Tome And Plume: Raag Bhopali, Sooorma Bhopali, And Bhopal

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A resident of Bhopal going to other state capitals is asked two questions, which are neither related to the Upper Lake nor concerned with any historical place of the city. 

The people, especially from the cities like Kolkata, Guwahati, Agartala and Chandigarh, pose two funny questions to a Bhopali, or you may call him a Bhopalite. A linguist can explain it.

But the two questions are if Bhopal has any connection with raag Bhoopali and Soorma Bhopali, a character from the 1975 blockbuster, Sholay. A Bhopali bragger will of course say both are connected to his great city. Yet one who knows Bhopal will never say it.

He may say Raag Bhoopali has no connection with Bhopal, but Soorma Bhopali has a faint connection with the city. The history of Indian classical music says Raag Bhoopali is a 4,000-year-old classical Indian raag.

MP Shocker! Man Strangles Wife To Death, Kills Self In Forest; Couple’s Daughter Ended Life 3 Months Ago

This pentatonic raag simply shares its name with the city. Because of the kingly qualities of this raag, musicians call it raag Bhoopali. According to the Oxford Sanskrit-English dictionary, 'Bhoop' means 'king'. Ergo, because of the raag’s majestic qualities, it is called Raag Bhoopali.

Besides, being an evening raag, it has all the qualities of kingliness. At the fall of the day, when the people are generally in a sombre mood, this raag provides a soothing effect. It is the fundamental raag for any student of Indian classical music. It can be played on any instrument, especially on flute. There are many Bollywood numbers based on this song. If the raag is played properly on a musical instrument or sung, it takes both singer and listeners to the world of eternal joy.

Standing on a bank of the Upper Lake, if a person coming from another city listens to the Raag after the sunset, he can understand what it means. In Carnatic music, this raag is called Mohanam.

Musicians say Raag Bhupali was rendered in the courts of the kings of ancient India. The Mughal emperors also loved the Raag.

The other question is that of Soorma Bhopali’s connection with Bhopal. The character of Soorma Bhopali became a household name after the release of the 1975 blockbuster, Sholay.

The film character has some relations with a real character from Bhopal, Nahar Singh Baghel, a witty man from the city and a contemporary of Salim-Javed, who wrote the script for the film.

The duo, Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar, is known as Salim-Javed. Baghel was a friend of Akhtar.

Comedian Jagdeep immortalised the character of Soorma Bhopali, who delineates the general characteristic of the original residents of Bhopal – easy-going and fun-loving. They crack jokes in any situation and are ready to help others. The sense of humour of a Bhopali is unparalleled. This is the reason that the city could withstand the Bhopal gas tragedy.

The character of ‘Soorma Bhopali’ is so popular that it inspired a resident of the city, Jayant Gour, to write a book, Ek Bhopali K Nazar Se (Bhopal, through the eyes of a Bhopali), teeming with sketches and cartoons.

The legendary Bollywood actor, Syed Ishtiaq Ahmed Jaffrey, worked hard on the Bhopali accent and to learn their way of life. He perfected both to associate a Bhopali with Soorma.

But when Salim-Javed scripted the character for the film, little did they know what impact it would have on the audience.

Over 50 years have passed since the film was made, but every Bhopali still adores the character of Soorma Bhopali.