On the final day of the 4th Chandigarh Arts and Heritage Festival, the Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi organized a Face-to-Face with the veteran poet, Neeraj.
Gopal Das Neeraj, born in 1924, is one of the best-known poets of Hindi literature. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan for his achievements in 2007. His work is popular because he writes in a manner that touches the heart and in a language easy to understand. At the same time, the lyrical quality of his verse is impeccable and he has made a sizable contribution to Hindi literature. Many of his lyrics have been used by popular Bombay cinema. Some of the immortal songs composed by him are: “Dil aaj shayar hai…,” “Phoolon ke rang se…,” “caravan guzar gaya…,” and “Ae bhai zara dekh ke chalo.” His songs have shaped the lives of a whole generation of music lovers and film buffs.
This morning the popularity of Neeraj could be gauged by the fact that the hall was packed to its fullest capacity with several people left standing at the rear. The frail poet, now almost 90 years old and dependent on a wheelchair, held forth for almost three hours, expressing his views on literature and poetry, reciting his verse, singing some of his compositions, regaling a delighted audience. He did not use a written script but not once did he falter. There was spontaneity in his address which was interspersed with anecdotes and references to his long years of experience as a creative writer.
An animated question and answer session followed Neeraj’s address during which the enthusiasm and unstinted appreciation of the audience was palpable.
The programme, which was attended by senior officers of the UT, was ably compered by Madhav Kaushik, secretary of the Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi. The Chairperson of the Akademi, Manju Jaidka, informed the audience that in the month of May two more CSA events of a high order would be held, on the 6th and 27th of the month, both in the UT Guest House. Further information will be posted on the CSA blog and Facebook.
