Anand Bakshi was one of the lyricists who had survived severe competition and the test of times. After writing for almost 40 years and after penning more than 3500 songs he could easily be termed as one of the most successful songwriters of Hindi film industry.
Anand Bakshi was born in Rawalpindi, now in Pakistan, in 1920.His ancestors were from Kurree, near Rawalpindi, and had origins in Kashmir. Bakshi was very passionate about joining the film industry that he ran away from home and joined the Navy with the hope of reaching Bombay, in 1944. However, the Naval Mutiny in Karachi ended his career in the Navy, he worked for 2 years there. Bakshi's family migrated to India in 1947 , in the aftermath of the partition, when he was 27 years old. He joined the Indian Army, based at Jabalpur, with The Corps of Signals. In his spare time in the army he would write songs and sing to friends. It is his army mates who encouraged him to try his luck in Hindi films as an actor, writer or singer. In 1951 he left his job and again came to Bombay to try his luck at movies. He desperately wanted to be a playback singer. He tried his luck for some time but he could not manage to get any chance in the film industry. He went back to Army again and joined The Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. By this time he got married .
In 1956 he left this job again and left for Bombay. This time he somehow managed to meet with actor-producer Bhagwan. Bhagwan gave him a start in his film Bhala Aadmi (1958). That was the chance Bakshi was waiting for. After Bhala Aadmi he got few more films, like, Sun To Le Hasina and Pehla Pehla Pyar, but none of them clicked at the box office. Bakshi was determined this time so he faced the music and stood by his dream. He got few more films like, CID Girl, Maine Jeena Seekh Liya, Khubsoorat Dhokha, Tin Tin Tin, Ladu Robinhood, Mehlon Ke Khwaab, Air Mail, Nakhrewali etc. He wrote many songs and few of them found some audiences but still he remained on the back foot.
With 1963's Phool Bane Angarey he got some recognition. He wrote some good songs for the film. Then came Mr X In Bombay, Himalaya Ki God Mein and Jab Jab Phool Khile. All these films placed him in the better position and he came in the limelight. Now people knew who Anand Bakshi was. He wrote some of the best songs for these films, like, 'Ye Sama Sama Hai Ye Pyar Ka..', Kankariya Mara ke Jagaya..', ' Mere Mehboob Qayamat Hogi...' and ' Yahan Main Ajnabi Hoon...'. By the end of the decade Bakshi got many films and he wrote many songs. Do Raaste, Jeene Ki Raah, Milan, Khilona, Mere Humsafar were some of the films he wrote the songs for. Now there was no looking back for the lyricist.
Anand Bakshi did a lot of work with
Laxmikant Pyarelal and
R D Burman . With each of them he wrote many songs, songs of every mood and every colors of life. Be it any situation of the film Bakshi had a song ready for it. He became very handy for the composers and producers. Bakshi even sang a duet with
Lata Mangeshkar in Mome Ki Gudiya. The song was "Baagon Mein Bahar Aayee..'. Bakshi told Lata that the song is going to be a hit as he accompained her.
In March 2002, he was admitted to Nanavati Hospital, Mumbai, for a minor heart surgery. But somehow he caught a bacterial infection after the surgery and his condition deteriorated. While in hospital he wrote a song for Satish Kaushik's film Majnu.
Finally, on 30th March he passed away due to multiple organ failure. He was 82.
Apart from his songs, Bakshi would always be remembered for his determination, simplicity and modesty.
