Shailendra (30 August 1923 – 14 December 1966) was a popular Indian Hindi-Urdu Poet, lyricist and film producer.
Shankar - Shailendra was born on 30 August 1923 in Rawalpindi, Punjab - now in Pakistan.
His ancestors belonged to Ara district of Bihar.
He was born into a Hindu family and lost his mother and sister at a young age.
His village in Akhtiarpur, Arrah
, Bihar mostly comprised agricultural laborers and Shailendra’s father had shifted to Rawalpindi to find work at a military hospital.
Shailendra came in contact with Indra Bahadur Khare at the Kishori Raman Vidyalay (Now Kishori Raman Inter College) Mathura.
Both started composing poems, sitting on the rock located on the bank of a pond in between railway 27 quarters and railway line near to Mathura station.
Afterwards Shailendra moved to Bombay for films and Indra Bahadur Khare got his fame in Raashtreey Kavita.
1947
Shailendra started his career as an apprentice with Indian Railways in Matunga workshop, Bombay in 1947.
He started writing poetry during these days.
The filmmaker Raj Kapoor noticed Shailendra, when the latter was reading out his poem Jalta hai Punjab at a mushaira (poetic symposium).
1948
Kapoor offered to buy the poem Jalta Hai Punjab written by Shailendra and for his movie Aag (1948).
Shailendra, a member of the left wing Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA), was wary of mainstream Indian cinema and refused.
However, after his wife became pregnant, Shailendra himself approached Raj Kapoor in need of money.
1949
At this time, Raj Kapoor was filming Barsaat (1949), and two of the film songs had not yet been written.
For ₹ 500, Shailendra wrote these two songs: Patli kamar hai and Barsaat mein.
The music for Barsaat was composed by Shankar–Jaikishan.
The team of Raj Kapoor, Shailendra and Shankar–Jaikishan went on to produce many other hit songs.
1950
Noted for his association with the filmmaker Raj Kapoor, singer Mukesh, and the composers Shankar–Jaikishan, he wrote lyrics for several successful Hindi film songs in the 1950s and the 1960s.
1951
The song "Awara Hoon" from the 1951 film Awaara, written by Shailendra, became the most appreciated Hindustani film song outside India at the time.
Shailendra had penned down plenty songs lyrics for Raj Kapoor's film.
1955
Shree 420 released in 1955 is one of them.
All songs of this film were super hits and till date people sing in various occasions.
One can easily understand the power and magic of Shailendra's lyrics from the song "Pyaar hua iqaraar hua hai, Pyaar se phir kyo darta hai dil", is till date evergreen golden classic song of Bollywood.
In the days when composers would recommend lyricists to producers, Shankar–Jaikishan once promised Shailendra that they would recommend him around, but didn't keep their promise.
Shailendra sent them a note with the lines, ''Chhoti Si Yeh Duniya, Pehchaane Raaste Hain.
Kahin To Miloge, toh Poochhenge Haal'' ("The world is small, the roads are familiar. We'll meet sometime, and ask 'How do you do?'").
Shankar–Jaikishan realised what the message meant and having said sorry, turned the lines into a popular song.
1962
The song, sung by Kishore Kumar, was featured in the film Rangoli (1962), for which the producer Rajendra Singh Bedi wanted to sign up Majrooh Sultanpuri as the lyricist.
However, Shankar–Jaikishan insisted on Shailendra and the producer had to oblige.
Apart from Shankar–Jaikishan, Shailendra also shared a rapport with composers such as Salil Chowdhary (Madhumati), Sachin Dev Burman (Guide, Bandini, Kala Bazar), and Ravi Shankar (Anuradha).
Apart from Raj Kapoor, he shared a rapport with filmmakers such as Bimal Roy (Do Bigha Zameen, Madhumati, Bandini) and Dev Anand (Guide and Kala Bazar).[citation needed]
Shailendra also wrote lyrics for several Bhojpuri films.
Avijit Ghosh mentions in his book, Cinema Bhojpuri, that Shailendra penned songs for Ganga Maiya Tohe Piyari Chadhaibo (the first Bhojpuri film), Ganga, Mitwa and Vidhana Naach Nachave.
1965
In page 184, Ghosh also writes that Shailendra received the best lyricist award for Ganga Maiyya... for all Bhojpuri and Magadhi films released till then at a function held in April 1965 in Calcutta.
1966
The only film Shailendra produced is Teesri Kasam (1966).
Directed by Basu Bhattacharya and starring Raj Kapoor and Waheeda Rehman, it was an adaptation of Phanishwar Nath Renu's famous short story Maare Gaye Ghulfam.
The film is today regarded as a cult classic and won the National Film Award For the Best Film.
However, the film was a box office bomb and resulted in a financial crisis for Shailendra.
