Carnival of Blogs on Golden Era of Hindi Film Music – June 2015

Welcome to June, 2015 edition of Carnival of Blogs on Golden Era of Hindi Film Music.

It is a matter of great pleasure to commemorate Songs of Yore completing quite a trail-blazing journey of 5 years. The article contains an excellent write up, including some very light to some quite erudite pieces on the subjects ranging from “Hemantkumar’ Ravi, Discovering after three decades, Auto-inspiration or Laziness, Joyous Jaunpuri, Darbari Delights, Darbari and Mukhtar Begum. Chitrapatsangeet has added two excellent illustration of Raag Jaunpuri – one of them is Meri Yaad Mein Na Tum Aansoo Bahana – Madhosh (1954) – Talat Mahmood – Madan Mohan. We will look at the other one at the end of present episode of the blog carnival in our regular section on Mohammad Rafi.

Naushad’s “The Singing Girl Next Door”: Suraiya pays tribute to Suraiya with some of her most melodious songs by Naushad on her 86^th birth anniversary (15 June 1929 – 31 January 2004).

Sajjad Hussain’s birthday also coincides with that of Suraiya, So, Happy Birthday, Suraiya and Sajjad! has presented Suariya’s songs for film 1857, for which Sajjad has scored the music. Suraiya and Sajjad Hussain worked together in Suraiya’s swan song film : Rustm Sohrab.

My favourite Hemant Kumar Songs is a tribute to Hemant Kumar on his 95^th birthday. He had many other, quite notable, songs under several other music directors as well. Here are a few solo songs that come to my mind:

C Ramchandra:

Aye baad-e-shaba jara ahista chal, tahan so hui hai Anarkali – Anarkali (1953)

Jindagi Pyar Ki Do Char Ghadi Hoti Hai – Anarkali (1953)

Zameen Chal Rahi, Aasman Chal Raha Hai – Pheli Jhalak (1954)

Ital Ke Ghar Tital – Bahurani (1963)

Madan Mohan:

Kho Gaya Jaane Kahan Arzoon Ka Jahan – Mohar (1959)

Shankar Jaikishan :

Ham Kathputle Hai Kath Ke – Shikast (1953)

Rula Kar Chal Diye Ek Din Hasin Ban Kar Jo Aaye The – Badshah (1954)

Chitragupt :

Aasman Aasman Tu Kya Jaane – Daakaa (1959)

N Dutta :

Ye Baharon Ka Shama, Kho Na Jaayen Aa Bhi Jaa – Milaap – 1955 ( A solo and duet with Lata Mangeshakar)

R D Burman

Aaja Mere Pyar Aaja – Heeralal Pannalal (1978)

On Hemanta Mukherjee’s birthday, Upperstall on hemanta kumar has recalled one of the immortal composition of Hemant Kumar – Saqiya Aaj Mujhe Neend Nahin Aayegi – Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962) – Asha Bhosle and an equally memorable duet, composed by C Ramchandra – Jaag Dard-e-Ishq Jaag, Dil Ko Bequarar Kar – Anarkali (1953)

Two songs by Hemanta kumar presents O Nadi Re Ekti Kothai and Ganga Aaye Kahan Se.

On her 79^th birthday on 4^th June 2015, My favourite Nutan songs has consciously left out songs which show her weeping. This wonderful list brings Man Mohana Bade Jhoothe (Seema (1954) – Lata Mangeshkar – Shanker Jaikishan – to the memory.

For the records Let’s talk About Bollywood has an exclusive page dedicated to articles on Nutan. Nutan’s intelligence is a brief treatise on Nutan’s all-round virtuosity, that sets her apart as an artist. Nutan-bollymusings.com/ informs of the official launch of MUSINGS, a new blog by S. Basu which he has announced will deal chiefly with Nutan.

Musings has posted reviews of two of Nutan;s movies– Aagosh (1953) and Heer (1956) till date.

We now move over to other posts:

The video leads to other Geeta Dutt songs : Jaaongi maike jaaongi : Geeta Dutt, G M Durrani – Paatal Bhairavi (1952) Ghantasala This video is made by superimposing Hindi audio on the original Telugu clip.

