Poet, scholar, MP, playwright, and actor, Harindranath Chattopadhyay was a man of many talents. Yet, his most memorable one was the introduction of 'rap' in Hindi cinema through his limericks. On his 119th birth anniversary, we take a look at the enigmatic poet.
The history of rapping, as a form of poetry, dates back to America in the 60's and 70's. It was a form of expression born under oppression and class struggle. Some credit boxing legend Muhammad Ali as one of the first rappers who emerged in the public space. It took another three decades before hip-hop and rap arrived in India. It is only now that the addition of rap verses in songs has become a necessity for a hit Hindi film song. Badshah, Naezy, Divine are names that are becoming commonplace. However, there was one man who attempted this form at the same time as Ali was laying people low with his 'butterfly' verses. His name was Harindranath Chattopadhyay.
SHAPER SHAPED
In days gone by I used to be
A potter who would feel
His fingers mould the yielding clay
To patterns on his wheel;
But now, through wisdom lately-won,
That pride has died away:
I have ceased to be the potter
And have learned to be the clay.
The above verses are a reflection of the polymathic talents of Harindranath Chattopadhyay. Poet, litterateur, politician, musician, actor, Chattopadhyay was a man of many talents. Born in Hyderabad on 2 April, 1898, Chattopadhyay was a pedigreed scholar. His father, Aghornath Chattopadhyay was the first Doctorate in Science from Hyderabad. His mother was a poet and a singer. His sister was Sarojini Naidu, the Nightingale of India, the first woman to become president of the Indian National Congress.
However, Harindranath went on to become a rare poet. His poems were imaginative, effortless and lyrical. Laurence Binyon, the English poet and scholar, praised him saying, 'He has drunk from the same fount as Shelley and Keats.' When he submitted an application as research scholar to Cambridge University, Sir Arthur 'Q' Quiller Couch, the litterateur and scholar sent in a reference saying, 'We would have given Shelley and Keats a chance. Why not this young poet?' As he says in this rare interview with Doordarshan, his poems emerge from his own life. Describing his birth city of Hyderabad as 'a city from the Arabian Nights', Harindranath also provides insight into the fascinating history of his family. The poet then goes on to describe the presence of 'Manna', the littl