Har ek ghar mein diya bhi jaley anaaj bhi ho

This article is written by Sadanand Kamath, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a contributor to this blog. This article is meant to be posted in atulsongaday.me. If this article appears in other sites without the knowledge and consent of the web administrator of atulsongaday.me, then it is piracy of the copyright content of atulsongaday.me and is a punishable offence under the existing laws.

In the aftermath of Kargil War of 1999, some Hindi films have been made on this subject, mostly as war films like ‘LOC Kargil’ (2001) and ‘Lakshya’ (2004). In the recent period, ‘Gunjan Saxena’ – The Kargil Girl’ (2020) and ‘Shershaah’ (2021) were also made on the subject. I was not aware that ‘Dhoop’ (2003) was also related to Kargil War of 1999. When I watched the film, I became aware that this film was based on a true story of Captain Anuj Nayyar, MVC who laid down his life while capturing Point 4875 in the Tiger Hill sector in Kargil War. He was posthumously awarded Maha Veer Chakra and his family was granted franchise for operating a petrol pump.

While other films on Kargil War are mostly events from the war front, ‘Dhoop’ (2003) begins the story after the Kargil War ends. The film is about how martyr’s parents faced massive bureaucratic red tapes and corruption at various levels, apart from humiliation to get the petrol pump operational which was allotted to them by the Government of India. However, after a gap of more than 2 years, with the intervention of the Prime Minister, the petrol pump became operational.

I had heard that our bureaucratic systems and the level of corruption do not leave even the dead bodies. After watching the heart-touching film, ‘Dhoop’ (2003), I was ashamed they did not leave even the Kargil war martyrs. I googled on this subject and read some related articles one among which was an article appearing on Outlook India. The article revealed that bureaucratic apathy and corruption faced by war martyrs was wide spread. I quote below the part of the article relevant in the case of Captain Anuj Nayyar:

Prime Minister Vajpayee started his Independence Day speech from Red Fort by paying his respects to those who had laid down their lives for the nation. This year, however, the celebrations were slightly different. Prof S.K. Nayyar, Captain Anuj Nayyar’s father, went up to the PM and said: “I gave my son to the country in its war against Pakistan but now I am fighting a war against your bureaucracy.” This is how families of most of Kargil’s martyrs feel now – betrayed and let down.

Two years ago, the Vajpayee government, still flush with victory, had offered petrol pumps and gas agencies to all such families. Now, Prof Nayyar, proud to be a Mahavir Chakra awardee’s father, risks becoming a mere statistic tucked away in government files. So have all the others. Of the 446 families that applied for retail outlets for either petrol pumps or LPG agencies, only 308 letters of intent have been issued, and of these only 113 are operational.

The bureaucracy – be it in the office of the DCP Licensing, the water department or the electricity department—has spared no family, it seems. Prof Nayyar’s application for an NOC gathered dust in the DCP Licencing’s office and all pleas came to nought till he wrote to home minister L.K. Advani. He had to, for petrol being an ‘explosive’ item, a NOC is the first step in the many to follow before the pump becomes a reality. Nayyar got his NOC within two hours of Advani reading his letter, but as he says: “How are wives of jawans living in remote villages ever going to access the home minister and why do we need to approach the highest authority for something that the government itself promised us?”

When the Government allotted the petrol pump franchise to Captain Anuj Nayyar’s father, as a part of the compensation, his wife was not interested in accepting it as she felt that loss of her son cannot be compensated. His father also said that they do not need petrol pump for a living as both of them earns enough to sustain. It was only after the persuasion by Captain Anuj Nayyar’s boss, a Major in his regiment to accept it as part of perpetuating the memory of their martyr-son, they accepted the allotment. With this acceptance, the parents’ nightmare started as pointed out in the article referred to above. After the petrol pump became operational, Professor S K Nayyar, Captain Anuj Nayyar’s father aptly named the petrol pump as ‘Kargil Height Filling Station’. After his retirement from Delhi School of Economics, he started looking after the ‘Kargil Height’ which is located in Vasundhara Enclave in Delhi. After his death in October 2014, his wife, Meena Nayyar is looking after ‘Kargil Height’. The income from the petrol pump goes to a trust which grants financial assitance to the childrens of poor family for education and other needs.