Two Geeta Dutt Duets : Ta Thaiya Kar Ke Aana O Jagugar More Saiyan – Panchayat (1958) – Iqbal Qureshi – with Lata Mangeshkar and Jaanu Jaanu Re Kahe Khanake Hai Tora Kangana – Insan Jaag Utha (1959) – S D Burman – with Asha Bhosle

Anil Biswas and Meena Kapoor (via Arun Kumar Deshmukh) – Some of their songs together

• Rasiya Re Man Basiya Re – Pardesi (1957)
• Rim Zim Barse Paani – Pardesi (1957)
• Kachichi Hai Umaraiya – Char Dil Char Rahen (1959)

I have picked up following two songs from My Favourite Cycle songs

• Michael hai to cycle hai (Bewaqoof, 1960, Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhosle, S.D.Burman):
• Aanchal ko udne do (Picnic, 1966, Asha Bhosle, S. Mohinder)

Ten Ganga songs from classic Hindi cinema is a good collection of songs from pre-70s (mostly, with one minor exception from 1971) Hindi films which mention the Ganga, in different contexts, to different extents. I have picked up Ganga Ki Reti Pe Bangla Chhwaii De (Sudha Malhotra – Mirza Ghalib (1954) – Ghulam Mohammad ) and Ganga Ki Bhari God Mein (Manna Dey – Mere Apne (1971) – Salil Chaudhary) from the comments of the readers.

“Cricket Se Cinema Tak”- Mac Mohan captures the accidental journey of Mac Mohan (a.k.a. Mohan Makhijani). Here is the songs wherein Mac Mohan plays a lead joint-lead role:

Ye jhuki jhuki jhuki nigahein teri – Mohammad Rafi – Aao Pyaar Karein (1964) – Usha Khanna

(Very Very Interesting Trivia: Sanjeev Kumar can be seen as a very insignificant artist in some of the long shots !!!!)

Johnnie Walker in Bollywood – is a continually updated collection of some of Johnny Walker bottles …. found over the years from various Hindi (and maybe some Tamil and Telugu) filums.

Talat Mahmood: singer, actor, gentleman – Talat Mahmood was in demand not only in the recording studio but also on the screen – Manek Premchand – The article is a brief peep into the book.

Listen to virtuosos of an instrument once banned on All India Radio – Since it was introduced to the subcontinent by missionaries, the baajaa ki peti has become a part of the Indian soundscape. – Aneesh Pradhan – Meend (or a glide between notes) and gamak (or rapid oscillation of a note) are two important embellishments that cannot be produced on this instrument.  It was for this reason that the instrument was banned for broadcast on the All India Radio in 1941. Here are a few early recordings of harmonium solo recitals.

• Govindrao Tembe – Raag Multani in Tarana Multani and Raag Tilang
• Vitthalrao Korgaonkar – Raag Todi in ‘Ja Ja Re’

Three pioneering musicians who helped turn the harmonium into a solo instrument – Bashir Khan, Shankarrao Kalpeshwari and P Madhukar demonstrated that the ‘baaja ki peti’ wasn’t just meant for accompaniment. – Aneesh Pradhan

• Bashir Khan – Ab Na Maanugi (Tori Malhar)
• Shankarrao Kalpeshwari – Dhani (Dhani Thumri)
• P Madhukar – Mishra Dhun

I remember a short, sharp, sweet, opening harmonium notes of Raat Bhi hai kuchch bheegi bheegi, which is repeated over several times.

A tribute to Guide in its 50th year – Vijay Anand’s Guide is now 50 years old and yet timeless, this is one of our cinematic landmarks, and a testament to the possibilities of artistic collaboration within a commercial system. [A longer post about “Tere Mere Sapne” is here. And more about RK Narayan’s “Misguided Guide” here]

