Aspiring Higher

After having written hundreds of songs, dozens of which have become very popular, Kharel feels that he has not achieved anything in life

By THAKUR AMGAI

Yasto Pani Hundo Raichha Jindagima Kahile Kahin
Kasailai Maya Garnu Euta Bhool Garen Maile

 

Khrel : Popular lyricist

The writer of this song is Yadav Kharel. He was merely in his early twenties when he wrote this moving song. The song is equally popular even today. It was sung by Fatteman.

Kharel has multiple facets in his life. He started a career as a Radio Presenter. He passed the voice test of Radio Nepal and joined as a program producer merely in his teens.

Kharel was interested in literature since his childhood. But he did not practice writing, singing or playing music. It was when he joined Radio Nepal that he started writing songs. “The ambience of Radio Nepal was very musical, so I started writing songs,” says Kharel.

His first song was ‘Jalyo-Jalyo Tan Jalyo’ sung by D. B. Mahesh. Kharel was hardly twenty when he wrote this song. He wrote more songs as he continued serving at Radio Nepal and mingling with singers and musicians. It can be inferred that the musical environment and the circle of friends made Kharel a song writer.

After serving for eight years at Radio Nepal , Kharel joined the BBC Nepali service and came back after two years to handle the portfolio of chairman and general manager of the Royal Nepal Film Corporation. He also became the executive chairman of the National Film Development Board immediately after its inception six years back. Currently, he is an academician of the Royal Nepal Academy .

Kharel was born in Kavre. His early childhood was spent in the hills of Kavre and he was brought to Kathmandu for schooling. He says, he never thought he would come this far as a song writer or a film maker, but had always thought that he would excel in whatever he did. Probably, because of these aspirations Kharel does not feel that he has achieved much in life, even after many of his songs as well as films have become very popular among the audience. However, he enjoys his life thoroughly in retrospect. Kharel says he will focus on writing after retiring from his responsibility at the Royal Nepal Academy .

Kharel writes whenever mood strikes. He expresses others’ feelings equally well as he does his own. Kharel says that a song is ‘the condensed form of one’s feelings.’ It’s a kind of poem – a short and a lyrical one. Kharel also claims that songs should express the high intensity of one’s feelings in the simplest form.

He has directed a number of films. A feature film ‘Prem Pinda’ based on the popular epic of playwright Bal Krishna Sama had become very popular. He also wrote songs for the film like ‘Gairi Khetko Sirai Hanyo’ and ‘Sapana Ho Yo Bhanedekhi Sapanimai Marun.’ Those songs are classic and are equally popular these days. In addition to the songs in this film he has written songs for more than forty other feature films.

He expresses the moods of different situation through his songs. The songs like ‘Nau Saya Khola Tarera Jane, Birsane Po Ho Ki Malai Birsane Po Ho Ki’ sung by Tara Devi and ‘Yastai Rahechha Yahanko Chalan’ sung by Devika Pradhan express the feelings of distress, while the songs like ‘Udun Ki Gudun Ma, E Chari Sarara Udna Sikaide’ express the feelings of a happy mood.

Kharel has over half a dozen published books to his credit. He published ‘Ani Euta Lahar Biujhinchha’ about forty years ago and other anthology of songs and poems in the latter years. Likewise, he has written script for several feature films including Prem Pinda and for many educational and awareness creating documentaries.

In recognition to his contribution to Nepali music industry, he has been awarded with several honors and awards including ‘Chhinnalata Geet Puraskar’ and ‘Ratna Shree Padak’. His contribution to the film industry has earned him several other awards including the ‘Prakhyat Trishakti Patta’ and ‘Prabal Gorkha Dakshin Bahu’.