Carnival of Blogs on Golden Era of Hindi Film Music – August, 2017

Welcome to August, 2017 edition of Carnival of Blogs on Golden Era of Hindi Film Music.

We have three posts for our present episode that befit the season:

Beyond ‘Maa Tujhe Salaam’, the film songs that dare to step out of line when things go off-key – Rather than pop patriotism tunes, it’s the songs about dissent and debate that resonate as India turns 70 – Rineeta Naik recalls the anti-nationals in Hindi films who stepped out of line and reminded us of the times when things went off-key… The songs presented here convey a poet’s despair over social and moral decay, the agony of a man unfairly marked as a traitor, and the exuberant cynicism of city-dwellers who discovered that “sone ki chidiya” rhymes nicely with malaria.

Celebrate the monsoon with this performance of raag Mia ki Malhar by Amir Khan – Malhar raags are prescribed for the rainy season. – Aneesh Pradhan – Amir Khan’s presentation of Mia ki Malhar, a raag considered to have been created by the 16th-century vocalist and composer Mia Tansen, has always been considered by musicians and aficionados as one of the most iconic interpretations of the raag. The recording featured here was made for the All India Radio National Programme of Music in 1958, but it continues to haunt listeners to this day.

Rainy Days has captured songs picturised in the rain, let it be for a part of the song or the entire length, from drizzle to showers! The song may not be about the rain itself.

We will first take up the posts on Meena Kumari in our regular anniversaries or eulogies posts:

Meena Kumari: An enigma – DP Rangan pays a very touching and vivid tribute to Meena Kumari on her 85^th birth anniversary (1 August 1932 – 31 March 1972).

Gaddeswaroop’s Blog has added two songs in Meena Kumari singing for herself in 1947

Ankhiyan Taras Rahin Un Bin – Piya Ghar Aaja (1947) – Bulo C Rani – Pt. Indra

Sawan Beet Gayo Mai Ri – Duniya Ek Sarai (1947) – Hansraj Behl – Kidar Sharma

We also take a look at the life of Meena Kumari in Meena Kumari Biography by Javed Akhtar. The Enigma Called Tragedy Queen Meena Kumari Part 1 ǁ Part 2 ǁ Part 3; Virasat – Meena Kumari Part 1 of 2 ǁ Part 2 of 2 and the 20 Rare Pictures of Meena Kumarisupplement good deal of interesting aspects on the subject

We have chosen to take a Retrospective look to revisit:

‘No One Quite Like Her –  The Inimitable Meena Kumari’ – “Good looks, great talent and unhappiness. Perhaps no other star combined all three in such a heady brew as Meena Kumari did.” Sathya Saran writes about how the iconic actress carved out an inimitable niche for herself, had held sway over her audiences for two decades and continues to fascinate her fans to this day….. Nothing added as much to the legend of Meena Kumari as her liviing of it. For many it seemed the natural culmination to a life of suffering. To be abandoned and exploited, and left without money after earning  sums that were beyond the reach of lesser stars, and die sick in heart and body is a tale that cannot fail to touch anyone who hears it.

The Legend That Was Meena Kumari in which Antara Nanda Mondal poignantly notes that pain and anguish was part of her life and she brought them to the fore in her performances that became iconic.

At a film premiere – Talat Mahmood with Meena Kumari, Usha Kiran, music director Madan Mohan and other guests

Meena Kumari – Interview (1952). This is an interview when Meena Kumari was on the verge completing two significant and much talked-about films, “Footpath” and “Baiju Bawra”, in which she had played the feminine lead.

Remembering singer Parul Ghosh, one of Hindi cinema’s quietest trailblazers – Wife of an illustrious husband, sister of a famous brother, Parul Ghosh made indelible contributions to music. Rudradeep Bhattacharjee pays tribute on her fortieth death anniversary.

All these years later, nobody exudes flamboyance like Shammi Kapoor – On the Hindi film star’s death anniversary, a reminder of his irresistible exuberance. Akshay Manwani states that In his book on dancing star and rebel hero, Shammi Kapoor: The Game Changer, journalist and film critic Rauf Ahmed gives readers a view of Kapoor’s ascent into stardom.

70mm Man: C Mohan, who designed the logo for ‘Sholay’ and other classics – Ramesh Sippy’s landmark film was released this week 42 years ago. Its designer was one of the leading exponents of Bollywoood Expressionism.

And Happy Birthday to Another Big Reason I Got Drawn Into Hindi Films, that of Vyjayanthimala, who just happens to be celebrating her birthday as this post was in the writing. There is one more post on Vaijayantimala’s birthday – Seven Dances for Vyjayanthimala’s Birthday  – posted seven years ago. This post has video clips of some of her lesser known dance songs,

Of the Ten of my favourite Mumtaz songs, presented in celebration of the 70^th birthday on 31sy July, I have picked up O matwaare saajna chhalak gaya mera pyaar (Faulad, 1963) as my own offering to the celebration.

The August 2017 episode of Fading Memories, Unforgettable Songs was dedicated to Shailendra and “Other” Music Directors

Here are posts on other subjects as well:

‘The first duo Husnlal-Bhagatram (2): Their songs for ‘other’ singers’ is a follow up post to The first duo Husnlal-Bhagatram (1): Their songs for Suraiya, Lata Mangeshkar and Rafi, SoY recounts the memorable meeting with 90-year-old Nirmala Devi, wife of Pt. Husnlal.

Gulzar’s 1988 movie ‘Libaas’ to be finally released later this year -Zee Classic and Amul Mohan, the son of the producer Vikas Mohan, will release the film.

Subodh Agrwal has taken up a very difficult subject of Asymmetric Duets. He has further tightened the rules by taking up the duets in which the rhythm and the tune do diverge and yet complement each other too. SoY readers have chipped in a very large number of such interesting songs.

