The unsent love letter
Iqbal Hussain began writing poetry at the ripe age of 20. During this time he fell in love with the girl who lived next door, Radha. Too shy to confess, he wrote her a poem: ‘Yeh mera prem patra padh kar, ke tum naaraaz na hona.’
The letter was never sent, but years later, Raj Kapoor discovered it and turned it into an iconic film song.
Iqbal to Hasrat
Before his Bollywood journey began, Iqbal worked as a bus conductor in Mumbai. He kept his poetic spirit alive by performing at mushairas, where Prithviraj Kapoor discovered his talent and introduced him to his son, Raj Kapoor.
Iqbal Hussain would become famous as Hasrat Jaipuri, and along with the composer duo Shankar-Jaikishan and lyricist Shailendra, formed Raj Kapoor’s legendary musical dream team. Their association would go on till 1971.
A letter becomes a melody
In Raj Kapoor’s iconic hit Sangam, released in 1964, Jaipuri and Shailendra were tasked with writing lyrics for a complex love triangle. The music became the emotional soul of the film.
“Yeh Mera Prem Patra” was one of the standout songs in Sangam. Incidentally, Vyjayanthimala‘s character in Sangam was also named Radha. In a twist of fate, as Rajendra Kumar’s character wooed her on screen, it felt as though Hasrat’s unspoken love had finally found its voice.
Years later in an interview Jaipuri remembers this song and his amor,
“Ishq ka mazhab se, zaat paat se, koi taaluq nahi. Kisi se bhi ho sakta hai, kisi se bhi kiya jaa sakta hai.”
This notion of an everlasting true love that crosses all boundaries is reflected in the song ,“Ye mera prem patra padh kar ke tum naraz na hona; ki tum meri zindagi ho, ki tum meri bandagi ho”.
Hasrat Jaipuri passed away in 1999 at the age of 77, after a prolific musical journey. His unspoken love letter became a timeless song — echoing the ache of longing for generations.
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