Raja Mehdi Ali Khan (23 September 1915 – 29 July 1966) was an Indian poet, writer and a lyricist.
Early life and career Raja Mehdi Ali Khan was born on 23 September 1915 at Karamabad village, near Wazirabad, Gujranwala District of Punjab, British India, now Pakistan. Mehdi Ali lost his father Raja Mehdi Ghalib Khan when he was four. His mother Hubia Khanum (Heebe Saheba) who was the sister of Maulana Zafar Ali Khan, a prominrnt journalist, got him educated and he completed his basic education at Islamia College (Lahore).
As he grew up, Mehdi Ali started working at the editorial staff of Phool and Tehzeeb-e-Niswan Urdu magazineas from Lahore. He was heavily influenced by the noted scholar Allama Muhammad Iqbal during his formative years, affecting his poetic writing. Then he joined as a writer at the All India Radio, Delhi in 1942. Here he got acquainted with the noted writer Saadat Hasan Manto. Manto, who was active in the Hindi film industry, asked film actor Ashok Kumar to find Mehdi Ali some kind of a job. He soon got a film called Aath Din (1946) in which he not only wrote dialogues but also acted. Sashadhar Mukherjee, one of the partners in Filmistan Studio, gave Mehdi Ali a chance to write lyrics for his film, Do Bhai (1947). Songs from the film such as "Mera Sunder Sapna Beet Gaya" and "Yaad Karoge" became instant hits.
In 1947, Mehdi and his wife Tahira decided to stay in India instead of migrating to Pakistan. They came to this decision despite the wave of riots plaguing the country. In 1948, his patriotism manifested in his songs, "Watan Ki Raah Mein" and "Todi Todi Bachche", which were used in the film Shaheed.
He worked with music composers including Ghulam Haider, Sachin Dev Burman, Iqbal Qureshi, Babul, S. Mohinder, Chic Chocolate, and Rono Mukherjee. He also wrote songs for C. Ramchandra, Datta Naik ("Sare Jahan Se Acha Hindustan Hamara"), O. P. Nayyar ("Main Pyar Ka Raahi Hoon") and Laxmikant Pyarelal ("Jaal","Anita"), Kalyanji-Anandji.
He formed a successful partnership with Madan Mohan which began with Madhosh in 1951. It was also Madan Mohan's third film as a music director. The two shared a great rapport and their later collaborations in films such as Anpadh, Mera Saaya, Woh Kaun Thi?, Neela Akash, Dulhan Ek Raat Ki, Anita and Nawab Sirajuddaulah proved to be massive hits. His song Lag Jaa Gale from Woh Kaun Thi ? was named among the top ten all-time favorites in film history to be "retired" from Antakshari on Zee TV.
Death He died in Mumbai on 29 July 1966 at a premature age of 50. He and his wife Tahira, remained childless even though he himself loved to interact with children. It is said that when he was seriously ill and was on his deathbed, even then he kept his humorous side and was seen laughing with his visitors.
