| Name : Anand Bakshi |  |
| Full / Real Name : Anand Bakshi | |
| Born : Rawalpindi | |
| Died : 30 Mar, 2002, Bombay | |
| Notable Films : Amar Akbar Anthony, Amar Prem, Bobby, Darr, Do Raste, Farz, Hare Rama Hare Krishna, Hero, Jab Jab Phool Khile, Kati Patang, Lamhe, Milan, Namakharam, Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Taal | |
| Contributed by : K Vijay Kumar |
From an early age, Anand Bakshi nurtured an ambition to make his mark in the world of Hindi cinema. He joined the Navy in Karachi with the hope of jumping ship when it reached Bombay. The Naval mutiny in Karachi ended this dream and he went to Lucknow after the partition of India in 1947. He worked as a telephone operator for a while before he left for Bombay. However, success eluded him and after a good deal of heartburn and disappointment, he went back to Delhi where he worked with the EME Corps as a motor mechanic. He then went back to Bombay to try his luck, and a chance meeting with Bhagwan resulted in him being offered the chance to write the songs for Bada Admi (1958)He kept working in films without notable success till 1965, when Jab Jab Phool Khile hit the screens. Anand Bakshi's lyrics for "pardesiyon se na akhiyaa milana" were a rage and the other songs in the film like "ek that gul aur ek thi bul-bul", "yahaan main ajnabi hoon", "ye sama sama hai ye pyaar ka" and "na na karate" also captured the popular imagination. Two years later, Milan (savan ka mahina, ram kare aisa ho jaye, bol gori bol tera kaun piya, and hum tum yug yug se ye geet milan ka) cemented his position in the industry as a top-rung lyricist. From this point onwards there was no looking back.
His successful collaborations with Laxmikant-Pyarelal and R D Burman saw him become the most prolific lyricist of his times. Gifted with a simplicity and directness of style, he created many ditties that hit the top of the charts. He had the ability to write to any situation for any scenario, which made him a popular choice with film makers and composers. The poet in him came to the fore in songs like "chingari koi bhaDake", "main shaayar badanaam", "aur kya ehad-e-vafa hote hain" and "ek banjara gaaye".
He had the honor of winning the Filmfare award Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist four times - Apnapan (aadmi musafir hai), Ek Duje ke Liye (tere mere beech mein), Dilwale Dulhania Le Jaayenge (tujhe dekha to ye jaana sanam) and Taal (ishq bina).
He worked hard, making it a point to attend the recordings of each and every one of the songs he wrote. But Anand Bakshi had never any ambitions of becoming a lyricist - he wanted to be a singer. He got a chance with baagon me bahaar aayi - a duet with Lata Mangeshkar for Mom Ki Gudiya (1972).