Pandit Narendra Sharma (28 February 1913 – 12 February 1989) was an Indian writer, poet and lyricist in Hindi language. He also wrote some songs for Indian Hindi cinema, like the title song for Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1979), for which he also received a Filmfare Award nomination for Best Lyricist.[citation needed]
Early life
As per Pandit Narendra Sharma's daughter Lavanya Sharma Shah, he was born in Jahangirpur, Tehsil Khurja of district Bulandshahr, United Provinces in a Bharadwaj Brahmin family. He was only 4 years old when his father Purna Lal Sharma died. He was then raised and brought up by his uncle Ganpat Sharma and mother Ganga Devi. He was named by one of his uncles who, was a fan of Rabindranath Tagore. A child prodigy, Narendra was admitted straight to the seventh standard and was a top student in his class and was a favorite amongst the teachers. He passed his intermediate from Khurja following which, he joined Allahabad University and did his post graduation in English Literature and Education. His first book of poems School Phool (School Flowers) was released when he was 20 years old. To support his studies, he used to do tuitions and also worked as the sub-editor of Abhyudaya Hindi Daily Newspaper (circa 1934).
His poems, which he penned in his youth, depicted love and longing and splendour of Nature. Later on, with the rise of the youth in attaining an independent India, his poems gradually turned patriotic. During AICC work, on the direct ordinance of then Viceroy, he was imprisoned and then, jailed withput trial by the British force. He then made friends with V. K. Krishna Menon, J. B. Kripalani etc. in Devli Detention Camp, and Rajasthan and Pune Jails. He started fasting till death and continued so for the next 2 weeks before he was force fed in order to keep him alive following which, he got released early. His mother Ganga Devi too starved for a week and waited for the arrival of her son from prison.
Sharma wrote for more than hundred films and worked with almost all major music directors and singers. He was also the conceptual adviser of the popular TV Series Mahabharat, for which too he wrote songs. This was his last work which was released four months before his death in 1989. His last released film as a lyricist was Jalwa (1987).
Personal life
There upon his first arrival in Bombay, Sharma came in touch with a Gujarati woman Susheela Godiwala whom, he married later on 12 May 1947. The day Susheela Godiwala entered as a newly married wife, M. S. Subbulakshmi sang the Mangal Geetam for her. Besides, writer Amritlal Nagar's wife Pratibha made Susheela stand on huge brass platter, filled with Kumkum filled water. Singer-actress Suraiya too sang songs to welcome Susheela. The other guests who were invited in the wedding bridal procession included actors Ashok Kumar and Dilip Kumar, music director Anil Krishna Biswas, flautist Panna Lal Ghosh, filmmaker brothers Chetan Anand and Vijay Anand (who was yet to enter the film industry), poet Sumitranandan Pant, filmmaker and writer Ramanand Sagar (who was yet to enter the film industry), poet and lyricist and poet Dr. Safdar 'Aah' Sitapuri etc. Several others from the art fraternity were also invited as Susheela was a graduate in Fine Arts from Haldenker's Institute. The wedding card of the Sharmas had an Easel shaped like a Lotus leaf and a pen was inserted in the middle in the form of a brush.
Narendra Sharma and Susheela Godiwala had three daughters - Vasvi, Lavanya Shah, Bandhavi and a son Paritosh.
Lata Mangeshkar the singer used to address him as her father while she was addressed as his daughter. In a documentary on Lata Mangeshkar produced and directed by Nasreen Munni Kabir for Britain's Channel 4 the singer has confessed that she learned a lot from pandithji and could negotiate many difficulties of life based on his advice. He was founder of Vividh Bharati Seva of All India Radio.[citation needed]
Sharma died on 12 February 1989 at the age of 75, 15 days short of his 76th birthday.
Bibliography
The following are the poems written by Narendra Sharma
The film's music records credited its songs' lyrics to Niranjan Sharna, ostensibly the actor who worked in the film. However, the film's press book credited Narendra Sharma as the lyricist. Film journalist and historian M. D. Soni corroborated this information with Narendra Sharma's son, Paritosh Sharma. M. D. Soni further discussed this with Niranjan Sharma's daughter, who confirmed that her father did not write lyrics for any Hindi film song. Based on this information, it can be concluded that the credits on the music records were wrong and that, Narendra Sharma penned the lyrics.
The audio release of this film happened in 1981 with the title Zindagi Imtehan Leti Hai. However, the film was released in 1984 with the title Ram Ki Ganga.
