ARUN KAUL (1933-2007):
A CREATIVE GENIUS WHO DIDN’T GET HIS DUE IN HINDI CINEMA
About
sixty years back , drenched in the Monsoon rains of Mumbai, a young man in his
early twenties walked into the office of the Dharamyug (a
popular Hindi magazine of the TOI group
) with some poems in Hindi that he intended to get published. He had come to
Mumbai from Kashmir to try his luck in theatre or cinema, a field he was
passionately involved in the Kashmir valley. Dharamvir Bharati, who edited Dharamyug, asked
the Youngman to sit and have a cup of tea. He read the poems and cast a serious
look at the young man. Dharamvir Bharati was impressed by the style, content
and subject of the poems. The young man introduced himself as Arun Kaul ‘Pradeep’.He
was given space in the magazine. His poems were published. He also struck a
personal bond with Dharamvir Bharati, a renowned Hindi poet, author, playwright
and social thinker of the country.
Arun
Kaul is an
eminent Rainawarian . Before I discuss Arun Kaul and his work, I feel duty
bound to say something about Rainawari, an amazing locality of Srinagar city.
RAINAWARI LOCALITY
OF SRINAGAR CITY
The old name of Rainawari was Rajanavatika or the 'Garden of
Rajanakas or Rainas'. It is an island town connected by waterways. The canal
that connects Dal Lake with Nigin Lake,
passes through the heart of this town. This locality is mentioned in
Rajataringini. Kalhana says Brahmins of Rainawari performed
Prayopavesa ( Satyagraha or fast
unto death ) during the rule of Sussala, the King of the Lohara
dynasty. With DAV School opened
by Arya Samajis and Vishwa-Bharati institution opened for
girls , Rainawari was a hub of education and learning before 1990.
Rainawari area of Srinagar city has a glorious past. If it
produced saints like Jeevan Sahib, Miyan Shah Sahib, Krishen Joo Kar, Zanana
Zoi and Zind Shah Peer, it was also the birthplace of Taba Ram Turki (
1776-1847 ) and Bhawani Das Kachroo ( husband or Kashmiri poetess Arnimal )
both renowned Persian scholars and poets. Taba Ram Turki was a contemporary of
Gani Kashmiri. Saiyed Mohammad Madni who later came to be known as Madin Sahib
in Kashmir, had also settled peacefully in Rainawari before Sultan Zain ul
Abdin made him shift to his new capital Nowshera in Srinagar city. Pandit
Keshav Bhat Jyotshi, a profound astrologer and a Sanskrit scholar who is
responsible for documenting Karm- kaand and various other religious texts for
the Kashmiri Pandits also hailed from Rainawari. So did Jaffer Ali (recipient of many awards ) the well-known papier mache artist, belong to
Hassanabad, Rainawari. Poet Radhey Nath Massarat opened a shop and lived in
Rainawari for most of his life.
