On the death anniversary of legendary lyricist Shailendra, renowned Hindi film songwriter Sameer Anjaan was conferred with the 12th Shailendra Award in a dignified ceremony held at IIT Roorkee, Uttarakhand.
Widely regarded as a magician of words, Sameer Anjaan is also a Guinness World Record holder for writing the highest number of film songs.
With a contribution of over 5,000 songs to Hindi cinema, Sameer Anjaan was honoured for his unparalleled creative journey and decades-long service to film music.
The award recognised his ability to express complex human emotions in simple, heartfelt words—an artistic quality that strongly echoes the legacy of Shailendra himself.
An Emotional Presence of Shailendra’s Family – Shailendra Award
A special highlight of the ceremony was the presence of Manoj Shailendra, son of the legendary lyricist, who travelled from the United States to attend the event.
He addressed long-standing misconceptions related to his father’s life, particularly the belief that the film Teesri Kasam led to Shailendra’s demise.
He clarified that this narrative was completely false and stated that Shailendra was never someone who accepted defeat.
“My father once told me that he was writing for fifty films and would clear all his debts through his work,” he recalled.
Manoj Shailendra also referred to a music show where Annu Kapoor had mentioned that Raj Kapoor charged only one rupee for Teesri Kasam, while Waheeda Rehman also took no remuneration.
Under such circumstances, blaming the film for financial loss is factually incorrect, he said, urging people to write and speak about Shailendra with proper research and responsibility.
Shailendra’s daughter Amla Shailendra Majumdar, who came from Dubai, was also present. Overcome with emotion while remembering her father, she said my father’s lyrics easily. understand but meanings are very deep, She has authored a deeply sensitive and acclaimed book on Shailendra’s life and legacy.
Voices from Literature and Cinema
Eminent poet and litterateur Buddhinath Mishra observed that while this was the 12th Shailendra Award, it was difficult to predict how long the tradition could continue, as lyricists of Shailendra’s stature are rare.
The chief guest of the programme, celebrated lyricist Irshad Kamil, stressed the need for serious research into the lyrical tradition spanning from Shailendra to Sameer Anjaan. He emphasised that the depth and philosophy of their writings deserve deeper academic and cultural exploration.
The event was presided over by poet and former Police Commissioner Tejendra Singh Luthra, who congratulated Sameer Anjaan and described him as a truly deserving recipient.
Author and scholar Rajesh Rathore, who has written extensively on Shailendra, remarked that Shailendra was an extraordinary lyricist whom Raj Kapoor once described as “the soul” of his cinema.
Sameer Anjaan’s Humble Acceptance
While receiving the honour, Sameer Anjaan expressed deep humility and emotion:
“To receive an award associated with the name of Shailendra is a moment of immense pride for me. Yet, I do not consider myself worthy of such a great honour,” and further sharing his philosophy of writing, Sameer said, “Writing what is difficult is hard, but writing simplicity itself is even harder.”
