Mumbai: Mention Sahir Ludhianvi and Urdu poetry and Hindi film song buffs go all dreamy-eyed and start reciting his verses. A full 40 years after he died, the poet still retains his magical touch – Sahir means magician – and his poetry still has countless fans all over the world.Though he was a well-known name in poetry circles, it was his film songs which brought him real fame, bringing his work to countless millions. It is these songs that are quoted the most – the music directors he worked with embellished them and made them wildly popular. (Ironically, Sahir broke off with many of the bigger names in music due to his claim that his songs were superior to the compositions.)Regrettably though, he is remembered only for a select few songs and of a particular type. For some reason, the songs in Pyaasa are on top of the list, and there too only two that are cited the most – ‘Yeh Duniya Agar mil Bhi Jaaye’ and ‘Jinhen Naaz Hai Hind Par’. This is in conjunction with the cult status of Guru Dutt, which is also based on this and a couple of other films.Also Read: The Poem That Forced Sahir Ludhianvi to Leave Lahore ForeverThis gives the general idea that Sahir was a poet of despair, of melancholy, of nihilism. But nothing could be further from the truth. Sahir wrote all kinds of songs – of love, intense and unrequited – and lighthearted, fun songs, as well as philosophical songs. But no matter what he wrote – the songs were full of his deep humanism, his love for mankind, his socialist and secular leanings and his innate optimism. Far from being downcast at the state of the world, he saw hope in the future. ‘Woh Subah Kabhi Toh Ayegi’ as he wrote in the eponymous film.His 100th birth anniversary is a good opportunity to move away from the stereotypical and limited image of Sahir being a writer of sad songs to list a few of his other works – some known, others forgotten – to give a true measure of his range and expansive worldview.Baazi (1951)Sahir intended this to be a ghazal, but S.D. Burman set it to a westernised tune, leading to a spat between them. It was an inspired decision and the results are astounding. In it, Sahir captures the dilemma of the card sharp who is vacillating about taking a job in a club. Go ahead, do it, urges the club singer Geeta Bali, show your confidence and roll the dice.Jaal (1951 )This is probably one of the most sensuous, even erotic love songs ever written. Tony Fernandes (Dev Anand), a smuggler in Portuguese-ruled Goa, wants to seduce the village girl Maria (Geeta Bali), and then is planning to leave her and the village. The striking imagery – “Is haseen aag mein tu bhi jalke dekh le” elevates the song from the commonplace.Pyaasa (1957)Apart from the iconic and popular songs, there were others in the film too, equally good, equally memorable. And they need a closer look and a closer listen. This one looks like a typical Johnny Walker song, inserted to provide a comedic break in an otherwise serious film. But with Sahir, things are never that simple – the words are slyly suggestive, and Sahir manages to convey his firm belief that all humans are equal and even the powerful have to be humble and bow their heads – at least to the maalishwala. “Nauker ho ya maalik, leader ho ya public, apne aage sabhi jhukhe hain kya raja kya sainik.”Phir Subah Hogi (1958)Based on Crime and Punishment, this film was not a box office hit but makes for good viewing even today. Many of its weaknesses are still apparent, but the songs are genuine masterpieces, from the title song, to the duet – ‘Phir Na Kije Meri Gustakh Nigahi Ka Gila’ – to the sardonic ‘Aasman Pe Hai Khuda Aur Zameen Pe Hum’. But the undeniable winner is this one, which is a gently critical riff on Iqbal’s lines. Each verse is a gem, with Mukesh, under Khayyam’s direction, hitting all the correct emotional notes. The last stanza shows that Sahir was never one to drown in despair, and expresses the optimism of Nehruvian India: “Mil jul ke watan ko, aisa banayenge hum, hairat se muh takega, sara jehan hamara.”Didi (1959)One may think of this as an expression of unrequited love, the rejected lover accepting that while he will forget her, she cannot, because she has loved and loved deeply. There are many songs on these theme in Hindi cinema, where the rejected lover puts on an injured, martyred tone. Sahir turns it on its head, giving it a higher purpose. “Bhook aur pyaas maari is duniya mein, ishq hi ek musibat nahi, kuch aur bhi hai“. Apparently, Sahir had written it when his love for singer Sudha Malhotra (who also sings the female part) did not come to fruition, but martyrdom was not for him.Hum Dono (1961)Sahir had stepped out of Navketan films after a fight with S.D. Burman, but came back to the fold for his friend Dev Anand. Jaidev stepped in to give music and produced an outstanding score. Each song is a jewel and is remembered even today, 60 years later. This one was for Dev Anand and is really about Dev Anand and his worldview of always looking ahead, not back and certainly not with regret. “Barbadiyon ka soz manana fuzool tha, barbadiyon ka jashn manata chala gaya.” An anthem for all time on how to live life.Mujhe Jeene Do (1963)A dacoit drama, in which the daku Thakur Jarnail Singh (Sunil Dutt) falls in love with the singer – tawaayaf, really – Chameli (Waheeda Rehman). He marries her and turns over a new leaf, becoming a farmer. The film is about redemption and optimism in a newly independent India. Chameli is coquettish and coy, and Thakur is all macho, glowering at everyone, till he gets charmed by the singer.Waqt (1965)The 60s were about exuberance in technicolour, as films took viewers to Kashmir, Nainital and even Paris and London. Waqt was an early film on emergent Indian urban modernity-stylish cars, stylish clothes and hair-styles and stylish actors. This is the best song from the film, which in a few minutes show us the lifestyles of the upper-middle class, where romance, parties, royalty and even some villainy is part of the scene. A lot happens during the song, taking the story forward. Erica Lal, an American living in Delhi, sings this philosophical about living in the moment. Asha Bhonsle sings it the way only she can, under the direction of the highly underrated Ravi.Chitralekha (1968)Based on Bhagwati Charan Verma’s novel of the same name, the film tells us the story of Chandragupt Maurya’s love for a courtesan. All the songs were written in Hindi, which allowed Sahir to show his proficiency in the language. In this one, Sahir waxes philosophical – Chandralekha taunts Yogi Kumargiri about his asceticism, telling him that even the worldly life is a tapasya of sorts and that concepts like sin and virtue change from era to era and are labels given by religion: “Yeh paap hai kya, yeh punya hai kya, reeton par dharm ki mohrein hai.” A song for our times.Zameer (1975)Amitabh Bachchan, in his bell-bottoms, acts out this song about being carefree and going through life with a smile on your lips and take what is rightly yours, even if it means snatching it away. “Jahan haq na mile wahan loot sahi, jahan sach na chale wahan jhoot sahi“.