Anand Bakshi’s Genius: Capturing ‘Darr’ in a Single Line

Anand Bakshi, the master of expressing complex emotions with simple words, possessed a remarkable talent. Yash Chopra recalled an instance that highlighted Bakshi’s lyrical prowess during the creation of songs for Chopra’s 1983 film, ‘Darr.’ The chart-topping song ‘Jadoo teri nazar’ was being composed. During a brainstorming session, Bakshi contributed, ‘I think I have just summed up the theme of your film in this line: Tu haan kar ya na kar tu hai meri Kiran.’ Chopra was initially taken aback but soon realized that Bakshi had encapsulated the entire essence of ‘Darr’ in that single line. Chopra and Bakshi collaborated on a few films, with Chopra’s preference initially being Sahir Ludhianvi. Their partnership began after Sahir’s demise, with ‘Chandni’ and then ‘Darr.’ Bakshi’s understanding of film lyrics was unparalleled, integrating songs seamlessly into the script. He would receive screenplays from filmmakers like Raj Kapoor, Raj Khosla, and Subhash Ghai, immediately crafting songs to fit their narratives.