Anand Bakshi was a great poet and philosopher for the common man”, stated three master lyricists during the online event organised by WWI, paying tribute to Anand Bakshi on his 90th birth anniversary

Mumbai, August 10^th, 2020: Whistling Woods International (WWI) organised an enlightening session commemorating the 90^th birth anniversary of the legendary lyricist, late Mr. Anand Bakshi. The exciting event witnessed Mr. Subhash Ghai, Founder & Chairman, WWI moderate a panel comprising of three of the Hindi film industry’s master lyricists – Mr. Irshad Kamil, Mr. Amitabh Bhattacharya, and Mr. Kumaar – as they paid tribute to the legacy of the much-loved icon, late Mr. Anand Bakshi, while sharing their favourite songs from his body of work and analysing the deeper meanings behind their lyrics. 

In the face of these trying times, Whistling Woods International (WWI) imparted a message of positivity by celebrating the life and achievements of  late Mr. Anand Bakshi – the renowned songwriter of Hindi cinema. Being hosted under WWI’s famous 5^th Veda cultural hub, the session was conducted online for the first time ever. The interaction was hosted by WWI in association with Mukta Arts Ltd., along with the support extended by Bollywood Hungama, Saregama & Tips.

Mr. Subhash Ghai took the opportunity to share about the strong bond he shared with late Mr. Anand Bakshi over the course of several decades, and highlighted the latter’s contributions to his films over the years. “July 21 is an important date for me. We shared a wonderful personal and professional relationship, forged over the course of 50 years and 14 films together. Indian cinema has been greatly shaped by his lyrics and plenty of actors owe their success to his words”, said Mr. Subhash Ghai.

As the discussion progressed, Mr. Irshad Kamil highlighted the philosophical approach late Mr. Anand Bakshi adopted towards his work. He further regarded the late icon’ humongous  contribution to Hindi cinema, referring to him as the ‘The Great Himalaya of the music industry’. He also praised his young-at-heart approach to music and conveying big ideas through simple expressions. Mr. Amitabh Bhattacharya recalled learning about late Mr. Anand Bakshi as a student and noted ‘Ram Kare Aisa Ho Jaye’ and ‘Chingari Koi Bhadke’ as being among his favourite songs. Mr. Kumaar shared how the late songwriter used to understand the characters and then compose the songs and praised the attribute by stating, “The philosophy that he brought in writing songs  for an ordinary  person, was extraordinary.” A surprise for the audience was the recitation of a heart-touching poem by Mr. Rakesh  Anand Bakshi, son of the late lyricist, who wrote the poem as his last piece of work before he passed away in 2002. 

Finally, Mr. Subhash Ghai shared a final word of wisdom with the new generation of film writers, director and  listeners, “If you understand poetry, your content and product will  have a longer life. Everyone must develop their sense of poetry to shape their life with peace and happiness, also enabling them to widen the horizon of their mindset .”   

On that note, Meghna Ghai Puri, President, WWI, thanked the panel for sharing their memories, and Bollywood Hungama, Saregama and Tips for their contributions to the event.