Mata Bhagbhari, a saintly Kashmiri Pandit woman also lived in
Rainawari. She presented a hand-woven Pashmina cloak to Guru Hargobind, the
sixth Sikh Guru on his visit to the Kashmir valley. History informs us that
during the Afghan rule in Kashmir, Dila Ram Quli rose to become a member of the
Kabul Darbaar. Dila Ram Quli was also from Rainawari. Not only an able
administrator, Dila Ram Quli was a
Farsi ( Persian ) poet as well. Shiv Narain Fotedar, parliamentarian and
politician was also from Rainawari. Prof P N Dhar, a well-known economist and
the then Principal Advisor to Mrs Indira Gandhi was also from Rainawari. His
father, Vishen Joo Hakim was the headmaster of Biscoe School. He worked with
Tyndale Biscoe. This Hakim family lived at Surateng Mohalla of Rainawari near
the Mission Hospital. P K Mattoo ( IAS ,former Chief Secretary Himachal Pradesh ), Atal Dullo( IAS presently Secretary Ministry of Home Affairs) ,T N Kaul (ICS ), Pandit Saligram Kaul (an engineer who
fined his wife for misuse of municipal water which was being used by her for
irrigating the Kitchen garden.), Pandit Prem Nath Thussoo (eminent educationist
associated with Vishwa Bharti Institutions ), D N Jalali ( private secretary to
Maharaja Hari Singh ). Dr B K Jalali (a well-known surgeon from Kashmir ),
Sadiq Ali ( politician ), Samsar Chand Kaul Ganhaar ( noted ornithologist ),
Shridhar Joo Dulloo (a well-known teacher who educated Ladakhis ), Mir Ghulam
Rasool Nazki ( well-known broadcaster and Kashmiri poet ), Farooq Nazki (
Kashmiri poet and noted media personality ), Jiwan Lal Mattoo( AIR Lahore, who discovered singer Mohammad Rafi ), Moti Lal Naaz ( Kashmir poet ),
Jia Lal Tamiri ( freedom fighter), Ghulam Ahmed Sofi ( Amma Kaandhur, well
known Sufiana and Chhakri singer of Kashmir ), artist P N Kachru, artist and
well-known art critic Manohar Kaul ( Kataal ) and artist Gokul Dembi also lived
in Rainawari. Noted music composer and vocalist, T K Jalali is also from
Rainawari. So is his brother and well-known filmmaker Arun Kaul. Shyam Lal
Saraf ( minister in Sheikh Abdullah's first cabinet after 1947 ) was also from
Rainawari. Dr B L Kaw, the well-known zoologist from the J&K UT was from
Rainawari. The illustrious Kak brothers, I mean the well-known Journalist R K
Kak, Journalist M L Kak, bureaucrat S K Kak ( IAS ) and B L Kak ( author ..
‘Fall of Gilgit’ ) ) are also from Rainawari. Prof Amitabh Mattoo also belongs
to an illustrious Mattoo family from Rainawari. Noted Urdu and Kashmiri scholar
and a Sahitya Akademi awardee, Prof Mohammad Zaman Azurda is also from
Hassanabad, Rainawari. Nand Lal Wattal, a well-known Urdu Journalist of the
J&K state and former editor of the ‘Khidmat’ newspaper was also from
Rainawari. Mehraj ud din Wadoo, the international football hails from
Rainawari. Mehrajuddin Wadoo has represented the Indian national team. He has
represented football clubs like Sporting Club de Goa, Mohun Bagan and East
Bengal. Rainawari has another distinction of being home to
Samuel Baqqal, probably the first among the educated Muslims from Kashmir who
became a Christian.And in 1985-86 ,Maharaj Krishen Kaul ( Bagh) , the then Director Geological Survey Of India , led the successful Indian expedition to Antartica . He was from Rainawari .The list is endless.
Bansi
Lal Kaul Jalali ( Arun Kaul ) was born at Bagdaji, Rainawari in Srinagar
city on 12th August 1933 in the Jalali family. Jalalis are Kauls from Dattatreya Gotra which
makes many Jalalis write Kaul or Kaul-Jalali as
their surname. T
N Kaul (ICS), former Indian ambassador to the US and Moscow
also belonged to this Jalali clan of Rainawari. T N Kaul (ICS ) was the son of
Pandit Tota Kaul Jalali of Rainawari . Bansi Lal Kaul Jalali (Arun Kaul) had a flair for Hindi
literature and poetry from his school days. This passion made him write poems,
short stories and plays from his school days. As he grew, he formed a literary
association of upcoming writers known as Hindi Sansad that would meet
regularly for poetry recitation, literary discussions and performing plays. In
Kashmir, he had close associations with some prominent personalities
including Dwarika
Nath Gigoo Rajkamal, Dr S S Toshakhani, Moti Lal Kemu, Dr Brij Premi, Prof R L
Shant, Prof Hari Krshen Kaul and many more. Some of these
friends were also associated with Hindi
Sansad. In Mumbai, he had a close rapport with Pandit Narendra Sharma, Shailendra,
Dharamvir Bharati and many more. Although he remained
awfully busy in Mumbai, yet never did he disconnect himself from his roots. He
would help any budding or struggling artist from the Kashmir valley in whatever
capacity he could . After he
shifted to Delhi, he remained connected with Pran Kishore Kaul, Dr Agnishekhar,
Shantiveer Kaul, Moti Lal Saqi, Kshama Kaul, Makhan Lal Bekas, Hari Krishen
Kaul, Hriday Kaul Bharati and Dr S S Toshakhani and
many more.
