The Yaahoo Voice and Coolie, Suhaag Writer Prayag Raj Funeral; No Bollywood Celebrity Attends —

Prayag Raj Funeral

Prayag Raj Demise: Bollywood writer, lyricist, actor, and director Prayag Raj passed away on Saturday, September 23, 2023. The funeral was held today in Shivaji Park, Dadar, Mumbai, and sadly, no Bollywood actor showed up to pay his/her last respects to the veteran. How irrespectful and disheartening it is. A star is worshipped only when he is shining, they said—rightly said.

Prayag Raj has worked on many blockbuster and iconic projects in the 1960s, 1970s, and so on. He directed films like Kundan (1972), Paap Aur Punya (1974), Gerafataar (1985), Hifazat (1987), and co-directed Manmohan Desai's mega blockbuster, Coolie (1983).

Mr. Raj wrote dialogues for Jhuk Gaya Aasaman (1968), Saccha Jhootha (1970), co-wrote Rampur Ka Laxman (1972), screenplays for Aa Gale Lag Jaa (1973), Roti (1974), Dharam Karam (1975), Amar Akbar Anthony (1977), Dharam Veer (1977), Parvarish (1977), and many more.

He was the story writer for Chacha Bhatija (1978), Suhaag (1978), Naseeb (1981), Desh Premee (1982), and Coolie (1983). His last known works are Deewana Mastana (1997), for which he wrote an additional screenplay, and Hero Hindustani (1998), for which he wrote lyrics.

The 90s and 2000s generation knows Yahoo word as a search engine tool, but way back in the 1960s, this man was the reason why Yaahoo was such a popular word in India. He lent his voice to that iconic "Yaaahooo..." scream in Mohammed Rafi's evergreen chartbuster, "Chahe Koi Mujhe Junglee Kahe," from Junglee (1961).

Prayag Raj's contribution to Bollywood cinema is plenty enough to be hailed as a legend. But times have changed. People who worked with him and became famous because of his dialogue, story, and screenplay have forgotten his deeds. The least they could do was attend the funeral and pay their last respects.

Unfortunately, it isn't happening in today's internet era, where WhatsApp status and grievance messages have taken over the gesture of paying last respects by being present with the relatives. Bollywood is no different than problematic urban families.