Now we move over songs remembered by our friends in this month –

Bhagvan Thavrani

• Kiseeko Yoon Tamannaon Mein Uljhaaya Nahin Karte – Meena Kapoor -Return of Superman (1960) – Anil Biswas: ‘This forgotten Meena Kapur solo is a stunt film nobody knows or remembers..it is picturised on Jayraj and Shila Ramani ( taxi driver and railway platform fame.. ) ….Surprise of surprises, the music is by Anil Biswas…perhaps the last flicker before he vanished..! The film has a duet sung by Anil da and Mubarak Beghum ! This song is written by films producer Manmohan…this film came and went in 1961….
• Aap Ki Inayatein Aap Ke Karam – Lata Mangeshkar -Vandana (1975) – Ravi: ‘A simple, soothing song from a forgotten film…!’
• Kaho Aa Ke Bahar Kare Mera Singar Mujhe Pyar Mila – Mukesh & Asha Bhonsle – FORTY DAYS (1959) – Babul Bose – ‘Film चालीस दिन was famous for that sweet Asha – Manna Dey duet ” Naseeb hoga mera meharbaan kabhi na kabhi ” and great Asha solo ” baithe hain rehguzar pe dil ka diya jalaaye “. This sweet duet of Asha – Mukesh is lesser known but so sweet…Asha is at her playful mischievous best…music director Babul Bose gave a very few but memorable films..in a few films, he teamed with Bipin and gave music under the name ” Bipin Babul ‘.
• Na Phoolon Ki Duniya – Lata Mangeshkar – Saaz Aur Awaaz (1966) – Naushad Ali : PALKI, LEADER and SAAZ AUR AAWAZ were supposed to be Naushad’s twilight years movies and hence the Music of these films was said to be weak as compared to old Naushadian standards….A Lata chorus..it has a mystic aura about it and the chorus female voices add to the atmosphere.. Based on raag SOHINI (perhaps )..’

[Side Note: I landed up on a Suman Kalyanpur number – Poonam Ki Raat Aayi – which I am not able to recollect very easily now. Hence brought it up here.]

• Aye Saba Unse Kah Jara – ‘A rare Rafi- Asha duet from “Alibaba 40 chor ” . The music credit is given to S N Tripathi and Chitragupta but none of the film songs seem to have Chitragupta touch. Maybe , he gave background music only…..Strangely, in the same year 1954, a film named 40 BABA EK CHOR was also released with music by S D Burman with good, average, songs……Enjoy the lilting Arabian tune…!’

In the last episode of our carnival, we had talked about the very widely discussed and participated exercise of annual review of songs of a particular year – Best songs of 1950: And the winners are?. We have taken up documentation of the further micro-review of the songs therein. Here are the posts published during the present month:

• The Micro View of The Best Songs of 1950 @ Songs of Yore – Setting the stage
• The Micro View of The Best Songs of 1950 @ Songs of Yore – Female Solo Songs– Lata Mangeshkar songs of C Ramchandra
• The Micro View of The Best Songs of 1950 @ Songs of Yore – Female Solo Songs– Lata Mangeshkar songs of Husnlal Bhagatram and Ghulamm Mohammad
• The Micro View of The Best Songs of 1950 @ Songs of Yore – Female Solo Songs– Lata Mangeshkar songs of Anil Biswas and other music directors
• The Micro View of The Best Songs of 1950 @ Songs of Yore – Female Solo Songs– Other Singers – Suraiya
• The Micro View of The Best Songs of 1950 @ Songs of Yore – Female Solo Songs– Other Singers – Shamshad Begum

We will continue with the series in the next couple of months as well……

In the end, we have picked up (our customary) very special songs of Mohammad Rafi from the lead we get from the articles / films discussed here before in the present episode of our blog carnival –

• Chitrapatsangeet has provided this song as a Raag Jaunpuri illustration in the comment to the article – Songs of Yore completes five years – referred to at the beginning of the present episode of our blog carnival – Maine Ae Jaane Wafa Tumse Muhabbat Ki Hai – Bedaagh -1965 – Roshan.

That incidentally takes us to two more songs from the same film – a solo by Mohammad Rafi, Zindagi Ke Mod Par, Akele The Ham, Mil Gaye Tum To Dil Ka Sahara Mila, and a duet of Mohammad Rafi and Asha Bhosle, Aankhon Mein Na Jaane

• Recall of Mohammad Rafi songs from Saaz Aur Awaz

Pyaar Ki Raah Bahaar Ki Manzil – Mohd.Rafi & Asha Bhonsle – – A tonga song – after a long time.

Kisne Mujhe Sada Di (part i) – Mohd.Rafi & Suman Kalyanpur – Another haunting song, which typically has more than one version (part ii) in the film.

We continue our pursuit of the golden period of Hindi Film Music …….