I spoke to Prof Arvind Gigoo ( nephew of Dwarika Nath Gigoo Rajkamal ) , who
informed me this:-
“Bansi
Lal Kaul Jalali ( Arun Kaul) was my teacher and a great friend of my uncle Dwarika
Nath Gigoo ‘Rajkamal ‘. I am telling you something that relates to the 1950s.
My uncle and Arun Kaul were writing Hindi poetry. They were seriously into
Hindi literature and would often talk about Mahavir Prasad Dwivedi, Nirala and Mahadevi Verma.
They had started a theatre group also in Kashmir. Both were very passionate
Hindi writers. He was a voracious reader, I vividly remember my uncle
exchanging books with him almost daily. These books were Hindi novels, poetry
collections and classics from English literature. Arun Kaul was also writing
short stories and plays. I would hear him reading these stories and plays in
our house. Apart from being a Hindi poet and writer , my uncle was a musician
and painter as well.”
The
story of Bansi Lal Kaul Jalali becoming Arun Kaul is a fascinating account of hard
work, dedication and struggle. Janki
Nath Tikoo, who happens to be the first cousin of Arun
Kaul’s mother, told me this:-
"
Pandit Arun Kaul was originally named Bansi Lal Jalali. He is the son of Pandit
Jagan Nath Kaul Jalali and Shobhawati ( Bengashi ). Bengashi was my cousin
sister. She is from Tikoo family of Gada Kocha, Zaina Kadal .Arun Kaul, as the
world knows him, had two sisters; one Susheela Zutshi married to Prof S N
Zutshi and the second Kamta Manwati, wife of Dr C L Manwati. T K Jalali, Arun
Kaul’s brother is a noted musician and violin player from J&K UT who
retired as principal of the Institute of Music and Fine Arts. T K Jalali is a
trained classical musician who spent many years learning music from established
Gurus in Gwalior and Mumbai. And then Archna Jalali daughter of Pandit T
K Jalali is also a well-known singer from the J&K UT. Arun Kaul was the
eldest of all his siblings. He was deep into literature and poetry from his
college days. His wife Sharmishtha is
from a Bengali family. She was a dancer and was a member of a dance troupe. She
was never in films. Her family lived in Gwalior. Her brother was a teacher and
her elder sister was also a dancer. Arun Ji has two sons, both are in films.
The elder one is a cinematographer. At home, he was fondly called Baijan and at
Matamal ( maternal relations ), we called him Chaman Ji. I Can’t give you
complete details about his films and awards but we felt honoured one day when
we learnt that Mother Teresa had
presented the prestigious Ramkrishna
Jaidaya Harmony Award to him for his
excellent work in the field of national integration through the electronic media .”
THE
STRUGGLE IN MUMBAI
Finding
a dearth of audience for Hindi theatre in Kashmir, Bansi Lal Kaul Jalali decided to come out of the valley
and move to some place where his talent could be recognised. As with every
other person, Bombay or Mumbai was a great fascination where he landed
ultimately . In Mumbai, Arun Kaul got a full-time job in the editorial section
of ‘Bharati‘,
the Hindi version of the famous ‘Bhawan’s Journal‘ as
Associate Editor. The journal was published by Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan founded
by K M Munshi.
