Cinemaazi remembers Ram Prasad Bismil on his birth anniversary
11 Jun 1897
Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamare dil mein hai… Today we remember the creator of these stirring lines, Ram Prasad Bismil, on the occasion of his birth anniversary. Born 11 June, 1897, in a village in Uttar Pradesh’s Shahjahanpur, he went on to become one of India’s notable revolutionaries who fought British imperialism. He formed the Hindustan Republic Association which soon had leaders like Bhagat Singh and Chandrashekhar Azad. Bismil, along with his associates, Ashfaqullah Khan, Thakur Roshan Singh and others, were arrested for the Kakori train dacoity of August 9, 1925, wherein they looted the Shahjahanpur-Lucknow train. It was while Bismil and the other young freedom fighters were imprisoned in Lucknow Central Jail in 1927, that they were inspired to script a song for basant. The songs Sarfaroshi ki tamanna and Mera rang de basanti chola have become staples of every film made on Bhagat Singh’s life, starting with Shaheed (1965). He also penned his autobiography, considered as one of the finest works in Hindi literature. Bismil was known for his powerful patriotic poems in Urdu and Hindi, including 'Man Ki Lahar' and 'Swadeshi Rang'. Participating in the Mainpuri conspiracy of 1918, he also published a pamphlet titled Deshwasiyon ke Naam. Bismil was h
