Month: December 2016

Carnival of Blogs on Golden Era of Hindi Film Music – December, 2016

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

We will begin our present episode on a lighter note with You’ve never heard the demonetized version of this famous song from Guru Dutt’s ‘Pyaasa’. As a parody, ‘When it was our turn in the queue, the bank’s coffers were empty‘ is a part of sort of mini cottage industry – These Bollywood spoofs on demonetisation will tide you over the cashless blues.

December, 2016 also had another major event- passing away of Tamil Nadu CM, J Jayalalithaa.

Wadia and Nadia: How love kicked in pre-Bollywood filmdom – Nadia was a JBH discovery. But it was Homi (May 22, 1911 – December 10, 2004) who gave this memsahib with a thick Scottish accent, a voice. “Homi realised her language was her ‘body’,” says film theorist and curator Amrit Gangar. “He kept Nadia’s dialogue to a bare minimum because of her difficulty with Hindi.”

mary-ann-evans-aka-fearless-nadia-in-a-still-from-carnival-queen-1955
Mary Ann Evans aka Fearless Nadia in a still from Carnival Queen, 1955

Happy Birthday Dharmendra: As he turns 81, we bring you his various filmi moods – He was probably the first Indian male star who appeared bare-chested in a song in Phool Aur Patthar. From Anupama (1966) to Satyakam (1969), Dharmendra tried to create a space for himself as an actor. Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Chupke Chupke is another film which proved that the actor could balance subtle comedy just as well as slapstick elsewhere.

MS Subbulakshmi: A journey from Kunjamma to Meera – is N Venkataraman’s tribute on her birth centenary (16 September 1916 – 11 December 2004).

December is also a month of birth dates of Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor, two fulsome actors of the Great Triad.

dilip-kumar

Dilip Kumar – Leaves from My Diary in an interview conducted in 1957.

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Prithivi Raj Kapoor with sons and a grand son

15 Songs of Shailendra: The Art of Simply Expressing Deepest Thoughts – On Shailendra’s death anniversary,Antara Nanda Mondal and Peeyush Sharma have compiled a brief list of 15 songs that give a glimpse of his massive range – encompassing songs of love and romance, songs of introspection and philosophies, songs of spiritual awakening and harsh social realities, songs of that celebrate liberation and songs that express the anguish of entrapment.

sitara-devi

We have an excellent career-sketch of Sitara Devi: The Twinkling Star profiled by Karan Bali on her second death anniversary on 25th November.  Some of her memorable films are Judgement of Allah (1935), Achhut (1940), Pagal (1940) and India Today (1940)., Roti (1942), Najman (1943) or her snake dance in Anjali (1957) or the Holi dance in Mother India (1957).

We will also take note of A Short Film Tribute to Sitara Devi   

Karan Bali has also profiled PC Barua, who is most easily remembered for K L Saigal’s songs of Devdas (1935) or Saigal’s So Ja Raajkumari So Ja (Zindagi).

The December, 2016 episode of Fading Memories, Unforgettable Songs was dedicated to Mohammad Rafi’s solo song from the first film with the music director. This part of the article covered the first three years of the first-five-year-period of 1944-1948. The second part of the article, has covered songs from 1947 and 1948 @ Mohammad Rafi’s Solo Song From The FIRST Film With The Music Director ||2||.

Here are posts on other subjects as well:

Shyam Benegal’s ‘Ankur’ and the beginning of a film movement – A Book Review by Sangeeta Datta – A script written during the filmmaker’s college years became the foundation of his sparkling career as one of cinema’s greatest realists.

smita-patil-image-credit-jhelum-paranjape

Smita Patil as a child: Mischievous, adventurous, emotional and an excellent mimic – In her review Maithili Rao notes that  Smita Patil biography reveals that the acclaimed actor, whose death anniversary is on December 13, was ‘prem mayee’: a being suffused with love.

More Delicious Chutney Covers of Hindi Film Songs – After the introductory piece, we can now expect this to be a regular fare.

