Legendary film lyricist Pradeep dead

A small poet, who was content with being the star of kavi-sammelans in his village Barnagar in Madhya Pradesh and who’s aim in life was to become a teacher, never dreamt that destiny had other plans for him when he came to Mumbai in his twenties.

“I am a poet. I have never written a film song,” he had said when he was asked to pen lyrics for his first movie venture, Kangan, in the thick of World War II. The film went on to become a golden jubilee hit, and Kavi Pradeep was on his way.

Few knew that Kavi Pradeep was also a playback singer and music director. “He not only wrote the lyrics, he also wrote the tunes, which were then evolved into full-fledged music. He was truly a genius,” said Lata Mangeshkar, who was shocked to hear the news. “There is nobody in the history of Indian film music who has composed better patriotic lyrics than him. I just cannot believe he is gone,” she said.

Veteran singer Manna Dey was equally shaken by the news. “This loss is too great to talk about. I don’t think there can be a greater human being than Kavi Pradeep, who was a patriot first and everything else later,” he said.

His song, Chal Chal Re Naujawan, from the film Bandhan had become the youth march for battling troops in the country during the early 1940s. Other songs by Pradeep were from the film Jagruti – Aao Bachchon Tumhe Dikhayen, De Di Hame Azaadi Bina Khadag Bina Dhaal, and Chalo Chale Maa.