Filmography Year Film Note 19468 DaysKhan made his entry in the industry with this film. In this film, he worked as an actor and dialogue writer. Year Film Songs written Music Director(s)Notes 1947 Do Bhai 9 (All) Sachin Dev BurmanDebut film as a lyricist1948Actress3Shyam Sundar GabaShaheed4Ghulam HaiderVidya1Sachin Dev BurmanZiddi1Khemchand Prakash1949Kamal2Sachin Dev BurmanNamoona1Ramchandra Narhar Chitalkar1950Ankhen4Madan Mohan KohliBhai Bahen3Shyam Sundar GabaMaang1Ghulam MohammedMagroor6Sajjad Hussain (separately), Bulo C. Rani & Ram PanjwaniMuqaddar4Khemchand Prakash & Bhola ShreshthaNirdosh6Shyam Sundar GabaSangram2Ramchandra Narhar Chitalkar1951Ada1Madan Mohan KohliDaman6Datta KorgaonkarGumashta5Hamari Shaan1Chitragupta SrivastavaMadhosh9 (All)Madan Mohan KohliUstad Pedro8 (All)Ramchandra Narhar ChitalkarOne of Khan's song of this film "Mere Husn Ke Charche Aam Huye Hain Gali Gali" sung by Shamshad Begum with music by C. Ramchandra was originally recorded for this film & re-used in the film Do Bahadur (1953).1952Bagdad8 (All)Bulo C. RaniIzzat7Nishan Danka2Basant PrakashRangeeli9 (All)Chic ChocolateSaloni3Basant PrakashShrimatiji8Jimmy, Basant Prakash & Mohinder Singh Sarna (all separately)1953Anand Bhavan4Vasant DesaiBahadur1Mohinder Singh SarnaDo Bahadur1Ramchandra Narhar ChitalkarKhan's sole song of this film "Mere Husn Ke Charche Aam Huye Hain Gali Gali" sung by Shamshad Begum with music by C. Ramchandra (his only song for the film too) was originally recorded for the film Ustad Pedro (1951) & re-used in this film.Gul Sanobar1Bulo C. RaniHusn Ka Chor6Khoj4Nisar BazmiLadla5VinodManchala7 (All)Chitragupta SrivastavaMehmaan1Anil Krishna BiswasPapi1Mohinder Singh SarnaThokar1Sardar Malik1954Adhikar3Avinash Anandrai VyasAlibaba Aur 40 Chor8 (All)Shri Nath Tripathi & Chitragupta SrivastavaAulad2Sardar MalikBarati2Roshan Lal NagrathChandni Chowk1Dak Babu2DhaniramGuzaara5Ghulam MohammedMaan1Anil Krishna BiswasMiss Mala4Chitragupta SrivastavaSher Dil2Mohammed Shafi Niyazi (Shafi M. Nagri)Toote KhiloneAt least 3Chitragupta Srivastava1955Abe-Hayat1Sardar MalikAlbeli2Ravi Shankar SharmaBandish1Hemant KumarChirag-e-Chin6 (All)Shri Nath TripathiEnam6Jalwa1VinodMadhur Milan2Bulo C. RaniMastani7Baldev Nath BaliShahi Chor1DhaniramShahi Mehman2Bipin Datta & Babul Bose1956Aabroo1Bulo C. RaniBadshah Salamat1Hamara Watan2Hemant KumarHatim Tai6Shri Nath TripathiIndar Sabha1Allah Rakha QureshiInqilab8 (All)Hansraj BehlNaqab Posh1Dhumi KhanNoor-e-Yaman alias Hatim Tai Ka Beta3Bulo C. RaniZindagi1Mohammed Shafi Niyazi1957Bada Bhai1NashadCaptain Kishore3Chitragupta SrivastavaDiler Daku2Mohammed Shafi Niyazi (Shafi M. Nagri)Garma Garam1 (maybe)VinodFor the song "Humko Toh Mohabbat Hai Unse" sung by Shamshad Begum, Mohammed Rafi & Asha Bhosle with music by Vinod, the film's song booklet credited Khan & Pyarelal Santoshi jointly for the lyrics of the song. However, the 78 RPM records of the song credited only Santoshi, who also directed & wrote a couple of other songs of this film. Apart from being partly credited for this song, Khan did not pen any other song of this film.Mohini7Dattaram Baburao NaikParistan alias Gulbakavali8 (All)Shri Nath TripathiParveen4Allah Rakha QureshiShahi Bazar2Dhaniram195824 Ghante8 (All)Bipin Datta & Babul BoseChandu2Devar Bhaabi2Ravi Shankar SharmaMiss '581Dattaram Baburao NaikMiss Punjab Mail4Baldev Nath BaliNaya Paisa4Mohinder Singh SarnaShan-e-Hatim6Allah Rakha QureshiKhan's song in the film "Bhalai Duniya Ki Jo Subah-o-Sham Karte Hain" sung