Mehboob Kotwal

Mehboob Alam Kotwal
Born	Chindwara, Nashik, Maharashtra,  India
Occupation	Poet and Lyricist

Mehboob Alam Kotwal is a writer of Bollywood film song lyrics. He was born in the Nashik district of India in a village called Chindwara. His family moved to the city of Mumbai for good in the 1940s where he received his primary education, first in English and later in Urdu.

Career

In 1986, Mehboob met music composer Ismail Darbar who used to play the violin in film orchestras in those days. And it was Darbar who taught him the difference between poetry and film lyrics.^[1] Darbar introduced Mehboob to filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma and he began his song writing career with Varma's 1992 film Drohi whose music was composed by R. D. Burman. He then worked with A.R.Rahman on Varma's Rangeela. Rahman liked his work and introduced him to Mani Ratnam and Mehboob penned the lyrics for the Hindi (dubbed) version of Bombay.^[2] Mehboob went on to work with Rahman on films such as Thakshak, Doli Saja Ke Rakhna and Dil Hi Dil Mein. He has also written the lyrics for Rahman's non-film album Maa Tujhe Salaam as well as Ratnam's Yuva.

Mehboob has collaborated with Ismail Darbar on Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 1999 film Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, and on Shakti - The Power in 2002. He has also written the lyrics for Kamaal Khan's Hindi pop album "Kal Raat" (2003) and KK's albums - Pal and Humsafar.

Filmography

• Drohi (1992)
• Rangeela (1995)
• Bombay (1995)
• Daud (1997)
• Vande Mataram (1997, album)
• Doli Saja Ke Rakhna (1998)
• Thakshak (1999)
• Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999)
• Dil Hi Dil Mein (1999)
• Shakti - The Power (2002)
• Yuva (2004)
• Dil Ne Jise Apna Kaha (2006)
• Halla Bol (2007)
• Lamhaa (2010)

Selected Songs

One 2 Ka Four

• Khamoshiyaa gungunane lagi

Bombay

• Tu hi re
• Hamma hamma
• Kehna hi kya

Daud

• O bhavare

Dil Hi Dil Mein

• Ae nazneen suno na
• Dola dola

Doli Saja Ke Rakhna

• Tar pum tar pum
• Kissa hum likhnege

Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam

• Chaand chuppa
• Nimbooda Nimbooda
• Tadap Tadap
• Dholi Taro Dhol Baaje

Rangeela

• Tanha Tanha
• Pyaar yeh jane kaisa

Thakshak

• Rang de

Vande Mataram

• Maa tujhe salaam

Yuva

• Khuda hafiz

References

1. ^ My First Break - Mehboob
2. ^ The man who almost gave verse to Devdas

External links

• Mehboob Kotwal at the Internet Movie Database