With the coming of talkies, a number of plays found their way to the screen with their original dialogues and songs. Films such as Zebari Soap, Seeta Banwas and Bharati Balak became famous. Aga Hashr Kashmiri, the author of Seeta Banwas and Bharati Balak, was hailed as the "Indian Shakespeare". By the time Hindi cinema entered the 1940s, the tradition of music and song had already gripped films. Munshi Arzoo Lucknawi and Kavi Pradeep emerged as important and popular lyricists along with Kidar Sharma and D.N. Madhok. Kidar Sharma`s songs for Chitralekha are immortal numbers set to music by Ustad Jhande Khan.

In 1941, Munshi Arzoo Lucknowi wrote for Doctor, to tunes composed and sung by Pankaj Mullick. The numbers are remembered even now. Kavi Pradeep was also a noted musician and singer. A few more lyricists who appeared on the scene in the early 1940s were Qamar Jalalabadi, Pandit Bhushan, Tanveer Naqvi, and Pandit Narendra Sharma. Pandit Sharma made a distinct place for himself in later years. He wrote the lyrics for Hamari Baat with composer Anil Biswas. Pandit Sharma also wrote the lyrics for Jwar Bhata.

By 1945, the year World War II ended, a new group of lyricists had entered the scene. It included Bharat Vyas, Josh Malihabadi, Akhtar ul-Iman, Majaz, Pandit Mukhram Sharma, Nakshab, and Tanveer Naqvi. These lyricists constituted a group of progressive writers who had come from the field of literature.

By the end of 1945, a few more names appeared among lyricists, most of whom had Indian Peoples` Theatre Association (IPTA) links. Notable among these were Prem Dhawan, Ali Sardar Jafri, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Vishwamitra Adil, Gopal Singh Nepali, Manmohan Anand, and Zia Sarhadi. Khwaja Ahmad Abbas made his debut as a director with Dharti Ke Lai, for which Pandit Ravi Shankar scored the music.

In 1946-47, independence was imminent. The voices of partition were also ringing loud and clear. Suppressed tones were abandoned and there was no fear of British censorship any more. Bankim Chandra Chatterjee`s Vande Mataram was heard for the first time on the Hindi screen in the film Amar Asha, directed by V.M. Vyas..

Naushad`smusic created waves. He has the distinction of producing the highest number of hit songs in films. The most important lyricist in the coming decades was Rajinder Krishen who arrived with the film Zanjeer in 1947. For the next three decades he became the busiest ever lyricist. The lyrics of Hindi films underwent a distinct change in terms of language in the mid-1940s. Earlier, rural dialects such as Awadhi, Poorbi and Bhojpuri were used more than the Khadi Boli dialect, which became the basis for modern Urdu and Hindi. The mode of expression began to shift in early 1945 and by the end of 1947, it transformed totally to urban Hindi or Urdu.

In 1949, Raj Kapoor introduced two new lyricists in his film Barsaat: Shailendra and Hasrat Jaipuri. Shailendra was a poet of very high calibre, and probably the best lyricist to happen to the Hindi film industry. He understood the difference between a poem and a lyric. He was a poet of the masses, for example, his song in the film Shri 420 - Mera Joota Hai Japani. The song, Dil Ka Haal Sune Dilwala from the same film, has very meaningful lyrics as well.

Sahir Ludhianvi, a great poet of the Urdu language, joined the industry in 1948. Sahir is the only film lyricist whose songs became popular for the words and his poetry. His choice of words was different from others and phonetically very musical. Sahir`s best work appeared with S.D. Burman. Sahir`s songs carried the dignity of poetry. Sahir`s songs from Pyaasa are popular even today. Songs like Jaane Woh Kaise Log The Jinke Pyar Ko Pyar Mila is one of the best examples of a perfect blend of poetry and music. Other memorable songs from Pyaasa include Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaye To Kya and others.

The idiom of a film lyric started changing by 1949. The pretension of poetry was totally dropped. This factor saw the rise of Rajinder Krishen in Badi Bahen, with music by Husnlal-Bhagatram. The film had songs such as Chup Chup Khade Ho Zaroor Koi Baat Hai; Chale Jana Nahin Nain Mila Ke and Likhdi Meri Taqdeer Mein Barbaadi Likhnewale. Rajinder Krishen wrote simple, prose-like, fluent poetry, easy to sing, easy to understand, and easy to remember.

Majrooh Sultanpuri wrote some easy, popular numbers in Mr. and Mrs. 55, including Jaane Kahan Mera Jigar Gaya Ji; Ae Dil Hai Mushkil Jeena Yahan (CID); Sar Par Topi Lal, Haath Mein Resham Ka Rumal (Tumsa Nahin Dekha); Maana Janab Ne Pukara Nahin {Paying Guest), and C-A-T cat, Cat mane Billi (Dilli Ka Thug).

Another remarkable poet from Urdu literature, Kaifi Azmi, joined the tide of rising lyricists. He started writing lyrics from the year 1952 but it was with Guru Dutt`s film that Kaifi Azmi first came into focus. Guru Dutt`s Kaagaz Ke Phool with S.D. Burman placed Azmi in the front line with the popular numbers: Dekhi Zamane Ki Yaari, Bichhade Sabhi Baari Baari; and Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam, Tum Rahe Na Tum, Hum Rahe Na Hum.

Anand Bakshi, who was to become one of the most popular lyricists in the coming years, in 1960s Gulzar brought a freshness to lyrics that was to become his hallmark in terms of simple, soul-stirring language and a revolutionary use of the common man`s idiom. His first film song, Mora Gora Ang Lai Le, from Bandini, became an instant hit and is now ranked among the classics.

Gulzar`s range was indeed phenomenal. In Masoom, he wrote the melancholic Tujhse Naraz Nahin Zindagi while Dil Se saw him adapt to the boisterous Chaiyyan Chaiyyan. For Mausam, he used to great effect Ghalib`s Dil Dhoondhta Hai; in Satya and Aks, Gulzar invented a new genre in lyric writing. The Goli Maar Bheje Mein in Satya, was a perfectly suited and related sequence.

In the last quarter of the 20th century the one poet who became very famous is Javed Akhtar. He burst forth with his first song, Dekha Ek Khwab (Silsila). Javed Akhtar wrote poetry of every hue and colour. His song Ek Do Teen in Tezaab became a chartbuster. In 1942 - A Love Story, Javed Akhtar`s Ek Ladki Ko not only got him his first Filmfare Award as a lyricist but gave to the average noisy Hindi film song genre, a mellifluous mood. Today Javed Akhtar is the numero uno as far as lyrics are concerned. Whether it is Rang De Basanti or Rock On Javed Akhtar`s lyrics are successful in wooing the audiences of all ages.

Anand Bakshi was easily one of the most prolific lyricists in recent times. His songs topped the charts year after year. In a career spanning over four decades, Anand Bakshi, gave a large number of hits. From Master Bhagwan`s Bhala Admi, his first film, to his recent songs in Taal, Bulandi, and Pyar Ishq Aur Mohabbat, Anand Bakshi retained his position as one of the best in the industry till his death in 2002.

In the shadow of these luminaries and with Majrooh Sultanpuri holding forth almost till his death in 2000, there are a few names that stand out for their contribution to Hindi film lyrics. These names include Indivar, Asad Bhopali (Dil deewana bin sajna ke in Maine Pyar Kiya) and Sameer. Of these, Sameer is the son of the veteran lyricist Anjaan and carries with him an ease of words that makes his songs so appealing to the audience. In 1990s the most popular songs were written by Sameer.

As long as films continue to be made in India, songs will be critical to films and so will the role of the lyricist.