Jackie Shroff honours lyricist Anjaan on his 96th birth anniversary
Synopsis
Jackie Shroff's social media post on Anjaan's 96th birth anniversary is a quiet reminder of a lyricist who wrote over 1,500 songs for more than 300 films — giving Hindi cinema 'Khaike Paan Banaraswala', 'Tere Jaisa Yaar Kahan', and dozens of other evergreens — yet rarely gets the retrospective spotlight his legacy deserves.
Key Takeaways
Jackie Shroff paid tribute to lyricist Anjaan on his 96th birth anniversary on 28 October 2026 .
Anjaan, born Lalji Pandey on 28 October 1930 in Varanasi , wrote more than 1,500 songs for over 300 films .
His iconic songs include 'Khaike Paan Banaraswala' ( Don ) and 'Tere Jaisa Yaar Kahan' ( Yaarana ).
He collaborated with composers including R.
Burman , Laxmikant-Pyarelal , and Bappi Lahiri .
Anjaan passed away on 3 September 1997 at the age of 66 ; his son Sameer Anjaan is also a prominent Hindi film lyricist.
Bollywood actor Jackie Shroff on Wednesday, 28 October paid tribute to legendary Hindi film lyricist Anjaan on what would have been his 96th birth anniversary, sharing a photograph of the celebrated wordsmith on social media alongside the message: 'Remembering Anjaan ji on his birth anniversary.'
Who Was Anjaan
Born Lalji Pandey on 28 October 1930 in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, Anjaan built one of Hindi cinema's most enduring lyrical legacies. Over a career spanning four decades, he wrote more than 1,500 songs for over 300 films, blending poetry and raw emotion in a way that resonated across generations.
He made his breakthrough with Prisoner of Golconda in the 1950s and went on to collaborate with some of the era's greatest music composers, including Kalyanji-Anandji, Laxmikant-Pyarelal, R. D. Burman, and Bappi Lahiri.
His Most Iconic Songs
Anjaan's pen gave Hindi cinema some of its most recognisable moments. Among his best-loved compositions are 'Khaike Paan Banaraswala' from Don, 'O Saathi Re' and 'Rote Hue Aate Hain Sab' from Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, 'Saara Zamana Haseeno Ka Deewana' and 'Tere Jaisa Yaar Kahan' from Yaarana, and 'Pag Ghungroo Baandh' from Namak Halaal.
He passed away on 3 September 1997, at the age of 66, leaving behind a catalogue that continues to feature on playlists and film retrospectives decades later.
A Legacy Carried Forward by His Son
Anjaan's son, Sameer Anjaan, has continued the family's lyrical tradition, becoming one of Hindi cinema's most commercially successful songwriters in his own right. He rose to prominence in the 1990s with hit soundtracks including Aashiqui, Saajan, and Deewana. His well-known songs include 'Nazar Ke Saamne' and 'Ab Tere Bin' from Aashiqui, 'Teri Umeed Tera Intezaar' from Deewana, 'Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin', and 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' from the film of the same name.
Jackie Shroff's Tribute Tradition
Shroff is widely regarded in film circles as one of the few mainstream Bollywood actors who consistently uses social media to mark the birth and death anniversaries of significant personalities from the Hindi film industry. His tribute to Anjaan on Wednesday is in keeping with that practice, drawing renewed attention to a lyricist whose work helped define the soundtrack of an era.
Point of View
500-song catalogue puts him among the most prolific lyricists in Hindi cinema history, yet his name rarely surfaces in mainstream retrospectives the way Gulzar's or Sahir Ludhianvi's does. Jackie Shroff's annual tribute habit fills a genuine gap — public memory for industry craftspeople fades fast unless someone keeps refreshing it. The Anjaan-Sameer generational handover is also a rare example of lyrical talent passing cleanly from father to son, a story worth telling more fully than a single social post allows.
NationPress
28 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Anjaan the lyricist?
Anjaan, whose real name was Lalji Pandey, was a legendary Hindi film lyricist born on 28 October 1930 in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Over a four-decade career he wrote more than 1,500 songs for over 300 films, collaborating with composers such as R. D. Burman, Laxmikant-Pyarelal, and Bappi Lahiri before his death on 3 September 1997.
What are Anjaan's most famous songs?
Among his most celebrated songs are 'Khaike Paan Banaraswala' from Don, 'O Saathi Re' and 'Rote Hue Aate Hain Sab' from Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, 'Tere Jaisa Yaar Kahan' from Yaarana, and 'Pag Ghungroo Baandh' from Namak Halaal. These tracks remain among the most-played songs from Hindi cinema's golden era.
Why did Jackie Shroff pay tribute to Anjaan?
Jackie Shroff shared a tribute post to mark Anjaan's 96th birth anniversary on 28 October 2026. Shroff is known for regularly using social media to commemorate birth and death anniversaries of significant personalities from the Hindi film industry.
Who is Sameer Anjaan and how is he connected to Anjaan?
Sameer Anjaan is the son of lyricist Anjaan and has become one of Hindi cinema's most successful songwriters in his own right. He rose to prominence in the 1990s with hit soundtracks such as Aashiqui, Saajan, and Deewana, carrying forward his father's lyrical legacy.
When did lyricist Anjaan pass away?
Anjaan passed away on 3 September 1997 at the age of 66. He had made his film debut in the 1950s and remained active in Hindi cinema for nearly four decades.