In Mumbai, he also wrote radio features and short dramas for Akashvani Mumbai
and Vividh
Bharati including the prime-time evening slot Hawa Mahal. During
this period, he also wrote scripts and lyrics for many ballets (dance dramas )
including the most popular ballet, ‘
Jaage Mera Desh ‘. He also wrote jingles and scripts for many
ad films. This could be called his struggle period to set his foot in
Mumbai. And then one day, he decided to give up his full-time journalistic
job and try his luck in cinema. He got his first break as Assistant Director to
Chetan Annand in Haqeeqat. It is
said that the major scenes of the movie were shot in Ladakh under his supervision.
NEW CINEMA MOVEMENT AND FORUM FOR BETTER CINEMA
It
was a long struggle after which his talent was noticed by many leading filmmakers who engaged him as a
co-scriptwriter. He also became a close friend of Gulzar who liked his writing
style. However, he always desired to make something new in films as according
to him, the audience was bored with watching heroes and heroines singing around trees or running after each other.
Accordingly, he founded the ‘Forum
For Better Cinema’ and ‘New Cinema Movement “ to bring in something new in films. This New Cinema Movement comprised of stalwarts like Mrinal Sen, Umesh Kalbag, Basu
Chatterjee, Mani Kaul, Avtar Kaul, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Shanker Bhattacharya and many more. Most
of these filmmakers opted for low-budget films with funds arranged from NFDC
loans. He started earnestly working with people who desired to bring the New Wave Cinema to
India and also founded his own production house named ‘Arun Kaul Productions‘. The
‘Forum for Better
Cinema’ started importing award-winning films and
documentaries from Poland, Germany, and
France and exhibited these in Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Delhi. People
started liking this cinema which was realistic and depicted various issues of
human existence to masses . Arun Kaul’s efforts were noticed by all associated
with cinema in one way or the other. He was made a member of the Film Censor
Board apart from being nominated as a member for many award institutions
connected with Hindi cinema in India. He also represented India in many Film
Festivals and cinema forums, a job that made him travel extensively to Europe.
For about 20 years that he spent with the New Cinema
Movement, he remained the focal point of the activities of this
organisation apart from remaining deeply connected with more than 15 national
and international organisations like Film Censor Board, film awards committees,
and International Film Festival committees. He represented India in many
International Film Festivals and led many delegations to Venice( Italy ), Locarno(
Switzerland ), Fukuoka ( Japan ), Karlovy Vary( Czech Republic ) and Mannheim (
Germany ) festivals. He was the Consultant General on
Indian participation in the Venice Film Festival in 1972.
Arun
Kaul wrote, directed, scripted / co-scripted many films. In this list, we can
include six important films, Ijazat, Lekin, Ankush, Ashwamedhar Ghora,
Prakope, Sampark, Kaalchakra, and Zevar, which were
critically appreciated by the audience. He co-scripted ‘Dharma Keshtra’,
with Umesh
Kalbag, which won him ‘Best Original Script Award’ of NFDC
in 1986. He co-scripted the screenplay for Mirgayaa – a Hindi film based on
Oriya short story of Bhagwati Charan Panigrahi. The
film was directed by Mrinal Sen. He produced the path-breaking film Ek Adhuri Kahani (directed
by Mrinal Sen 1972 ). He was also the associate producer for Bhuvan Shome (directed
by Mrinal Sen 1969 ) and Andhi
Gali ( written and directed by
Buddadeb Dasgupta 1984 ). Ek Adhuri Kahai was based on a Bengali story, Gotrantar by Subodh Gosh while
Buvan Shome was based on a story
of Balai Chand
Mukhopadhyay . Andhi Gali dealt with the subject of
the Naxalite
Movement. Arun Kaul was also the Executive Producer of ‘Interview’, a Bengali film directed by Mrinal Sen.
