Carnival of Blogs on Golden Era of Hindi Film Music – March 2016

 

Welcome to March, 2016 edition of Carnival of Blogs on Golden Era of Hindi Film Music.

On the poet’s 95th birth anniversary, Akshay Manwani  has narrated an account of Sahir Ludhyanavi’s  seditious youth in ‘I have lit fires with songs of rebellion’: Memories of Sahir Ludhianvi’s college years…..

Read full interview of Akshay Manwani on his book Sahir Ludhianvi: The People’s Poet :-Harper Collins Publishers India, ISBN 978-93-5029-733-9, Rs 399, 320 pages

Madhulika Liddle also has penned Book Review: Akshay Manwani’s ‘Sahir Ludhianvi: The People’s Poet’

Antara Nanda Mondal , in her tribute to Sahir Ludhyanvi,  Jinhe Naaz Hai Hind Par Voh Kahaan Hain: Songs of Sahir notes that his first among the four songs he wrote for ‘Aazadi Ki Raah Par (1949) –  B S Nanji, Music : G D Kapoor –  was – Badal Rahi Hai Zindagi.

More to read on Sahir Ludhianvi:

• Sahir Ludhianvi: The Rebel, The Lover– an exploration of Sahir’s existential poetry by Vijay Kumar
• Khayyam: Making Poetry Come Alive With Melody– some of Sahir’s most melodious songs
• Tere Mere Sapne Ab Ek Rang Hain – Eternal Melodies of SD Burman-Rafi– SD Burman, Sahir and Rafi together created some of the greatest songs
• Pyaasa: Pristine Poetry On Celluloid– a review of one of Sahir’s best known films

Best duets of the not-so-unloved Mahendra Kapoor – Mahendra Kapoor would always be remembered not only for his duets with Lata Mangeshakar or for Ravi or O P Nayyar duets with Asha Bhosle, but also for duets, composed by relatively lesser known music directors, with several other  contemporary singers.  Of the songs remembered here, we have picked up:

• Aaj Madhuwatas Dole– Stree (1961) – with Lata Mangeshkar – C Ramchandra – Bharat Vyas
• Apni Zulfon Ko Sungha Kar Mujhe Behosh Karo – Teen Sardar (1965) – with Asha Bhosle -Hansraj Bahal – Prem Warburtani
• Mohabbat Na Karna Zamana Bura Hai – Black Mailer (1959) – With Suman Kalyanpur -, Iqbal – Bahar Azmeri
• Teri Zulf Mein Chunke Champe Ki Kaliyaan -Jaan Bachi Lakho Paye (unreleased 60s) – With Sharada – Ajay-Vishwanath – Anjan

‘Chalte Chalte Yunhi Koi Mil Gaya Thha’: The Music of Ghulam Mohammad is a special tribute to Ghulam Mohammad by Peeyush Sharma on his 48th death anniversary. Even though Ghulam Mohammad started giving music in films since early forties, his noteworthy compositions got their due from 1948 onwards. His music bore the fragrance of Rajasthan’s soil and touched new heights in Hindi film music. The article does full justice to Ghulam Mohammad’s work, beyond his all popular Shama or Mirza Ghalib or Pakeezah music.We would pick up a couple songs that find mention here, but do not have a video link:

• Tere Naaz Uthane Ko Jee Chahata Hai – Grihasthi (1948) – Mukesh, Shamshad Begum
• Unse Hum Kuchch Kehte Kehte Reh Gaye  – Dil Ki Basti (1949) – Lata Mangeshkar
• Ankhiyan Mila Ke Zara Baat Karo Jee, Chori Chori Yun Na Mulaqat Karo Ji – Pardes (1950) – Mohammad Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar
• Aansoon Thi Meri Zindagi, Ankhon Ne Jo Baha Diya – Bikhre Moti (1951) – Mohammad Rafi, Amirbai Karnataki

Tonga in the Tinsel World – Guest article by DP Rangan – He recently debuted as a guest author with his piece on Bollywood’s love affair with horses. Here are  some of the songs that may  not be remembered well now:

• Zindagi Zindagi Koi Sapna – Dr. Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani (1946), – Khan Mastana and chorus — Vasant Desai – Deewan Sharar
• Ghir Ghir Ke Aasman Par – Bawre Nain (1950) – Asha Bhosle and Raj Kumari –  Roshan – Kidar Sharma

• Ek Nazar Ek Ada – Raat Ke Rahi (1959) – Mohammad Rafi – Bipin Bapul – Vishwamitra Adil
• Matwale Saajna – Faulad (1963) – Asha Bhosle- G S Kohli – Anjaan

• Rut Albeli Mast Sama – Shreeman Satyawadi (1960) – Mukesh- Dattaram Wadkar – Hasrat Jaipuri
• Ghoda Pishori Mera Taanga Lahori Mera – Pyar Ka Bandhan (1963) – Mohammad Rafi-  Ravi – Sahir Ludhyanavi

Hum Ko Bhula Diya To Kya – Sudhir Kapoor remembers ‘Do Music Directors direct the music?’, an article that had appeared about 72 years ago in June 1943 issue of FILMINDIA magazine…..The sum and substance of the article is that the music directors, in most cases, have no control over what is to be sung, how it is to be sung, who is to sing and where the song is to be fitted in the screenplay….. The song which I am presenting is one of those songs which remind me of the tune of a popular song. The song is “Humko Bhula Diya To Kya, Yaad Meri Bhulaao To Jaanun” from the film ‘Chanda Ki Chandni’ (1948). Geeta Dutt sings the song on the words penned by DN Madhok. The song is composed by Gyan Dutt……This song reminds  of a popular KL Saigal song “Jeene Ke Dhang Sikhaaye Jaa” from the film ‘Parwaana’ (1947) (Music: Khurshid Anwar). Incidentally, this song was also written by DN Madhok.

