With Old Dear Friend Poet Neeraj
Friendship With Neeraj
My Home town Jaora has been a Centre Of Hindi / Urdu Poetry Programmes with the participation of celebrity poets & Shayers from Harivansh Rai Bachan, Kaifi Azmi To Neeraj & Bairagi ! My close friend & elder brother Jhamak Lal Khariwal was one of the Organizer Of Mushyras & Kavi Sammelans & through him I also got involved in these Poetic activities & had the good fortune to meet most of the celebrity as well as young upcoming Poets of subcontinent ! This included Mr Gopal Das Neeraj who was already famous for his Karwan Guzar Gaya Gubar Dekhte Rahe ! I invited him to my residence for a dinner & we became close friends in 1965. then went to study medicine in MGM Indore & whenever Neeraj used to come to Indore he would stay with me for few days after the Kavi Sammelan & all my friends in medical hostel would assemble every night to listen to Neeraj for full night & Neeraj after having good amount of Drinks will relish the company of Young Bright Medicos !!
Neeraj was invited by Dev Anand to write songs for his films & his one song became super hit Shokhiyon me Ghola Jaye Phulon ka shabab Usme Phir Milayee Jaye Thodi Sharab Hoga Jo Nasha Jo Tayyar Who Pyaar Hai !.Later on he was invited by the Greatest Showman Raj Kapoor to write for his Dream Movie Mera Nam Joker & his songs Aye Bhai Jara Dekh Ke Chalo & Jeena Yahan Marna Yahan became Historical !
We decided to Organize Ek Shaam Neeraj Ke Naam and First was Organized in Indore later on in India Habitat Centre New Delhi with Ex PM Mr IK Gujral as Chief Guest ! We had many Neeraj Nights in Friends Houses and they remain a sweet Poetic Nostalgia of all of us for life time.
06/08/2020