Rahi Masoom Raza is a name, a personality whose writing made a special identity from a common man in the world of cinema and Indian TV. His writings include screenplays, dialogues and poetry as well as poetry and songs that have an unforgettable artistic legacy not only for the present but also for the generations to come.
Rahi Masoom Raja, who became very popular with the script and dialogues of the TV serial Mahabharata, was born on September 1, 1927 in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh. Living in Badarbagh, a neighborhood of Aligarh, Rahi took his creative arts to a special level. Born in Gangauli village of Gazipur district, Rahi did her schooling in Gazipur. After Intermediate he came to Aligarh and after doing his MA from there he did his PhD in Urdu on ‘Tilism-e-Hoshruba’. After his PhD, he also had the privilege of becoming a professor in the Department of Urdu, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh.
While living in Aligarh, his inclination towards communist ideology began to grow and due to his growing attraction towards the communist point of view, he also acquired the membership of the Communist Party of India. This period of his life which is also the period of his personality formation. This phase of time attracted him very enthusiastically towards communist ideology. He got inspiration from these progressive ideologies to remove the anomalies, inequality and backwardness prevailing in the society.
Rachna Sansar (from Rahi clause)
At the age of just 19, Rahi Masoom Raza started writing in the year 1946 and his first novel ‘Mohabbat Ke Shiva’ was published in Urdu in 1950. As a poet, his poems ‘Naya Sal Mauje Gul Mein Mauje Saba’ were published in Urdu in 1954. His first poetry collection ‘Rux E Mein’ was published in Urdu. Even before the publication of ‘Rux E Mein’, he composed an epic “18 Hundred and Fifty-Five”, which was later published under the name “Big Story of a Small Man”. But Rahi Sahab’s famous novel “Adha Gaon” was published in 1966.
“Adha Gaon” put Rahi in the forefront of novelists. The novel “Aadha Gaon” tells the story of education-society in Gangauli village of Ghazipur. About this novel of his, Rahi Sahib says, “This novel was really a journey for me. I have set out in search of Ghazipur, but I will remain in my Gangouli, if the reality of Gangouli is caught I will dare to write an epic of Ghazipur.
Dr. Rahi Masoom Raza’s second novel “Himmat Jaunpuri” was published in 1969. The special thing here is that Himmat Jaunpuri was Rahi’s childhood friend. Rahi Sahib’s third novel “Topi Shukla” was also published in 1969 itself. Rahi Masoom Raza in this novel has underlined the theme of political problem with the help of village people’s life. In this novel, the impact of the partition of India-Pakistan in 1947 left scars on people’s hearts and minds, making it difficult for Hindus and Muslims to live together.
The novel “Os Ki Boond” is also an attempt to show the deteriorating Hindu-Muslim relations and the gap between them. Rahi’s novel gives a vivid depiction of the communal riots that took place after the creation of Pakistan.
Rahi Masoom Raza Sahib’s fifth novel “Dil Ek Sada Kagaz” came out in the year 1973, in which he depicts the pain and emptiness of partition and the gradual return to normal life. Realizing the truth of a peaceful life, the people of both societies thought it better and wiser to follow the path of peace and harmony in the society. In this novel, the life activity, hope-disappointment and success-failure of film narrators are depicted well.
In his 1977 novel “Scene 75”, he depicts the struggle to survive in the colorful world of the Mumbai metropolis and the determination to achieve a place.
Rahi Masoom Raza’s novel “Katra Bi Arju” very well portrays the incidents of public upset over the attitude of the administration during the crisis and the atmosphere of fear and intimidation created by the political policies on the society. novel
Other Compositions of Rahi Masoom Raza
“I am a hawker”, “Sheeshe Ka Makan Wale”, “Poor City”, “Kranti Katha” (Poetry Collection), “Cinema and Culture in Hindi”, “Lagta Hai Baker Gaye Hum”, “Khuda Hafiz Kahne Ka Mode” Apart from this (collection of essays), seven collections of his poetry have also been published in Urdu. Apart from all this, Rahiji has also written about 300 scripts for films. He has also written about a dozen stories.
Well-known actor Pankaj Kapoor played the role of Budhai in “Neem Ke Pad Serial” based on the story written by Rahi Masoom Raza and Jagjit Singh, the velvet singer of the ghazal world, wrote ‘Muh Ki Baat Sune Har Koi, Dil’ written by poet Nida Fazli. Who knows the pain of ‘silence in voice markets’ and made it a masterpiece by lending his voice. The success of the TV program of that time was very high. The entire sky was waiting for Rahi’s arrival when the Mahabharata script took her to new heights once again across the globe. Even today people remember ‘Aalap’, ‘Golmaal’ and ‘Karj’ in the list of successful films written by him.
Rahi Masoom Raza Sahab was awarded the Filmfare Award for dialogue writing for the films “Main Tulsi Tere Angan Ki”, “Milli” and “Lamhe”.
Rahi Masoom Raza’s poems not only leave an impact on the heart but also create a tingling sensation in the mind. The communication of anger and resentment has entered into his works to such an extent that the deep line of inflammation of hot iron tyranny leaves an indelible impression on our minds. See an example of his poetry-
How does Rahi Masoom Raza stir the minds of the readers in “I am a hawker”?
“My name is like Muslim, kill me and set fire to my house.
But Ganga water flows in every vein of mine.
kissing my blood
Throw it on Mahadev’s face.
And say to that Yogi, Mahadev! Take back this Ganga of yours.
It is running like thick, warm blood through the bodies of our offensive Turks.
Will of Rahi Masoom Raza
Rahi Ji was a firm and staunch pioneer of secularism. For him, secularism was broader than individual religion. According to him Ganga belongs to everyone. Rahi writes in his poem ‘Wasiyat’-
I am the son of three mothers,
Nafeesa Begum, Aligarh University and Ganga,
Nafisa Begum is dead, no longer clearly remembered.
Two other mothers survive and are also remembered.
He writes-
My fun is dead guys
i am blue
Take me and sleep in the lap of Ganga at Ghazipur.
If death comes far from the country
So this is my wish
If even a small river flows in that city, I
Sleeping on his lap
Tell them that Ganga’s son is in your custody from today.”
This great writer, novelist, poet, screenwriter, dialogue writer died on March 15, 1992. But he is still alive among us as our communicator.
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Tags: Books, Hindi literature, Hindi writer, Literature
First published: September 01, 2023, 11:11 IST