In our series Micro View of Best Songs 1948 @SoY of Best songs of 1948: And the winners are?, we have conclude the sub-series of Male Solo Songs with My Top Male Solo Songs and commenced the series of posts on Female Solo Songs with 21-solo-songs of Suraiya, following up with the first part and second part  of the solo songs of Geeta Dutt.

We will end the present post with a chance Mohammad Rafi song that an e-mail from my friend Samir Dholakia presented me.

De De Mori Mundari – Sat Saaliyaan (Punjabi) 1964 – S.Madan- Naqsh Lyallpuri – Mohd.Rafi

Note: In the song @4.28 a reference to other well-known songs – Akhiyan Sakhi Akhiyan Lagi and Ek Chatur Naar- is made as a parody

The song merited some more searches that led to a full-fledged parody song as well from the same film:

Bahut Shukriya Badi Meharbaani

Not to be satisfied now, I search more, and get two beautiful duets with Suman Kalyanpur:

Sohniye Tu Na Modi Munh

Kehdi Gallon Russiyan Ne

and a signature Rafi song

Sat Saaliyaan – Oye Sohna Jeha Mukhda

BTW, the music director S Madan is known to us for his far more famous and melodious duet with Asha Bhosle:

Ye Raat Ye Fizaain Phir Aain Naa Aaye – Batwara –Majrooh Sultanpuri

Batwara too had one signature Rafi song:

Yeh Kaisi Deewar Hai Duniya 

I trust you will always feel free to proffer your suggestions for making this series of posts more lively and informative….

The Micro View of the Songs of 1948 @ SoY – Female Solo Songs – Geeta Roy [1]

Personally for me, the songs that I heard here are the ones that I had heard for the first time. This simply means that most of songs that I had heard were of Geeta Dutt, and not those of Geeta Roy. And I always believed I have had many Geeta Roy/Dutt songs!

The number of Geeta Roy’s solo songs for 1948 too add up to our hypothesis that the year is an open-field for transition-vintage era singers,  as well as THE golden year singer – Lata Mangeshkar. The numbers also merit spanning our micro-analysis over two posts.

[1]

Dil Ke Geet Gayenge Mil Ke Gayenge – Anjana – D C Dutt – Vishvamitra Adil

Mujhe Kuchch Yaad Aata Hai… Meri Aankhon Mein Aansoo Hai – Anjana – D C Dutt – Bharat Vyas

Rim Zim Barase Nain Darae Biraha Ki Barsaat – Anjana – D C Dutt – Bharat Vyas

O Jadugar Kahe Tihari Gali Aaye – Chanda Ki Chandani – Gyan Dutt – D N Mdhok

Piya Piya Bagon Mein Papiha Bole – Chanda Ki Chandani – Gyan Dutt – D N Mdhok

Ulfat Ke Dard Ka Kabhi Majha Lo – Chanda Ki Chandani – Gyan Dutt – D N Mdhok

Jab Yaad Teri Aati Hai Dil Mera Bhar Bhar Aaye – Chanda Ki Chandani – Gyan Dutt – D N Mdhok

Ham Ko Bhula Diya To Kya Yaad Meri Bhulaoge to Jaane – Chanda Ki Chandani – Gyan Dutt – D N Mdhok

Jab Kaali Kaali Raaten Hogi Dil Se Dil Ki Baatein Hogi – Chanda Ki Chandani – Gyan Dutt – D N Mdhok

Aaja Re Balama Kaisi Suhaani Raat Hai – Chand Sitare – Premnath – Aziz Kashmiri

Dil Baar Baar Gabaraye Koi Ghadi Ghadi Yaad Aaye – Chand Sitare – Premnath – Aziz Kashmiri

Dil Se Tumhari Yaad Bhulaye Na Jayegi– Chand Sitare – Premnath – Aziz Kashmiri

Tere Milane Ko Ji Dhadake Kahan Gaye Patthar Ka Dil Karake – Chunariya – Hansraj Bahl – Muk Raj Bhakhari

O Motorwale Babu Babu Mialne Aa Jaa Re – Chunariya – Hansraj Bahl – Muk Raj Bhakhari

Koi Nain Mila Ke Chala Gaya Ek Aag Laga Chala Gaya – Chunariya – Hansraj Bahl – Muk Raj Bhakhari

Chupke Chupke Aana Mere Paas  – Didi – Mukund Masurekar – Indeevar

We will follow up with the second part of Geeta Roy’s solo songs of 1948 in our next episode.

Carnival of Quality Management Articles and Blogs – August, 2017

Welcome to August, 2017 edition of Carnival of Quality Management Articles and Blogs.

Our topic for the August 2017 is Quality of Translations. The trigger for taking up this topic, in our present issue, for a brief overview, was an email from Mr. Ravi Kumar, the founder of Hindi Center  /Modlingua Learning Pvt. Ltd.. However, we will deal with that a little later.

First the basics:

Quality of translation : The term quality of translation is used to refer to the desirability of properties or characteristics of a translated text or content.

“In manufacturing quality is the concept of making products fit for a purpose and with fewest defects. Many different techniques and concepts have been tried to minimize defects in production, including Zero Defects, Six Sigma, and the House of Quality.”

Thus, in the translation process quality would be the concept of making the target text (the translated text) fit for a purpose and with the fewest errors (in terms of sense, grammar, orthography, style, omissions, etc.)

What is a “quality” translation? : The quality of translation has two constructs: In one sense, quality refers to whether the translation is acceptable. In another sense, there are different quality levels that could be needed for a given translation.

‘What is the quality of a translation?’ is the Lecture by Anthony Pym at the University of Vienna, April 13, 2015, as part of a course on academic Translation Studies.

And then a few pointers to the Quality of Translation:

10-Step Quality Assurance Process: All translation projects undergo a multi-layered process of checks and reviews in order to ensure the highest degree of quality. Presented here is a 10-Step Quality Assurance process that enables delivery of spot-on translations and the highest quality output.