Southern Spice in Hindi Music highlights key aspects of South Indian music that have been absorbed in Hindi film songs, that have added what one would call as a dash of Southern spice in Hindi film music. This is not about the vocal styles from South India, but instruments from South India. LINK TO PLAYLIST FOR SOUTHERN SPICE IN HINDI FILM MUSIC takes us to 12 such songs from 1940s to’60s, with one exception.

I have been able to land upon this quite an imaginative subject – “Samne waali khidki” songs rather belatedly.

Shankar-Jaikishan’s multi-faceted genius with ‘other’ singers – have covered so far their best songs for his leading singers, Lata Mangeshkar, Mukesh, Rafi and Manna Dey. also presented his best dance songs for Lata Mangeshkar and female dance duets. presenting my final tribute to SJ with their songs for ‘other’ singers which give a glimpse of their multi-faceted talent.

My Favourites: Heroes – 1 (40s-70s)  is the pairing list of earlier  My Favourites: Heroines – 1 (40s-70s) , based on an idea of Stars and Songs, that the author, Ava Suri, particularly like featuring the actress. In the continuum, Zeenat Aman – My favorite Songs is a collection of Baker’s dozen songs that have matching visuals to the catchy lyrics with Zeenat Aman in the focus and Ashok Kumar – 10 favorite songs that the actor sang as well as performed on the screen.

‘Diya Na Bujhe Ri Aaj Hamara’ – Kumkum The first song I got as a dancer was the song “Angana Baaje Shehnai Re, Aaj Mori Jagmag Atariya” in the film Sheesha which was sung by Shamshad Begum. ‘Raat Ke Raahi’s song ‘Daayein Baayein Chhup Chhupa Ke Kahaan Chale’ was picturized on Kumkum’s younger sister Radhika and Shammi Kapoor.Radhika also stays with her family in Mumbai.

Trios, Quartets, and More: Ten of my favourite songs has presented songs such as:

Bas mujhko mohabbat ho gayi hai (Biwi aur Makaan), 1966); Mukesh, Manna Dey, Hemant, Talat Mahmood. There is one more such experiment in the same film – Nahi Hota… Aa Tha Jab Janam Liya – Mukesh, Manna Dey & Hemant Kumar

The Legends: Asha Bhosle sets the tone with the help of solos and The Legends: Asha Bhosle – Part 2 has her duets.

We end today’s episode with a short film on songs and life of Mohammad Rafi: Part 1| Part 2 | Part 3. 

I take this opportunity to wish a great 2017 to all of you and look forward to your valued suggestions to keep our content more engrossing…

Mohammad Rafi’s Solo Song From The FIRST Film With The Music Director : 1944-1948 ǁ 2 ǁ

We have covered 1944, 1945 and 1946 as the three of the first five-year period of Mohammad Rafi’s FIRST film with the music director. Presently, we will cover 1947 and 1948 as the last two years of this period.

mohammad-rafi-jugnu-3

1947

Datta Davjekar, a fairly known name in the then Marathi films, debuts with Aap Ki Sewan Mein in Hindi Films. The film has several other records to its account as well. Lata Mangeshkar also made her debut as a playback singer with the song Paa Laagoon Kar Joree Re. The songs are written by Mahipal, who later on made his name as hero, especially in the mythological films and the poet-hero of V Shantaram’s 1959 film ‘Navrang’.. Mohammad Rafi has handled the eagerness of a longing lover on his way to meet his beloved in a controlled high-octave scale rendition. The beauty of the composition is in its vibrant freshness after so many years.

Datta Davjekar had two solos of Mohammad Rafi in the next film, Adalat (1948), too.

Incidentally, November (15th) also is Datta Davjekar’s month of birth.

Meri Aankho  Ke Taare Yeh Phool Suhaye

Naresh Bhattacharya had all other songs of Dak Bangla in Suraiya’s voice (one being a duet with Mukesh too), except this Mohammad Rafi solo. The song, written by D N Madhok, is such a pleasant tune to listen to, though slightly difficult to hum with.

