This poet’s verses flew like ‘gilli’

Sharp and witty, Gilli Nalgondavi had a humorous way of dealing with even serious subjects which regaled audience in mushairas

If there is, Danda can Gilli be far behind? No way! Gilli-Danda may be a popular sport elsewhere, but in Hyderabad these words evoke instant laughter. Yes, they are names of popular humour poets – Ghulam Sarwar Danda and Gilli Nalgondavi. The only difference is that here Gilli follows Danda. As sharp and witty as his predecessor, Gilli of Nalgonda ably filled the vacuum caused by the death of Danda in mizahiya shayeri.

A people’s poet, his real name was Khwaja Mohiuddin Khan. He took off from where Danda left. He became hugely popular by the takkhalus (penname) ‘Gilli’ and took the poetic world by storm. Deviating from the usual humour subjects, he portrayed burning social issues in his verses. The humorous way he dealt with serious subjects went down well with the audience at mushairas.

By nature, Gilli was inclined more towards the nazm genre. Simple language laced with Deccani words and proverbs made his poetry all the more attractive. After his death in December 1979, his verses were published in the book form titled Taadban. But Gilli’s poetry is more to do with listening than reading.

The articulation of Deccani words in the typical diction only ads to pleasure. The immediate effect of his poetry is that the assemblage breaks into peals of laughter. But after sometime, a hush descends as the bitter truth hidden in the fun-filled shayeri sinks in. Sample these verses:

Sirf stateon ki chakkar main bichad gaye do dilaan

Andhra Inka kate, mera Telangana kate

Mai jo leta hun so rishwat jurm khanoonan kate

Murshadan lerain so tohfa aur nazrana kate

Gilli’s poetry was a true reflection of things taking place around him. Whatever he felt and observed, he gave vent to in his poems. His personal life was full of anguish and suffering, mostly because of his wayward lifestyle.  But, he took his individual problems in his stride. Those who knew him say Gilli indulged in humour poetry in order to forget his own pain and agony. He was drawn towards poetry right from childhood. Not many know that Gilli wrote some serious poetry too under the penname ‘Sayeed’ and later ‘Amar’. He couldn’t study beyond tenth class due to financial problems at home. He got a job in Public Works Department in Nalgonda, but he couldn’t stick to it for long.

Gilli had a good memory and could recite old poems by rote. He also had a good grip on Telugu language and used many Telugu words in his poems. In the poem ‘Fashionable Wife’, he uses the Telugu line – ega gelsinave bhama – to great effect.

Har raat pi ko aana, minje peetna rulana

Aiyo Rama Rama, Aiyo Rama Rama

Ega gelsinave bhama, ega gelsinvave bhama

 When the Nagarjuna Sagar dam was being constructed in 1962, Gilli went there in search of employment. He met a project officer who promised him job. Gilli kept visiting the officer to no avail. Finally, when the project was completed, Gilli recited a poem ‘Talashe Rozgar’ (in search of job) at a mushaira. In it he highlighted the problems faced by him in finding employment. When the concerned officer heard it, he immediately arranged a job for Gilli overcome by feeling of guilt and remorse. Some lines of the famous poems go like this:

Zindagi zinda dili hai dil ko behlana kate

Aath din se faqa reh ko sher farmana kate

Leaderan to dinneron po dinneran derin tadi

Mai Fateh Maidan ki thandi hava khana kate

When the then Chief Minister, M Chenna Reddy, installed an Urdu name plate at his official residence, Gilli wrote a full-length poem titled ‘Urdu ki Taqti’. One of the verses goes like this:

Chenna Reddy ke ghar par Urdu ki taqti

Urdu zuban ki hai a khush baqti

 Gilli was unsparing in targeting politicians and pseudo mullahs. A strong votary of Telangana, he made fun of former Chief Minister, Brahmananda Reddy, in the poem ‘Andhra ke Basha’ in his typical style:

Wo Andhra ke Basha, nakko tera tamasha

Nakko tera tamasha, aasha hui nirasha

Andhra ko nikal jana, jai bol Telangana

Among his poems, ‘Nanhi Bee’, ‘Modern Mehbooba’, ‘Leader Ki Mout par Chamchaon ka Maatam’, ‘Rahi to Kya, Nai Rahi to Kya’, ‘Begum Sambhal ke Baitho’, are very famous.

Bandoq se nakko dar bhai, rifle se nakko dar bhai

Vakli main diya sar to, mussal se nakko dar bhai

Aashiq hai agar saccha to un pe fida ho ja

Tujhe unki kasam un ke sandal se nakko dar bhai

In poem after poem, Gilli displayed his skills, particularly in usage of Deccani words. See the way he captures man’s nature and dubious ways in the poem ‘Sareka Hai’:

Murrawat main kompa dubaye sareka hai

Mulahz main murdar khilaye sareka hai

Ino kya mujhe ab nibhye sareka hai

Tum bhi zari mamu chadhye sareka hai

Gilli was way ahead of the renowned poet Mirza Ghalib, when it came to drinking alcohol. He did not eat much but was always found in an inebriated condition. He was afflicted by jaundice and admitted to the Osmania General Hospital in a serious condition. After battling for life, he breathed his last on December 29, 1979. It was the excessive intake of liquor that led to the untimely death of Gilli at the age of 43. In one his poems, he says:

Phukat main pirain so, asli rahi to kya nai rahi to kya

Made in England whisky rahi to kya nai rahi to kya

Waz karrain ek taraf to luppa-dappi ek taraf

Aise mullahji ki dadhi rahi to kya nai rahi to kya

Gilli was influenced, among others, by Ghalib. In a parody of his famous poem – Dile nadaan tujhe huva kya hai… Gilli writes:

Chokra mard hai, kamata hai

Sirf pita hai to bura kya hai

Tedhi ungli se ghee nikalta hai

Seedhi ungli se faida kya hai

Inke abba ke hath main danda

Bol Gilli ye mamila kya hai

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in Telangana Today

Dated September 1,2019