10 crucial ways to ensure high quality translations has shared 10 blog posts that have given numerous tips and professional advice on how to implement and monitor processes to ensure you get high quality translations.

Ten Common Myths About Translation Quality that can actually do more harm than good.

Measuring Translation Quality: Constraints, Challenges and Solutions: Without clear goals and a repeatable, objective and accurate methodology, quality can be hard to measure, especially in the localization industry. From lack of knowledge to outside factors to subjective reviews, there are many reasons quality is hard to measure. In a webinar called “A Practical Approach to Measuring Translation Quality”, David Sommer discusses challenges with measuring quality and potential solutions.

That brings us to the core of e-mail message from Mr. Ravi Kumar:

Translation-quality standards: Like any supplier of goods or services, a translator potentially bears ethical and legal obligations toward his patron or employer. This has turned to be of enormous importance with the development of the language industry at global scale. For the protection of both parties, standards have been developed that seek to spell out their mutual duties.

In the e-mail referred to at the beginning of the article, Mr. Ravi Kumar informed me that Modlingua has recently released these videos on the subject of Translation-Quality standards:

Quality Standards and Translation:

Seven Quality Standards one must know:

As can be expected, these videos provide the strong ground work for following up the more structured approach the task of translations (services).

Moreover, Modlingua has also presented a project management perspective to the translation services:

Fundamentals of Project Management:

Project Management in Translation Business:

We can look forward to more such videos to be uploaded on language, translation and culture @ YT channel Modilingua.

Mr. Ravi Kumar, himself a language-translation entrepreneur, has presented The Translator as Entrepreneur: An Indian Perspective . –  This paper deals with Translators as entrepreneurs who are slowly getting aware of their profession and have begun coming to a common platform to share knowledge, experience and resources – a most desired step necessary for the better future of the profession. Further, this paper proposes “networking” as a possible solution to entrepreneurs who can economize their process and speed up their growth by using available resources and infrastructure without having to invest huge resources.

We will now turn to our regular sections:

For the present episode we have picked up two articles @ the column The Drucker Today @ Management Matters Network.

3 Questions Drucker Would Ask You And Your Management Team

• What is our business? – The Mission
• What will our business be? – The changing environment that we are certain about
• What should our business be?” – The Vision

Dr. Robert Swaim also goes into more detail on the concepts discussed in this article in chapters 2 and 3 of his book The Strategic Drucker.

Notes From A Drucker Lecture: Six Questions Every Manager Must Ask To Empower Their Team

1. The performance of your people.
2. Taking responsibility for your relationship with others.
3. Establishing and maintaining your relationship with others.
4. Accountability for results.
5. Relationship with your manager.
6. Assignment control and staffing.

When you have completed this analysis, you may want to ask yourself one more question: When I leave this organization, what will be different because I was there?

From Ask The Experts, I have picked up a question that relates to how much (of process details / documentation) is enough so as not to jeopardize the ISO certification. The answer is demonstration of objective evidence for the process being implemented ‘under controlled condition’ (Clause 8.5.1 of ISO 9001:2015)

We do not have anything of note in the  ASQ CEO, Bill Troy at present. In the last issue we had proposed to take up the detailed view of Industry 4.0. I submit that we carry forward that proposal for the next month’s episode.

We now watch one of the latest ASQ TV  episodes:

• Customer Journey Maps: Tool and Example – Lisa Custer, Firefly Consulting, discusses how to create a customer journey map, how it becomes more than a robust voice of the customer tool, and provides a real-world example of a customer journey map in action.

Jim L. Smith’s Jim’s Gems for the month of July, 2017:

• The Role of Specification Limits – They are primarily for interactions with customers and management – Many people, from engineers to managers to quality professionals to technicians, possess limited understanding of product and process (manufacturing) limits. The third types of limits are: disposition limits… The specification limits are defines as – The general definition is limits within which a product would be expected to perform its stated and intended function for customer use. Specification limits, therefore, are related to product design. They should be set in the product design phase and effectively fixed for manufacture.. The specification limits may not play a direct role in process control limits within the manufacturing environment, but they do facilitate determination of useful product disposition limits. Additionally, they can even play a role in determining required sensitivity levels in setting process control limits.. Furthermore, specification limits are primarily for interactions with customers and management. Also, they are very useful in the calculation of Process Capability Index (Cpk) statistics.

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…………

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

The Micro View of the Songs of 1948 @ SoY – Female Solo Songs – Suraiya

The 21 solos songs of Suraiya are spread over just six films. Ideally, we would have covered these many songs in two post-length articles. But that would make the total number of posts on Female Solo Songs run a couple of months. So, for the time being we have covered Solo Songs of Suraiya in this one post.

Din Khushi Ka Chhup Gaya Raat Gam Ki Aa Gayee – Aaj Ki Raat – Husnlal Bhagatram – Rajinder Krishna

Kyon Le Chala Aye Dil Mujhko Pyar Ki Gali Mein – Aaj Ki Raat – Husnlal Bhagatram – Rajinder Krishna

Aaj Ki Raat Muhabbbat Hai Jawan Aaj Ki Raat – Aaj Ki Raat – Husnlal Bhagatram – Rajinder Krishna

Ro Ro Ke Saare Raat Kati Inazaar Mein – Aaj Ki Raat – Husnlal Bhagatram – Rajinder Krishna

Mere Dil Mein Koi Aaye Ki Naha Mera Naazuk Dil Haae Re – Kajal – Gulam Mohammad D N Madho, Shakeel Badayni

Din Pe Din Beete Jaaye Jaanewale Na Aae Main Kya Karoon – Kajal – Gulam Mohammad D N Madho, Shakeel Badayni

Din Gujara Raat Aayee Ho Balam Dhadkan – Kajal – Gulam Mohammad D N Madho, Shakeel Badayni

Mohe Mera Bachpan Laa De Jawani Bhae Na – Kajal – With Chorus – Gulam Mohammad D N Madho, Shakeel Badayni