Jab Jab Baithe Baithe Dil Bhar Aye Aur Lab Se Nikale Haye, Socho Kisi Se Pyar Ho Gaya

S D Burman also opens account with Mohammad Rafi solo in Do Bhai. Raja Mahendi Ali Khan’s lyrics have been done a very fair justice by Mohammad Rafi in the way the song has been rendered. The song may not have created many ripples, but does contain Rafi as we came to know his songs in the later years. Do Bhai is remembered for Geeta Dutt’s path breaking song – Mera Sundar Sapna Beet Gaya

Duniya Mein Meri Aaj Andhera Hi Andhera

A R Qureshi (a.k.a. an ace table player Alla Rakha) was known name as music director of Hindi films by now. He has chosen to use Mohammad Rafi for Malika. The song Meri Dulruba Mere Paas Aa does have varying accounts of the playback singer. As such we will take note of the song, but will go along to record the Tanvir Naqvi’s present song as the only Mohammad Rafi’s solo.

Das Na Jayen Tujhko Zulfien Kaaliyan

Khemchand Prakash has used Mohammad Rafi in a triad with Arunkumar and Manna Dey in Samaj Ko Badal Dalo’s song Aaji Maat Poochhco Baat College Albeli. This is one more song where in Mohammad Rafi has played a cameo role on the screen.

Pt. Ramakant Paingankar-Karnad, one more of those unknown names, has composed the present solo, a bidai song, written by Pt. Mukhram Sharma. The song takes the credit for a first ever bidai song by Mohammad Rafi. The film also has another credit- the first ever duet of Mohammad Rafi and Lata Mangeshakar – Chalo Ho Gayi Tayyar

Chali Sajan Ghar Chali

B S Thakur has used Mohammad Rafi’s voice for this philosophical solo song of Shanti. The song is written by Shakeel Badayuni. YT also has another song To He Jaana Hansate Hanste, which does not find mention on other documentary listings except on Hindi Geetmala.

Jeevan Hai Anmol Musafir, Jeevan Hai Anmol

Azeez Khan has come up with the only Mohammad Rafi solo for Utho Jago.

Prem Ki Nayya Dol Rahi Hai

1948

1948 has once again a very rich crop in so far as our present subject goes.

Ram Ganguly had used Mohammad Rafi in the maiden Raj Kapoor film Aag, but that is a duet with Shamshad Begum – Solah Baras Ki Bhayee Umariya. The visuals of the song can be seen with a typical Raj Kapoor touch.

Shyam Sundar has two Moahmmad Rafi solo songs for Actress, after having introduced Rafi with a duet in 1944 film Gaon Ki Gori. I find it difficult to drop any one of them. Ajay Yuvaraj must also have faced such a dilemma; hence he put up a combined video clip. Both songs have attained a fair amount of popularity.

Ae Dil Meri Aahon Mein Itna To Asar Aaye

Hum Apne Dil Ka Fasana Unhe Suna Na Sake

Hans Raj Behl has used Mohmmad Rafi for one solo and one duet (with Geeta Dutt) for Chunariya. This can be taken as first of the signature HRB-Rafi song, which seems to pave for fairly qualitative combined work in the years to come.

Sab Kuchch Lutaya Hamane Mar Kar Teri Gali Mein

Shaukat Hussain Dehlvi (a.k.a. Nashad) has set the distinctive course of ‘broken-heart’ genre of songs, in which Mohammad Rafi was to carve out a niche for himself. This song from Jeene Do is written by Shewan Rizvi.

Doobi Naiyya Aake Kinare

We have one more Mahipal song, this time composed by Purushottam for Mere Lal.

Bujh Gaya Deep Ghir Gaya Andhera Jyot Kahan Se Laun

Ghulam Mohammad has this playful Mohammad Rafi solo, written by Tanveer Naqvi, for Parai Aag. This mukhda perhaps remids us more of Dil Hi To Hai (1963) version, composed by Roshan, which was written by Sahir Ludhyanvi.

