He then roped in Lata Mangeshkar and music director C. Pradeep said he would do so but would not reveal any details. Some weeks later producer Mehboob Khan approached him for an opening song for a fund-raiser he was organising at the Nation Stadium. He borrowed a pen from a fellow walker, wripped out the foil from his cigarette packet and penned the first stanza: 'Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon/Aankhon Me Bhar Lo Paani/Jo Shaheed Huei Hai Unki/Zara Yaad Karo Kurbani'. Pradeep, who was as despondent as every other Indian after the 1962 war, was walking the Mahim beach in Mumbai when the words suddenly came to him. There's an interesting story behind the song's origin. Its popularity continues unabated after 50 years - and remains a 'must play' at all major national celebrations and events. High School here and also presented the original handwritten poem to him,' his artist daughter, Mitul told IANS.Ī tribute to the war heroes and martyrs, the song enabled the young and the old to control and overcome the anger of defeat. When Nehru visited Mumbai three months later - on Mamy father sang it specially for him at a function at R.M.

Radhakrishnan, prime minister Nehru, cabinet ministers, virtually the entire film industry comprising stalwarts like Dilip Kumar and late actors Dev Anand, Raj Kapoor, Rajendra Kumar, singers Mohammed Rafi, Hemant Kumar and many more. The distinguished audience included president S. 27 evening exactly 50 years ago - by Lata Mangeshkar. 'Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon', perhaps revered next only to the National Anthem ('Jana Gana Mana') and the National Song ('Vande Mataram'), as also 'Saare Jahan Se Aacha', was first rendered before a packed National Stadium in the capital on a cold Jan. 'Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon' (O people of my land), penned by National Poet Pradeep, was written shortly after the war and served to unite the masses who were seething with rage over the battering the Indian forces received. It is a song that is sung on every patriotic occasion, had moved India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, to tears and its strong morale-boosting words provided solace to a nation agonized by the defeat in the 1962 India-China war.

E watan mere watan