Na Tadapane Ki Izazat Hai,,, Koi Duniya Mein Hamari Tarah Barbaad Na Ho – Pyar Ki Jeet- Husnlal Bhagatram – Qamar Jalalabadi

O Door Jaanewale Vaada Na  Bhool Na Jaana – Pyar Ki Jeet – Husnlal Bhagarram – Qamar Jalalabadi

Tere Naino Ne Chori Kiya Mera Naha Sa Jiya – Pyar Ki Jeet – Husnlala Bhagatram – Rajinder Krshna

Jaanewale Jara Duniya Ka Chalan Dekhata Jaa – Rang Mahal – K Dautta / V A Balsara – Shivkumar

Us Waqt Kya Kare Koi – Rang Mahal – K Datta / V A Balsara – Shivkumar

Kaali Ghatao Jaao  Sajan Ko Samajao – Shakti – Ramprasad / Ajum Baig – Asad Jafri

Pardesi Piya Tose Laga Jiya Chale Aana Sajan Dhire Dhire – Shakti – Ramprasad / Ajum Baig – Asad Jafri

Zan Zanan Baje Dil Ka Sitar…. – Shakti – Ramprasad / Ajum Baig – Asad Jafri

Armaan Bhara Dil .. Baith Gaya Ulfat Ke Sahare Toot Gaye – Shakti – Ramprasad / Ajum Baig – Asad Jafri

Jhoom Rahi Khushiyon KI Naav – Vidya – S D Burman – Y N Joshi

Kinare Kinare Chale Jaayenge Jivan Ki Naiya Ko Khete Hue – Vidya – S D Burman – Y N Joshi

O Krishna Kanhai .. Aashaonki Duniya Mein Hai Kyon Aag Lagai – Vidya – S D Burman – Anjum Pilibhiti

Kise Maloom Tha Do Din Mein Sawan Beet Jaega – Vidya – S D Burman – Anjum Pilibhiti

We will take up Solo Songs of Geeta Roy for the year 1948 in our next episode.

Fading Memories…. Unforgettable Songs: August, 2017

Shailendra and “Other” Music Directors

Shankardas Kesarilal , born on 30 August 1923, popularly known to all of us Shailendra ,passed away by living a Chhoti Si Yeh Zindagani, like a comet that lit the sky while it lasted, at (just) the age of 43 on 14 December 1966.

Most of the songs that Shailendra wrote under the batons of Shanker Jaikishan or Salil Chaudhary or S D Burman have already been immortal. In a career[i], spanning around 800 released songs for Hindi films, Shailendra had had opportunity to work with several ‘other’ (than these three) music directors as well. Most of these songs also have been equally live in our memory today.

We will dedicate our August, 2017 episode to Shailendra’s songs with the ‘other’ directors. For this episode, special care has been exercised to cover to select chronologically first film with that music director while casting the net wide enough to cover as broad spectrum of singers as is possible. Also, I have intentionally chosen songs that I have either not heard or those that need a refresher push.

The first set of these songs, coincidentally, have Geeta Dutt as (one of) the singer.Geeta Dutt had hardly any occasion to sing Shanker Jiakishan songs. By the time Shailendra teamed up with S D Burman, S D Burman had switched over to Lata Maageshkar. So is the case with Salil Chudhary’s songs too. Therefore, this has turned out to be good incidence where we can hear Shailendra’s songs in Geeta Dutt’s voice.

Kaise Rokoge Aise Toofan Ko – Anand Math(1952) – Talat Mahmood,Geeta Dutt – Hemant Kumar

The song apparently is meant to divert the chasing British police, but has an apparent message for the inadvertent hurricane the freedom fight is likely unleash. Geeta Bali sings with gay abandon that may also mean the upsurge from the young hearts.

Ghir Aayi Hey Ghor Ghata, Apni Majbooriyon Se Lipat Ke Pyar Rone Laga – Badnaam (1952) – Geeta Dutt – Basant Prakash

The song is an ideal fit with our image of silken smoothness of Geeta Dutt’s voice.

Teri Chahat Mein Balam, Teri Chahat Mein Sanam Meet Gaye Ham Teri Kasam – Shrimatiji 1952 – Geeta Dutt – Jimmy

This is a dance song that seeks to hoodwink the listeners so as to cover the acts of the partner in the deed. So the lyricist has to not only pack in a meaningful, mind-catching message for the lay listeners and but also has to convey an intended message to the target partner.

Yeh Rut Yeh Raat Jawaan – Sailaab (1956) – Geeta Dutt –Mukul Roy

The film had 4 songs penned Majarooh Sultanpuri, 1 by Madhukar Rajashathani and 2 by Hasrat Jaipuri . All songs are in Geet Dutt’s voice, except one which had Laxmi Roy.

We now move on to songs that have other playback singers.

Mere Dil Ki Dhadkhan Kya Bole – Anhonee (1952) – Talat Mahmod, Lata Mangeshkar – Roshan

After SJ, SDB and Salil Chaudhary, Shailendra has written most number of songs for Roshan in films like Nau Bahar , Sanskaar (both in 1952), Aagosh and Mashuqua in 1953, Chandani Chowk (1954), one song each in Cofee House (1957 and Aji Bas Shukriya (1958), Deep Jalte Rahe, Heera Moti and Madhu in 1959, and Soorat Aur Seerat in 1962.

Desh Ki Dharti NeLalkara Gunja Aazadi Ka Naara – Chhatrapati Shivaji (1952):- Chitalker, chorus – C.Ramchandra

This song adds genre of patriotic songs in the Shailendra’s arsenal.

The other film where Shailendra teamed up with C Ramchandra is Anrakali (1953), which has such immortal songs as Aaja Ab To Aaja Mer Kismat Ke  Kharidar and Dua Kar Gham E Dil Khuda Se Dua Kar.