DIKSHA
He
co-scripted and also directed ‘
Diksha’ , a Hindi film based on a Kannada novel by Dr U R Ananthamurthy. Nana Pateker,
the lead actor of Diksha struck a wonderful tuning with Arun Kaul as his
director. Diksha won the Filmfare
Critics Award as the Best Directed Movie for the year
1992. In the same year, he went on to win the Golden Lotus Award
for the Best Hindi Film for Diksha at the National Film Awards in India. Diksha
also won him the Yugshree
Award’ as the ‘Best
Directed Film’ for Television. The film also won two major
awards: Le Prix
du Public and La Prix du Counsel General de L’Ardeche in
the ‘Festival
International du Premier Film d’Annonay’, France in 1993. About
Diksha, Arun Kaul has said this:-
"
Diksha is my search for the past, discovering my roots; the tragedy of being
twice born. It is also a peep into a section of the Brahmin society of early
thirties. The rigidity of the Guru; the ultimate revolt of the head disciple;
and the metamorphosis of the lowly-born Koga are the integral elements of the
story. All this disillusions the child. Never will he seek 'initiation ' again.
The tragedy of the widow is the plight of the entire Brahmin society, to which
I also belong and I have no strength to disown it."
MAINSTREAM CINEMA
In
respect of mainstream cinema, it was Yash Chopra who noticed his
creative talent and signed him for scripting Chandini which
proved a super duper hit at the box office. His creative temper could not
adjust to the purely commercial demands of the mainstream cinema and he had to
part company with Yash Chopra. Some reliable sources told me that Veer-Zaara another
hit of Yash Chopra was the brainchild of Arun Kaul, a project upon which he had
worked extensively. I am informed even the direction for the Veer-Zaara was
initially offered to Arun Kaul. Reportedly, everything changed suddenly when Yash Chopra handed over the project to
his son to launch him through this film. Arun Kaul also worked with Chetan Anand as Assistant Director for his film Haqeeqat based on Chinese aggression.
( With Haqeeqat team in Ladakh )
TELEVISION
AND DOCUMENTARIES
He
was a much sought-after producer by Doordarshan and National Film Development
Corporation for some key projects that needed profound creative experience.
For Doordarshan, he
co-scripted Gulzar’s Mirza Ghalib.
He scripted the 17 episodes of Munshi Premchand’s ‘Karambhoomi‘ for Doordarshan. Doordarshan commissioned him to
co-produce the science awareness programme ‘Turning
Point’ in 1991 which ran for a record number of 5 years.
It was dubbed and telecast in 10 regional languages. Turning Point won the first prize at the International Festival of
Scientific Programmes in Paris organised
by UNESCO. He wrote 13 episodes of Hema Malini's serial ‘Noopur’ for
Doordarshan. For Doordarshan, he produced the weekly magazine 'Kashmir Files ‘ which
ran for 85 weeks /episodes. It was produced by “Vyeth Television’ founded by him.
For Doordarshan, he also produced ’50
Years of Indian Independence’, (4 Parts). He was also commissioned by
Doordarshan to produce 8 documentaries on ‘Museum and Museology’ that covered ‘Bharat Bhavan - Bhopal’, ‘National
Museum - New Delhi’, ‘Mani Bhavan – Mumbai ’, ‘Prince of Wales Museum - Mumbai’
and ‘Bhau Daji Lad Museum - Mumbai’. Doordarshan also engaged
him in making ‘Metamorphosis
India’ to celebrate 50 years of India‘s independence.
He also produced documentaries named ‘Jalianwala Bagh’ and ‘Qalam Likhti Nahin Itihaas’ for
DAVP, GOI. Under the Nari-Narayani series
of documentaries, he highlighted the roles of Dr Usha Mehta, Dr Kapila Vatsyayan, Mrs Ela
Bhatt, Mrs Gul Bardhan and Ms Lailu Writer.
