Rajesh Khanna’s favourite artiste was born in Pakistan, served in Indian Navy, wrote 4000 songs, 638 films, he was...

From Javed Akhtar to Salim Khan, Bollywood writers keep entertaining the audience with their films. One of the legendary writers and lyricists who was Rajesh Khanna’s favourite has written 638 films and over 4000 songs. 

The lyricist and writer we are talking about sever in Indian Navy before writing songs for movies like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jaayenge, Sholay, Gadar: Ek Prem Katha and more. He is none other than Anand Bakshi. 

Anand Bakshi early life

Born in Rawalpindi in the Punjab Province of British India (now in Punjab, Pakistan). Anand Bakshi was fond of writing poetry since his youth, but he did this mostly as a private hobby. In an interview with Doordarshan, Anand Bakshi revealed that after his initial studies, he joined the Indian Navy, where due to a paucity of time, he could only write occasionally. 

Anand Bakshi's foray into Bollywood

He entered the film industry with the aim of making a name for himself in writing and singing, however, he ended up being more successful in writing lyrics. He got his first break writing songs in a Brij Mohan film titled Bhalaa Aadmi (1958) starring Bhagwan Dada. After writing for a few movies from 1956 onwards, he first found success in 1962 with Mehendi Lagi Mere Haath. He once revealed in an interview that he was asked to write 4 songs for his debut and was paid Rs 150. He said in an interview with Filmfare,"I told him (Bhagwan Dada) I was a song writer. Right away he told me to write four songs. I was paid Rs 150 for those songs. It was a whopping sum those days."

In 1965, he gave a number of hit songs in the movie Himalaya Ki God Mein and Jab Jab Phool Khile. Bakshi was preferred lyricist by Rajesh Khanna for films with Rajesh Khanna in lead. He went on to work as a lyricist of over 4000 songs and 638 films in his career. 

Anand Bakshi as Singer

His first break as a singer was in in a film directed by Mohan Kumar titled Mom Ki Gudiya. His first song was a duet with Lata Mangeshkar titled Baaghon mein bahaar aayi hothon pe pukaar aayi. After this, he sang songs in four other films. He is known to have worked with more than one generation of music composers. He has written memorable lyrics in many films like Dum Maaro Dum in Hare Rama Hare Krishna, Seeta Aur Geeta, Sholay, Taal, Pardes, Mohabbatein, Gadar Ek Prem Katha, Heer Ranjha and more. 

Anand Bakshi death

Anand Bakshi suffered from heart and lung disease later in his life. In 2002, he caught a bacterial infection at Nanavati hospital during a minor heart surgery and died of multiple organ failure on 30 March 2002 at Mumbai's Nanavati Hospital, at the age of 71.