep connect

Singer Jasbir Jassi finds a deep connect with Batalvi. From Bhatti Waliye in his album to many live sessions on the legend’s works, Jassi has kept Shiv alive long after he is gone. “Aisa lagta hi nahi ke Shiv kahin gaya hai (never feel that we don’t have Shiv amongst us).”

Just two day’s back, Jassi started hashtag #teawithshiv, while rendering Rog ban ke reh gayea pyaar tere sheher da in his soulful voice on his Facebook page. “Shiv’s poems are deep, intense. Just like Baba Waris Shah, he gave so many new words,” says Jassi, while citing the example of ‘birahara’. “He is as difficult to explain as easy to feel,” adds Jassi.

Not just pain

It was an article on Shiv Kumar Batalvi’s death that introduced RD Kailey, then a student, to Shiv’s world. “My first few lines of Shiv came from The Tribune and I started to follow his works.” A-grade artiste with All-India Radio, Kailey has since composed 70 of Batalvi’s verses. “What I really don’t like is that Shiv is passed on as a singer of just deep sadness.” Kailey mentions ‘Sajjan ji main Chambe di khushboo, ek do chumman hor hadan, asan udd udd jana ho’ as the height of romanticism in Shiv’s poetry. “In Jatt much nu marora deve chad ke tractor te, he speaks of every farmer.”

True inspiration

Batalvi’s poetry marked Jasleen Royal’s debut song, Panchi Ho Javan, and her first award. “His poetry inspired me a lot. I am forever grateful for that.” Timeless is how she finds his words, “My mom introduced me to him; he is still so relevant and forever will be.”

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