Welcome to November, 2018 edition of Carnival of Blogs on Golden Era of Hindi Film Music.
We will take up posts dedicated to commemorate 51st death anniversary of Roshan as THE topic for November, 2018.
Early Days of Roshan is the first of the two parts that takes us through Roshan’s relatively less known journey of 1950s. In the concluding post, well-known, years 1960-1968 – part of Roshan’s career has been covered. Roshan had his usual creative flavor even in the relatively less-known films like Warrant (1961) in this period, as can be seen in the songs as diverse as Hothon Pe Hasin, Ankhon Mein Shararat Raheti Hai (Lata Mangeshkar), Nigahon Mein Yeh Masti Kyon Kyun (Geeta Dutt), O Beimaan Maine Tujhe Pehchan Liya (Asha Bhosle).
Six years after Rafi’s solos by Roshan, and after a tandem series on Roshan and Madan Mohan, Songs of Yore has presented two well-crafted posts on Roshan:
Rafi’s duets by Roshan – Out of the total 92 Rafi-Roshan songs, solos are about 35 and duets 57. Third of Roshan’s Rafi songs belong to eleven years of 1949 to 1959,, and two thirds belong to the nine years of 1960 to 1968.
Roshan’s songs for ‘other’ singers – Apart from qawaalis, whenever Roshan has used other ‘singer’s, the resulting output has been quite everlasting. e.g. Yeh Ichak Beechak Chhurr (Baware Nain – 1950- Shamshad Begum)
And, now, we take up the tributes in November, 2018:
A Eulogy that Touches the Heart – Three-quarters of a century back, a child prodigy from Punjab, the sensational vocalist named Master Madan used to electrify live audiences with his light classical singing of ghazals, thumris and Punjabi gurbanis. But before he became 15 years old, the boy passed away as a result of mercury poisoning, if the rumour is true. He was able to cut just 8 records, through which he is immortalized, especially for rendering two ghazals written by Sagar Nizami: Yoon na reh reh kar humen tarsaaiye, and Hairat se tak raha hai jahaan-e-wafa mujhe…. Our films have featured kids in hundreds of situations as well as songs. On Jawaharlal Nehru’s birthday, Bal Din, the post lists some songs now, but only those where children themselves sing, without any adults singing with them.
Sohrab Modi – His films always carried Social or National Message – (born 2 November 1897) a great filmmaker of the 1930s 1940s.and 1950s. He launched Minerva Movietone in 1936.
In the Musical Memory of Meena Kapoor is a tribute to Meena Kapoor on her first death anniversary (B: 1930 – D: 23 November, 2017). In a comprehensive review of Meena Kapoor’s career, Shalan Lal takes a close look at her first 10 films
S D Burman Was Someone Who Adjusted To Changing Times, Therein Lies His Greatness – Anirudha Bhattacharjee – The entire book, S D Burman – The Prince Musician, by Anirudha Bhattacharjee and Balaji Vittal, is full with trivia, minutest details of his work, his career, his unreleased songs, the work which went unnoticed and yet the book focuses on what it should be focussing – his music.
Here is The Concluding Post – S D Burman after S D Burman – the 60s in the S D Burman series that Mehfil Celebrates ‘S D Burman’ Month
That The Song “Gata Rahe Mera Dil” was the Last Addition in Guide is perhaps not a less known story now. Here is a good recount, nonetheless
Usha Uthup – A Journey from Night Club to Bollywood – recorded covers of two pop songs in English, “Jambalaya” and The Kingston Trio‘s “Greenback Dollar”, on an EP.
Runa Laila – The Melody Queen Beyond Borders has listed, among other, her song of a Pakistani ‘Hum Dono’ (1966)
Mala Sinha – One of the most sought-after actresses in the 1950s, 1960s – (born on 11th Nov 1936) was the highest-paid actress from 1958-65
Baazi- The Film that was a trendsetter and gave Bollywood many Legends, like Dev Ananad as a hero, Guru Dutt as a director, S D Burman as a music director and the Kalpna Kartik, the future wife of Dev Ananad.
On the 10th birthday of the blog, Dusted Off, Ten of my favourite songs from films I haven’t watched. In most cases, the films seem to have completely disappeared off the radar.
November, 2018 episode of Fading Memories, Unforgettable Songs is dedicated to Salil Chaudhury’s composition of Shaliendra’s songs for the years 1953 to part of 1956..
And, now the posts on other subjects:
Rahi (1952) – India’s First Film to Venice and Moscow International Film Festivals in 1954 – starred Dev Anand and Nalini Jaywant with Balraj Sahni produced and directed by K A Abbas. The film was based on Mulk Raj Anand‘s novel “Two Leaves and a Bud“. It was produced as a bilingual in Hindi as Rahi and in English as The Wayfarer, under the Naya Sansar banner. It was also dubbed in Russian. The Russian version called Ganga was released in the USSR
When The Moon And Romance Go Together – Moon has fascinated and charmed the poets and the lovers alike. Poets have turned into lovers and lovers have turned into poets because of its beauty. We have folklores singing the praise of the moon too. Here is a list of few such songs.