His documentary ‘Kashmir
- a Perspective’, was exhibited at the ‘Inaugural Global Meet on Kashmir’ in
London and Geneva. He also produced documentaries like ‘Coal India’, ‘Freedom From Fear’ and ‘Origins of Kashmir’.
These documentaries were written and directed by his son Indraneel Kaul.
While ‘Coal India‘ showcases
India's coal industry, ‘Freedom From
Fear ‘ symbolises the narrator’s search for his past, present and future; a
compilation of his experiences in Kashmir over the last few years. On a much
more personal level, the film reveals the ultimate desire of the narrator and
his exiled minority community to return home one day. He was also engaged
by Sahitya
Akademi for making a film on Manu Bhandari (
2 parts ). Some well-known documentaries made by him include 'Redefining the
Arts' ( for IGNCA ), Prahari, Kitne
Aurangzeb, Aasteen Ka Saanp, G R Santosh, Kritagayata Yatra, Heritage of
Kashmir ( 3 Parts}, Echoes of Ethos and Collage 75.
KASHMIR FILE
Kashmir File (1994-1996 ), a weekly magazine programme produced
by Arun Kaul’s Vyeth
Television for Doordarshan registered a record viewership.
The Kashmir File series covered news, religion culture, shrines, nostalgia,
literature, political affairs, social life, archaeology art and festivals of
Kashmir. It opened an audio-visual door on all these topics for viewers across
the globe. It was one of some highly researched programmes shown on
Doordarshan. The programme was a roaring success all over the country. The
mailbox of the programme was always full. The programme opened with a
mesmerizing rendition of ‘
Maaji vyethi vandahai
paan ‘ ( this life I would sacrifice for mother Vitasta,
the river ), a short piece as its title music followed by ’Sondariye bozi myaan Zaar’ and
‘Rosha Vala Myani Dilbaro’ additional short pieces all
sung by Archana
Jalali Tikoo in
her melodious voice and composed by Pandit
T K Jalali who had scored the music for the entire series.
The captivating music would suddenly shift to the sound of the gunfire and the programme
would begin. The opening songs and music touched the heart and soul of the
exiled Kashmiri Pandit community across the country and abroad. I am informed
that in most of Archana Jalali Tikoo’s concerts in North America, the listeners
request her to sing these songs to refresh their old memories of ‘Maej Kashir ‘( Mother
Kashmir ). The anchor, Jasleen
Vohra had a commanding presence on the show. Indraneel Kaul’s contribution
as co-director of the series was exceptional. So was the camera work and editing
that captured the beauty and the prevailing sorrow of the once-happy valley.
After 85 weekly episodes, the programme had to be suddenly closed after its
anchor reporter, Saiuddin
Shafi, was gunned down by the terrorists in broad daylight
for raising his voice against the excesses committed by Pakistan-supported
terrorists in the Kashmir Valley. Arun Kaul was deeply pained by what he saw in
Kashmir of 1995 -1996. Optimist to
the core, he would often say,” Today, it appears to be moving along the dark night and when it is over, it will be
their ( Kashmiris ) day. Like Phoenix,
they will rise again.” About Kashmir File, The Indian Express dated June 2 1995 wrote this:-
" In
the plethora of television programmes on Kashmir, Arun Kaul's Kashmir File
stands out for its depth and freshness of approach. The filmmaker of Diksha and
the producer of the popular science serial,' Turning Point' has once again
lived up to his reputation. It is neither terrorists nor security forces, but
Kashmiri people who get maximum attention in the Kashmir File. Kashmir File is
an attempt at saying things which others are not saying for obvious
reasons ."
His work received rave reviews in
print and electronic media. His films, television work, documentaries and
contribution towards New Wave Cinema
received wide coverage in national newspapers like, The Times Of India, The Hindu, The Indian Express, The Hindustan Times
and many more. It was also regularly covered by the vernacular press,
especially Bangla and Hindi. His suggestions and ideas were implemented by some
apex bodies including the Film Censor Board of which he remained a member for
three terms.
