Noted lyricist, poet, politician Balkavi Bairagi dies in MP

Noted Hindi film lyricist, Nandram Das Bairagi, popularly known as Balkavi Bairagi, died in his sleep today evening, his son said.

Bairagi, a Lok Sabha member between 1984 and 1989 and also a former Rajya Sabha MP, was 87.

"He went to sleep after coming back from a function in the afternoon. He did not wake up," his son, Gorki, told PTI.

Bairagi wrote lyrics for more than two dozen Hindi films and some like "Tu Chanda Main Chandni" from the film "Reshma aur Shera" are considered classics.

He wrote several Hindi poems, among which, "Jhar gaye paat, bisar gayi tehni" is considered a gem by many Hindi poets.

"He was given the name Balkavi as he wrote some classic poems in his childhood," veteran journalist CK Naidu said.

The multi-faceted personality, who was also MP minister in the Congress government earlier, was born in Manasa on February 10,1931.