Nigahen Milane Ko Ji Chata Hai

Husnlal Bhagatram scored a great winner in Mohammad Rafi’s solo, written by Qamar Jalalabadi, for Pyar Ki Jeet, even as the films had several hit songs of Suraiya as well.

Ik Dil Ke Tukde Hazar Hue Koi Yahan Gira Koi Wahan Gira

Dhumi Khan, one more of an unknown music director has composed two solos for Mohammad Rafi. One is a prayer song – Sultan-e-Madina. The other one is a pathos-laden song, penned by Habib Sarhadi.

Kismat Se Koi Kya Bole

Ameerbai Karnataki, otherwise a renowned playback singer, has composed songs for Shahnaz. Mohammad Rafi had two solos and three duets with Ameerbai Karnataki in the film. Both the solos present Rafi’s voice in different shades.

Mohabbat Mein Khudaya Aise Guzare Jindagi Apni   (Lyricist: Amir Usmani)

Ae Dil Tujhe Neend Na Aayi Tamam Raat (Lyricist: Akhtar Pilbhiti)

Statically speaking, the first Five-year-period of 1944-48 has seen Mohammad Rafi working with 29 music directors for first time for a solo song. The number for 1948 was 10 music directors, 8 each for 1947 and 1946 whereas 3 for 1945. Both the music directors, who were associated with him in the maiden 1844 year, had no solo song with him in that year. Shyam Sundar appears in this list in 1948 with two solos; however Naushad has yet to create a solo song for Mohammad Rafi.  That perspective apart, the fact remains that the journey had taken off well and was gaining the required velocity.

We will end 1944-48 five-year-period with what I consider as Mohammad Rafi’s most iconic song from Shaheed (1948), written by Raja Mahendi Ali Khan and composed by Ghulam Haider. We have picked up only the sad version, which is essentially a solo song.

Vatan Ki Raah Mein Vatan Ke Naujawan Shaheed Ho

Carnival of Quality Management Articles and Blogs – December, 2016

Welcome to December, 2016 edition of Carnival of Quality Management Articles and Blogs.

We have already taken up the following topics for the familiarization of different elements of new version of ISO 9001-

For the present episode we will take a brief look at The Road beyond ISO 9001:2015.

Role as a Management Tool

The business performance has several dimensions. One can delve deeper into ISO 901: 2015 and can find ways and means to link up the standard with each of this business dimension. However, within the bounds of our present post, we will cover only a few selected examples that would serve as cases of illustration.

Role in The Strategy:

  • The Business of Innovation – Use ISO 9001:2015 to build innovation into your business strategy – There are still people who carry with them the outdated ideas of the standard and only think linearly… The updated ISO 9001:2015 requirements, more specifically “Leadership” (Clause 5), “Risk Based Thinking” (Clause 6) and “Context of the Organization” (Clause 4), have many components linking QMS standards to business management systems, leadership involvement, and strategic planning that were not previously required. The newly required alignment involves the entire organization, a more comprehensive approach to improved performance, process, and quality…
  • Harnessing Quality and Standards as a Business Strategy – Quality and standards are fast becoming strategic business imperatives in a rapidly evolving global economy. Learn how three local companies adopted standards to help them build trust, enhance their brand image and stay ahead of the competition.

Role in Business Process Management

Role in Financial Domain-related Issues:

Role in Sustainability:

Role in CSR domain:

  • Sarbanes – Oxley Act – Threat or opportunity for Quality professionals is a succinct treatise for CSR and Quality professionals to work in unison.
  • Leveraging ISO 9001 system to Sarbanes-Oxley compliance – Maureen McAllister – ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 are not financially focused. However, their systems, procedures and practices offer a ready-made platform to help demonstrate SOx compliance. ISO standards provide a vehicle for ongoing risk assessment and management. Their internal auditing requirements back up these procedures and assessments with cross checks that ensure proper practices are actually being followed. These standards can put some real teeth into SOx-required attestations about internal controls.
  • A Pathway to ‘CSR Excellence’: the roles of ISO 9000 and ISO 26000 – The paper discusses the roles of ISO 9000 and ISO 26000 quality and social responsibility standards in a journey toward Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Excellence.  ISO 9000 plays the role as an operational building block and the ISO 26000 that of a tool to review strategic positioning and operational maturity of organisations.
  • ISO standards for business – An essential link to integrated reporting  – Kevin McKinley 2011 –  Business cannot focus only on satisfying direct customers’ needs – stakeholders in all their forms are becoming more critical of businesses that do not adequately address expectations of good governance, environmental stewardship, sustainability and social responsibility…Standards deal not only with topical business issues, but can also provide rules and guidance for assessing how related business requirements are implemented. Such conformity assessment standards can provide benefits to all links in the value chain.

With this, we will conclude our current series of articles on ISO 9001: 2015 and the articles on elements of QMS that we had been pursuing in previous two years as well.

I plan to revert back to our original model of reviewing the articles/ blogposts on the current topics related to quality and /or quality management from January 2017.

We will now turn to our regular sections:

ASQ CEO, Bill Troy in his ASQ’s Influential Voice  in conjunction with ASQ Communications introduces Belur Nanjundiah Jagadeesh Prasad. Jadesh Prasad has applied his knowledge of quality creatively by composing several quality themed poems.

We now watch two of the latest ASQ TV  episode:

Jim L. Smith’s Jim’s Gems for the month of November, 2016:

6 Rules for Improved Standards : Standards can be a part of continuous improvement efforts, with a few key rules that should be considered whenJim's Gems working with internal documents or external standards.. Bottom line, we should encourage everyone to get involved in making standards the best they can be. It can really be a rewarding task to do because standardization is a significant component of an organization’s continuous improvement initiatives.

Clarifying Consensus, Surveys and Polls: How do we really know what people think? In trying to find out, there’s a lot of confusion created. Some of the confusion is intentional, some confusion is an unawareness of fundamental math, some of the confusion is created by a lack of understanding of what data is telling us, or maybe just simple lack of knowledge of how to collect the information.

I look forward to your active participation in enriching the blog carnival as we pursue our journey in exploring the happenings across quality management blogs…………

With best wishes for a very happy, healthy and meaningful 2017…

Note: The images depicted here above are through courtesy of respective websites who have the copyrights for the respective images.

Fading Memories…. Unforgettable Songs: December, 2016

Mohammad Rafi’s Solo Song from the FIRST Film with the Music Director: 1944 – 1948: Part 1

This is month of Mohammad Rafi’s birth anniversary. [Born: December 24, 1924, Kotla Sultan Singh | Died: July 31, 1980, Mumbai]. And hence this month’s episode is dedicated to Mohammad Rafi.

mohammad-rafi-jugnu-1

All sorts of analyses have written about Mohammad Rafi. The subject that I have chosen is very simple at its core. I plan to divide Rafi’s very long career in five-year slots, look for a film that has his first association with the music director, and then pick up one solo song that seems to slip from our memories.

I do not have any pretense of evaluating influence of different music director on his singing (in the initial years of his career) or his contribution to the furtherance of a music director’s career (once he had acquired such level).  Our goal is very simple: bring some of his fading-from-the-memory-songs on one page and enjoy them on the call.

We begin our journey with the 1944-1948 five-year-period – the first five-years of Mohammad Rafi’s career, a career that was to span next three decades plus period of Hindi Film Music. As can be expected the first five-year period has a very large number of music directors who deployed Mohammad Rafi first time. One can presume that there could be n-number of reasons for Rafi being selected for the first time. It was certainly not a choice by default. As we will listen to the songs, one interesting fact that will stand out is that Mohammad Rafi sounds as comfortable as he sounded once he had settled down as a very successful singer. The period does have a few music directors who already have set a repeat relationship. The period also has a few songs that had become popular then and have remained popular since then as well.