In continuing the Food and Food Movie Month on Dustedoff, The Food and Food Movie Project, Part 4 is followed by Onscreen Chefs: The Myth and the Reality, Ten memorable food scenes from Hindi cinema..
Top 20 Bollywood film soundtracks of Golden Era is a very representative selection from the films released in 1940s till 1975.
Coming Down the Musical Notes – If we compare music to adventure sports, it has same thrill of going up the scale like in mountaineering or coming down the scale like in skiing. A song starting from any of these four notes: Sa Re Ga Ma, and then heading up in the mukhda itself is a mountain-climbing, purvaang start song, while any song descending the ski slopes of the saptak, from Sa Ni Dha Pa in the mukhda itself is an utaraang start. You will, normally, find that a large percentage of them belong to the purvaang kind. It is very seldom that you find songs fashioned in the utaraang way. The post has spotted some such songs. Here is one good example:
Aaja o jaan-e-jaan, mere meherbaan (Asha/Hasrat/Ramlal/Geet Gaya Patharone, 1963)
Mi Raat Taakli Mi Kaat Taakli – Jait Re Jait – Liberated In Love – When Shailendra wrote, Tay Kar Liya… Aaj Phir Jeene Ki Tamanna Hai, Aaj Phir Marane Ka Irada Hai, little would he have known that he is going voice to thousands of women. Like Rosie of Guide, Maya of Maya Memsaheb are the examples of the women who had the courage to remove themselves from the situation in life which was unacceptable to them. Present song from Jabbar Patel’s Marathi Film Jait Re Jait (Win Win) is a classic example of art concealing the art. The film is about winning in life, but losing in love.
The Punjabification of Bollywood – It was B.R Chopra. and Raj Kapoor led the ‘Punjabification’ of the Indian film industry. Punjabi music was first introduced by Gulam Haider. In the 50s and 60s, we saw the influence of Urdu and Muslim influence in Hindi songs and films besides Bengali.
Urdu sounds are disappearing from Bollywood songs – Rizwan Ahmad traces the gradual decline of Urdu diction in Bollywood songs from Mughal-e-Azam to My Name is Khan.
To Each His Colour – The history of Films is from monochrome – B&W – to, multicolor films. Wadia Brothers were the first production company to announce a B-grade film entirely in colour. That was the Feroz Khan and Sayeeda Khan starrer Char Darwesh of 1964. The post has listed some colour songs that were from “partly-in-colour” films:
From BIG DATA to Small Cinema? Challenges & Opportunities of Cinema in New Media – The rate of increase of mobile internet subscription is extremely fast .. With ‘big’ data being harnessed by companies, the customer targeting has reached a new aggression. Cinema not only gets changed continuously with respect to the format and projection technologies but with the giant nation slowly but surely getting addicted to the small screen, the bigger question is with so much information about the audience preferences whether cinema is actually becoming ‘small’.
Raat bhar ka hai mehmaan andhera – Lata Jagatiani has remembered the stanza that is in the Original Sountrack of the film:
Yoon hi duniya mein aakar na jaana
sirf aansoo baha kar na jaana
musuraahat pe bhi haq hai tera
kiske roke ruka hai savera…
Do not just pay a visit to this world,
Don’t go away shedding just tears
You have a right over a smile
Who can ever stop the rise of the morning…
Tere mere milan ki ye raina – Monica Kar discusses how Hrishikesh Mukherjee explores the shades of grey in the husband and wife relationship.
We continue Micro View of Best songs of 1947: And the winners are? with the Duets of 1947, in terms of Female – Female Duets, Male- Male duet as Triads/Triads+, then conclude with a summary of MY Top Duets so as to end the Micro-View of Songs of 1947 with MY Top Music Directors. All the episodes of The Micro View of Best Songs of 1947 can be read / downloaded from one file, by clicking on the hyper link.
In our tradition of ending our post with article on Mohammad Rafi or a topical song of his, I have picked up a few songs, each one of which basically has a link with the topics discussed in the present post.
Khali Jebe Ho Kadki Ho, Mera Dil Maage Wo Ladki Ho – Chhora Chhori(1955) – Roshan – Kedar Sharma
Chand Takata Hai Idhar Aao Kahin Chhup Jaen, Kahn Lage Na Nazar Aao Kahi Chhup Jaen – Dooj Ka Chand (1964) – with Suman Kalyanpur – Roshan – Sahir Ludhyanvi
Mere Pyar Mein Tujhe Kya Mila – Suhagan (1964) – Madan Mohan – Hasrat Jaipuri
Gusse Mein Tum Aur Achhi Lagati Ho – Char Darwesh (1964) – G S Kohli – Anjaan
I earnestly seek your suggestions / inputs / criticisms so as to make our Film Blog Festival more interesting and live.
The world is too small? or Is it? 
Very nice , i like old classical songs & films.
Thank you so much for your very kind appreciation.