Dil Ki Lagi Khel Nahin – Bhai Saheb (1954):- C H Atma, Kaumudi Munshi – Ninu Majumdar

Each is piece of the song – singers, music directors – except Shailendra is quite rare.

Badi Mushkil Hai (Lata Mangeshkar) /\ Jiyunga Jab Talak (Talat Mahmood) – Chingari(1955) – Manohar

Down the career, Shailendra has given several meaningful twin songs. Here is the one early one.

Sapnon Ki Duniya Mein Naye Rang Laya O Man Bhaya Sawan Aaya – Pipili Saheb (1954) – Usha Mangeshkar, Meena Mangeshkar, Shaminder – Sardul Kwatra

Here is the song that has the basic flavor of a very rustic setting that is presented with in its natural simplest form.

Mehfil Mein Kaisi Chaam Chaam – Dilli Darbaar (1956) – Lata Mangeshkar – S N Tripathi

Shailendra has teamed up with S N Tripathi for more than one film – like mythological Ram Hanuman Yudh (1957) or Shiv Parvati (1962) to a period film Sangeet Samtrat Tansen (1962) to a social film Kunwari (1966).

Chal Ri Ameeren Bhai Chal Re Fakire – Dilli Ka Thug (1958):- Kishore, chorus – Ravi

This is one more example of Shailendra’s comfort in dealing with unusual situations. Here is the song that is a traditional dance song attributed to street-performances of a monkey trainer with his pet monkey. Compare this song with another song of the film, a Kishore- Asha duet – Ye Raatein Yeh Mausam Nadi Ka Kinara.

Chhupa Chhupi O Chhupi Agad bBagad Jai Re, Chuhe Mama O Mama Bhag Billi Ai Re – Savera (1958) – Manna Dey, Lata Mangeshkar – Shailesh  Mukherjee

The lead protagonists become young children in the company of the children and so does Shailendra.

Ho Choonva Moonva…. Deke Daam Lele Maati Ka Khilauna Kaisa Khel Khele Ye Maati Kholauna – Naya Kadam (1958) – Shailesh Mukherjee – Shivram–Narayan

Shailendra deftly uses a traditional street performance to deliver a strong philosophical message. I am not sure that singer of the song, Shailesh Mukherjee, is the same person as music director Shailesh Mukherjee.

Nani Teri Morni Ko Mor Le Gaye, Baaki Jo Bacha Tha Kaale Chor Le Gaye–  Masoom (1960) – Ranu Mukherjee – Robin Banerjee

The film had 5 more songs – 4 by Raja Mahendi Ali Khan and one by Sahir Ludhyanvi. So, obviously Shailendra has been allotted this situation wherein the child artistes perform the song on the screen. The song had been quite popular.

Hai Re Woh Din Kyon Na Aaye, Ja Ja Ke Ritu Laut Aaye Re – Anuradha (1960) – Lata Mangeshkar – Pt Ravi Shankar

In an otherwise an experimental social film, the songs filmed on the heroine, Anuradha (lela Naidu) help strongly develop the characterization of the role. Here is a song that is coposed on a fairly difficult Carnataki Classical Raag – Jansammohini, also known as Shiv Kalyan or Madh Kalyan.

Asides:

The piece that is considered to have inspired the song is  Ganpat Vighanharan  :

शुक्लाम्बरधरं  विष्णुं  शशिवर्णं चतुर्भुजं । 
प्रसन्नवदनं  ध्यायेत्   सर्वविघ्नोपशान्तयेत्  ।
अभीप्सितार्थसिध्यर्थम्  पूजितो  यस्सुरासुरैः  । सर्वविघ्नहरस्तस्मै  गणाधिपतये  नमः ।।

गणपत  विघ्न  गण  गजानन ।  विराजती  चन्द्रमा  भाल ।  गणपत  विघ्न  गण  गजानन  ।।

by  Ashwini Bhide

Pandit Ravi Shankar also later on used this raag for the hymn of Asiad Games 1982 – Swaagatam

Here are two representative classical pieces of Raag  Janasammohini:

Pt. Mani Prasad of the Kirana Gharana:

Ustad Aamir Khan Saheb :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-jWtjlZNiw

Jhoomte Sharabhi Zara Hosh Mein Aa– Kaanch Ki Gudiya (1961) – Asha Bhosle – Suhrid Kar

KaanchKi Gudiya invaribaly would conjure a Mukesh and Asha Bhosle duet – Saath Ho Tum Raat Jawan. However, the song that we have selected presents a very different Asha Bhosle to us.

Paisa Nahin Hota Jo Kuchch Nahin Hota – Sautela Bhai (1962) – Anil Biswas, Manna Dey – Anil Biswas
In an otherwise a very serious social subject, Anil Biswas teams with Shailendra to come up with a satirical song.

Their next association is 1965’s Chhoti Chhoti Batein.

Daaton Ka Zamana Pyare Dant Bachana – Begana (1963) – Mahendra Kapoor – Sapan Jagmohan

The obvious reason for picking this song for the present episode is it has Mahendra Kapoor. In the process, we also get the benefit of listening to a very light-hearted song from Shailendra.

Chand Tale Jhoom Jhoom Thirak Rahi Hain Ghoongherwaliyan, Mastiyon Ki Aaj Dhun Baja Rahi Hai Taaliyaan – Jab Se Tumhe Dekha Hai (1963):- Subir Sen, Suman Kalyanpur – Dattaram

As we know well, Dattaram was one of the very important links on the Shankar Jaikishan team. The song has very prominent us of what was popularly known as Dattu Theka – a typical stroke that Dattaram would invariably conjure up in his the accompanying base instrumentation.

