Gulzar releases Urdu varsity's 'tarana' along with Sukhwinder
Hyderabad, Nov 7: Moulana Azad National Urdu University (MANU) Friday launched its 'tarana' (anthem). Well-known poet and lyricist Gulzar had penned the 'tarana' and it was composed by eminent filmmaker and musician Vishal Bhardwaj. Sukhwinder Singh and Rekha Bhardwaj have sung the 'tarana'. Bollywood stalwarts attended a ceremony where the 'tarana' was launched. The stalwarts refused to take remuneration to show their love for Urdu. The words penned by Gulzar, Vishal's music and Sukhwinder's voice had the audience spellbound. The anthem starts with the line 'Urdu ki udey khusbhoo' (the fragrance of Urdu). 'Yeh Jamia-e-zaban-e-Urdu, zaban-e-Urdu ka ashian hai' it goes on to describe the university as the abode of Urdu. Speaking on the occasion, Gulzar, who had expressed his love for Urdu through several of his songs, said he is in love with the sweet language. The poet described 'tarana' as a 'flag of voice' that will remain forever. He said the anthem was an inspiration from his past. Gulzar revealed that he had failed in Urdu in the eighth standard. He ade this observation while going down the memory lane and referring to his visit to his hometown in Pakistan after 70 years. The poet said he was a servant of Ghalib and Urdu. Gulzar had produced a television serial 'Mirza Ghalib' on the life and times of the famous Urdu poet. He also hailed the contribution of Naseeruddin Shah, who played Ghalib, and singer Jagjit Singh for the runaway success of the 1988 serial.