1944

There are as many knowledgeable treatises as there are points of views on how Mohammad Rafi got to sing for the first time in a public function, how he came to down to Bombay, who all he met and how he went to record his first ever film song for a Punjabi film Gul Baloch [Sooniye Nee Heeriye Nee Yaad Ne Bahut Sataya –  duet with Zeenat Begum – Music director: Shyam Sundar ] and his FIRST Hindi film song Jab Dil Ho Kaabu Mein to Dildar Ki Aisi Taisi – a duet with G M Durrani – under the baton of Shyam Sundar for Gaon Ki Gori. The first that was recorded by Naushad in Rafi’s voice, a chorus, was from Pehle Aap.  The song was penned by Nazim Panipati. The song will also go in the records as Mohammad Rafi’s first patriotic song: Shri Arunkumar Deshmukh, while providing a good deal of other interesting information about this song has noted that Shyamkumar, Allauddin Naved and B. M. Vyas also have contributed in the song.

Hindustan Ke Hai Hum, Hai Hindustan Hamara

1945

Pandit Govindram, one of the then leading music director, teamed up with lyricist Ramesh Gupta for Hamara Sansar with what may be termed as a full-fledged 1st solo song. The experts may see that youthful rawness in Rafi’s voice but not in his singing prowess.:

Ae Dil-e-Nakaam Ab Jeene Ki Tamanna Chhod De

Firoz Nizami had three solos for Mohammad Rafi in Sharabati Ankhen. Each one was set to difficult tune and rising/dropping scales.  Tanvir Naqvi’s songs that I have selected is set to fast clip in the mukhada, but antara opens on a lower note before reverting to the fast clip.

Bahut Mukhtasar Hai Hamari Kahani… Jawani Muhabbat 

A year later Firoz Nizami will present Woh Apni Yaad Dilane Ko, in which Rafi will appear in a cameo performance on the screen. An icing on the cake will be duet with the then reigning queen Noor Jehan – Yaahan Badla Wafa Ka Bewafai Ke Siwa Kya Hai – were Rafi will match note-to-notes with Noor Jehan and thus score a first all-time hit – one of the many to come in not too distant future.

Hafeez Khan has composed a full of pathos song penned by Nakshab Jarachvi in Zeenat. Mohammad Rafi seems to bring out the feeling without being theatrical.

Haye Re Duniya …Kitni Dil Azar Hai Duniya, Jhuton Ka Darbar Hai Duniya

1946

S Quereshi has composed a slightly fast paced tune which is essentially in the nature of a traditional prayer. Shevan Rizvi has made required changes in the lyrics to suit the song to probably a 78-RPM record singing length duration. In the years to come, Mohammad Rafi will have developed a special forte for this genre.

Milta Hai Kya Namaaz Mein Sajde Mein Ja Ke Dekh Le

Shankar  Rao Vyas is quite an unknown name as far as my knowledge of Hindi Film Music goes.  In this Ghoonghat solo song written by Ramesh Gupta, we get to listen to Mohammad Rafi in his elements.

Bahoot Mayush Ho Kar Koocha-e-Qatil Se Hum Nikale

We have one more film in this year in which Shankar Rao Vyas – Mohammad Rafi combination is present. Not knowing which one would have come earlier, I have as well picked up a song written by Ramesh Gupta from Mera Geet.

Apas Ke Jhagadon Ne Dekho Bharat Barbad Kiya, Jinka Tha Mohtaj Jamana Aaj Inhe Mohtaj Kiya

Basheer Dehlvi has experimented with Mohammad Rafi’s ability to switch form very high octaves to very low octaves in the very beginning as well as in the very end of this solo song from Hawaii Khatola.

Meri Bighadi Huee Qismat Ka Naksha Dekhanewalo…. Hoton Ki Hasi Kya Hai, Kya Ashq Bahana Hai

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVuyX7FsR9g

S N Tripathi has composed a Rafi solo for Mansarovar: Badhe Chalo Badhe Chalo Bahaduron . Unfortunately the soft copy of the song is still not available on net.