( with Satyajit Ray )
THE
FAMILY MAN
Arun
Kaul remained a family man all along his life. His wife Sharmishtha Bardhan,
an acclaimed classical dancer, comes from a family of well-known artists. Her
eldest brother, Shanti
Bardhan was a renowned choreographer and a junior
colleague of Uday
Shankar. Along with Guru
Dutt, Narendra Sharma, Ruma Guha, Zohra Sehgal, Uzra, Lakshmi Shankar, and Ravi
Shankar, Shanti Bardhan was a member of Uday Shankar’s
troupe. In
1952, Shanti Bardhan formed his troupe that produced some of the most
imaginative dance dramas of the 20th century including Ramayana, Discovery of India and many more. His siblings were
associated with this troupe. Sharmishtha's sister and Sitarist brother Rano
Bardhan were also a part of this troupe. Arun Kaul's sons; Neelaabh and Indraneel (Bilash) are
both alumni of FTII, Pune and connected with films. Indraneel Kaul is
a filmmaker and Neelabh
Kaul is a trained cinematographer who is well known for
his work in Hindi film industry. This is what Pandit T K Jalali, noted
vocalist, composer, instrumentalist and former principal of the Institute of Music
And Fine Arts told me :-
"He
was not only my elder brother but my mentor, my idol, friend, philosopher and
guide. A Guru in many respects who introduced me to good literature, art, good
off-beat movies and niceties of music . It was through his efforts that my
Guru Pandit Chidanand
Nagarkar took me under his tutelage as long as I remained
in Mumbai. In short, I am what he wanted me to be certainly with my humble and
dedicated efforts. My long creative stint with Vyeth Television was
a result of his complete confidence in me and in my daughter, Archana’s capabilities.
He gave me complete freedom in doing what I was asked to do and I did live up
to his expectations. He was a multi-dimensional, multi-faceted creative
intellectual. He was an ocean of knowledge in the fields of art, literature,
cinema, drama and anything creative."
( The Kaul Jalali family .Arun Kaul with his parents and brother Pandit T K Jalali.. Photo source.. Pandit TK Jalali ) ( Arun Kaul with his wife ..Photo source Pandit TK Jalali )
HINDI POETRY
The
poet Arun Kaul remained busy due to multifarious engagements with film and
television. Yet as and when he got time, he would express himself through
poems. He used Tejaswi as
his pen name for writing Hindi poetry. A sample of his Hindi poetry is under:-
(1)
"
Paas nadi ki chanchal lehrein kar jaati upvaas
Meray
aansoo se maadhak vaayu rachta tha raas
Koel
ki koo yaad dilaati aayega madhumaas
Mujh
se rooth gaye hain meray praanon kr aadhaar
……………
Saathi meray geet bane hain priy ke bandhanvaar
Unki
dard nishaani maine dil mein rakhi chhupaakar
Maine
usko behlaaya peeda ke geet sunaakar
Umda
pyaar dikhakar aur aansoo ki dhaar bahaakar
Dard
Nishaani pa kar maine paaya khoya pyaar
…….Saathi
meray geet bane hain priy ke bandhanvaar "
(2)
"
Mein ban jaoon tung himalay
Bano
Nirala ki tum sarita
Ban
jaoonga Amrakunj mein
Raho
kookati pratipal shyama
Meray
mun ke mridhul bhaav ki
Bano
vimaltam si tum bhasha
Sukhad
bhavishya ke swapn sanjo-kar
Amar
prem ke taar bajaayein
……………………..Aao
jhilmil deep jalaayein"
Agnishekhar,
noted Hindi poet and Panun Kashmir leader told me this:-
"
Post 1990, I developed a close relationship with him. The sufferings of the
exiled community pained him. His Vyeth
Television team covered online the historic 'Guru Tegh Bahadur Kritagyata Yatra' -to Anandpur Sahib in
1995. I found him highly creative and an original thinker. He was a person of
the calibre of Kamleshwar,
Rajendra Yadav, Manu Bhandari and many more stalwarts of
Hindi literature. Films apart, the top Hindi literary circle of the country
held him in high esteem. "
Noted
Scholar and writer Prof
S S Toshakhani told me this:-
