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'Look at the films that are becoming hits now. How low these people have stooped in the name of entertainment?'

She was stunned that I dare speak to her like this, but still was impressed by me". Chitralekha, his next venture, was a big hit. It had Mehtab (Sohrab Modi's wife) starring in it, and ran for 40 weeks. It also shocked the audience, who were yet to see Ram Teri Ganga Maili with a bathing scene that wouldn't interest any modern producer.

Photograph by Jewella C Miranda

"But I thought that it was a nice scene. And K A Abbas, the editor of Bombay Chronicle, defended me. He said the scene was very aesthetically done and looked great. There was purity in it."

He called his wife to Calcutta. "I think I will never be able to pay back the Rs 25 that she gave me. I am forever indebted to her."

Sharma is clearly bitter that the film industry has not given him the respect he thinks he deserves. "People go to take the Dadasaheb Phalke award. That man himself has told me that I am one of the best directors in the country." But then the industry is known for its indifferent treatment towards film-makers.

"Dadasaheb had once come to me, asking whether I would help him get a job with Chandulal Shah, who was a famous producer then. I remember he was wearing a khaki half-pant and told me that I was good. Then he asked me whether I could help him get a job of cleaning the camera. I went to Chandulal Shah and told him about it. Chandulal Shah looked at him and refused to give the job. I am not sure why."

Sharma had an admirer in V Shantaram too. " He once told me that he would like to meet the person who wrote Dukh ke din beeteth nahin. He said that he would put a garland of roses around that person's neck. I told him that he might as well do so now because I was one who wrote that. He was impressed. C Ramchandra too had great regard for me."

Photograph by Jewella C Miranda

Then he turns bitter. "I have people from Pakistan telling me that I should be given some award. But my own country didn't acknowledge my contribution to Hindi films. I write so well. I was considered one of the best lyricists in the country. But I was never given any kind of recognition. I prefer to forget it."

Though not trained in film-making, Sharma did not find it tough because he had the artist's eye. "You know Nehru acted in one of my films? The film was called Bachchon se baatein. His two grandchildren, Rajiv and Sanjay were also in the film. Nehru had a child-like quality in him which I wanted to bring out. The painting does that."

His last film,Sehme huain sitare flopped. "I think it was because I didn't show any nudity in the film," he muses. "There was no vulgarity in the film at all."

Then he vents his spleen on present-day Bollywood cinema. "Look at the films that are becoming hits now. Listen to the lyrics! They are obscene. Are these people blind or deaf? Can't they understand that these films and songs are bad? How low these people have stooped in the name of entertainment? I care two hoots for this kind of entertainment. I am very outspoken and I am sure they won't hang me for it. Even Nehru admitted that."

Kidar Sharma with Jawaharlal Nehru

Nehru felt that there was no greater poet than Mir to discuss sensual eyes. Till he saw Sharma's Suhaag raat which had a song with the lyrics, Aakhon mein aankhein daal, mujhe tune kya pilaya. Jis taare pe nazar padi, woh taara ladkhadaya. "Nehru was impressed and respected me a lot. Even Naushadsaab has praised me a lot."

Acting didn't fascinate him as direction did. "I was not fit to be in front of the camera. I tried acting in Neki badi and it flopped. I went back to directing and producing. I am well aware of my shortcomings."

He is sure that the industry will improve, perhaps because he thinks there is no depth left to plumb. "Today, the industry is bad. Horrible films are being made. But one day, I am sure that good films will be made again. Choli ke peeche kya hai... Is that to be asked? I have never written such lyrics. Whatever I have written, it has been appreciated by people like Sharat Chandra Chatterjee (writer of Devdas). I started the new era of great music."

"I have survived despite the fights I have had and the reason for this is that I don't lie. It (what he says) might not be hundred per cent true, but it won't be a lie either."

Then humility creeps in. "I am not a millionaire or a tycoon. I am a small film-maker, who makes small films, that's all. These films should touch your heart and should be viewed by the whole family without feeling embarrassed."

Sharma is well-travelled, visiting Hollywood in his heyday. One American there told him he had it from Englishmen that Indians only had snake-charmers who did the rope trick. "But they were surprised that I was well-educated and knew the technicalities of film-making. I told them that India had people like B N Sarcar, Chandulal Shah and that I was nothing compared to them. But yes, nobody wins in a word fight with me.

"I was invited to a dinner at a friend's house where Doris Day's lover had also come. When he saw me, he said, "Mr Sharma, meet my Day". I promptly shot back, "what's wonderful about the day, every dog had its day." He returned to India in one piece.

Continued