‘Dhoop’ (2003) was directed by Ashwini Chaudhary. The cast included Om Puri, Revathi, Sanjay Suri (special appearance), Gul Panag (debutant), Gopi Desai, Yashpal Sharma, Virendra Saxena, Murli Sharma, Preeti Dayal, Ehsaan Khan, Rohitashva Gaur, Ashutosh Jha etc. This low budget film got a limited theatrical release on November 7, 2003, without marketing and fanfare.

The idea of making this film came to Ashwini Chaudhary when he watched a TV interview of Professor S K Nayyar, the father of Captain Anuj Nayyar in which he described his long-drawn struggle to make the petrol pump allotted to him to become operational. Ashwini Chaudhary was moved by his tale. He met Professor S K Nayyar in Delhi and told him that he wanted to make a film on his long journey of struggle to get the petrol pump operational. Initially, he discouraged him by saying that not many would watch a film with a story of an old couple. But realising that Ashwini Chaudhary was emotionally affected by what he saw during his TV interview, Professor S K Nayyar agreed. Ashwini Chaudhary says that the three persons who greatly contributed with their inputs were Professor S K Nayyar, Om Puri and Jagjit Singh. (Source: Times Entertainment, July 26, 2020).

In the film, ‘Dhoop’ (2003), the names of Captain Anuj Nayyar, his parents and his fiancée have been changed. The events in their lives are depicted in the film more or less the same with a few additions for dramatisation. The gist of the story of the film is as under:

Suresh Kapoor (Om Puri) is the professor of economics in Delhi School of Economics. His wife, Sarita Kapoor (Revathi) works as a Librarian in University of Delhi. They have a son, Captain Rohit Kapoor (Sanjay Suri) who is posted in the war zone of Kargil sector. One day, Professor Suresh Kapoor receives a telephone from the Army Head Quarters that his son has laid down his life while capturing an important peak in Kargil Sector. His parents are devasted. So is his fiancée, Peehu Verma (Gul Panag) who were to get married in a couple of months.

Captain Rohit Kapoor is awarded Maha Veer Chakra. Professor Suresh Kapoor gets a letter from Army Head Quarters that they have been offered a petrol pump in the memory of their son which can also be a source of living for them. But Sarita Kapoor does not want to accept the offer. Professor Suresh Kapoor also feels that both of them are earning enough to sustain their lives. Major Kaul, who was the head of the Jaat Battalion to which Captain Rohit Kapoor was attached, persuades Kapoors to accept the offer to perpetuate the memory of their son. Peehu Verma seconds the suggestion. Professor Kapoor accepts the offer.

Little did Professor Kapoor and his wife know of the nightmare they would go through for nearly two years from the date of the allotment of petrol pump. When they approach various Government departments and local authorities for land allotment, water supply, electric supply, obtaining NOCs from police, fire brigade and under Explosive Act, he finds that no paper would move unless the concerned officials are bribed. And when he refuses to pay bribes, they are humiliated. For these officials, the war time is their peak season for earning money as more the martyrs more the money for them. It is only when Sarita Kapoor gets threatened by some hooligans because of the upright stand taken by her husband, Professor Kapoor decides to give up the offer of petrol pump. At that moment, Peehu Verma, comes with a good news that Prime Minister has given them an appointment for 5 minutes and it is right now.

Professor Suresh Kapoor, his wife and Peehu Verma meets the Prime Minister in his chambers and submit a file containing his two years of his journey of struggles with the various Government departments and other bodies. The next day, the newspapers carry reports of the suspension of those officials who were creating obstacles for Professor Kapoor. He gets land allotted, water and electricity connections and NOCs from the required authorities. The petrol pump becomes operational with the name ‘Kargil Heights’. Professor Kapoor sets up a trust to channel income from petrol pump for children’s education of poor families.

