When I heard the news of Yogesh Gaur’s demise last month, I put up a list of 10 of his well-known songs on social media. Almost 25 comments were in the same vein. They said that they loved the songs and even hummed them from time to time, but didn’t know that they were written by Yogesh…in fact, they hadn’t even heard of a poet called Yogesh. And that really sums up Yogesh Gaur, the unknown poet of some of the most popular and beloved songs from Bollywood.

Monsoons in India and especially in Mumbai are unimaginable without humming or listening to Rimjhim Gire Saawan from the movie ‘Manzil’. And it’s so spontaneous to hum Zindagi Kaisi Hai Paheli from ‘Anand’, when one is becoming a little philosophical about the mysteries of life. And when you are missing someone important, the song Na Jaane Kyun from ‘Choti Si Baat’, automatically appears from nowhere. Of course, I am referring to people belonging to a certain era and not the millennials.

Yogesh was a poet who used simple words which were full of depth. In the words, of the great poet, Shailendra, Bhed Ye Gehra, Baat Zara Si (Big mystery in simple words) defines Yogesh’s style of writing. (Actually, Shailendra was the frontrunner of this style, but that’s a subject for another feature).

Consider certain lines from Yogesh’s arsenal of songs.

Kahin Door Jab Din Dhal Jaaye

Saanjh Ki Dulhan, Badan Churaaye, Chupke Se Aaye (from the film ‘Anand’)

Such an evocative and picturesque description of the advent of an evening. In these two lines he has captured, how and evening descends.

Kai Baar Yunhi Dekha Hai

Ye Jo Mann Ki Seema Rekha Hai

Man Todne Lagta Hai (from the film ‘Rajnigandha’)

The female lead in the movie has shifted cities. While being in a steady relationship, she starts getting attracted to another man, with him she had a scene long ago. Now she is torn. Yogesh’s words describes this dilemma in such a delicate manner.

What also went hand in glove with Yogesh’s style was the content and context of the movies for which he wrote, made by the likes of Basu Chatterji (who also passed away recently) and Hrishikesh Mukherji. The social fabric and storyline of these movies were also simple, yet with conceptual depth, like his lyrics.

But there was something complex and intriguing in several of his songs. Many of them (including the ones mentioned above) were composed under the baton of the maestro, Salil Chowdhury. And Salilda wasn’t an ordinary musician…he would create incredible musical hooks using complicated melodic structures comprising both Western and Indian patterns. And our man Yogesh had to take those melodies and put words into them and what incredible words did he sprinkle on them. No mean feat.

I have a theory on why Yogesh is unknown as a poet. His songs are such an intrinsic part of a certain era that they have become a given, much like Bhajans. Nobody bothers who has written Raghupati Raghav Rajaram or Om Jai Jagdeesh Hare, yet many sing them almost every day.

By Meraj Hasan

Meraj Hasan is a Mumbai based communication professional (and an amateur poet/musician) with a passion for listening to music the vinyl way. His 25 year old Technics turntable along with a humble collection of LPs across genres like Classic rock, Classical, Blues and Jazz (amongst others) are his prized possessions.

He can be reached at +91 9833410791 or email: meraj.hasan@gmail.com