by Mohammed Rafi & composed by Ustad Allah Rakha was re-used in the film Idd Ka Chand (1964).1959Bhai Bahen1Dattaram Baburao NaikThis film was released in 1959 but it appears that its music records were issued in 1957 under the title Black Mailer. The song "Saare Jahan Se Achcha Hindustan Hamara" sung by Asha Bhosle, used the hook lines written by Allama Muhammad Iqbal but the remaining song was penned by Raja Mehdi Ali Khan, this also being his only song for the film.Jagir5Madan Mohan KohliMaa Ke Ansoo11 (All)Sardar MalikThe film credited only Khan as the lyricist. However, it appears that a certain lyricist Madan Mohan wrote the lines preceding some of the songs.Zara Bachke2Nashad1960Jaali Note6Omkar Prasad NayyarKalpana4Masoom4Robin BanerjeeMehlon Ke Khwab3Mohinder Singh SarnaMitti Mein Sona5Omkar Prasad Nayyar1961Reshmi Roomal8 (All)Babul BoseShola Aur ShabnamAt least 2Mohammed Zahur Khayyam Hashmi1962Anpadh7 (All)Madan Mohan KohliBaaje Ghungroo1DhaniramDr. Vidya4Sachin Dev BurmanEk Musafir Ek Hasina2Omkar Prasad NayyarWhen this film did not do well upon its original release, it was re-edited & re-released. The song "Main Pyar Ka Raahi Hoon" sung by Mohammed Rafi & Asha Bhosle, penned by Khan & composed by O. P. Nayyar, was excluded from the revised cut. The film went on to become a hit. Even though the song didn't feature in the film, it became one of Hindi Cinema's enduring classics.Hawa MahalAvinash Anandrai VyasHong Kong6Omkar Prasad NayyarNakli Nawab3Babul BoseReporter Raju2Mohinder Singh Sarna1963Captain Sheroo3Naya RastaAt least 2Chitragupta Srivastava1964Aap Ki Parchhaiyan6 (All)Madan Mohan KohliBaghi Shahzada1Bipin DattaChar Dervesh3Gurusharan Singh KohliDaal Me Kala4Ramchandra Narhar ChitalkarIdd Ka Chand1Allah Rakha QureshiKhan's only song in the film "Bhalai Duniya Ki Jo Subah-o-Sham Karte Hain" sung by Mohammed Rafi & composed by Ustad Allah Rakha was originally recorded for the film Shan-e-Hatim (1958) & re-used in this film.Punar Milan1C. ArjunWoh Kaun Thi ?6 (All)Madan Mohan Kohli1965Bekhabar7 (All)Mohinder Singh SarnaNeela Aakash8 (All)Madan Mohan KohliKhan's song "Tere Paas Aake Mera Waqt Guzar Jaata Hai" sung by Mohammed Rafi & Asha Bhosle & composed by Madan Mohan replaced a previously recorded aong "Mere Dil Se Aake Lipat Gayi" made by the same team. The later song remained unused & unreleased. Decades later, it was included in the digital versions of the film's music album. Khan's song "Na Aasmaan Na Sitaare Fareb Dete Hain" sung by Lata Mangeshkar & composed by Madan Mohan was recorded & shot but was not included in the film.Tu Hi Meri Zindagi5Rono Dev Mukherjee1966Do Dilon Ki Dastan6Omkar Prasad NayyarDulhan Ek Raat Ki8Madan Mohan KohliMera Saaya6 (All)The opening line of the song "Jhumka Gira Re Bareli Ke Bazaar Mein" sung by Asha Bhosle & composed by Madan Mohan was possibly taken from a folk song. Another song with the same line had appeared previously in the Hindi film Dekho Jee (1947) but had a different tune. Another song sung by Miss Dulari & recorded in 1932 had the same tune & lyrics as this song but didn't credit any composer or lyricist. Regarding the song of Mera Saaya is concerned, the remaining lyrics of this song were by Khan.1967Anita4Laxmikant-PyarelalPosthomous releaseDuniya NachegiJaal4Jab Yaad Kisi Ki Aati Hai7 (All)Madan Mohan KohliNawab Sirajuddaulah5 (All)Raaz1Kalyanji-AnandjiSheba & Hercules6 (All)Chandan1970Kaun Ho Tum ?2Usha Khanna1977Bhumika1Vanraj Bhatia
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