Rahi Tu Ruk Mat Jaana Toofan Se Mat Ghabharana, Kahin To Milegi Teri Manzil Kahi Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein – Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein (1964):- Hemant Kumar (in three parts) – Kishore Kumar

One the most respected song- be it from the singer’s perspective or music director’s perspective, from the perspective of a song that includes the film title or from the perspective of the delivery of song writer’s message

I have lined up songs that have Mohammad Rafi in the end of the episode. Incidentally each one represents a very different point of a spectrum of Shailendra’s vast repertoire

Ja Ja Na Ched Maan Bhi Ja – Satta Bazar(1959) – Mohammad Rafi, Suman Kalyanpur  – Kalyanji-Anandji

This is the only song that Shailendra has penned for the film. Hasrat Jaipuri and Indeevar had two songs each, whereas Gulshan Bawra had 3 songs. This also gives us one more of a Johnny Walker song to accompany one of the most illustrious one – Jangal Mein Mor Nacha Kisi Ne Na Dekha

Gham Ki Badli Mein Chamakta Ek Sitara Hai Aaj Apan Ho Na Ho Kal Hamara Hai – Kal Hamara Hai (1959):- Mohammad Rafi, Sudha Malhotra – Chitragupt

As the name of the films suggests, the film essentially would be based on the Patriotism theme. Therefore, it is not quite surprising to see Shailendra being easily able to handle the songs that befit the theme.

Aam Chhum Taam Chhum Haar Ho Ki Jeet Ho Khel Mein Rahe Magana – Chhote Nawab (1961) Mohammad Rafi – R D Burman

Here is the song that depicts the mental state of a grown-up prince.

Illahi Tu Sun Le Hamali Duva, Hame Sirf Ek Asara Hai Tera. Teri Rahamate Rah Roshan Kare, Salamat Rahe Saya Man-bap Ka – Chhote Nawab (1961):- Mohammad Rafi – R D Burman  The song was the game changer in the film. In his maiden venture, RDB, on one hand succeeds in  providing just the right platform to Mohammad Rafi to fully express the emotions of the song and on the other hand has lived up to the challenge of the Shailendra’s very poignant lyrics.

When we look back now, we see one most glaring association missing at the core career path years of Shailendra – with Madan Mohan. Similarly, if we see the presence of R D Burman from the (so-called) next generation of music directors, one may note absence of Laxmikant Pyarelal.

We will continue our search for Unforgettable Songs that seem to Fading away from our Memories every second Sunday of the month……..

Disclaimer: All images are sourced from net. All copyrights of the respective image remain with the original owner of the image.

[i]   Virasat – Lyricist ‘Shailendra’

 

The Micro View of the Songs of 1948 @ SoY – Summing Up: MY Top Male Solo Songs

It has taken me some time to present this summing up as the mandatory step of the micro-view of the songs of 1948, the base being ‘Best songs of 1948: And the winners are? ‘ . Outwardly I would justify the procrastination on some other (so-called) pressing engagements. However, from the inner most recesses of my heart I know that my choices have already been made even before I ventured into the full scale micro-view of the Male Solo Songs.

I did listen to the songs of G M Durrani, Surendra and ‘other’ male singers a few times. However, the truth remains that I could not connect with those songs. And that is MY limitation – having been brought up listening to mostly the post-’50 songs on the radio in my formative years.

With that bias accepted, here is MY choice of the Male solo Songs for 1948:

• Sab Kuchch Luataya Humne Aa Kar Teri Gali Mein – Chunariya – Mohammad Rafi – Hans Raj Behl – Mulk Raj Bhakhari
• Ye Zindagi Ke Mele Duniya Mein Kam Na Hoge Afsos Hum Na Hoge – Mela – Mohammad Rafi – Naushad Ali  – Shakeel Badayuni
• Ek Dil Ke Tukde Hazar Hue Koi Yahan Gira Koi Wahan Gira – Pyar Ki Jeet – Mohammad Rafi – Husnlal Bhagat Ram – Qamar Jalalabadi
• Zinda Hun Is Tarah Ke Gam-e-Jindagi Nahin – Aag – Mukesh – Ram Ganguly – Behzad Lakhanavi
• Jeevan Sapana Toot Gaya – Anokha Pyar – Mukesh – Anil Biswas – Jiya Sarhadi
• Gaaye Ja Geet Milan Ke Tu Apni Lagan Ke – Mela – Mukesh – Naushad – Shakeel Badayuni
• Bahe Na Kabhi Nain Se Neer – Vidya – Mukesh – S D Burman – Y N Joshi
• Marane Ki Dua Kyon Maangu, Jene Ki Tamanna Kaun Kare – Ziddi – Kishore Kumar – Khmechand Prakash – Prem Dhawan

Of these, the one I like the most is Bahe Na Kabhi Nain Se Neer.

We take up the next stage of Female Songs of 1948 from  the next episode – with Solo  Songs of Suraiya.

Business Sutra |3.1| Ethical and Moral Dilemmas

Business Sutra |3| Business Ethics and Morals

In the first episode of the TV serial on CNBC 18, spread over three segments, Devdutt Pattanaik presented to us the most visible form of the business – the corporation : its meaning, its purpose and its action perspective.

In the second episode Devdutt Pattanaik discusses Leadership: Role of the leader, Context of the leader and Leadership in different business cycles.

The third episode relates to the ethical and moral dilemmas of the leader, and hence in turns that of the organization. The ethics and morality are the human concepts. Animals and plants belong to Prakriti or nature, where no one has choices. Everyone is fettered to their nature. Purusha or humans have the unique ability to make choices and hence reject what is ‘in their nature’ – the idea of dharma comes from this space, the core ethical and moral values of the human being. The concept is beautifully illustrated in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Dharma is a principle, not a rule, which is why in Ramayana rules are upheld and in Mahabharata rules are broken. Beneath the actions of Ram and Krishna is dharma – which may result in rule making or rule breaking, depending on the context.

Business Sutra |3.1| Ethical and Moral Dilemmas

Let us begin with first  things first and take a glance at what do values, ethics and morality mean- in the western management literature.