This is one of those rare melodramatic films which is heart-touching. Despite slow pace of story, especially in the first half, I did not get bored mainly because of the intense high-quality performances of Om Puri and Revathi in the role of parents of the martyr. The debutant Gul Panag also the supporting performance. The story in the second half of the film becomes more interesting as it is in this part that melodrama ends, and Om Puri’s journey starts to get his petrol pump operationalised during which he faces obstacles at every stage. Some of the dialogues are hard-hitting. The best part of the film is that it emotionally connects to the audience. The only drawback of the film, if I may say so, is that there are 8 songs in the film most of which, I felt, did not add to the progress of the story. In my view, only 2-3 songs would have been right numbers with one each song at the beginning and the end of the films which are the tone setting songs of the film.

The film failed at the box office mainly because it was meant for audience who like to watch sensible films. I feel that the makers of this film were aware that the film may not be a success in terms of box office collections. Hence, they did not spend money for marketing of the film.

‘Dhoop’ (2003) had 8 songs written by Nida Fazli which were set to music by Lalit Sen. I am presenting the first song, a ghazal from the film, ‘har ek ghar mein diyaa bhi jale anaaj bhi ho’ to appear on the Blog. The song is rendered by Jagjit Singh using Nida Fazli’s one of the published ghazals. The original ghazal has two more couplets.

The soft and melancholic singing of Jagjit Singh with flute rendition by Ronu Majumdar camouflage Nida Fazli’s hard-hitting ghazal. The sum and substance of the ghazal is that every household must have light and food to eat (‘diya jale’ and ‘anaaj’ are symbolic of prosperity in the household). If these are not there, people should be ready to protest (ehtijaaj). The poet further says that changing the ruler is not impossible (muhaal). It is the need to have a society that can change the ruler. How long one can keep the better days in the imprisonment of assurances for tomorrow? Why not today? The last couplet is symbolic of what Om Puri in the film had gone through. Instead of spending about 2 years, running from pillar to post, that time could have been productively utilised for other works if the authorities had done their work promptly.

This ghazal is very relatable to the story of the film.

Video Clip:

Lyrics (based on audio clip):

ae ae ???????
har ek ghar mein diyaa bhi jaley anaaj bhi ho
har ek ghar mein diyaa bhi jaley anaaj bhi ho
agar na ho kahin aisaa to ehtjaaj bhi ho
agar na ho kahin aisaa to ehtjaaj bhi ho
har ek ghar mein diyaa bhi jaley anaaj bhi ho

hukoomaton ko badalnaa to kuchh muhaal nahin
hukoomaton ko badalnaa to kuchh muhaal nahin
hukoomaten jo badaltaa hai wo samaaj bhi ho
hukoomaten jo badaltaa hai wo samaaj bhi ho
agar na ho kahin aisaa to ehtjaaj bhi ho
agar na ho kahin aisaa to ehtjaaj bhi ho
har ek ghar mein diyaa bhi jaley anaaj bhi ho

rahegi kab talak waadon mein qaid khushhaali
rahegi kab talak waadon mein qaid khushhaali
har ek baar hi kal kyun kabhi to aaj bhi ho
agar na ho kahin aisaa to ehtjaaj bhi ho
har ek ghar mein diyaa bhi jaley anaaj bhi ho

na karte shor sharaabaa to aur kyaa karte
na karte shor sharaabaa to aur kyaa karte
tumhaare shahar mein kuchh aur kaam-kaaj bhi ho
tumhaare shahar mein kuchh aur kaam-kaaj bhi ho
har ek ghar mein diyaa bhi jaley anaaj bhi ho
agar na ho kahin aisaa to ehtjaaj bhi ho