S D Burman and “Other” Male Playback Singers :: [3]

We are now in the last leg of our series of S D Burman composed songs in the voices of ‘Other’ Male Singers. In the first part, we had covered S D Buman’s Other Male Songs for the initial years – 1946-1949 – of his career. In the second part, we had covered the years 1950 to 1960, when S D Burman had begun to rise to the peak of his career.

Presently, we will cover the years from 1960 till the end of S D Burman’s active career in Hindi Film Music world. From ‘Pyasa’ (1957) S D Burman had predominantly shifted to Mohammad Rafi as the lead singer till he started tiling towards Kishore Kumar, beginning with ‘Teen Deviyan’ (1965), barring a few exceptions. Therefore, one can easily expect that S D Burman would have used ‘Other’ Male Singers for the non-lead protagonists in the songs that we will get to listen in this third part. And, yet, the choice of a particular ‘Other’ Male Singer still presents an interesting insight into S D Burman’s process of selecting a singer for his tunes.

S D Burman – Mahendra Kapoor

Mahendra Kapoor had to remain under the shadow of Mohammad Rafi’s dazzling success. He had had quite close association with Mohammad Rafi and did execute Rafi’s advice of creating his own style of singing, which helped him to carve out his own respectable space within the Rafi-dominated era.

Piya…Piya Bin Nahin…Aavat Chain…Mil Gaye Milnewale ..Ab Ghar Mein Baithe Kazi, Keh Do Ji Keh Do, Hai Miya Bibi Razi….. – Miya Bibi Raazi (1960) – with Asha Bhosle – Lyrics: Shailendra

The song is filmed on three pairs of actors on the screen – Mehmood and Seema Saraf (a.k.a Seema Deo);  Shrikant Guarav – who, according to Shri Arunkumar Deshmukh, is Shailesh Mukherjee, the music director of films like Suhag Sindoor (1953), Parichay (1954), Saavera(1958) and a singer (Dekha Chand Ki Aur –Aag [1949] – and Kamini Kadam and third not-known-names pair, who initiate the performance of the song in what is known as street performance style. S D Burman had used Rafi for Mehmood as well as Shailesh Mukherjee in this film, and yet, he has chosen Mahendra Kapoor for this song !

Mera Kya Sanam Meri Khushi Hai Tumhari,Are Haste Ho Jab Muskarati Hu Main – Talaash (1969) – with Asha Bhosle – Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri

We have jumped from 1960 to 1969 for a second of S D Burman – Mahendra Kapoor song. By this time Mahendra Kapoor had already established himself a successful lead male singer and had had sewed up strong tie-ups with B R Chopra- Ravi or with Manoj Kumar, and in fact was to replace Rafi when O P Nayyar had a tiff with Rafi. It is said that he was chosen here because of insistence of the producer, O P Ralhan, on whom this song is filmed on the screen.  Mahendra Kapoor has even been given enough space in the delivery of the song to freely practice his by-now—well-known playful style for such jazzy song.

S D Burman – S D Batish

S D (Shiv Dayal) Batish was a trained classical singer. He commenced his career in early Hindi Films as a music director, who would sing too.  He migrated to UK in 1964 where he regular recorded songs with BBC. S D Burman has used S D Batish, in two songs, in the role of the music teacher.

Poochho Na Kaise Maine Rain Bitaayee – Meri Soorat Teri Ankhen (1963) – with Manna Dey and an unknown female singer – Lyrics: Shailendra

Perhaps more known version of this song is the solo version by Manna Dey, but in this version S D Batish has played his role of a teacher quite comfortably and effortlessly.

Man Mohan Man Mein Ho Tumhi….More Ang Mein Tumhi Samaye, Jaano Na Jaano Ho Yumhi – Kaise Kahoon  (1964) – with Mohammad Rafi and SumanKalyanpur – Lyrics:  Shakeel Badayuni

This triad also remains a very well-known classical raag- based song.

S D Burman and Bhupinder

As is well-known, Bhupinder Singh debuted with playback singing in Haqeequat (1964), but it may not be equally known that he was also an accomplished guitarist. As a guitarist, he was an integral part of R D Burman’s orchestra team. That connection seems to have made the opening up a space for Bhupinder to sing for a couple of S D Burman’s songs.