Bahaudin Mujtaba presents Understanding ethics and morality in business . He states that values are professed statements of one’s beliefs, ethics is delivering on one’s professed values and morals are actions of good conduct as judged by the society that enhance the welfare of human beings. ..With an understanding of values, ethics and morals while using ethical principles, a business owner or leader can form a framework for effective decision-making with formalized strategies. The willingness to add ethical principles to the decision-making structure indicates a desire to promote fairness, as well as prevent potential ethical problems from occurring.

Surbhi S has clearly presented the Difference Between Morals and Ethics . The word Morals is derived from a Greek word “Mos” which means custom. On the other hand, if we talk about Ethics, it is also derived from a Greek word “Ethikos” which means character. Put simply, morals are the customs established by group of individuals whereas ethics defines the character of an individual.

Basis for comparison	Morals	Ethics
Meaning	Morals are the beliefs of the individual or group as to what is right or wrong.	Ethics are the guiding principles which help the individual or group to decide what is good or bad.
What is it?	General principles set by group	Response to a specific situation
Root word	Mos which means custom	Ethikos which means character
Governed By	Social and cultural norms	Individual or Legal and Professional norms
Deals with	Principles of right and wrong	Right and wrong conduct
Applicability in Business	No	Yes
Consistency	Morals may differ from society to society and culture to culture.	Ethics are generally uniform.
Expression	Morals are expressed in the form of general rules and statements.	Ethics are abstract.
Freedom to think and choose	No	Yes

Business Ethics is a brief, structured, treatise on the subject.

Conventional Approach to Business Ethics  is a presentation prepared on the 7^th Chapter – Business Ethics Fundamentals – from the book Business and Society. We get a quick-glance view of serval fundamentals of the subject.

12 Ethical Principles for Business Executives : Ethical values, when translated into active language, establishing standards or rules that describe the kind of behavior an ethical person should and should not engage in, are ethical principles. The following list of principles incorporates the characteristics and values that most people associate with ethical behavior. 

• HONESTY – honest and truthful in all their dealings.
• INTEGRITY – personal integrity and the courage of their convictions by doing what they think is right even when there is great pressure to do otherwise.
• PROMISE-KEEPING & TRUSTWORTHINESS – worthy of trust.
• LOYALTY – worthy of trust, demonstrate fidelity and loyalty to persons and institutions by friendship in adversity, support and devotion to duty.
• FAIRNESS – fair and just in all dealings.
• CONCERN FOR OTHERS – caring, compassionate, benevolent and kind.
• RESPECT FOR OTHERS – respect for the human dignity, autonomy, privacy, rights, and interests of all those who have a stake in their decisions.
• LAW ABIDING – abide by laws, rules and regulations relating to their business activities.
• COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE – pursue excellence in performing their duties, are well informed and prepared, and constantly endeavor to increase their proficiency in all areas of responsibility.
• LEADERSHIP – conscious of the responsibilities and opportunities of their position of leadership and seek to be positive ethical role models.
• REPUTATION AND MORALE – protect and build the company’s good reputation and the morale of its employees.
• ACCOUNTABILITY – acknowledge and accept personal accountability for the ethical quality of their decisions and omissions to themselves, their colleagues, their companies, and their communities.

The Seven-Step Path to Better Decisions : We make thousands of decisions daily.  Most do not justify extended forethought but when confronted by major decisions with no clear answers it can be easy to feel overwhelmed.  This seven-step guide to making good decisions is an excerpt from the book Making Ethical Decisions .

• Stop and Think – One of the most important steps to better decisions is the oldest advice in the word: think ahead.
• Clarify Goals – clarify your short- and long-term aims.
• Determine Facts – You can’t make good decisions if you don’t know the facts.
• Develop Options – make a list of options, a set of actions you can take to accomplish your goals.
• Consider Consequences – Two techniques help reveal the potential consequences: “Pillar-ize” your options.  Filter your choices through each of the Six Pillars of Character: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship, and, “Identify the stakeholders” to determine how the decision is likely to affect them.
• Choose – make your decision.
• Monitor and Modify – re-assess the situation and make new decisions, if the outcomes do not follow the plan.

Having covered some details of the fundamentals of Ethics and Morals- as perceived by the West, we move on to what the present management literature has to state on the subject.

In a well presented article – How did Peter Drucker see Corporate Responsibility? –   in HBR, Frances Hesselbein notes that, according to Peter Drucker, “Leaders in every single institution and in every single sector … have two responsibilities. They are responsible and accountable for the performance of their institutions, and that requires them and their institutions to be concentrated, focused, limited. They are responsible also, however, for the community as a whole.”…Peter Drucker strived to make business leaders see the community as the responsibility of the corporation. He called on leaders to embody “the Spirit of Performance” by exhibiting high levels of integrity in their moral and ethical conduct; focusing on results; building on strengths; and leading beyond borders to meet the requirements of stakeholders, ultimately serving the common good.

In ‘What is Business Ethics?’, Peter Drucker  categorically states that the traditional Western moralist would probably treat Business Ethics as oxymoron. However, all the authorities of Western tradition are, however, in complete agreement on one point: There is only one ethics, one set of rules of morality, one code, that of individual behavior in which the same rules apply to everyone alike. They would accept the difference between what is ethically right or not would be grounded on social or cultural context. He then goes onto detail the evolution of term Business Ethics over 18^th Century till now.

The individual ethical thinking and behavior in an organization has to be translated into the organizational level integrity.

Lynn S. Paine looks at the role of the organization in shaping the individual’s ethics in an HBR article, Managing for Organizational integrity.

We look at (only) some of the videos:

DuPont Sustainable Solutions  has compiled Workplace Ethics Scenarios that show, in the lighter style, the “wrong way” and the “right way” of handling 17 common ethics issues at the workplace.

Creating ethical cultures in business: Brooke Deterline at TEDxPresidio –

As Corporate Director for the Heroic Imagination Project (HIP), Brooke Deterline helps boards, executives, and teams at all levels develop the skills to act with courage and ingenuity in the face of challenging situations. This fosters leadership credibility and candor, builds trust, engagement and reduces risk.

