Fading Memories…. Unforgettable Songs : August 2019

Shailendra with Hemant Kumar, Ravi and Kalyanji (Anandji)

Shailendra (a.k.a. Shankardas Kesarilal) – B: 30-8-1923 / D: 14-12-1966 – was as much a poet as he was a lyricist. His film songs were easy to sing, easier to understand and even easier to make sense. Most of us remember Shailendra as Shalendra-Hasrat twin and an important angle of Shankar-Jaikishan – Shailndra- Hasrat quadrilateral, Shailendra has very actively paired with several other music directors. Quantitatively, bulk of his 800 songs are composed by Shankar Jaikishan, followed by a fairly large numbers of songs composed by S D Burman and Salil Chaudhary. However, Shailendra’s work with ‘other music directors’ does form a very important ingredient of the whole. For example:

Sabhi Kuchh Lutakar Hue Hum Tumhare is the sole Hindi song in the Bengali film, Indrani (1958, Music: Nachiketa Ghosh)

We have undertaken a series on Shailendra’s songs with other music directors in our episode every August, from 2017. We commenced with ‘Shailendra and “Other” Music Directors’, as an overview and then took up Shailendra and Roshan, the fourth highest combination in terms of number of songs.

Today we will listen to the reprehensive songs from the basket of soulful Shailendra with melodious Hemant Kumar. We have also combined Shailendra’s songs composed by Ravi and the his one-only song with Kalyanji Anandji. We have stitched the warp of Shailendra’s songs by these three music directors with a common weft of one Song Man Dole Mera Tan Dole (Nagin, 1954), which was composed by Hemant Kumar, set to music by Ravi, as assistant of Hemant Kumar, for which the been (pungi) was played by Kalyanji (Anandji) Virji Shah on clavioline.^[1]

Shailendra with Hemant Kumar

Hemant Kumar (a.k.a. Hemant Kumar Mukherjee) – B: 20-6-1920 – D: 26-9-1989 – commenced his career in Hindi Films, as a singer first, with Irada (1944) song Aaram Se Jo Raaten Kaate, (Lyrics: Aziz Kashmiri), under the baton of Pt. Amarnath and as a music director in Filmistan’s Anand Math (1952).

As sweet as any coincidence can be, Shailendra penned the majority of the songs for this film. Shailendra and Hemant Kumar teamed up for two more films (Chand and Hum Bhi Insaan Hai, both 1959) and one song for Masoom (1960) in the roles of lyricist and music director respectively.

Aside:

Shailendra also combines with Hemant Kumar as a playback singer –  Shankar Jaikishan’s compositions Yaad Kiya Dil Ne Kahan Ho Tum (Patita, 1953) and Rula Kar Chal Diye HasiN Ban Ke Jo Aaye  (Badshah, 1954), in addition to the songs discussed separately in the present post.

Naino Mein Saawan, Man Mere Phagun, Palchhin Jale Aur Jalaye Yaad Aye Bachpan, Yaad Aaye Re – Anand Math (1952) – Geeta Dutt

Geeta Bali reminisces the memory of her journey from her parent’s home to the present times in the Math.  The pathos of the lyrics are so well captured in Geeta Dutt’s soft tone. The composition of the song also reflects the different moods of the song at different stages.

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

On one hand, Geeta Bali successfully attempts to divert attention of the British soldier by carefully modulated initial recital of first set of lyrics, while also challenging her love, Pradipkumar, with the carefree rendition of her part of the song. However, palpable tension, on both counts, is evident in Pradeep Kumar’s response. Geeta Dutt and Talat Mahmmod have captured the mood the song in totality.

Aside:

Pradeep Kumar made a dbut with Anand Math.

Kabhi Aaj Kabhi Kal Kabhi Parso – Chand 1959– Lata Mangeshkar,Suman Kalyanpur

We have here a one of the few rare Lata- Suman duets. Hemant Kumar dexterously presents a fast-paced dance song.

Hai Re Kismat Ka Andher Hai Re Banate Der Lage Na Bigadate – Hum Bhi Insaan Hai (1959) – Hemant Kumar

The opening notes of flute is picked up by Hemant Kumar to express the despair of dark phase of the life.

Oonch Neech Ke Bhed Bhula Ke Gale Milo Saare Insaan – Hum Bhi Insaan Hai (1959) – Hemant Kumar

A bhajan composition that has appropriately Shailendra has used to weave in the socialistic thinking.

Phulva Band Mahake Dekho Laheke Daali Daali – Hum Bhi Insaan Hai (1959) – Geeta Dutt, Suman Kalyanpur

Hemant Kumar resurrects pure melody from Shailendra’s wonderful description of the nature, from the eyes of two young friends. Geeta Dutt and Suman Kalyanpur fully blend each other’s individual style into the melody of the duet.

