For friends familiar with Punjabi Poetry, the name, Shiv Kumar Batalvi, needs no introduction. Every single person related to Punjabi language anywhere in the world, has either read or heard the eternal poetry by the maestro and most of them must be having them in their collection.
And for friends, hearing the name for the first time, I would like to introduce him as a person who is known for his emotional depth in Punjabi Literature. A person, who has earned respect, appreciation and admiration from lovers of Punjabi poetry all over the world.
A person, who is said to be the most expressive punjabi poet till date.
And a person, who came to live on this planet for only 35 years. As I can feel, he must have lived his each day in love with the existence and then left us all in his youth, leaving his immortal words to cherish for generations to come.
Shiv, as he was fondly called by all friends, was a lover and a rebel too by nature. He loved to say what he felt, hiding nothing in his heart and that is evident in his poetry.
Legendary and world renowned singers chose his poems to sing and in that way paid their tribute to the name synonym of love, Shiv Kumar Batalvi. The list includes, Asa Singh Mastana, Surinder Kaur, K. Deep, Mahender Kapoor, Bhupinder-Mitalee, Jagjit Singh & Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.
Here is one rare clip of a Live Interview with Shiv Kumar Batlavi taken for BBC’s television in 1970, when he was 32, just 3 years before he left us all for the heavenly abode. In the clip you can feel the child-like innocence in his persona, the ecstacy he was living in and the love he had experienced in the 35 years of his life. And just listen to the true words he speaks about the dilemma of every intellectual on this earth.
Yes, it is true Batalvi Sir, every day we are living here, at one time, we all want to go far away from this insane but beautiful world and then lacking the courage to do so, we return to our works and start living again.
Hats Off to this heavenly soul full of love & poetry, whom I couldn’t meet in my life time, but his words will be there with me forever.
And tons of thanks to S.S.Dhanjal, for uploading this on the web. There are no exact words to explain the feeling of all Shiv Kumar Batalvi fans, who will be watching this rare footage, with love and gratitude.
Also
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiv_Kumar_Batalvi
Shiv Kumar Batalvi Reciting his poems himself
Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan singing Shiv’s “Maye Ni Maye”
K. Deep singing Shiv’s “Rukh”
