There Is Something About KP

KP Saxena, that is.

But we all call him just 'KP' in Lucknow. Every Kavi Sammenlan, or Mushaira on Lucknow Doordarshan, & AIR, I have heard him being always referred as 'KP'. And everyone loved him, more so, the audience.

I hated Lucknow DD as anyone would ever, but, invariably, every single new year eve program would out-beat the DD National one, hands down. Reason ? Year after year on the very day, DD-L would treat the audience with some or the other Play written by KP Saxena. Often, he would also play some part in it.

I especially remember(and as would Saurabh) one of his hilarious songs during one such programs which started like this-

Woh Bhi Kya Waqt Tha Jab Hum Ishq Lada Lete Thay
Pyar Ki Dor Ko Charkhi Pe Chadha Lete The,
Woh Uska Dasht-E-Hanai Se Chhudaiyya Dena.....

But can't remember it completely. It was an out and out laugh riot. The whole program became so popular that it had to be repeated three or four times within a month.

Then, there is his famous & trademark satire - Rail Ki Yatra. I have heard it so many times, but I would never have enough of it. When I heard it for the first time, there was no time to breathe in between continuous episodes of uncontrolled laughter.

The most important point. It's one thing to read his satires, and it's an all together different experience to hear it from his own naughty voice. The expressions he gives, his ever changing postures during the presentation, the way he fidgets - his whole body language adds tremendous value to the whole presentation.

And his voice modulations. You would notice that with the changing mood of the Kavita, the pitch of his voice also varies. The whole idea I want to convey is that his presentation is not mere the dumb, monotonous recital of his works, but rather, it seems that there is an actor hidden inside him, which enacts the every character while performing. It is an enthralling experience.

His characters are the usual suspects - his Shrimati Ji(who is dead now, but he has kept her alive through his works), Sardar Dhadda Ji, & Mirja Saheb. And there are many others. There is usual nonk-jhonk between the characters, which is fun.

Fun it was reading Manorma(magazine), and Swantra Bharat(newspaper). Not only these two, he regularly wrote in Dharmyug & Mayapuri, as well. And now he writes for Hindustan. The medium is good old Urdu, Hindi (both Khadi Boli & Awadhi).

His claim to national fame was from the serial 'Bibi Natiyon Wali'. Though, there have been many more serials and movies to his credit, it was Lagaan which has made him the household name. Swades & Hulchul did the rest. Some of his dialogues are very original and well thought.

Like in Swades - 'Apne Hi Pani Mein Pighalna Barf Ka Muqaddar Hota Hai', and in Hulchul - 'Bhaiyya, Kab Tak Charpai Ke Dono Taraf se Uth-te Rahoge ?' This was to indicate for how long 'Bhaiyya' intends to remain unmarried.

To call him a genius won't be extravagent. He was a lecturer of Botany in Lucknow Christian College, and has written 14 graduation books on Botany. His all articles are not on satire alone; often, he also writes scientific articles on plants as well. He has voluntarily retired as a Station Master from Indian Railways.

A Botanist, Railway Officer, play writer, poet, satirist, now a dialogue writer. Whew! The fame and success has also transformed into money now, and he is flourishing more and more with old age. To borrow a Sher from one of his satires would only be apt.

Budhapey Mein Jawani Se Bhi Jyada Josh Hota Hai
Bhadakta Hai Chirga-E-Shehri Jab Khamosh Hota Hai

Long live KP.