Rangbhoomi’s this composition by Prem Nath has been documented as a Mohammad Rafi Solo, But it has quite a distinct chorus as an accompanying component. @2.22 onwards, there is a female component also, purportedly led by Shamshad Begum.  Interesting in every antara, the beginning few words by Rafi sound quite different, till of course the line goes into what has now become Rafi’s signature style of rising to sudden high octave. The song is penned by Pt. Phani.

Kadam Suye  Manzil Badhaye Chala Jaa, Koi Saath Aaye Na AAye Tu Chala Chal  

Hanuman Prasad also opens account with Mohammad Rafi in Rasilii, but both the songs are duets with Shamshad Begum. So we will have to wait for the next opportunity to get a maiden solo as Hanuman Prasad – Mohammad combination

Rashid Atre has used Mohammad Rafi in quawwali style solo song, penned by Nakhshab Jarchvi for Room No 9

Rahe To Rahe Kaise Dil Ke Ikhtyar Mujhe,….Tum Is Nigah Se Dekho Na Baar Mujhe

Even as Bulo C Rani too has opened account with Mohammad Rafi n Salgirah, we will have t wait for their maiden solo combination since the films has a Rafi pairing with Kaumidini Dikshit.

C Ramachandra has scored a double solo in Safar. Kehke Bhi Na Aaye Tum can be treated as one of the popular among Mohammad Rafi’s early songs. So I have picked up another one, which is set to a very distinct style… These songs have been written by G S Nepali. As SoY has noted, CR went onto compose 22 more songs of Mohammad Rafi by 1949.

Ab Woh Hamare Ho Gaye….Ikrar Kare Ya Na Kare

Taufail Farookhi introduces Mohammad Rafi in a very different sur in this song, written by Shamim Jaipuri for Sona Chandi. As the mukhda progresses we get to Rafi’s voice as so well-known to us. The song is set to quite difficult rhythm-scale combination.

 Data Ji Tera Bhed Na Paya 

As was expected, the first five-year-period of 1944-48 of Mohammad Rafi’s career has many more songs then we can reasonably accommodate in one post. Thanks to Raza Abidi who has meticulously collected Mohammad Rafi’s songs on YT when he was “unknown”, we will end the first half of 1944-48 five-year-period with a song, composed by Prakash for Bikhare Phool, a film that was never released. The song does require mention because Rafi has so poignantly brought in emotions in the song with his ‘natural theatrical flair’.

Hamen Bhool Jana… Dil Na Dukhana

We will conclude this part of our journey in one more episode, on 22nd December (2016), nearer to  Mohammad Rafi’s anniversary day.

Is Management Profession is still a practice of science or art?

Recently, I saw the title of David H Freeman’s article – Is Management Still a Science? – published in November- December 1992 issue of HBR. That set bells ringing for me. Well, wasn’t practice of management already established as science in the second half of twentieth century? However, if there still was a question, why?

Let us first briefly look at what the article has to state:

“As every manager knows, new technologies are transforming products, markets, business processes, and entire industries, revolutionizing the business environment. Yet the more technology looms as a factor of competition, the more the emphasis is on the “soft” arts of leadership, change management, and employee motivation.

“On reflection, this paradox isn’t so surprising. The traditional scientific approach to management promised to provide managers with the capacity to analyze, predict, and control the behavior of the complex organizations they led. But the world most managers currently inhabit often appears to be unpredictable, uncertain, and even uncontrollable.

“In the face of this more dynamic and volatile business world, the traditional mechanisms of “scientific management” seem not only less useful but positively counterproductive. And science itself appears less and less relevant to the practical concerns of managers.

“However, the problem may lie less in the shortcomings of a scientific approach to management than in managers’ understanding of science.

“Put simply, while traditional science focused on analysis, prediction, and control, the new science emphasizes chaos and complexity.

