Mumbai, May 10: “I am a poet for a moment or two…” These lines evoke a deep sense of longing. They belong to Sagar Sarhadi, a man who felt the pain of his country’s partition in his very veins. Born as Gangasagar Talwar, Sarhadi was not just a poet or filmmaker; he was a sensitive soul who never forgot the anguish of division. His connection to nature was profound, and his words resonated with the essence of village life, the sound of rivers, and the pain of borders.
Sagar Sarhadi was born on May 11, 1933, in the small village of Bafa (Abbottabad) in undivided India. Surrounded by the beauty of nature, flowing rivers, lush mountains, and a starry sky, his childhood was filled with wonder. However, he lost his mother at a young age. Despite this, he continued to move forward in life. At just 14, the partition of the country occurred, bringing a storm that changed everything.
He first reached Srinagar with his family and later found refuge in a camp in Delhi. Uprooted from his small village, he became a refugee. This experience left him with profound questions: Why do borders exist? Why does division happen? Why are people uprooted from their roots? This pain inspired him to change his name to Sagar Sarhadi, incorporating the agony of borders into his identity.
Even after moving to Mumbai, Sarhadi’s life was filled with struggles. He took on various jobs, but none satisfied him, as his true calling lay in creativity. He began writing Urdu plays, with works like “Shaheed Bhagat Singh,” “Heer Ranjha,” and “Tanhai” gaining immense popularity. His next step was to enter the film industry.
In 1974, he made his debut with “Goonj.” After meeting Yash Chopra, his career soared to new heights. He wrote dialogues and screenplays for films like “Kabhi Kabhi,” followed by “Silsila,” “Chandni,” “Noori,” and “Bazaar.” In 1982, he directed the film “Bazaar,” featuring actors like Naseeruddin Shah, Smita Patil, and Farooq Sheikh.
When Rakesh Roshan decided to launch Hrithik Roshan, he chose Sagar Sarhadi to write the dialogues. The songs from the film “Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai” remain popular to this day. Sagar Sarhadi breathed his last on March 22, 2021, in Mumbai.
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