Legal vs. Ethical Liability: A Crisis of Leadership and Culture | Mel Fugate | TEDxSMU

Professor Fugate argues that leaders at all levels and across industries need to focus on ethical liability above and beyond legal liabilities for themselves and their organizations. Ethical liability tests the true character of a leader and determines the character and quality of an organization’s culture. He illustrates this point in the context of higher education, where he contends a lack of accountability has led to a crisis of leadership and culture. Fugate uses scandals in college sports as common examples of a pervasive and larger problem of university leadership (at all levels) that fails to meet its ethical liabilities. He outlines a number of potential causes for the patterns of unethical behavior in higher education and also provides a few suggestions on how to overcome the challenges of this crisis.

We are now geared up to listen to what Devdutt Pattanaik has to say, in Segment 1 of the episode 3 – Dharma and Dharma Sankat.

Humans are the only creatures on earth that can choose to overturn the law of the jungle to outgrow the beasts within us. Firing this eternal struggle is our ability to imagine, imagine a better place.

But the problem with imagination is also that it amplifies our fears. I can think of the worst situations. I can imagine problems which do not exist. Even in times of abundance I can think of drought and go into a depression. So it is a tragedy of imagination, while I can imagine good things I can also imagine horrible things. It amplifies joy, it amplifies fear too. The most tragic and interesting thing about imagination is suddenly we ask ourselves and because you can imagine and because are aware we can die, we start asking the question what’s the point of it all. That is where everything starts. That is the home. That is the source of our solutions and our problems.

How is it connected to Dharma?

I can imagine not being afraid. If you look at all the gods, they have their hand sticking out and what they are saying is ‘do not be afraid’. This is the Fearlessness Pose (Abhaya Mudra). The fact is any deity, anyone, is holding the hand out. That is what a leader is supposed to do.

Just visualize a simple number chart. There is a positive axis and there is a negative axis. Now imagine the number zero as what is call in Sanskrit as Matsya Nyay, A Law of the Jungle. The big fish can eat the small fish in the sea.

This means I am allowed to be territorial. I can be dominating because I want to survive. That is an animal instinct. If I can outgrow this animal instinct of survival, then I start thinking about others. I empathize because I can imagine your fear, and because I can imagine your fear I can empathize with you. If I can walk towards empathy that is outgrowing the beast, But if I allow the fear to amplify my fear then in my fear I will say that I have to stay alive and I have to thrive and others don’t matter. Nobody else matters, but me. Then I start exploiting people. I will tame other people. I will dominate. I’ll become worse than an animal. Animals don’t exploit, humans do. Animals are not cruel, humans are. So exploitation comes or the empathy comes from the human imagination. Both these, the exploitation and empathy come from the same space of the human ability to imagine and be creative. So both are possible. If I move more towards positive scale, then this is Dharma. It is a work-in-progress.  It is not an endpoint, it’s not destination, it’s a process. If I move in the opposite direction, overwhelmed by fear, it is Adharma. The choice is ours and every choice has consequences, if not in this life, then in the next life.

What is the Dharma Sankat (Ethical or Moral Dilemma)?

Dharma Sankat is the ability to take this decision, What is life all about?  Every moment we have to take decisions. At a moment of time what do I decide? What decision do I take? Let me give you an example through a story.  Once upon a time there was an eagle. The eagle was chasing a dove and the dove came to a king and told the king: save me. The king said I will save you and the Eagle said what will I eat now. So the eagle ate another dove. That is cruel. King said do not eat dove, eat rat. So the Eagle said, that’s cruel why should a rat die to save the dove. Finally the king said because I say so. The Eagle then said you are foolish. How long can you feed me? Sooner or later you will die and I’ll have to eat the Dove. So you are just delaying its death. This is Dharma Sankat.

In nature nobody would have come to the rescue of the dove. Now the King thinks he is very noble in saving the Dove. King is imagining that by saving the dove I am being a nice man, but in effect he is cruel to the eagle. You decided that the eagle is bad, the dove needs saving. Now look what is happening – the Dove is calling the king a kind king and the eagle is calling the king a cruel King. Who is right?

What should the king do?

There is no prescription.

How do you fit this in a business or corporate context? What are the more common Dharma Sankat situations that business leaders face and how are they supposed to overcome them?

There is a recession. Company has to cut costs. I have two ways of cutting cost: reduce salaries of the top management or give pink slips to the bottom of the pyramid. Which way should I go?

The former sounds less cruel. But, to those people it is as cruel.

That would mean that the top management which is running your organization may leave and the company can collapse and the shareholders will withdraw money.

What do you do?

That IS Dharma Sankat. That is why you need a leader. If there was a prescription out there then why do you need a leader? You have to ask yourself – if I have to evolve, I have to ask myself: why do I take the decision? Where from comes a decision that I am taking? Am I taking a decision because I’m afraid? Am I doing it to protect myself? Am I doing to protect my self-image? Am I doing to protect my business, which is actually an extension of my self-image? Or, am I doing it for the good of the people? More often than not it is never for the good of the people.

We have, thus, seen that West and Hindu points of view broadly converge on the basics of Dharma – the Ethics and the Morality. They also do take cognizance of the reality that ethics or morality is not the absolute – they manifest in light of the then socio-economic-cultural milieu in which the human being lives.

When we look at the literature on the values that shape the ethics and morals, we do find a subtle difference in the approaches of the West and the East. For the present, that is beyond the scope of our discussion. However, both ideologies do converge and agree that it is the value system that drives the (ethical and moral) behavior.

In our next session, we will take up the logical extension of the topic – Relationship between the owner and the organization – in the second segment of the Third Episode of Devdutt Pattanaik’s TV serial Business Sutra

Note: The images used in this post are the irrevocable property of their respective creator. They have been taken up courtesy the internet, so as to illustrate the point under discussion.