Nand Lal Noorpuri

{{Short description|Poet and film songs lyricist (1906-1966)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}

{{Use Indian English|date=April 2023}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Nand Lal Noorpuri

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_name = Nand Lal

| birth_date = June 1906

| birth_place = Noorpur, Punjab Province, British India

| death_date = 13 May {{Death year and age|1966|1906}}

| death_place = Jalandhar, Punjab, India

| nationality = Indian

| other_names =

| known_for =

| occupation = Poet, lyricist

}}

Nand Lal Noorpuri (June 1906 – 13 May 1966) was an Indian poet, writer and lyricist who wrote in Punjabi.{{cite news|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20060811/jplus.htm|title=Free Spirit (Profile of Nand Lal Noorpuri)|date=11 August 2006|newspaper=The Tribune newspaper|access-date=3 March 2025|location=Chandigarh|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060824102302/https://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20060811/jplus.htm|archive-date=24 August 2006|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://bharatsandesh.com/bharat/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=21432&Itemid=29 |title=ਨੰਦ ਲਾਲ ਨੂਰਪੁਰੀ (Profile of Nand Lal Noorpuri)|publisher=bharatsandesh.com website|access-date=3 March 2025|author=ਪ੍ਰੀਤ, ਰਣਜੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201192554/http://bharatsandesh.com/bharat/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=21432&Itemid=29|archive-date=1 February 2014 }}{{cite web|url=https://www.cinemaazi.com/people/nand-lal-noorpuri|url-status=dead|title=Nand Lal Noorpuri - Lyricist|archive-date=6 December 2021|access-date=3 March 2025|website=Indian Cinema Heritage Foundation (Cinemaazi.com) website|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211206023046/https://www.cinemaazi.com/people/nand-lal-noorpuri}}

He wrote lyrics for many films, including the 1942 romantic drama film Mangti. He died by suicide on 13 May 1966.

Early life

Nand Lal Noorpuri was born in June 1906, to father Bishan Singh and mother Hukman Devi, in the Noor Pur 122 JB Faisalabad village of Lyallpur district in British Punjab. He studied at Khalsa High School and at the old Khalsa College in Lyallpur (renamed as Faisalabad in Pakistan after partition in 1947). He quit college and joined first as a teacher and then as an assistant sub-inspector in Bikaner in Rajasthan where he received a bravery award.

He married Sumittra Devi and the couple had four daughters and two sons. After partition in 1947, he settled in Jalandhar, India.

Career

In 1940, he left police force and came back to Punjab and wrote lyrics for Punjabi film Mangti.{{cite news|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20080411/jplus1.htm|title=Noorpuri projects do not progress beyond foundation stones|newspaper=Tribune India newspaper|access-date=3 March 2025|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 April 2008|author=Kusum Arora|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080411144739/https://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20080411/jplus1.htm}} that made him known to everyone in Punjab. But the partition in 1947 changed everything for him. The source of income dried up. He lost his home and livelihood and came to Jalandhar. Later, he found work in radio and started participating in kavi darbars (English: poetic concerts). But this was in dribs and drabs and did not earn him enough for his family's living expenses. His songs were sung by many notable singers of Punjab including Mohammad Rafi, Surinder Kaur, Narinder Biba, Asa Singh Mastana, Parkash Kaur.

Death

Disillusioned with his own poverty and lack of support and recognition from the government, he committed suicide on 13 May 1966, by jumping into the well near his house in Model House Block-A colony, Jalandhar, India. This well was filled up later and a sapling planted over it, as a memorial to him.

Nand Lal Noorpuri Society

Some years back, some poets and journalists formed the Nand Lal Noorpuri Society with the aim of spreading the poet's work. It gives an annual award to singers and poets. Sarbjit Cheema was a recipient of the award for his song on girl foeticide.

See also

References

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