Remembering Yogesh: An ace lyricist who became an inseparable part of Hindi cinema

Veteran lyricist Yogesh, who was an integral part of the Hindi film industry in the 1970s, passed away on Friday at the age of 77 and this left countless fans heartbroken. A legend in his own right, he was born in Lucknow in 1943 to a government officer and spent his early years in a ‘kothi’ in the erstwhile ‘City of Nawabs. In an interview with the YouTube channel ‘The Bollywood Dynasty’, he once said that his father was an ‘honest’ man and had a strong impact on him. As a young man he learnt about shorthand writing and tried to secure a job but things didn't work out as planned. Following this, a friend advised him to try his luck In Mumbai.

After a few initial setbacks, he got the opportunity to pen six songs in the 1962 release Sakhi Robin and this proved to be a turning point in his life. It was, however, the Rajesh Khanna-Amitabh Bachchan starrer Anand that established him as a force to be reckoned with. The film, directed by ace filmmaker Hrishikesh Mukherjee, featured the iconic Kahin Door Jab song which connected with one and all due to its simplicity. The Zindagi Kaisi Hai Paheli track from the film too became reasonably popular.

He subsequently worked on movies like Manzil, Baaton Baaton Mein and Rajnigandha and consolidated his standing in the industry. He worked with top music composers like RD Burman, Rajesh Roshan and Salil Chowdhury, which proves his mettle.

He once told Indian Express that his songs were inspired by real-life experiences as he liked observing things and incorporating them in his work

“I wrote what I saw and lived. I have always written about the people around me.

He moved away from the limelight shortly after the release of the Krishnan Kumar starrer Bewafa Sanam (1995)

His death is a big loss for the industry and we hope his near and dear ones stay strong in these difficult times.