“He
was a very genial, generous and creatively inclined person whom I knew from
childhood . Both of us were Hindi lovers and culture enthusiasts and shared our
views on many things. One day everybody was surprised to learn that Bansi Lal Kaul Jalali had
left for Bombay to join films. For a long time after this, I completely
lost contact with him. However, one day someone
told me that he was in Jammu and we met. He was very happy to see me and
revealed to me where he was and what he was doing. After this, one day, when I
was in Srinagar, I learnt he was coming to Srinagar for a few days in connection
with the shooting of a film of which he
happened to be the Assistant Director. It had Chetan Anand as
its Director and the crew was moving to Ladakh as the film was based on the
Chinese aggression. Thereafter he continued to write long letters to me,
informing me about his activities. I came to know that he had become a regular
writer for the Hindi weekly Dharmayug.
More importantly, he had joined the New
Cinema Movement, leading it together with Mrinal Sen and Ritwik
Ghatak. Later,
he met me in Delhi in 1984. In 1991, he invited
me to the premiere of his film Diksha in
Delhi. It won rave reviews. Towards the end of the year 2006, Arun Kaul
undertook to produce a video film on Swami Lakshman Joo for the Ishwar Ashram Trust of
which I wrote the script. Unfortunately, Arun Ji passed away due to a kidney
ailment when the film reached the editing table. “
Arun
Kaul was not given his due by Hindi cinema. Due to his straightforwardness and
outspoken temper, he was never commissioned by any big-budget filmmaker.
When Yash Chopra acknowledged
his talent and creativity, it was too late. And then he could not compromise
his creativity with the total commercial demands of mainstream cinema.He
breathed his last at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences on 21st July
2007 after remaining admitted there for about a month. On his death, Ravi Deshpande, the
noted filmmaker wrote this in his blog:-
“ He
also gave me one of the first few 'breaks' when I started working as a director
fresh out of the FTII. He did much more for Kashmir ( not just through his
serial Kashmir File). People have great regard and admiration for this
diehard old-school warrior of the Indian film industry. They always will. He
would make it a point to meet everyone when he came to Mumbai after he shifted
base to New Delhi. On such occasions, I would touch his feet out of respect,
and the next moment, he would light a cigarette, share a drink, and chat about
everything on this earth with the passion of someone young at heart. He would
share his dream of writing more scripts, making more films, of tackling newer
subjects. The two boys have lost their father, and I have lost a great friend.
These two boys who will be men now will carry forth the father's legacy; try
and fulfill the dreams he had and the dreams they do on the canvas of cinema.”
I
conclude this write up with some lines from a poem of Bulgarian poet
Nikola Vaptsarov :-
“History, will you
mention us
in your faded scroll?
For the hardship and
affliction
we do not seek rewards,
nor do we want our
pictures
in the calendar of years.
Just tell our story
simply
to those we shall not
see,
tell those who will
replace us –
We fought courageously.”
(Avtar Mota )
PS
(
Source: J L Manwati’s write-up published in Har-van, interviews with Pandit T K
Jalali, Prof Arvind Gigoo, Padam-Shri Pran Kishore Kaul ,Archna Jalali Tikoo
and Janki Nath Tikoo. Photo and poetry of Arun Kaul courtesy Pandit T K Jalali.
My special thanks to Indraneel Kaul son of Arun Kaul )
CHINAR SHADE by Autarmota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.
Based on a work at http:\\autarmota.blogspot.com\.
.jpeg)