“The new rules of complex behavior that cutting-edge scientific research describes have intriguing parallels with the organizational behaviors many companies are trying to encourage. Science, long esteemed by business as a source of technological innovation, may ultimately prove of greatest value to managers as a source for something else: useful new ways of looking at the world.

“The wide-ranging texts reviewed here suggest the broad outlines of what might become the new scientific management. Their message: management may indeed be a science—but not the science that most managers think.

The article, at this stage has delved deep into the four monumental books, which also underline four major trends in the development of management science during the 20th century.

These are:

The Principles of Scientific Management, Frederick Winslow Taylor (New York: Harper, 1911).

Chaos: Making a New Science, James Gleick (New York: Viking, 1987).

Complexity: Life at the Edge of Chaos, M. Mitchell Waldrop (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1992).

The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization, Peter M. Senge (New York: Doubleday, 1990)

The article goes on conclude that, “The scientific managers of today must be researchers who study their own organizations. And they must be designers who create the learning processes that make self-organization possible, the processes that are essential to effective performance in a world characterized by perpetual novelty and change.”

That now leads to another article – Is Management Really an Art?– by Henry M. Boettinger, in HBR issue of January 1975. The author investigates what he sees as three indispensable aspects of the artistic process—craft, vision, and communication.

The article sums up with these words:

At every level of management, from shop floor to board room, across the spectrum of our institutions, whether government, business, education, armed forces, or the church, we need a rediscovery of the value of the individual imagination and a rekindling of that passion for humane purposes which is the authentic light of leadership. To manage is to lead, and to lead others requires that one enlist the emotions of others to share a vision as their own. If that is not an art, then nothing is.

Dean Stanely F. Teele, the 4th dean of HBS is more categorical in stating that “Management is a mixture of art and science …. The present ratio is about 90% art and 10% science. Though a very great deal of developments are presently increasing that proportion which can properly be called science. I am willing to venture a guess that by the end of another generation the ratio will be 80% art and perhaps 20% science.”

Peter Drucker in his landmark book The Practice of Management notes that “…managing a business must be creative rather than adaptive task. The more a management creates economic conditions or changes them rather than passively adapts to them, the more it manages the business.’  He goes on observe that “the manager is the dynamic, life-giving element in every business.’ Even as he concludes that, “Management can never be an exact science”, he does assert that the work of a manager can be systematically analyzed and classified.

Both these views relate to the mid-twentieth century thinking on the subject.

In the present times, Devdutt Pattanaik looks the whole concept from an Indian mythological point of view. Why we do business impacts how we do it and what ultimately gets done. It is very different from Management Science, taught in business schools around the world, which does not factor in belief, because belief is subjective truth, hence cannot be measured.

Despite the veneer of objectivity, Management Science is rooted in Western belief. Just as ancient Greeks celebrated Elysium, much-cherished heaven of heroes, and the Bible speaks of the Promised Land, ultimate destination of faithful, Management Science is goal-oriented, obsessed with vision, mission, objectives, milestones, and targets.

By contrast, the Indian way of doing business—as apparent in Indian mythology, but no longer seen in practice— accommodates subjectivity and diversity, and offers an inclusive, more empathetic way of achieving success[i]. The Indian approach is not goal-based; it is gaze-based. It does not exclude the Western model; it includes it, with the assertion that the purpose of an organization is to work towards happiness. Great value is placed on the practice of darshan (gaze): how we see the world and our relationship with Lakshmi, goddess of wealth

So Devdutt Pattanaik has developed a 3 B model, which he calls as the Business Sutra, which basically says, as is your belief, so is your behavior, so is your business. This is Business Sutra, a very Indian way of doing business.

3-b-model

To explore the concept in greater details, every first Sunday of the month, starting from February, 2017, we will revisit, Devdutt Pattanaik’s TV serial, Business Sutra, telecast on CNBC in 2010.

[i]  The Indian approach to business: Devdutt Pattanaik at TEDxGateway 2013