Pradeep Kumar Songs from 1960 to 1963 – This is a follow on post to Some good Pradeep Kumar songs from the films released in 50s.Here are some of these:

• Hai Zindagi kitni Haseen – Apsara (1961) – Talat Mahmood, Asha Bhosle – Husnlal Bhagatram
• Saaze dil chhed de – Passport (1961) – Mohammad Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar – Kalyanji Anandji
• Milte hi nazar unse ham ho gaye diwane – Ustadon ke Ustad  – Manna Dey, Mohammad Rafi, Asha Bhosle – Ravi

“Dil Ko Lakh Sambhala Ji” – Shakila is a very vivid retrospective of Shakila a.k.a. Badshah Jehan.  Her songs are at SHAKILA HITS.

In Ten of my favourite “Man Sings and Woman Dances’ songs the singing man is not to dance along but physically must remain present in the picturization. That has ruled out  Tu Hai Mera Prem Devata or Jaa tose nahin boloon Kanhaiyya or Jhanan-jhanan baaje bichhua

Five Excellent Dances with Krishna Kumar – Krishna was in a dancing team with his brother Surya Kumar during the Vintage era, and they both also trained other dancers and worked as choreographers. Unfortunately, Krishna Kumar’s career came to an abrupt end sometime before the completion of the film Awara (1951), when he was murdered.

• Jaanewale Baalamwa  – Ratan (1944) – Krishna Kumar and Azurie–

• Snake Dance – Dastan (1950) – female dancer remains uncredited
• Hans Ke Teer Chalana   – Bequasoor (1950) – with Madhubala
• Akhiyan Gulabi Jaise Mad Ki Pyaalian  – Beqasoor (1950)
• Lelo Lelo Do Phool – Jadoo (1951) – Mohammad Rafi, Shamshad Begum, Zohrabai Ambalewali  – with Nalini Jaywant  and Sharda

The Fascinating Tale of  So Many Anarkalis – The first screen adaptation was produced in the silent era. Two films were released in 1928, Loves of a Mughal Prince (Seeta Devi)and Anarkali (Sulochana). She appeared in two more Anarkali  films.  One was a 1935 talkie version of earlier silent one and in the second one , a 1953 version, She was Jodhabai and Bina Rai was Anarkali in this film. In 1955 telugu version, Anjali Devi plays Anarkali. The film was dubbed in Tamil as well. The 1958 version form Pakistan had Noor Jehan plyaing Anarkali.  ‘Jaltey Hain Arman. Perhaps best among all is K Asif’s 1960 version, Mughal-e-Azam . Apart from movies, the Salim-Anarkali saga has inspired theatrical performances, portions of song sequences and spoofs, including the Tamil film Illara Jyothi (1954), Chashme Buddoor (1981), Chameli Ki Shaadi (1986), Maan Gaye Mughal-e-Azam (2008) and most recently, Ready (2011). The affair between the prince and the courtesan may have been doomed, but their romance lives on.

How Chand Usmani Got Film Chance?  –  In this interview, Chand Usmani states that her favorite (Indian) stars are Nargis and Geetabali and Geeta Roy(Dutt) is not only her favorite playback singer, but a friend as well.

More Geeta Dutt  has remembered :

• Jab Se Mili To Se Akhiyan – Amanat (1955) – with Hemant Kumar – Salil Chaudhary
• Ye Raat Bheegi Bheegi Version song from Chori Chori, with Brij Bhushan
• one of her best from Parneeta (1953) chand hai wohi
• Another one with Meenakumari  – Raat Mohe Meetha Meetha Sapna Aaye Re from Tamasha 1952 – Khemchand Prakash

Raj Kapoor and Nargis on the sets of Aah(1953)

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Raj Kapoor, and Director Raja Nawathe (seated on chair near window), together with other workers of the R.K. Unit, look on keenly while Nargis does a rehearsal for a sequence in Aah.

Shammi Kapoor’s Biography Makes for a Fascinating Read, is a review by Anirudha Bhattacharjee & Balaji Vittal, engineers by education and IT consultants by profession  ……overall, the book is a fascinating page-turner that can be consumed in one sitting. And unlike watching a Shammi Kapoor super hit which is a one-time watch masala film, it’s a book dense enough to be re-read, multiple times. And it has some lovely photographs too…

We end our present episode with an interesting post on Mohammad Rafi –

Rafi vs Talat vs Mukesh vs Kishore: the big rivalries of the Hindi film music world is excerpted (with permission from) Mohammed Rafi: God’s Own Voice by Dhirendra Jain and Raju Korti, (Niyogy Books_. For us, now, who played what games, and why, is certainly of no interest. It is those songs that have been mentioned that interest us, solely and wholly.

Nilay Majumadar, quite passionately states ‘that the most important effect of Rafi on me was it changed my way of listening to music. As the years passed, I understood the words more, their meaning, their correct pronunciation all became increasingly important. Above all poetry of the songs became significant….

I look forward to receive your inputs for further enriching the contents of the posts…..