Kanhaiya Lal Kapoor, the renowned Urdu humourist, was born on 27 June 1910 in Samundri tehsil of Lyallpur. It was the same Samundri where Prithviraj Kapoor was born, who later rose to great heights in the world of theatre and film. From that very soil of Samundri, Kanhaiya Lal Kapoor too emerged, shining like a sun in the firmament of satire and humour. His mother passed away when he was only eight years old. He received his early education in a local school, then passed his matriculation examination from Government High School Kamalia and his intermediate examination from D.M. College, Moga. For his BA, he came to Lahore and, in 1930, earned his degree from D.A.V. College.
In 1931, he married Pushpa; at that time, Kanhaiya was only twenty-one years old. In his BA examination, he secured a prominent position in Sanskrit and English. For his MA, he chose English as his subject. In those days, Government College, Lahore, was one of the most distinguished educational institutions of undivided India. Admission to the MA English was not easy. Although Kanhaiya Lal had obtained very good marks in English in his BA examination, every candidate had to appear for a formal interview, and admission depended solely on performance in that interview.
Kanhaiya Lal Kapoor was six feet four inches tall, and on top of that, he was extremely lean. At that time, the principal of Government College, Lahore, was the renowned humourist Patras Bokhari. When Kanhaiya Lal entered the principal’s office for the interview, Patras Bokhari was bent over a paper, writing something. He looked up and saw before him a tall candidate who appeared even taller because of his frail frame. Bokhari’s sense of humour was instantly stirred. He looked Kanhaiya Lal up and down and said with a smile, “Are you really this tall, or have you made some special arrangements today?” This was the first meeting between Patras and Kanhaiya, which later turned into a warm and informal friendship.
The atmosphere of Government College further refined Kanhaiya Lal’s literary taste. The lanes and by-lanes of Lahore were fragrant with poetry and literature. What remarkable people surrounded him—people whose mere presence, whose company, and whose conversations were an honour. He fell in love with the streets of Lahore. When he passed his MA English examination from Government College, Lahore, in 1934, it was one of the most important days of his life. In those times, MA English graduates were rare, so few that they could be counted on one’s fingers.
During his stay at Government College, Lahore, Patras Bokhari recognised Kanhaiya Lal Kapoor’s literary potential and advised him to write in Urdu. Patras’s encouragement was a matter of great pride for Kanhaiya Lal.
After completing his MA in English in 1934, the question of employment arose. Kanhaiya Lal wished to find a job in his beloved city of Lahore. The very thought of leaving Lahore was painful for him. Then one day his desire was fulfilled, and he was appointed as a composition teacher at D.A.V. College, Lahore. Now there was Kanhaiya Lal Kapoor, the enchanting streets of Lahore, and his lively, sparkling writings.
Within him there was a sorrow that stayed with him till his last breath—the sorrow of separation from Lahore
During his student days at Government College, the hostel where he lived also housed the renowned Urdu writer Krishan Chander. Krishan Chander too encouraged Kanhaiya. Kanhaiya’s temperament had a natural liveliness, mischief, and spontaneity, which were clearly reflected in his writings. His first piece, Khafqan, was actually a parody of Krishan Chander’s short story Yarqan. After that, a spring of creativity burst forth, and an unbroken series of his witty, satirical writings began. There was a natural flow in his style, with not even a trace of artificiality.
His first collection, Sang-e-Wahshat, was published in 1942. Two years later, in 1944, his second collection, Chang-o-Rabab, appeared, and two years after that, his third collection, Sheesha-o-Teesha, was published.
When the Partition of India was announced in 1947, riots erupted on both sides of the border. The heat of those riots soon reached the streets of Lahore. People were migrating from both sides. A large number of Hindus and Sikhs left Lahore and crossed the border, but for some reason, Kanhaiya Lal believed that all this turmoil was temporary. Everything would return to normal in a few days. During the unrest, he remained confined to his home. The very idea of leaving Lahore was unimaginable for him. Lahore was deeply woven into his life.
But instead of subsiding, the turmoil intensified, and the day finally came when Kanhaiya Lal was bidding farewell to Lahore. Taking his wife and children with him, he left for Ferozepur. It felt as if he had suddenly fallen from a great height into the abyss. After several days, when he regained his senses, he thought of looking for employment. He had to provide for his wife and seven children.
He was highly educated, his name counted among writers, and he could have sought employment in any major city. But separation from Lahore had broken something inside him. He took up a job at a college in the small town of Moga and spent twenty-six years of his life there. In the same college, he was promoted first to vice-principal and then to principal. As principal, Kanhaiya Lal Kapoor served from 1964 to 1973.
After retiring from this college, he became principal of Arjan Das College (A.D. College) in Moga, where he served from 1973 to 1975. Later, he lived in Jalandhar in 1978 and in Pune from 1979 to 1980, and it was in Pune that he passed away on 5 May 1980.
In India, Kanhaiya Lal Kapoor’s books Bal-o-Par (1954), Gard-e-Karwan (1960), Gustakhiyan (1965), and Shagufe (1988) were published. In addition to Urdu, his Punjabi books were also published, including Dekh Kabira Roya (1973), Bhul Chuk (1967), Moge Di Muskan (1964), and Til Phul (1964).
In recognition of his literary services, he was awarded the Ghalib Award by the President of India, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed. His books are included in the syllabi of Delhi and Bombay universities.
Throughout his life, he scattered joy in readers’ lives through his light, graceful writings. Yet within him there was a sorrow that stayed with him till his last breath—the sorrow of separation from Lahore. He could never forget the wound of migration. In the preface to his book Bal-o-Par, he expressed his love for Lahore and the pain of parting from it. He writes:
“There was a sunlight that went along with the sun.”
It should be noted that in this verse, the word “sun” is used to mean Lahore.
After migrating from Lahore, when he settled in Moga, “whether it be a mosque and madrasa or a khanqah,” the following verse came to his lips as he recited a prayer:
When you yourself departed from my side, beloved,
What was left for the heart to say? It kept departing, departing.
Again, it should be clarified that in this verse, “beloved” does not mean a youthful idol, but Lahore.
Elsewhere, Kanhaiya Lal Kapoor expressed his love for Lahore in these words:
“For the past sixteen years, I have been living in Moga. Friends often ask why, after migrating from paradise, I chose hell as my abode. I have no answer to this question except that until India creates a substitute for Lahore.”
This was Kanhaiya Lal Kapoor’s tribute to his Lahore, for which he found no equivalent anywhere in India. Such is the magic of Lahore that makes it unique and irreplaceable. That is why it is said: Lahore is Lahore.