Pyaar Jatake Lalchaaye Mora – Hum Bhi Insaan Hai (1959) – Shamshad Begum

Without any benefit of the video, one is left in no doubt about the gay mood the singer – on and off the screen.

Nani Teri Morni Ko Mor Le Gaye – Masoom  (1960) – Ranu Mukherjee

Shailendra comes up with gem of child song by using the first line of folk song. Hemant Kumar  also has done an out-of-box trick by using the voice of Ranu Mukherjee, who is his the then very young, daughter.

Shailendra With Ravi

In 1952, Ravi (a.k.a. Ravi Shankar Sharma) – B: 3 March 1926 – D: 7 March 2012 – was discovered by Hemant Kumar who hired him to sing backing vocals in Vande Mataram from the film Anand Math. Ravi assisted Hemant Kumar till Nagin 1954, before he ventured on to his own.

Shailendra and Ravi had four films together, all of them being pre-Chaudhvi Ka Chand (1960). Ravi then went onto work more with Shakeel Badayuni or Sahir Ludhyanavi or Rajendra Krishna, depending upon the film’s production house’s own preference.

Shailendra penned two songs in their first ever joint venture, Dilli Ka Thug (1958) – Chal Ri Ameeren Bhai Chal Re Fakire, A Kishore Kuamr solo and  Ye Raatein Yeh Mausam Nadi Ka Kinara, a Kishore – Asha duet we have covered in our overview article.

They then paired for 3 more films.

Ye Kaisi Rut Aayi – Devar Bhabhi (1958) – Asha Bhosle

As compared to a very distinctive style of O P Nayyar, Ravi lent the essential variety to Asha Bhosle’s style of singing, thereby enabling her to establish her position in the playback singing As compared to field.

Kal Ke Chand Aaj Ke Sapne – Nai Rahen (1959) – Hemant Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar

Ravi has so aptly chosen Hemant Kumar for a male playback voice for a song which so evocatively passionate, for expressing the emotions with a restraint when the the couple share each other’s views outside the public glare.

Kal Ke Chand Aaj Ke Sapne  – Nai Rahen  (1959) – Lata Mangeshkar

A classic twin version which recollects those happy moments when the circumstances have taken an unhappy turn.

Tose Laage Naina  Saiyaan Ho To Se Lage Naiana – Nai Rahen (1959) – Mohammad Rafi, Asha Bhosle

Romantic songs cast in semi-classical mode is also very oft-used genre in Hindi films. Ravi uses his simplicity wand to present the song.

Kaun Jaane Re Baba  Duniya Mein Preet Parayi – Jawani Ki Hawa (1959) – Mohammad Rafi, Asha Bhosle, Geeta Dutt

Ravi deftly does justice to the street-performance genre song here. Getta Dutt, very sparingly ever used by Ravi, sings for the younger of the girl members of the performance troupe.

Shailendra with Kalyanji (Anandji)

In a very rare occurrence, a lyricist writes songs for a senior music director as well as for two of his erstwhile juniors, in two different cases. Shailendra has done this in this case of Hemant Kumar, Ravi and Kalyanji(Anandji) as well as in case of S D Burman, Jaidev and R D burman. Shailendra himself has penned songs for two such pairs, more than once – Shankar Jaikishan and Dattaram, S N Tripathi and Chitragupt.

Ja Ja Na Chhed Maan Bhi Ja – Satta Bazar (1959) – Mohammad Rafi, Suman Kalyanpur

Shailendra, incidentally, has penned, only one song in this film.

As it happens, the last few songs in the post have Mohammad Rafi as the singer. So we will take up one more song, this time composed by Hemant Kumar, to traditionally our posts with Mohamad Rafi song

Pyaari Bole Bulbul Padosan Bole Kauwa – Hum Bhi Insaan Hai (1959) – i

An absolutely carefree mood song. You don’t get many such song from Hemant Kumar’s stable.

We will continue our quest of Shailendra with other music director in this series in our next episode, next year.

We will continue remembering 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.

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^[1]  A tickling trivia on the making of Man Dole, Mera Tan Dole –

There has been a lot of discussion on who created that piece. The cover of the record released by HMV gives credit to Ravi and Kalyanji, who were part of Hemant Kumar’s the then team. Shyamanuja provides some essential, and one very interesting, inputs in his article   Who created the classic been music in Man Dole, Mera Tan Dole?.

It was in the year 1954 that Kalyanjibhai’s son Dinesh Shah was born, who has shared Nagin 1954 – Been Music on Clavioline played by Kalyanji Virji Shah for its nostalgic and documentary value.