Renowned lyricist Javed Akhtar recently shared a delightful anecdote about his songwriting process during a FICCI event in Kolkata. He revealed that the iconic song “Tum Ko Dekha,” featured in the film “Kabhi Kabhie,” was written in a mere nine minutes well past midnight, after consuming “eight or nine pegs” of alcohol.
Akhtar reminisced about the time when he was rendering his services for free on the film “Kabhi Kabhie.” Yash Chopra’s fourth assistant approached him, requesting that he write the songs for the movie. Although initially agreeing, Akhtar found himself continuously postponing the task of composing “Tum Ko Dekha.”
One day, as the assistant inquired once more about the song’s progress, Akhtar found himself under the influence of alcohol. Despite being inebriated, he decided to face the challenge head-on and astonishingly penned the lyrics for “Tum Ko Dekha” in a mere nine minutes.
This impromptu creation, sung by the legendary voices of Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammed Rafi, went on to become a resounding success and is regarded as one of Akhtar’s finest compositions.
Akhtar’s candid revelation serves as a gentle reminder that sometimes, our best work materializes when we least expect it, without exerting excessive effort. It underscores the unpredictable nature of creativity and the unexpected sources of inspiration that can arise, even in unconventional circumstances.
The enduring popularity of “Tum Ko Dekha” stands as a testament to the magical results that can emerge from such spontaneous and unconventional creative processes.
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