At a mushaira in Bombay in the late 1940s, Raj Kapoor heard a young man recite a poem called Jalta Hai Punjab. Impressed by the fiery thoughts and the passionate recital, Kapoor requested the young poet to sell him the song. Kapoor was keen to use it in his under-production film Aag (1948). But the young man rebuffed Kapoor, saying his poetry was not for sale. Taken aback yet impressed, Kapoor made the poet a standing offer: he could come to Kapoor anytime, should he change his mind.
Sometime later, in a curious turn of events, the young poet, who worked as a welder at a railway workshop, did exactly that. His wife was pregnant, and he needed money for her delivery. With Kapoor’s offer echoing in his ears, he met the actor-director and requested a loan of Rs 500. Kapoor readily gave him the money, but not as a loan. He said the poet could keep the money. But the…