Lyricist Shamsher Sandhu speaks candidly at Literary Interaction Event

Chandigarh (The Uttam Hindu):  The Punjabi Lekhak Sabha Chandigarh, in collaboration with the Punjab Kala Parishad, organized a special interactive session with renowned lyricist and senior journalist Shamsher Sandhu at Punjab Kala Bhavan today.

A large number of attendees gathered to enjoy the program titled “Yaar Bolda…”, where noted sports writer Navdeep Singh Gill conducted an engaging and open conversation with Shamsher Sandhu.

General Secretary Bhupinder Singh Malik stated that Shamsher Sandhu’s name symbolizes refined writing in Punjabi songwriting, blending literary sweetness with cultural depth. President Deepak Sharma thanked all attendees and remarked that Sandhu presented nearly half a century of history before the audience during the session.

Secretary Sukhwinder Singh Sidhu, in his welcome address, said that Sandhu has given a new direction to Punjabi songwriting through his high-quality lyrics, enabling singers like Surjit Bindrakhia and Satwinder Bitti to achieve remarkable success.

Singer Mandeep Kaur Marar captivated the audience by rendering Sandhu’s popular song “Peke Hunde Maavan Naal” in her melodious voice, earning widespread appreciation.

As the moderator, Navdeep Gill highlighted that Shamsher Sandhu performed every role in life with dedication. Starting his career as a teacher, he later established himself as a reputed journalist and remained associated with a single institution for 30 years. More than 500 of his songs have been recorded by over 80 singers, and 68 albums featuring his work have been released. He is also known for having memorized numerous works of leading Punjabi poets.

In his distinctive style, Shamsher Sandhu captivated the audience with candid reflections. He shared anecdotes related to eminent literary figures such as Shiv Kumar Batalvi, M. S. Randhawa, Mohan Singh, Surjit Patar, Avtar Singh Sandhu, Jagdev Singh Jassowal, and Didar Sandhu. He emphasized that his growth as a lyricist came from deeply reading great literary figures and noted that Punjab’s land is rich in vibrant folk traditions.

Speaking about his songwriting journey, Sandhu revealed that melodies for most of his songs would often form in his mind itself, which greatly helped music composers. He also shared several examples to illustrate this process. Reflecting on his journalism career, he described it as highly beneficial for his creative writing.

Davinder Kaur Dhillon presented a song originally sung by Satwinder Bitti and written by Sandhu, which was warmly appreciated. Sandhu also shared the story behind the creation of the song “Yaar Bolda” in detail. Navdeep Gill posed several lesser-known questions about Sandhu’s life, which he answered in an engaging manner, keeping the audience thoroughly captivated.

The event witnessed the presence of a large number of eminent writers, journalists, singers, lyricists, actors, and intellectuals. Among those who actively interacted with Sandhu were Balkar Sidhu, Dr. Gurminder Sidhu, Sanjeevan Singh, Kamal Dusanjh, and Ajayab Aujla, who asked insightful questions related to his songwriting.

The program was also attended by prominent personalities including poet Sukhwinder Amrit, singer Sufi Balbir, Darshan Aulakh, senior journalist Baljit Bali, Jai Singh Chhibber, Jagtaar Bhullar, Davinder Pal, Harbans Sodhi, Kamaljit Singh Banwait, Ajayab Aujla, K. P. Singh, Sushil Dusanjh, Avtar Singh Bhanwara, Captain Narendra Singh (IAS), Dr. Baldev Singh Khahira, Pal Ajnabi, Manjeet Kaur Meet, Sukhwinder Sidhu, Harminder Kalra, Malkiat Basra, Balwinder Arya, Maan Singh, Varinder Chatha, Jasbir Singh Gill, Yadwinder Sidhu, Bhatti Bhadiwala, Jagjit Singh, Sarabjit Singh, Krishan Lal Sharma, Parvinder Singh, Rajinder Kaur Saran, Raj Samaddar, Jaswinder Singh Jassi, Dhyan Singh Kahlon, Darshan Tyuna, Dr. Panna Lal Mustafabadi, Surjit Singh Dhir, Dr. Labh Singh Khiwa, Dr. Avtar Singh Patang, Dinesh Kumar Sharma, Winder Maji, Surjit Suman, Dr. Kamaljit Kaur, Samreen Kaur, Sukhwinder Ahi, Sukhwinder Singh Sarao, Charanjit Kaur Bath, Surinder Kumar, Surinder Kaur Bara, Dr. Shinder Pal, Jaswinder Singh Kayanour, Ranjit Kaur Kayanour, Rahul Chauhan, Aneesh Dabra, Pawandeep Chauhan, Dharam Singh, Jagtaar Singh Jog, Data Ram Saini, Manmohan Singh Kalsi, Satwant Singh Mohali, Amarjit, Keval Bharti, Harbhajan Kaur Dhillon, Kuldeep Kaur, Sukhchain Singh, Muhinder Garg, Jasveer Samar, Shamshil Singh Sodhi, R. D. Kailey, Manjeet Kaur Mohali, Dr. Manjeet Singh Ball, A. S. Lamba, Jeet Singh, Dr. Satinder Singh Bedi, Babu Ram Diwana, Parminder Singh Gill (Advocate), Prabhjot Dhillon, Prof. Davinder Kaur (Canada), Balwinder Kaur, Rekha Mittal, Joginder Singh Jagga, Gurcharan Singh, Raj Kumar Sahowalia, Parminder Singh Parwana, J. L. Kanaujia, Gurjant Singh, Sheenu Walia, Raghbir Singh, Kuljit Kaur, Malkiat Singh Aujla, Rakhi Balasubramaniam, Raminder Pal Singh, Gurmel Singh, Harjit Singh, Baljit Singh, Sanjeev Jaggi, Er. Pawan Kumar, Uma Kant Mehta, and Jatinder Pal Singh.

The event stood out as a rich celebration of Punjabi literature, music, and cultural heritage, leaving a lasting impression on all attendees.