Hothon Pe Aisi Baat – Jewel Thief (1967) – (mainly) Lata Mangeshakr, and chorus – Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri

Bhupinder’s maiden association with SD Burman is simply as a piece of orchestra, a la RDB style. Film director Vijay Anand has very deftly used Bhupinder’s piece filmed on Dev Anand and lent a very different meaning to the song picturizatiion.

Yaaron Nilam Karo Susti, Hamse Udhar Le Lo Masti – Prem Pujari (1970) – with Kishore Kumar – Lyrics : Neeraj

This is what can be classified as a Jeep-genre song. Bhupinder playback sings for Anup Kumar.

S D Burman and Danny Denzongpa

Again it may be well-known that Danny Denzongpa (born Tshering Phintso Denzongpa) was a highly talented actor. But that he was a good singer is not so known. He has even directed a film, and was a good painter, writer and sculptor too.

Mera Naam Yaao, Mere Paas Aao – Yeh Gulistan Hamara (1972) – with Lata Mangeshkar – Lyrics: Anand Bakshi

S D Burman has made a very surprising choice of Danny to playback for Jonny Walker. The song had shot to good popularity in those days, and had reached 14^th position in Binaca Geetmala in that year.

S D Burman and Manhar

Manhar Udhas, though qualified in mechanical engineering, was keen to make a career in music. He did succeed in the pursuit of his life goal.

Loote Koi Man Ka Nagar Ban Ke Mera Saathi – Abhimaan (1973) – with Lata Mangeshkar – Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri

Probably, the choice of Manhar to playback for Amitabh Bachchan was to clearly demonstrate the quality of singing of the two protagonists in the film. Nonetheless, the song did stand its ground against all other songs of Abhimaan.

S D Burman – Sunil Kumar, R S Bedi

Of these two singers, I could not get any information about Sunil Kumar. R S Bedi should obviously be Rajinder Singh Bedi, a well-known writer and film director as well.

Laali Mere Laal Ki Jit Dekhoo Tit Laal, Phir Raat Hui Ek Baat Hui – Phagun (1973) – with Kishore Kumar, Pankaj Mitra – Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri

The song is predominantly a typical Kishore Kumar tantrum-style songs.

S D Burman – Pankaj Mitra

Pankaj Mitra has had earlier recorded an triad song  and a duet for ‘Sautela Bhai”(1962, Music: Anil Biswas) . He later on, also, has few more films like ‘Grih Pravesh (1979) or ‘Ab Ayega Maza’(1984) to his credit. He obviously has a far better and respectable track-record in Bengali films.

Saala Main To Sahab Ban Gaya – Sagina (1974) – with Kishore Kumar – Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri

Pankaj Mitra plays back for Om Prakash in the song. This is too loud a song, at least under S D Burman’s baton. Of course, Dilip Kumar had acted in a similar loud manner earlier in ‘Gopi’ (1970) too, for a song in a similar situation.

S D Burman – Dilip Kumar

Dilip Kumar had recorded only one song in his own voice till now – Laagi Nahi Chhoote Ram – Musafir, 1957, with Lata Mangeshkar; Music – Salil Chaudhary).

Uparwala Dukhiyon Ki Nahin Sunata Re – Sagina (1974) – With Kishore Kumar – Lyrics: Majrooh Sultnapuri.

S D Burman has used Dilip Kumar’s voice to recite a few lines in the song.

The records do show that S D Burman has used voice of Johnny Walker and R D Burman too for a song each. But these would not be more than either speaking a line or two or as orchestration filler, respectively.

That brings the end of S D Burman’s tryst with ‘Other’ Male Singers. One may conclude that he has mostly used these voices quite creatively, in a somewhat descending order in each of the three phases that we have reviewed in this series. With that it also needs to acknowledge that except in the first phase, most of these songs were at the fringe of the main body of his work in the respective film.

N.B.

All three episodes of S D Burman and “Other” Male Playback Singers can be read in one place by clicking on the hyperlinked title.

All said and done, we are not here to pass any judgement on the songs. Our sole aim was to bring these songs on the same page for the effective documentation.

P.S. For easy access and documentation, all the three episodes are available in one file on  S D Burman and “Other” Male Playback Singers

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